MaxIm DL 7?

It's not worlds better than 6.0 or 6.5 but it's the direction that MaximDL is going, so if you want continuing support/upgrades, I'd say "buy it" and don't if you can live with what you're currently running forever…This is a good time to go for it as MaximDL is giving some price breaks to switch.

At this point in time I do not think that there are any features (in the acquisition portion of MaximDL) that NINA, which is free and open source, does not have. I would strongly suggest that you try out NINA. I use that as my acquisition software in combination with Pixinsight for processing. Maxim is unbelievably expensive and I just don't see the value proposition.

I actually agree with those recommending NINA; I just have gotten used to MaximDL and I was able to get a reasonable price for the upgrade, so I went with it. There are certainly free (or low cost) options that will do everything that MaximDL will do…Maybe over time I'll work on migrating, but right now everything works and I just want to keep it that way to manage my limited imaging opportunities.

On MDL5, if you click the magnifier glass icon to zoom in, the zooming center will not be the center of the image.  Rather, it will be the upper-left corner.  If you want to zoom to the center of the image, you need to right-click the center of the image to bring out a menu and then zoom in.  This is one of the poorest UI design that I have seen. Does MDL6 or MDL7 still behave like this?

I'm in agreement withe the above post. I bought MaximDL v4 in 2005. I now use v6.3. I also use SGP and have NINA downloaded, but don't really use it.
I looked at Defraction Limited description of v7 and was little to no difference. I'm not sure about the FFT feature.

I too have become very comfortable with using Maxim. I dislike SGP's GUI and no more fond of NINA. Maxim tracking is well done in my openion. I also like the stacking /calibration routine.  DDP works well for me. Deconvolution as well as most post processing sucks and is antiquated.  The planetarium software is terrible. I use the old Sky 6 instead. The focus roitin is out dated and limited.

For me personally, to shell out $250 I would need to see:
1. New filter sequence with options to refocus using temperature, time, Filter change or number of exposures.
2. New auto focus routine synced with filter sequence.
3. Automated multi sequencing on multiple targets through the night.
4. Dual camera control without paying $175 extra.
5. Obseratory automation of a varity of manufactures
6. Weather monitoring from verity of manufacturers other than their own

In other words, everything SGP and NINA does and more, in a complete bug free acqusition, stacking and calibration software package.
Then I would consider investing more in to Maxim.

Lynn Krizan

Robert Habolin:
I tried the demo, ( im currently on 6.2 ) and it looks good, but i wouldnt pay for that upgrade. 6 still does everything i need. I love the free alternatives, such as N.i.n.a and others, but im so used to Maxim dl it's really hard to switch... the only thing i would really like is an upgrade to the planetarium. It's visually very basic and a bit buggy to navigate. I guess you could use another program for it, but it's so nice to have everything in the same app. Plate solving etc is so easy.

*I used to link Starrynight and MaximDL with no issues as the included planetarium is indeed pretty bad. I am not sure if there is a plugin anywhere around for other software such as CDC or Stellarium. Perhaps the server options. It would be great to know if that is possible.

I use Maxim-DL 6.5 on my 17" PlaneWave because I also use ACP and ACP requires it. On my other setups I use NINA.   ACP is fantastic software and Bob Denny's support is outstanding. I was using an SBIG STXL 16200 CCD camera, integrated SBIG guider/filter wheel and AO-X adaptive optics, all of which worked adequately.  When I switched to a QHY 600 full-frame CMOS camera I was advised by Diffraction that to use my AO-X unit I needed to use their StarChaser OAG, so I bought it.   The StarChaser is an OK OAG but overpriced for what it is and the chip has considerable amp glow at one edge.  Worse, the AO-X guider function doesn't calibrate properly with Maxim-DL and this known issue as been around since about September of last year (or earlier) and never properly addressed.  So I have a very expense AO-X unit that functions as a spacer.  The reality is that the A0-X doesn't do a whole lot if you have a good well-aligned mount,  so it's not a big loss, but I would have gone with another OAG and removed the AO-X if I had known what I know now.  

In my opinion, Maxim-DL has become unnecessarily bloated software that should just function to interface with SBIG or ASCOM cameras/guiders and leave image processing to other software. With regard to Maxim 7, unless you have one of the new megabuck A4040 SBIG cameras (and there are a LOT of problems there), I can't currently see a need for Maxim 7.  Most of the changes are just going to 64-bit and a prettier interface.  I suppose eventually ACP will require me to update. 

I like the folks at Diffraction but I wonder about their future.  ZWO, QHY and others produce far superior CMOS cameras with much larger chips for much less money.

Harry Karamitsos:
I bought it because my planewave L-350 needed it for image capture during its point modeling. I think I wasted good money and have not used it since. 
Why upgrade when Nina does just about everything.  I never was able to see the value in it. Am I missing something? 
Now with the latest drivers from planewave maxim is no longer needed.

Harry,
Just to clarify, PW4 has been upgraded so that MDL is no longer needed for sky modeling.  I used MDL in the past but the 90’s called and they wanted it back so I moved on to more modern software.  NINA is one good example…


John