Digital SIG
The "Digital Imaging" group is made up of members and visitors who share the same interest in Astrophotography (or Digital Imaging) and to learn how to do it better and easier. This covers both still image capture with DSLR and CCD cameras, video captured with DSLR cameras, and webcams.
The Digital Imaging SIG meets at 7:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every month at the Weldon Spring Center. We frequently adjourn to Broemmelsiek Park to practice what we preach.
A list of books, articles, and on-line links to tutorials, software, reference websites, and equipment is below. This list is a collection of items and links from all who have supported this SIG over the recent years. Whether you are an experienced imager or a newbie to this "other way" of observing, we strongly recommend you check this page out and even bookmark it for future reference. Note that this section needs to be updated.
To facilitate dialog and sharing information among members of the DigitalSIG, we have a Groups.io discussion list too. Be sure to join in on the discussions at https://groups.io/g/ASEMDigitalSIG.
BOOKS AND ARTICLES
Books
"A Beginner's Guide to DSLR Astro-Photography", by Jerry Lodriguss
"Astrophotgraphy for the Amateur", by Michael Covington
"The Handbook of Astronomical Image Processing", by Richard Berry and James Burnell
“CCD Astronomy “, by Christian Buil
“The New CCD Astronomy”, Ron Wodaski
“The Art and Science of CCD Astronomy”, by David Ratledge
Articles
"Improving your DSLR Photos" by Jerry Lodriguss, S&T, October 2008
(off the Internet)
REFERENCE INFORMATION
Personal/Informative Websites
(Members and friends of ASEM, who have their own websites and who have provided instruction at ASEM Digital Imaging meetings)
Will Day
DSLR Cameras and CCD Imaging
(Those below have books and products to sell along with sharing information)
Jerry Lodriguss
Author and active DSLR Astro-Photographer. Has put a lot of his books' content and recent DSLR camera reviews on his website; go thru the site's menu and look around. Also the forum moderator for the Yahoo's 'digital_astro'' group.
Michael Covington's Digital SLR Notes
Another noted book author with some content and techniques to share in his website.
www.covingtoninnovations.com/dslr/index0.html
Richard Berry
Jim Solomon's Astrophotography Cookbook
www.saratogaskies.com/articles/cookbook/
Matt BenDaniel Articles
www.starmatt.com/articles/index.html
Hap Griffin
Also well known for DSLR modification services, in addition to his Imaging experience.
Rob Gendler
Paul Kanevesky’s Imaging Tips
Select from the menu "Tips and Downloads"
http://darkhorizons.emissionline.com/
Dick Locke's DSLR Astronomy Workflow
www.dl-digital.com/astrophoto/P2-Astro/Astro-Workflow.htm
CCD Imaging Only
Steve Cannistra
Paul LeFevre’s CCD Image Processing Tutorial
www.lefevre.darkhorizons.org/articles/proctutorial2.htm
Thierry Legault’s High Resolution CCD Imaging
http://legault.club.fr/index.html
Ron Wodaski’s New CCD Astronomy
Apogee's CCD University
Other Reference and Magazines
Wikipedia's page on Astrophotography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrophotography
AstroPhoto Insight Magazine
SOFTWARE
Astrophotography Image Processing
Free or 'Easy on the Wallet':
DeepSkyStacker
A free program that provides the basics of image processing. If you plan to get into AstroPhotography with a DSLR or low-cost CCD camera, then this program is a good starting point.
http://deepskystacker.free.fr/english/index.html
Nebulosity
A less than $100 program that provides very good tools for image stacking, processing, and includes shutter control and image display for both DSLR and CCD cameras. If you can't afford Photoshop for after processing refinement, this program can help with its built-in image refinement tools.
www.stark-labs.com/nebulosity.html
Iris
This has a steep learning curve, but rich in tools, and has an over-wehlming amount of tutorials - so be prepared to spend time just learning this one.
www.astrosurf.com/buil/us/iris/iris.htm
A site with more help on using Iris:
http://astro.ai-software.com/articles/dslr_iris/dslr_iris.html
NeatImage
A low cost an image filter that can reduce noise and grain in photographic images produced by digital cameras and scanners.
Software Products over $100
(Most of these products are available for a free-trial period)
ImagesPlus
A very common choice when getting serious about an all-in-one image acquisition and processing program. Cost is around $250.
PixInsight
Built from the ground up for Astrophotography. From Europe, with cost around 230 euro.
Diffraction Limited's MaxImDL
The current leader in image acquisition and processing programs. Cost can range depending upon options, to upwards of around $700.
http://diffractionlimited.com/product/maxim-dl/
Photoshop plug-ins
Astronomy Tools by Noel Carboni
Very powerful, yet low cost, plug-ins specifically for Adobe Photoshop, for refining Astro-Photography images, after they are developed with an processing program.
GradientXterminator
Another low cost plug-in specifically for Adobe Photoshop to remove gradients
www.rc-astro.com/resources/GradientXTerminator
FITS Liberator
A free program that preprocesses FITS files before PhotoShop sessions.
www.spacetelescope.org/projects/fits_liberator/
Video Processing
(AVI Tools)
Registax
A free program that combines images in a video into a single stacked result.
http://www.astronomie.be/registax/index.html
AVIstack
Another free program that combines images in a video into a single stacked result.
