Loss of enthusiasm, what works best for you Mono or OSC..? Other · AstroShed · ... · 25 · 832 · 0

StewartWilliam 5.21
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I am currently going through an Astro imaging slump, with loss of enthusiasm, and I decided to try and find out why, I came to the conclusion that I was just not getting enough images completed, and for me, this was due to using mono rather than OSC, so I have swapped back to my OSC set up to try and re ignite my enjoyment for the hobby, I would be interested to know which works best for you, Mono or OSC, we all know mono will usually produce the better quality image, but sometimes it may not be the right choice for some people..
I made a video about it here, please let me know you views on this, along with your mono image capture workflows…

https://youtu.be/MYwstZfEmQ0?si=Hx74L1X3zyXGC7cs
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Tackettbr 6.24
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I definitely get the slumps at times. I have found usually using osc color for wider focal lengths and faster optics to be more enjoyable due to the less fine detail. Also, less total integration time to render a reasonable image. I use mono for my longer focal length scope and off course for SHO targets. Best of Luck! Brandon
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HegAstro 14.24
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AstroShed:
Mono or OSC, we all know mono will usually produce the better quality image, but sometimes it may not be the right choice for some people..


Unless you own a large scope in Chile, there will always be someone who will produce a better quality image than you. The question is what is taking away from your enjoyment of the hobby. In your case, if it is not completing enough images, then yes, OSC may be a good choice for you. You can process what you have and be done with that. Though of course, with mono and software such as NINA allowing filter offsets, you can certainly program mono to get "always complete" image sets close to what OSC does. In my case, what was taking away from my enjoyment was having to spend time iteratively collimating my Newtonian every session. So I switched back to refractor imaging. Yes, the quality and depth is less, but I am actually imaging and enjoying it. Which is better than being frustrated at the startup process every session and not enjoying the hobby.
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daywalker
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There's also nothing wrong with taking a break and coming back to it.With weather being a large constraint i find it had to make it my everything anyway.
Its nice to come back with fresh eyes and evaluate what you have done up until now.
I took the summer off to do more daytime pursuits smile
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Gondola 8.11
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Everything we do is a balance of motivation and reward and I think it's always changing. Throw in life, family and all the responsibilities of life and it's amazing we produce anything at all and that's not even bringing in the technology that's sometimes has a mind of it's own. I know for me, sometimes I get so focused and driven that I forget to have fun. This isn't supposed to be a death march so sometimes it's best to step away for a while or, as you are thinking about, changing it up. That's a great plan!
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TurtleCat 4.62
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I’ve only ever done OSC and I’m happy with the results. Not as flexible as mono but I’m also not dedicated to HSO palettes and such. In my area there are limited opportunities for clear nights. Besides I only have to make myself happy and this works.
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cgrobi 7.16
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I had this once with normal photography. I always tried to get the best images I could and compared them to others. Of course, I always felt it was not enough and I had to be better. But you judge your work different than others. So it might never be enough. The motivation came back the moment I asked myself who I make these photographs for. It is my enjoyment that counts. I started to do the things I like and didn't care about others. Of course, it's nice to show your work and of course, we are not blind and try to judge ourselves to improve. But we do it with different eyes.

It's the same here on astrobin. I know my images aren't that great and I do not have this one image I might show immediately to someone else. But if I look at my collection, I see some improvements over all this time. There might not be this one frame that makes me famous. Other photographers had made iconic images just by chance. But I have an image series that contains some beautiful targets and I did the best I can to present them. I'm proud to show what I have and even if things can always go better, people around me like what I show them as well. There are many of experienced astro photographers around here that know better, but I don't care.

AstroBin is a platform used by many astro photographers around the world. We meet at this one place and of course, there are some really awesome people here. But it's not like with all day photography, where you look out of your window and there are 100 talented people on the street going by. On AB, we have this amount spread over a continent or even the whole world (might be a bit too exaggerated :winksmile. But we do things that very few people in the world are capable of. So in many ways, we all are special no matter what skills we already have. We are the ones who tried…

In terms of cameras, I nearly always shoot mono. I started with a color camera, but as soon as I bought my first mono cam, it was a totally different world. I use OSC cameras more, these days, but I hate to work with them. They are so slow to me… Every permanent setup I own is mono equipped. The mobile one is OSC, until I saved the money for a mono rig. I plan my targets so that I see the objects the whole night, if possible. If not, I go to the next target that is visible for the next weeks the second half of the night . This works really well. I take my time and try to be patient, although it's hard sometimes. Especially the first half of this year was quite challanging. But I enjoy to keep the same thing on the sensor for multiple nights and collect as much data as I need. In my opinion, less is more (in terms of the number of subjects, not the total integration time:happy-6smile

So I hope you get your motivation back and you find new energy to keep looking at the stars !!!

