Mono or Color Camera

Hi John, I am very new to this hobby, and have ordered my very first astronomy cam (ASi294MC Pro Yay!) but haven't received it yet, so I can't comment on OSC and dual NB filters in a bortle 7..

But I saw this item recently: https://optcorp.com/products/zwo-fd-eos-zwo-filter-drawer-for-eos-lens

that is the 17.5mm adapter for ZWO cameras and EOS lenses, with a filter slide built in, and since the ASI 2600MM and 6200MM requires 17.5mm backfocus, wouldn't this work to insert 2 inch RGB Filters?  I may be missing something, so please let me know if I am.

L-PRO works fairly well. I can't say about the other one as I wouldn't buy it as it cuts off the H-beta line. People commented of strong reflections from bright stars with the L-extreme plus I have doubts how well any of these NB filters works with steep light cones, in case you're using the lens faster than f/4.

Same applies here. I'm Bortle 6-7 depending on the weather (humidity). In winter is always 7. And so it is at the height of summer, are there isn't much of dark time so it is probably veering toward 7 marginally 8. If considering that I shoot regardless of the moon one may argue that is at least Bortle 8 when the moon is full or near so. That doesn't stop me using OSCs, quite the opposite. I find relaying on just NB rather limiting (plus dead boring) in what you can or cannot achieve which turns out to be quite a lot. Proper techniques and LP filters are required, plus a lot of patience and time. But can be done.

Elmiko is correct.  He and I and many others on Astrobin use color CMOS cameras exclusively.  Many of us have had very good results using filter drawers with duo band filters and I can say with no uncertainty that the entire line of Optolong filters work very well because I own and use all of them regularly. I image during the full moon, after rain in heavy dew and in the heat of the summer in the Pacific Northwest.  I also have good results with short integration times and bright stars and I would go so far as to say that the L-eXtreme filter actually helps control the bright stars. I urge everyone who has a question, or is uncertain about advising others regarding OSC CMOS cameras and the duo band filters that are made for them, to research the galleries on Astrobin and see image results for yourself. 

Here are just 2 examples



IC410, Flaming Star, Wide



IC434, Horsehead Nebula, OSC

Does anyone out there work with MM & MC, getting the RGB from the MC and L + H alpha and the like from MM?
Does this make sense at all?

I'm asking beause I'm tempted to go mono but I'm a bit worried about the overall integration time it requires for all filters. I don't have the luxury of a garden observatory.

Best regards
Wolfgang

Michele Campini:
Of course u can use 2600MM pro with canon or nikon lens and filter wheel, u don't have any kind of problem.

About your question now i've a 2600MM and first a 2600MC and if I had the magic wand I would go back and I would not buy the 2600MM because it is true that it is better than the 2600MC but in the end the results are still very good but to get to the results you go crazy much less.

Thanks Michele - I know I can use the 2" EFW with EOS lenses and my 2600 MM Pro but I unfortunately have a 36 mm EFW and as far as I know there isn't an adapter for that - probably for good reasons (light cone I'm guessing). Am I wrong?

Hi Dale,
       Don't be too modest. These images are excellent!

Elmiko:
Hi Dale,
       Don't be too modest. These images are excellent!

Thank you my friend! 😊

Dale

I live in the persistently cloudy skies of Western Washington state and a lot of water vapor plus  significant light  pollution.  Clear skies are at a premium so I use bayer matrix cameras all of the time with refractors at f ratios of 5 or better and most importantly a Radian Ultra narrow band filter.  that thing is excellent.  You can image with the full moon out.  Without it I would be dead here. Mono with a   Narrow band might be possible but to complete a project might take months.  Better to be a one night multiple hour event that casting about waiting for more time on an object.  I have a modified Canon t3i, a Starlight xpress m25cpro and at Asi  071mcpro.  I also have a mono starlight xpress camera with filter wheel that is gathering moss.  To much trouble for my environment.  
those monoband filter images are great.  I just can not do that here.  I have a friend who does monoband.  He has not completed a project in a year.

It seems there are a number of  the post supporting the use of OSC cameras.  I looked at some of those imagers portfolio and the images were impressive, but I noticed that the imaging site was Bortel 4 or better.  I also would use OSC if I were in Bortle 4 or better.  However, the original poster is in Bortle 7, like myself.  Astroimaging is not a one-size -fits -All.  If I have learned anything from my 16 yrs of imaging , it is your equipment selection must fit your personality and your location (pollution-seeing-weather).

I have done both Mono and OSC.  Each has its advantages and difficulties.  It is a misunderstanding that mono is more acquisition time consuming.  If you do a 3 hour OSC session, you can equally do a 3 hour mono session of equal resolution (S/N).  The mono has the option to do 1 hour each of RGB, or 1,5 hours each of Ha and OIII for a HOO image.  It does not need to  be 3 hours each of RGB.  You also have the advantage devoting some time to a luminance you you want.  One can also shorten the Green sub times. Re-focusing will be needed for both depending on the scope design and temp change.  However, my experience is based on low noise Sony CCD chips.  It is my understanding that CMOS, despite its low read noise, demands a lot of sub frames.  I doubt that is affected more by mono CMOS than OSC CMOS.

If a tri-band or bi-band filter is effective for OSC imaging at a particular light polluted location.  Mono narrow band imaging will be equally effective and likely more so.

The primary advantage of OSC is set up effort and avoiding expensive filters.  With a permanent set up the effort issue is null.  if one is too lazy to take 5-10 minutes to set up the filter sequence, then maybe astro imaging is not a good choice.

If I understand the original poster's question, he is asking if he should invest into and ADDTIONAL dedicated OSC astro imaging camera to replace his lost DSLR for a photo lens, since it will be difficult or impossible to adapt his MONO camera to the lens, to primarily be used at a  dark site.   In my opinion, that is a personal question of time, money and effort.  

The question was never a general OSC vs Mono.  

Lynn K.

Hi John,

Sorry to hear about your DSLR.

I shoot under Bortle 7/8 skies from my garden (Home Observatory) using a OSC camera with either IDAS LP2 or L-enHance filters. I do need to be selective with when and in which direction I can image but I am able to produce some fairly nice results. If I were in your position owning a mono already, I would opt for the OSC to complement your mono. I am in the reverse situation and will purchase a Mono to complement my OSC as there are limitations. What I will say is that with the newer OSC they seem to be able to produce some very very good results with high QE, low noise, which if you are are strapped for time to do the whole LRGBHaOii, it enables you to produce good results in a shorter time window. 

Finally, you are able to extract Narrowband data from your OSC data when using a dual or triband filter which adds another dimension to OSC imaging - it does require more time however, which is why I am purchasing a Mono……. but you havbe this option already

Hope this helps.
CS
Brad

Dale Penkala:
@Elmiko & @wsg hit the nail on the head. I use the IDAS NBZ dual narrowband filter with my 071 & 294mc pros and feel I have very good luck with it. The IDAS is kinda the l-Extreme equivalent btw. I use APP and extract the Ha & OIII wavelengths. I use the mono version of the data for a synthetic SII if I want to play with that channel. I also use the Starzona filter drawer system with my setup.

@kuechlew question: I use the L-Pro (which is an excellent filter btw) for pretty much everything and I use APP to split the data into separate RGB channels to work with. 

My images are far from perfect but you can take a look at them here on AB.

Here are 2 that I used the NBZ filter on as an example.

Dale

These are fantastic images, and with an 385MC. Amazing!