ZWO SeeStar Mosaic Mode - Gimmick or Total Game Changer? - Astrophotography on a Smart Telescope
š Testing the ZWO Seestarās New Mosaic Mode š Join me on the stunning island of La Palma as I explore the latest feature of the : mosaic mode. This compact, affordab...
What specs do you recommend for a laptop used in processing images
I did my first mosaic last night as a trial so your info here will help me a lot as I grow my Seestar imaging knowledge, mosaic mode offers some superb options that I need to learn. Thanks
glad to hear that worked
The stacking software and post processing Xterminator packages that you have done on your own cost more than the Seestar itself. I feel like new S50 users will not have these expensive software. Free programs provide some relief, but they are not as good as PixInsight and the Xterminator software so the final results form self stacking and processing will be slightly different than this result when you compared to S50's own stack.
Nowadays thankfully there are a lot of free tools available that are more than capable to process images especially at a beginner level. I just use what Iām familiar/comfortable with
In short, for objects like M32, either get the Seestae S30 with a wider field of view or use a traditional 80 mm refractor, etc.
āUse a traditional 80mm refractorā - provided you pair it with a much larger sensor. At that point youāll have a far superior image but the cost is significantly different
Bruh, use 80mm allright but the cooled sensor you'll get for that reflector alone costs more than the $500 S50.
Hi, thanks for the video. Yesterday I tried capturing Andromeda with the SeeStar S50 using mosaic mode. I have the EQ wedge and attempted 20-second exposures, but it kept rejecting them and I got tired. Do you think it makes sense to capture just a portion of the galaxy starting from the core, maybe taking 500 lights, then move to another part of the galaxy (still using the native focal length, without mosaic mode), and once all the images are processed the same way, create the mosaic using Image Edit Compositor? Thanks, Iād love to hear your thoughts.
you could do that and it would work (it would even be more efficient), but I would rather try to get to the bottom of the rejections. I expect you would have the same rate of rejection if you were not doing a mosaic, wouldn't you?
@the_space_koala I suspect the SeeStar S50 usually rejects even good images simply because it wants to improve its Live image. In fact, it's happened to me very often that when I capture every 20 seconds and use the Live function, it sometimes discards a lot of frames for no reason. However, if I turn off the Live enhancement, the telescope captures every frame and most of them are good. For example, out of an hour's exposure, only 10 minutes are discarded. While if I use the Live function, I don't understand why, but the deviation is greater. I don't think I'll ever use the mosaic function because it's just slow, even with EQ. I prefer to shoot piece by piece, even if it takes a long time...
Mosaic mode on the newer S30 works well, but ZWO hasn't sped up the process much since this video was shot a year ago. It still takes a very long time and is best for brighter objects. The results can be good, but not always. I find that re-stacking multi-day images of a target inside the S30 [that are offset] is another way to extend the frame. (Nobody ever mentions it, but the way the S30 automatically organizes session files by target name is one thing I really appreciate about the Seestar's file system and OS because it minimizes hunting for past target sessions when stacking.) I bought the S30 over the S50 specifically because of the larger field of view and mosaic mode is rarely needed, but it would be nice to have the ability to capture the larger nebula more easily. Ā Love your videos and the beautiful scenery wherever you are!
Great video, Thanks. A couple questions though: Can you do mosaics in polar mode? Can you do mosaics in a Plan?
yes and yes! I'm glad you enjoyed the video :)
This is why I went with the Dwarf. Still a decent amount of detail when you crop in on an 8MP image, and with its superior optics and sensor, in terms of resolution itās quite close to the S50.
I have yet to do a direct comparison of the seestar and the dwarf. It's on my very-very long to-do list
Has this got any better? Ive almost given up on mosaic myself due to losing too many frames. Im doing regular shots in plan, overlapping a bit and stacking in Siril beta.
Can we go back the next night and the next to continue imagine the target in the same composition?
you can actually create a plan (I have a video on the plan mode if you're interested). I would save that and this way you ensure you have the same framing. You cannot continue the stack per se, but if you enable the saving of individual FITS files you can restack them all afterwards
Do you know whether mosaic mode can be done with an EQ mount? That would surely make for better images?
yes - that's exactly what I did in my latest video from yesterday
@ oooo. A new video. Thanks. Will check it out.
Good Video but does sha have yet her Stimmbruch?
Just have to say thatās the most stunningly photographed background Iāve seen on YouTube. The yellows are glowing like the sun. Wow!
That area is beautiful
I was there on vacation, it was just beautiful
Its a Gimmick, a toy - yes. but not a scope...
I'm a traditional telescope user but I warmly welcome any device (call it a toy if you like) that gets people to love astronomy!
this is all not easy at all for a beginner. way to advanced for me.
I think it's important to familiarize yourself with whatever software you're going to use without complicating it with mosaic stuff first
Great job. I just ordered the Seestar and it should be here sometime in January. I think I will try to put off doing any mosaics for a little while so that I can learn how to post process them myself. Thank you for the great video.
congrats! yeah I would also start with something simple
The whole process of this topic video seems to defeat the whole object of pack and go and snap the shots like it was intended... IMO way to complicated for a easy to use pice of kit... Great informative video though thank you
I tend to agree with you on one side, but on the other if someone already bought a smart telescope and they want to get better images I think itās great and right that they try to get the best possible images out of it
@the_space_koala Totall... As having looked more into it ... its definately got to be done and trialed thanks
Thanks lot , can i see palant... jupiter ,veus, suttern , ?
A woman that does astrophotography??? Does your husband write the script and get you to read it?
yes, all while I'm in the kitchen making sandwiches :D There is nothing inherently masculine about astrophotography - the more I think about it the more girly photographing pretty things seems - so there are many women in this hobby. Perhaps not all of us so active on social media, partially because of comments like yours.
Not easy to lower the bar in comments but you managed it. š
@the_space_koalapay that thing no attention he says this from the safety of his laptop in mommyās unfinished basement š in real life heās a weakling Youāre doing a fantastic job David Morrhill has NO content on his page I guess heās not man enough to get on here and show his skill set Or lack thereof