CS
Christian
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aabosarah 9.31
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AstroShed:
I am currently going through an Astro imaging slump, with loss of enthusiasm, and I decided to try and find out why, I came to the conclusion that I was just not getting enough images completed, and for me, this was due to using mono rather than OSC, so I have swapped back to my OSC set up to try and re ignite my enjoyment for the hobby, I would be interested to know which works best for you, Mono or OSC, we all know mono will usually produce the better quality image, but sometimes it may not be the right choice for some people..
I made a video about it here, please let me know you views on this, along with your mono image capture workflows…

https://youtu.be/MYwstZfEmQ0?si=Hx74L1X3zyXGC7cs

I totally understand the loss of enthusiasm. Sometimes it gets really frustrating. One thing that you may consider is if you use NINA with your mono setup, you can create filter offsets if you have an electronic filter wheel. So you can start to cycle by imaging two subs for each filter and rotate, and then dither. That way you will always have a balanced data set that you can use to process and produce images just like an OSC, because you are always acquiring a balanced data set throughout that time.
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DarkStar 18.93
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Well, I think many of us know this moment, where you lose the joy and fun and frustration gets dominant. It is commonly known as Astro-Burnout.
The permanent chaise for good images drains a lot of energy.

The best thing is to have a rest. Stay abstinent, redirect your focus on something completely different and take the pressure out. The compensation by permanently purchasing new gear is only the first level to obfuscation of that syndrome. It makes things worse, because it is accelerating the pressure increase. New gear means: I have to get better pictures. If it does not work out as expected the vicious circle starts again.

Take a rest and the joy and fun will return automatically.

CS
Ruediger
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patrice_so 7.87
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I echo the comments saying in essence that you should focus on having fun rather than getting obsessed with improving limitlessly image quality. There will alway be someone with better gear or better at processing that will produce better image. If it is this obsession that drives you ahead and with that, to mono, then you might end up quite tired and possibly bankrupted (beyond mono, a CDK1000 is not cheap). Should you driven toward mono by image quality, then go ahead as long as you have fun. Whenever the fun is no longer there, take break, go hiking or surfing, sleep at night or simply get back to OSC. 

In my case, I image with a newtonian and an OSC camera. Along my journey, I feel this need for improving image quality and, with it, the temptation to invest in a mono setup. However, pairing mono with a newtonian comes with the necessity of making lots of flats as newtonian needs to be recollimated from time to time (each 15 days for mine if there is not very strong winds). I anticipate the hassle and so far, I survive with two DNB filters to get Ha, Sii and Oiii. That's a good balance for me. But even so, motivation goes and comes.
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StewartWilliam 5.21
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Lots of great advice and good comments, thanks all….👍🏻
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kevinkiller 2.11
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Want more imaging time?  Dark skies?

checkout https://starfront.space/ piers start at $149/mo

220 clear nights per year average, bortle 1

ive got my scope there
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StewartWilliam 5.21
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John Stone:
Want more imaging time?  Dark skies?

checkout https://starfront.space/ piers start at $149/mo

220 clear nights per year average, bortle 1

ive got my scope there

Yes I have seen that, good price too, very tempting…👍🏻
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Gondola 8.11
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I don't know, I mean that's cool to be setup like that but I would really miss being hands on with the hardware. I imaged using a remote service for awhile and the results were good but it just didn't feel like I could take full credit for the work.
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kevinkiller 2.11
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Tony Gondola:
I don't know, I mean that's cool to be setup like that but I would really miss being hands on with the hardware. I imaged using a remote service for awhile and the results were good but it just didn't feel like I could take full credit for the work.

I felt the same way when I first considered this.   

