SharpCap Forums

some questions that i have,

1] i understand that the "daytime green" thing is normal, but what are the best sharpcap settings for this camera?

2] the standard usb lead is not long enough. i do have a Lindy 10m repeater which works nicely with Zwo cameras, but keeps "cutting out" with the Altair.
altair sell a usb lead but it's £125. does anyone know of a 10m repeater lead or fibre option at a more reasonable price that will work with the 183c.

3] I have the Altair Hypercam Camera Lens Adaptor for Canon EOS for achieving correct focus with my Canon and Samyang (EF fit) lenses. Should this work with a Takumar 200mm (M42) - or will another spacer be required?

thanks in advance for any help/advice

Hi,

I can answer a couple of those...

For the 183C, put the camera in RAW8 for most solar system imaging (or terrestrial targets), RAW12 for deep sky. A gain of anywhere between 100 and 1000 will be fine (there is no big step drop in read noise as the gain changes for the 183, so the exact value is not critical). Exposure depends on the tracking capabilities of your mount. Also you can use the Smart Histogram 'Brain' function in SharpCap to get a more precise set of values customized for your setup and light pollution levels.

I think the Takumar should focus, but you will not need it set at infinity. For instance when set to 1m it might focus on infinity - you won't be able to focus on nearby objects. That's because the longer back focus of Pentax type lenses means it will be too close to the sensor for its optimal position. It might show reduced sharpness due to this - worth trying first before buying anything new

cheers,

Robin

thanks Robin