Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - (Page 72)
Solar System Photography
Planetary Imaging
with Your DSLR Camera
JERRY LODRIGUSS
Digital single-lens reflex cameras (DSLRs) today are amazingly versatile. Using the latest models, you can shoot long-exposure deep-sky images, create time-lapse movies from a set of still images, or record high-definition video with a quality that exceeds footage recorded by some dedicated video cameras. And, of course, DSLRs can be used to snap daytime photos of any kind. But few users realize that the video modes available on DSLR cameras are great for recording high-resolution planetary images. To capture the best planetary images these days, the preferred technique is known as “lucky imaging.” This method records thousands of frames in a high-speed video stream, which you can later sort for the best frames to stack into a final high-resolution image. This is where two video modes on your DSLR camera, Live View and high-definition video, come into play.
Live View Versus HD Video
The trick to capturing the highest-resolution details on the planets with a DSLR is to use a mode that allows you
Chances are you already own a great planetary camera, but didn’t know it.
to record the image off the camera’s sensor at its native pixel resolution. Cameras with Live View offer the easiest route, using the zoom preview mode to get to a 1:1 crop of the central portion of the camera’s detector. Although you can use normal high-definition 1080p or 720p video modes for lunar and solar imaging with great results, you generally don’t want to use this mode for planetary work because it resamples the image recorded by the camera’s detector, and you will lose fine detail. For example, the sensor in the Canon EOS Rebel T3i (also called the 600D) has an array of 5,184 by 3,456 pixels. In 1080p high-definition video mode, the camera records an image that is only 1,920 pixels wide by 1,080 pixels
Right: Although this photo of the 2004 transit of Venus was recorded before video was available in consumer DSLR cameras, the upcoming transit on June 5–6 will offer a perfect opportunity to hone your planetary video imaging skills. Left: Jerry Lodriguss with his Celestron C11 EdgeHD and Canon DSLR camera.
ALL IMAGES ARE COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR.
72 May 2012 sky & telescope
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky and Telescope - May 2012
Sky and Telescope - May 2012
Table of Contents
Spectrum
Letters
75, 50 & 25 Years Ago
News Notes
Saturn’s Raging Superstorm
Stars Above, Earth Below: Astronomy in National Parks
The Remarkable Case of Comet Lovejoy
In This Section
May’s Sky at a Glance
Binocular Highlight
Planetary Almanac
Northern Hemisphere’s Sky
Sun, Moon, and Planets
Celestial Calendar
Exploring the Solar System
Deep-Sky Wonders
Going Deep
S&T Test Report
New Product Showcase
Telescope Workshop
Planetary Imaging with Your DSLR Camera
Gallery
Focal Point
Sky and Telescope - May 2012
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - (Page Intro)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Sky and Telescope - May 2012 (Page Cover1)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Sky and Telescope - May 2012 (Page Cover2)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Sky and Telescope - May 2012 (Page 3)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Table of Contents (Page 4)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Table of Contents (Page 5)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Spectrum (Page 6)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Spectrum (Page 7)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Letters (Page 8)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Letters (Page 9)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - 75, 50 & 25 Years Ago (Page 10)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - 75, 50 & 25 Years Ago (Page 11)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - News Notes (Page 12)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - News Notes (Page 13)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - News Notes (Page 14)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - News Notes (Page 15)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - News Notes (Page 16)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - News Notes (Page 17)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - News Notes (Page 18)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - News Notes (Page 19)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Saturn’s Raging Superstorm (Page 20)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Saturn’s Raging Superstorm (Page 21)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Saturn’s Raging Superstorm (Page 22)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Saturn’s Raging Superstorm (Page 23)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Saturn’s Raging Superstorm (Page 24)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Saturn’s Raging Superstorm (Page 25)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Stars Above, Earth Below: Astronomy in National Parks (Page 26)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Stars Above, Earth Below: Astronomy in National Parks (Page 27)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Stars Above, Earth Below: Astronomy in National Parks (Page 28)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Stars Above, Earth Below: Astronomy in National Parks (Page 29)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Stars Above, Earth Below: Astronomy in National Parks (Page 30)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Stars Above, Earth Below: Astronomy in National Parks (Page 31)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Stars Above, Earth Below: Astronomy in National Parks (Page 32)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Stars Above, Earth Below: Astronomy in National Parks (Page 33)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Stars Above, Earth Below: Astronomy in National Parks (Page 34)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Stars Above, Earth Below: Astronomy in National Parks (Page 35)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - The Remarkable Case of Comet Lovejoy (Page 36)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - The Remarkable Case of Comet Lovejoy (Page 37)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - The Remarkable Case of Comet Lovejoy (Page 38)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - The Remarkable Case of Comet Lovejoy (Page 39)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - The Remarkable Case of Comet Lovejoy (Page 40)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - The Remarkable Case of Comet Lovejoy (Page 41)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - The Remarkable Case of Comet Lovejoy (Page 42)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - In This Section (Page 43)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - May’s Sky at a Glance (Page 44)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Binocular Highlight (Page 45)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Planetary Almanac (Page 46)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Northern Hemisphere’s Sky (Page 47)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Sun, Moon, and Planets (Page 48)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Sun, Moon, and Planets (Page 49)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Celestial Calendar (Page 50)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Celestial Calendar (Page 51)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Celestial Calendar (Page 52)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Celestial Calendar (Page 53)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Exploring the Solar System (Page 54)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Exploring the Solar System (Page 55)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Deep-Sky Wonders (Page 56)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Deep-Sky Wonders (Page 57)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Deep-Sky Wonders (Page 58)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Deep-Sky Wonders (Page 59)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Going Deep (Page 60)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Going Deep (Page 61)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Going Deep (Page 62)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Going Deep (Page 63)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - S&T Test Report (Page 64)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - S&T Test Report (Page 65)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - S&T Test Report (Page 66)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - S&T Test Report (Page 67)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - New Product Showcase (Page 68)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - New Product Showcase (Page 69)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Telescope Workshop (Page 70)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Telescope Workshop (Page 71)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Planetary Imaging with Your DSLR Camera (Page 72)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Planetary Imaging with Your DSLR Camera (Page 73)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Planetary Imaging with Your DSLR Camera (Page 74)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Planetary Imaging with Your DSLR Camera (Page 75)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Gallery (Page 76)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Gallery (Page 77)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Gallery (Page 78)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Gallery (Page 79)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Gallery (Page 80)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Gallery (Page 81)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Gallery (Page 82)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Gallery (Page 83)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Gallery (Page 84)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Gallery (Page 85)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Focal Point (Page 86)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Focal Point (Page Cover3)
Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - Focal Point (Page Cover4)
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