The difference here is that you prepare your own scope/mount combo at home, test it, tweak it, etc. until you're happy.  Get it working "remotely" from your couch until you're happy, then either drive it out or box it up and send it out.

You're still using it from your couch, but now it's dark skies, great seeing, and a community of like-minded astro-photographers to share with.  (Check out their Discord group to see what I mean.)

It's your data, your equipment, your choice...   Not the same at all as renting someone else's scope in Chili for a couple hours.

For me, I have 2 scopes.  A 550mm refractor for nebula season and a C8 + SCTCORRV for galaxy season.   While my refractor is away getting amazing data, I'm at home tweaking/preparing the C8 for the upcoming galaxy season.   When it arrives I'll swap the scopes this way there's always one at home you can fiddle with in your backyard and another away at one of only a few B1 locations left in the USA.

Just telling you about my experience, hope it helps.
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Rostokko 1.51
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Tony Gondola:
I don't know, I mean that's cool to be setup like that but I would really miss being hands on with the hardware. I imaged using a remote service for awhile and the results were good but it just didn't feel like I could take full credit for the work.

I fully understand that sentiment. I mean, there is clearly nothing wrong with using a remote observatory if you like that approach, but I think there is something to say about the satisfaction which comes from shooting your own subs in your backyard - even if the results (like in my case), are always way sub-par compared to any darker site...
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Robservatory 2.39
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I have recently switched from mono to OSC on my three imaging rigs. Like you, I like to complete images, hence the three rigs. I don't get in a slump, but I want to make the process a bit faster and more efficient in creating images. I have found OSC helps in that regard. Less filters means less time spent shooting calibration frames and more time spent on processing. On some targets, I only collect Ha and OIII, speeding things up by a night.  I haven't seen my images as lesser quality with OSC, but they are surprisingly good, so I switched. The other thing that increases my enjoyment of the hobby is fast optics. I run an Edge HD 8" with Hyperstar v4 at f1.9, and I can make an image in a few hours with that setup vs. a few nights with my others; that keeps me going while I do the longer-term images with the slower scopes. Many of my friends have also been shooting only OSC lately, and we all agree that it is a more straightforward and enjoyable way of astroimaging.
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StewartWilliam 5.21
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Rob Lyons:
I have recently switched from mono to OSC on my three imaging rigs. Like you, I like to complete images, hence the three rigs. I don't get in a slump, but I want to make the process a bit faster and more efficient in creating images. I have found OSC helps in that regard. Less filters means less time spent shooting calibration frames and more time spent on processing. On some targets, I only collect Ha and OIII, speeding things up by a night.  I haven't seen my images as lesser quality with OSC, but they are surprisingly good, so I switched. The other thing that increases my enjoyment of the hobby is fast optics. I run an Edge HD 8" with Hyperstar v4 at f1.9, and I can make an image in a few hours with that setup vs. a few nights with my others; that keeps me going while I do the longer-term images with the slower scopes. Many of my friends have also been shooting only OSC lately, and we all agree that it is a more straightforward and enjoyable way of astroimaging.

Very interesting and good to hear this, can I ask what is the flatfield like with the Edge HD, do you get good star shapes corner to corner with an APS-C size sensor, as I have an older Meade LX90 8” and it’s awful above about a 12mm diagonal sensor..
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Robservatory 2.39
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AstroShed:
Rob Lyons:
I have recently switched from mono to OSC on my three imaging rigs. Like you, I like to complete images, hence the three rigs. I don't get in a slump, but I want to make the process a bit faster and more efficient in creating images. I have found OSC helps in that regard. Less filters means less time spent shooting calibration frames and more time spent on processing. On some targets, I only collect Ha and OIII, speeding things up by a night.  I haven't seen my images as lesser quality with OSC, but they are surprisingly good, so I switched. The other thing that increases my enjoyment of the hobby is fast optics. I run an Edge HD 8" with Hyperstar v4 at f1.9, and I can make an image in a few hours with that setup vs. a few nights with my others; that keeps me going while I do the longer-term images with the slower scopes. Many of my friends have also been shooting only OSC lately, and we all agree that it is a more straightforward and enjoyable way of astroimaging.

