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Getting the right focus on my telescope for deep sky shots took me a whole weekend
I was trying to image the Orion Nebula from my backyard in Phoenix. The problem wasn't the target, but getting a sharp focus on my camera sensor. I spent Friday night and all day Saturday just trying different methods, from a Bahtinov mask to software aids. It finally clicked on Sunday evening after about 15 hours total. Has anyone found a reliable, quick focus routine for those faint objects?
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wright.jesse6mo ago
Nathan's "tiny point" method works on bright stars. For faint deep sky stuff, that point gets lost in the noise. A Bahtinov mask or software gives you a clear pattern to focus on, even when you can barely see the star.
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joseph_murray84mo ago
@nathan193 try focusing on a star through thin cloud cover works better for faint objects lol
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nathan1936mo ago
Why are you making it so hard on yourself? I mean, I just use the live view on my camera and zoom in on a bright star, tweak it until it's a tiny point, and that's it. Takes maybe five minutes tops. All that gear and software seems like overkill to me.
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