QHYCCD Minicam8 Mono SPCC Filter Setup - Forums

Topic starter

Sep 8, 2025

Hi Everyone,

I know that Minicam8 mono users here are using some sort of color calibration in PI.

I have been comfortably shooting OSC for years. I am new to mono and was hoping that I might get some help from some folks using this camera with setting up SPCC.

I received some help from a user on the CN forum and have set up SPCC for broadband like this:

I am trying his QE curve using the his sensor data and QHY graphs and use the Sony Color Sensor/UVIR Cut filters because they are very close to the QHY filter curves.

Not sure how to setup the narrowband (Ha, OIII, and SII) either.

I did get out and image M39 for a few hours with the RGB filters. I have decent results using the settings in the image above, but not quite sure if the color balance is right (still making adjustments). I would just like to see other Minicam8 users setups to help me.

I someone would be kind enough to at least reply with images of their SPCC setup or some pointers, I would be very grateful!

Hopefully, I can figure out how to set things up from there.

Many thanks!

Respectful

Mikołaj Wadowski

Sep 8, 2025

Not a Minicam8 user but I believe I can help regardless.

Sony Color Sensor filter curves in SPCC contain the QE of Sony color cameras. So you should set the filters to something else, otherwise you’re effectively applying two QE curves. If I’m thinking about the same QHY filters as you, it looks like Baader RGB filters match them pretty well.

Narrowband is very easy to set up, just check the narrowband filters mode box and the rest is pretty self-explanatory. SPCC is fairly useless for narrowband-only though, as Ha will always be way brighter than the other two emission bands. For that I recommend you use manual ColorCalibration instead, as it has the tools necessary to get roughly equal intensities for each channel.

Well Written Helpful Insightful Concise

Jim Raskett

Topic starter

Sep 8, 2025

Mikołaj Wadowski:
Not a Minicam8 user but I believe I can help regardless.

Sony Color Sensor filter curves in SPCC contain the QE of Sony color cameras. So you should set the filters to something else, otherwise you’re effectively applying two QE curves. If I’m thinking about the same QHY filters as you, it looks like Baader RGB filters match them pretty well.

Narrowband is very easy to set up, just check the narrowband filters mode box and the rest is pretty self-explanatory. SPCC is fairly useless for narrowband-only though, as Ha will always be way brighter than the other two emission bands. For that I recommend you use manual ColorCalibration instead, as it has the tools necessary to get roughly equal intensities for each channel.

Hi Mikolaj and thank you very much for the explanation!

I compared the Baader RGB filter curves to the XiMei RGB filter curves and yes, they are pretty much a perfect match. Excellent! That works for me and I have already setup a PI process icon.

I did look at the narrowband settings for SPCC and yes, they are pretty basic and self-explanatory.
Funny that you mentioned that ColorCalibration was better for narrowband because of channel intensities. I am in the process of watching a video by Bray Falls on YouTube "A Beginners Guide to Editing Narrowband Images" where he explains exactly that and just as you said.

I can't thank you enough for the great explanation and taking the time to compare filter curves! Actually quite a bit simpler that I thought and I really appreciate you setting me on the right path!

Thanks a bunch Mikolaj!

Respectful Supportive

Jim Raskett

Topic starter

Sep 8, 2025

Much, much better correlations in SPCC with the Baader filter curves. With the Sony curves, both had a significant non-linear tail. thanks again!

Emphases7392

Sep 11, 2025

Jim Raskett · Sep 8, 2025 at 07:18 PM
Much, much better correlations in SPCC with the Baader filter curves. With the Sony curves, both had a significant non-linear tail. thanks again!

It may have been me who you talked with in CN (Whendewsday). Glad to see these results are better, and I’m updating my own workflow to use the Baader as well.

Jim Raskett

Topic starter

Sep 12, 2025

Hi Emphases7392,

Yes, it was you that helped me out on CN.

Again, I really appreciate that help. You gave me a good starting point and got the thinking.

I posted an update to the CN thread.

The Baader curves seem to work well on an open cluster. Decent star color with only some saturation.

Looking forward to shooting some narrowband, but waiting a bit for the moon to wane some.

I really like the success that you had with your Pacman image!

Respectful Supportive

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