Very interesting and good to hear this, can I ask what is the flatfield like with the Edge HD, do you get good star shapes corner to corner with an APS-C size sensor, as I have an older Meade LX90 8” and it’s awful above about a 12mm diagonal sensor..

I haven't tried my APSC sensor on the Hyperstar because the body of the camera will create a larger central obstruction. I also hear that tilt is a real problem with that setup and the corners don't look good unless you dial everything perfectly. I use a 183MC Pro on it, so I get a well illuminated field and amazing sampling. I have a second Edge HD with the 0.7x reducer and APSC worked with that, but just barely. I now use a 294MC Pro to improve illumination and get perfect corners. I don't push my rigs to the limit, not so much for performance reasons, but more for just aesthetic framing purposes. Long story short, yes APSC will work, but you'll have to tweak everything just right.
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messierman3000 7.22
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if you're doing narrowband or want to add luminance to broadband, then use mono

if you're doing broadband, then use color

IMO, this is a more efficient way to do it, and would be the way I would do it if I had 2 separate newtonians and EQ mounts

but I only have one newt imaging setup, so I have to stick with mono even though it feels like a slightly slower process
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Gondola 8.11
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John Stone:
Tony Gondola:
I don't know, I mean that's cool to be setup like that but I would really miss being hands on with the hardware. I imaged using a remote service for awhile and the results were good but it just didn't feel like I could take full credit for the work.

I felt the same way when I first considered this.   

The difference here is that you prepare your own scope/mount combo at home, test it, tweak it, etc. until you're happy.  Get it working "remotely" from your couch until you're happy, then either drive it out or box it up and send it out.

You're still using it from your couch, but now it's dark skies, great seeing, and a community of like-minded astro-photographers to share with.  (Check out their Discord group to see what I mean.)

It's your data, your equipment, your choice...   Not the same at all as renting someone else's scope in Chili for a couple hours.

For me, I have 2 scopes.  A 550mm refractor for nebula season and a C8 + SCTCORRV for galaxy season.   While my refractor is away getting amazing data, I'm at home tweaking/preparing the C8 for the upcoming galaxy season.   When it arrives I'll swap the scopes this way there's always one at home you can fiddle with in your backyard and another away at one of only a few B1 locations left in the USA.

Just telling you about my experience, hope it helps.

Thanks for filling n the details, I didn't realize it was so hands on. I viewed the eclipse in April from a ranch not far from that facility. I have to say, the skies are wonderful.
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char32geek 2.11
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AstroShed:
...I was just not getting enough images completed, and for me, this was due to using mono rather than OSC, so I have swapped back to my OSC set up...


This is something that often hampers me from even taking my equipment outside.  I love my mono camera, and there are interesting targets for it still available with either of my three scopes.  However, with about two nights a month available to image lately, I have resorted to using a OSC more recently.  The lack of integration time is absolutely still a problem, but it's less of a hassle than running an autofocus routine for each filter change and losing out on clear sky time.  Realistically, the few minutes wouldn't make a difference but in my mind it hurts my feelings. 😅
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0.00
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NZUSA 0.00
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I think we have all been thru what you are talking about.  For me getting a second rig setup was the answer.  Then I had twice the images to work thru.   I started out with mono and a WO Z61 telescope, then added a broadband camera attached to a rokinon 135mm lens and I am really enjoying getting the large field view.  The lens is great and takes amazing images. I used the 135mm lens and camera atop my old star tracker and got great results.  But the trick with me was to get two sets of images in the same time frame and that made all the difference to me.  I would now never go back to only one setup.  Two is much, much better and I have been saying it the best thing I have done so far.  Best of luck.  Cheers JIM
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coolhandjo 2.39
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Timely post. I started imaging 2006 and stopped 2011 for that reason you say. I did mono as osc was limited back then. I started again 2021. So a 10 year hiatus. Came back to a much more advanced hobby with cmos over ccd and osc so advanced. I ditched mono and happily enjoyed osc. But only in the last month I have switched back to mono. Why? Because I reached a limit with OSC and started to feel that slump a little. I knew I needed the challenge so it was an aperture increase a chip size increase, or mono. I chose mono. Are the images better? Not really. Is the challenge greater? Yes. My thing is this.. enjoy the journey… go slow… don't skip steps… squeeze the most out your gear… then upgrade. That way you enjoy the challenge.
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