Meade Deep Sky Imager Pro CCD Camera & Software Package with RGB Color Filter Set.
by Meade
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Digital product summary information
Manufacturer: MeadeProduct features:
- Automatic and manual exposure - Auto and manual exposure settings will optimize the exposure automatically, or let you set it yourself.
- Automatic align and stack - The software can automatically align and stack a series of images, using state-of-the-art techniques, to provide an extremely low noise, highly detailed single composite image.
- Color saturation and balance - The AutoStar Suite includes the tools to adjust color saturation and balance, eliminating the need to use Photoshop or other aftermarket tools to accomplish this pre-publication step.
- Stretch options - Auto-stretch automatically brings out dim objects in short exposures. It optimizes the contrast of objects, with adjustable contrast settings.
- Automatic dark subtraction - Dark frames are automatically stacked and averaged, then subtracted, eliminating hot or cold pixels and giving you a clean final image. "Fix Cold Pixels" removes "holes" in images resulting from saturated dark pixels during long exposures. "Fix Hot Pixels" removes cosmic ray strikes and noise pixels f
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Digital camera reviews of Meade Deep Sky Imager Pro CCD Camera & Software Package with RGB Color Filter Set.
Digital camera Review: Nice Deep Sky Imager could have better instructions
Summary: 4 Stars
Having experience in astrophotography for only a very short time, I thought I would try the Meade DSI Pro, I have used a Solar System Imager on a few occasions and found it fairly easy to use, I expected the DSI Pro would be a bit more of a learning curve. For starters the DSI Pro is everything Meade says it is, I have put together some very nice images that have impressed many people, not too bad for a rookie. Attaching the camera to your scope and computer is very easy, obtaining focus and getting your image is a little more complicated, and all the rest is extremely difficult to figure out on your own or trying to find help on the web. This nice and powerful imager could really use a completely detailed instruction manual. It comes with a quick set up version manual, RGB filter and filter slide set, Autostar Suite software, and USB 2.0 connection cable. The software has an instruction manual on it, but again leaves alot to be desired, no examples of when and where to use long or short exposures, or any of the settings for that matter, the software also has a image processor, but again almost no helpful instructions, I have yet to use the RGB filter or slide because aside from explaining how to put the filters into the slide, there are absolutely no instructions or examples on how to use this feature, all my colors have been added in Photoshop. I take it that Meade assumes that everyone using this fine imager has had experience using another make or model. I am by no means a tech geek, but I have a home recording studio with digital recorders, sequencers and midi mapping that all have complete instruction manuals that explain procedures and functions in great detail. I have had to search the web for most of the info on the many questions I have had for setting exposure time to using the processing software, and have yet to find some info on how to use the RGB filters and combine them. I have about 20 hours into this on actual photography and processing and 2 months of searching for or trying to figure out certain procedures or functions, that to me is not a good ratio. I would have given this item a 5 star rating, but without detailed explanations in a instruction manual, DVD, or website I can only justify 4 stars, for the camera itself is very powerful and amazing, you really can get images like a pro and amaze yourself and others. Overall the Meade DSI Pro is a fantastic deep sky camera and I would reccomend it to anybody, it just suffers from the lack of instructions, and that leaves alot to be desired, hopefully Meade will put out a tutorial DVD and include it in future packages.
Summary of Meade Deep Sky Imager Pro CCD Camera & Software Package with RGB Color Filter Set.
The Deep Sky Imager Pro (DSI Pro) is a high-performance, easy-to-use black and white (monochrome) electronic camera and software package that allows every astronomer to shoot and process stunning images of galaxies, nebulas, star clusters, and planets their first night out. Adding an optional color filter set allows highly detailed tri-color imaging, as well. While the active array of the imaging sensor measures 510 x 492 pixels in size, the NASA-developed Drizzle technology included in the camera 's software displays a 640 x 480 pixel image on your computer screen, with the true resolution of a 640 x 480 camera (not merely a stretched version of the 510 x 492 array). The Drizzle technology can actually produce a full resolution 2560 x 1920 pixel image from the 510 x 492 imaging sensor, as explained below. The Drizzle program also corrects field rotation, among other advanced features, eliminating the need to polar align the telescope. The DSI Pro camera itself works with any telescope, but the Drizzle software works only with an AutoStar-controlled Meade telescope. The DSI Pro is the first commercially available CCD camera to include Drizzle Technology in its software. Multiple camera control - The AutoStar Suite supplied with the DSI Pro supports multiple Deep Sky Imagers and one LPI. This lets you control one imager that is autoguiding through a photoguide scope, for example, while a second Deep Sky Imager simultaneously records images at prTelescope Accessories
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