i want to purchase a CCD imager for my lx200 telescope. Which is better, the Meade DSI II color or monocrome?

Question

I am curious if there is an advantage to getting the Meade DSI II monocrome with the 3 color filters as opposed to just getting the Meade DSI II color imager. I would think that it is a lot easier to just use the color imager. What advantage is there to doing it the hard way. (the hard way would be instead of taking one color shot with the DSI II color imager, you would take 3 shots - one with the red filter, one with the blue filter and one with the green filter and then you would overlay them with software to get an RGB full color image). Seems like a lot more work - do you gain anythign by doing it that way?

Answer 1

A monochrome camera provides you with greater flexibility. For example, many higher quality images are shot in LRGB (L is for Luminosity). Essentially you use a particular filter that is good for a specific object, like an OIII filter and shoot an object for luminosity (brightness). Then you can shoot colors (RGB) with filters and combine them with the luminosity image to get a really good picture.

There are also plenty of other reasons to go with a monochrome ccd that I've read about in the past but I don't remember the specifics, so I will avoid speaking about things about which I am no expert.

Answer 2

That depends on your budget and what you plan to do with your camera. :)

Single Shot Color cameras are best for beginning users and users on a budget, IMO. They make it easier to acquire color images as you don't have to fuss with color filter wheels, take multiple images or worry about finding a guide star through the Blue filter, which is never easy! That's their advantages. There are disadvantages, of course. For example, you would never want to use one for narrow band imagining like H-Alpha because you're throwing away both sensitivity and resolution. Moreover, you can't really do LRGB imaging with them because limiting the CCD 2x2 --common in LRGB imaging-- destroys the color information.

A monochrome CCD camera and a color filter wheel will make you do more work to acquire the image data, having to acquire 3 images instead of 1, but ultimately can produce a better image. Furthermore it can be used for LRGB and narrow band imaging.

If you just want to dabble in CCD Astronomy or are on a strict budget consider the Single Shot Color camera. Otherwise save a little longer or get the camera now and the color filter wheel later.

HTH

Charles

Answer 3

The trade off is between ease of use and quality of picture. In the color camera, there is a pattern of color filters in front of the pixels. For example, if it is a 640X480 CCD, there are only 320X240 red pixels, and 320X240 blue pixels and usually 2 sets of 320X240 green pixels. Basically each set of 4 pixels, in a 2X2 group, has different filters in front of each pixel. Software in the camera mixes these into one 640X480 picture, but the resolution is really only 320X240 because it takes all 4 pixels in each 2X2 group to make up all the color information for a pixel in the final picture. The software probably has interpolation codes that tries to average things out to get better than half the resolution, but it can't be perfect, so you are getting less resolution than the pixel count might lead you to believe you should get. If you want the full 640X480 you need a CCD with no built in filter pattern. Then you take 3 separate images, one with a red filter, and one with green and one with blue. Sometimes you take a 4th with no filter for use in the LRGB method. Then you use your own software to combine these images into a real 640X480 resolution color picture.

Answer 4

I actual have been an beginner astronomer on and rancid yet basically with moon and planets. i had to nicely known what became the suited astronomy telescopes and so I appeared tn the mags. I study that there are basically 2 that are sturdy....American and russian. i offered a Meade 4" refractor with extremely some eyepieces and a Barlow len 3x and function seen stable element of the planets. I actual have additionally finished some astrophotography and became fortunate adequate to get a image of Hale Bopp comet. I have not have been given any lawsuits with Meade telescopes...and that i might say to you...provide it a attempt.