Image Processing in Maxim DL forSBIG Camera & CFW8A
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Image Processing in Maxim DL and Photoshop for SBIG Camera With CFW-8A By Paul Downing as Remembered by Kent Francis 2/18/2004 Maxim DL 1. Make a Master Dark using at least 3 dark frames and median combining. 2. Prepare Flats for all orientations of your camera/telescope combination you have/plan to use 3. Open all images, Select Set Calibration and Browse for Master Dark and Flat 4. Select Calibrate – All to subtract the darks and flats 5. Use Kernel Filters to remove hot and cold pixels. Use the default values in each case 6. Save each image as a separate Fits file. Close or minimize as you work on the rest. Be aware that you may have to save these files as 32 bit images if prompted 7. Do the same thing on the colors and save them 8. Start work on the Luminance images. Check Max brightness to see if you can sum images so less than 65K, otherwise best to perhaps use Median Combine with 2 star alignment, increasing image size to 200% to help accurate alignment. Use crosshair to align and Left click to select. Discard bad images. Save as a xMin_Luminance_FileName.fits file. This is your Stacked Master 9. Do the same with the colors 10. Processing Objects: Luminance: For Galaxies use Digital Development & FFT Low Pass Filter, Mild, Med, or Hi For Nebulae use a Kernel Low Pass Filter & try a 0.8 or 0.7 Gamma Stretch to improve visibility of fainter areas For Star Clusters also use a Kernel Low Pass Filter
Transcript of Image Processing in Maxim DL forSBIG Camera & CFW8A
Image Processing in Maxim DL and Photoshop for SBIG Camera With CFW-8ABy Paul Downing as Remembered by Kent Francis 2/18/2004
Maxim DL1. Make a Master Dark using at least 3 dark frames and median combining.2. Prepare Flats for all orientations of your camera/telescope combination you
have/plan to use3. Open all images, Select Set Calibration and Browse for Master Dark and Flat4. Select Calibrate – All to subtract the darks and flats5. Use Kernel Filters to remove hot and cold pixels. Use the default values in each
case6. Save each image as a separate Fits file. Close or minimize as you work on the
rest. Be aware that you may have to save these files as 32 bit images if prompted7. Do the same thing on the colors and save them8. Start work on the Luminance images. Check Max brightness to see if you can
sum images so less than 65K, otherwise best to perhaps use Median Combine with 2 star alignment, increasing image size to 200% to help accurate alignment. Use crosshair to align and Left click to select. Discard bad images. Save as a xMin_Luminance_FileName.fits file. This is your Stacked Master
9. Do the same with the colors10. Processing Objects: Luminance:
For Galaxies use Digital Development & FFT Low Pass Filter, Mild, Med, or Hi
For Nebulae use a Kernel Low Pass Filter & try a 0.8 or 0.7 Gamma Stretch to improve visibility of fainter areas
For Star Clusters also use a Kernel Low Pass Filter
Save as xMin_Processed_Luminance_FileName.fit file and minimize11. Open the three stacked colors and the processed luminance. Align using the two
star method and then using the Color menu choose the correct LRGB master file and combine. Save this as ObjectName.tif
Photoshop1. Open the ObjectName.tif file in Photoshop2. Use Adjust Curves to adjust the dark, light and midpoint3. Use Color Balance to change RBG if Needed4. Use Sharpen Unsharp Mask to sharpen. Use Radius 1 and increase to as needed5. Use Adjust Curves to try S shaped curve.6. Change Hue and Saturation if needed7. Change Image to 8 bit8. Use Rubber Stamp to Clone & Blot out Star Blooming and Dust Holes9. Crop and Resize as required10. Check Image Size 72 DPI for Web 200DPI for Color Printing11. Save as ObjectName.tif, ObjectName.jpg Maximum size, and ObjectName.jpg
Medium sizefor Web