AVI Raw
Reads raw webcam AVIs
http://arnholm.org/astro/software/aviraw/
VirtualDub
A free program that reads and converts video files into different formats.
AVIsynth
http://avisynth.org/mediawiki/Main_Page
Canon EOS Camera Movie Record
For use with Canon LiveView Cameras only. When used with your Canon camera, this FREE program will create movie files on your computer
http://sourceforge.net/projects/eos-movrec/
BackyardEOS / BackyardNIKON
Another program for Canon and NIKON cameras, that can handle both movies and still Astrophotography images. It is not free.
K3CCDTools
Covers video-capture (supporting wide range of video capture devices), auto-guiding and frame aligning and stacking / summing.
http://www.pk3.org/Astro/index.htm?astrophoto_vesta_sc2_mod.htm
DarkFrameScaler
For the correct scaling of video dark-frames caused by AGC
http://www.qcuiag.org.uk/DFS/index.htm
wxAstro Capture
A free capture program that supports webcams and Artemis/ATK cameras
http://arnholm.org/astro/software/wxAstroCapture/
PhotoLapse
A free program to create avi movies from jpg sequences. It can be used for creating timelapse movies with your digital photocamera.
http://home.hccnet.nl/s.vd.palen/
HandyAvi
A low cost program that can control video cameras for time-lapse, motion-detection, planetary and meteor photography. Can also edit and play movies, and control your telescope.
Miscellaneous
CCD Calc by Ron Wodaski
A free program that can be used to visualize the field-of-view for various optical tube/camera combination including barlows or focal reducers.
"3D Fly Thru", "Star Removal" and "Stereo Image Pair" Photoshop add-ons ("PS Actions")
http://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/search/label/PS-actions
Astronomy Software, Books, and related material
Camera and Guider Control Programs
Open PHD Guiding (free)
EQUIPMENT
CCD Camera Manufacturers
SBIG
ZWO ASI
FLI
Apogee
Starlight Xpress
QHY
Meade
Orion
Genesis
Build your own CCD
Focusing and Focus Masks
(Focusing Masks are available at most Astronomy equipment distributors)
Wikipedia explanation of a Bahtinov Focus Mask
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahtinov_mask
Bahtinov Focusing Mask Generator
Makes a SVG file of a mask based on your input, for your own construction of a mask
http://astrojargon.net/(X(1)S(5dxwed555ait1bzurfvozh55))/MaskGen.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
MetaGuide
A video-based tool for precise collimation using the in-focus diffraction pattern of a star.
http://www.astrogeeks.com/Bliss/MetaGuide/
Barn Door Mounts
How to make a Scotch mount design by author Phil Harrington
http://www.philharrington.net/scotch.htm
Rod Nabholz's How To
www.homebuiltastronomy.com/barndoor/index.htm
A Motorized barn door mount
http://www.cloudbait.com/projects/barndoor.html
Robert Reeves
How to use the AstroTrac TT 320
www.robertreeves.com/AstroTracresults.htm
Wikipedia
A short review with links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barn_door_tracker
Telescope Mount Control
ASCOM platform
Group of developers and astronomical instrument makers that work together to bring vendor-independent and language-independent plug-and-play compatibility between astronomy software and astronomical instruments on Windows computers.
MetaGuide
Can autoguide and has several novel features that allow optimal guiding of mid-range mounts under typical seeing conditions. MetaGuide can provide insight into both the optics of your telescope, and the tracking behavior of your mount.
http://www.astrogeeks.com/Bliss/MetaGuide/
Alignmaster
A low cost program for a quick and precise alignment of goto mounts to the polar axis.
elbrus
A free telescope pointing program. It analyzes a sky image with a few stars, and calculates the coordinates of the image centre.
http://www.astrosurf.com/pulgar/elbrus/elbrusin.htm
EQMOD
An open source applications that can provide an alternative to the hand controller on supported GEMs. It is free.
http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/
Links to Astronomy Software
Page last updated: July 11, 2019 [DRC]
Free Software:
AutoStakkert! (Planetary Image Stacking)
AviRaw - reads raw avis - color or B&W
Avistack (Software to work with Lunar and Planetary Images)
Carte du Ciel (SkyChart) - Full planetarium program software
Deepsky Stacker (Preprocessor for deep sky images)
EOS_Movie_Record (support for using Canon Liveview cameras as webcam)
FireCapture (Planetary Imaging)
ImageJ - a free graphics manipulation program maintained by our government (NIH) (linux&Windows)
Registax (Software to work with Lunar and Planetary Images)
Stellarium - Planetarium Software
Virtual Moon Atlas (Full lunar Atlas/Map program)
Gimp stuff (free):
Gimp (Gnu Image Manipulation Program; similar to Photoshop)
wavelet decomposition plug-in for Gimp
refocus plug in for Gimp (supposedly a deconvolution routine) for windows
Commercial Software ($$):
Stark Labs - Nebulosity ($60, free trial version; Photo processing software)
PixInsight (free trial, 230 Euros full version)