What Fits headers need to be set for Pixinsight to reconize flats.

[pfile]

no they are not stupid questions. just whatever you do, don't mix CR2 and fits files when calibrating. either set nina to save CR2 or use nina to create the flats and save both lights and flats as fits.

nina's going to show you the linear histogram for the flats so halfway is what you want. it's just that halfway on the back of the camera is underexposed, hence the +2EV. but you shouldn't need to set the camera like that if nina is controlling the exposure length for flats.

when you say you couldn't get the histogram to half-way, do you mean that it was wildly beyond half way or not at half way? are you using the dual-band filter for these flats?

rob

 

[pgmrdlm]

no they are not stupid questions. just whatever you do, don't mix CR2 and fits files when calibrating. either set nina to save CR2 or use nina to create the flats and save both lights and flats as fits.

nina's going to show you the linear histogram for the flats so halfway is what you want. it's just that halfway on the back of the camera is underexposed, hence the +2EV. but you shouldn't need to set the camera like that if nina is controlling the exposure length for flats.

when you say you couldn't get the histogram to half-way, do you mean that it was wildly beyond half way or not at half way? are you using the dual-band filter for these flats?

rob

It was roughly a third of the way in the NINA histogram. Probably a bit past that, but not a full half way. Sorry, editing to add that no filter being used.

 

[tom886]

Ok, now comes something what you probably don't want to hear, but I am assuming you are using ASCOM.DSLR from FearL0rd.
Don't use it.
Not sure which Canon Camera you use, but on my 600D it reports the wrong sensor size to NINA, though it uses the CanonSDK.
Stay with the native driver in NINA.
When you connect the camera, compare the reported sensor size with the official specifications, in my case they were off.
So it's even more important that you don't mix fits and cr2 files as @pfile wrote above.

Cheers
Tom

 

[pgmrdlm]

Ok, now comes something what you probably don't want to hear, but I am assuming you are using ASCOM.DSLR from FearL0rd.
Don't use it.
Not sure which Canon Camera you use, but on my 600D it reports the wrong sensor size to NINA, though it uses the CanonSDK.
Stay with the native driver in NINA.
When you connect the camera, compare the reported sensor size with the official specifications, in my case they were off.
So it's even more important that you don't mix fits and cr2 files as @pfile wrote above.

Cheers
Tom

Which native driver are you talking about then with NINA? I am using a T3i, which is the 600D. Correct? Now, I just did download the correct EOS Utility from Canon for that specific camera. I entered the serial number for the camera to get the download. And it is EOS Utility 2 not 3. Hopefully that is the specific native driver you are talking about. And yes, I was using that specific ASCOM driver. Lol, I have been using that ASCOM driver for over a year. Almost 2 years to be honest.

Edited to add: When I look up the pixil size of the T3i, it is

​

Pixel Size

4.30µm

I have JUST started using the plugin SessionMetdata, so I was able to see what it recorded from NINA. That reports that NINA is getting 4.3253. Now I do know it isn't even close for my 5D Mark II. Completly off.

 

[tom886]

I am not saying Pixel Size, I said sensor size.
Second, when you connect the 600D to your PC, it is recognized and it shows up in the device manager as Canon EOS 600D.
Then you can select the Canon 600D in NINA.
You don't need the EOS Utility, you don't need a driver, just use the native driver of Windows and NINA is using the CanonSDK to control the 600D.
And, EOS Utility is running in the background, which seriously interferes with the operation of the camera.

Cheers
Tom

 

[pgmrdlm]

All right, thank you. I only loaded the EOS Utility so I could do the flats. I actually just turned it off so that it doesn't start when windows starts.

Dan

 

[pgmrdlm]

I know I haven't responded lately, but I finally went out and took new flats using AV for camera settings. What I did was use the EOS utility to take test shots in AV. Even though I could see what looked to me to be a good flat. I brought the image up in dark table to check the histogram of the raw image. Once I knew that it was half of the histogram, I then went into NINA and took my flats at the exposure that was with the best flat test shot. I now know why my flats have been so bad, I was WAY over exposed. Reprocessing a target with these flats for final verification. But at least I now have a method of determing what exposure to use for my flats. Thank you everyone.