COOLPIX-P1000

NIKON COOLPIX P1000 ASTRONOMY
Beware, this is not a telescope just a consumer camera :)

Planetary / Sun / Moon / ISS / DSO

Tested Nov 11, 2018 ! The cheap NEEWER EZa-N3 works perfectly with the P1000 !
Google : Neewer Digital Timer Remote Shutter Release Trigger(Replacement for MC-DC2)

Click on pictures for full size fine quality JPGs
For some pictures you can download one of the original RAW file (~25 MB).
Raws have not been posted if not having special interest !
Planetary, Moon, Sun captures piggy-back on my refractor or just locked on an aligned polar motorized mount...
DSO at Dead Sea on Star Adventurer mount polar aligned as good as possible ...

20200601 late evening -- Jupiter, Saturn and The Moon

P1000 installed on EQ-G astronomy mount running at sideral rate.

Jupiter with Ganymede on the left and Europa on the right

Mean DateTime - 2020:06:02 00:47:55
ExposureTime - 1/80 seconds
FNumber - 8.00
ExposureProgram - Shutter priority
ISOSpeedRatings - 100
OffsetTime - +03:00
FocalLengthIn35mmFilm - 12000 mm (Digital Zoom 4X)
ISO Setting - 100
Color Mode - VIVID
Image Quality - FINE
White Balance - AUTO1
Focus Mode - MANUAL
ISO Selection - MANUAL
Active D-Lighting - Off
Compression - 6 (JPG)

263 pictures (burst taken with remote controler) registered with Autostakkert!3 (RGB ALIGN, convolution blended with 40% original)
PostP LUMINAR3, Rotation IRFANVIEW

Saturn with Cassini division all but visible

Mean DateTime - 2020:06:02 00:55:18
ExposureTime - 1/30 seconds
FNumber and more ... Same as for Jupiter just above !

500 pictures registered with Autostakkert!3 (RGB ALIGN, convolution blended with 40% original)
PostP LUMINAR3, Rotation IRFANVIEW

The Moon 10.4 day old

P1000 installed on EQ-G astronomy mount running at lunar.

DateTime - 2020:06:01 20:27:54
ExposureTime - 1/500 seconds
FNumber - 8.00
ISOSpeedRatings - 320
OffsetTime - +032:00
FocalLength - 539.00 mm
ExposureMode - Auto
White Balance - Auto
DigitalZoomRatio - 0.00 x
FocalLengthIn35mmFilm - 3000 mm
GainControl - Low gain up
Contrast - Normal
Saturation - Normal
Sharpness - Normal
Color Mode - COLOR
Image Quality - FINE
White Balance - AUTO
Focus Mode - AF-S
Compression - 6 (JPG)

NEW : Derotation of Jupiter (MP4 movie)

82° ISS PASS
(20190518 20:41 LT, Jerusalem, Israel)
3000 mm FL, f/8, ISO-800

Click on image.

Comments: Very close to Zenith, then ISS at only 410 Km and Mag -4.0 !
Capture with Nikon Coolpix P1000, BY MISTAKE AUTO VIDEO MODE -> OVEREXPOSURE* HD 1080p 60 FPS
Camera was on Emmanuel's modified EQ6 with Videos Sky tracking software/hardware as described here.

100 registered frames

I did not understand during pass what's was happening and played with exposure camera wheel without any effect ... of course !

88.1° ISS PASS !
(20190428 04:51 LT, Jerusalem, Israel)
3000 mm FL, f/8, ISO-800

Comments: Hard to do a bit before 5 AM but this time worth not to sleep before pass !
Very close to Zenith, then ISS at only 412 Km and Mag -4.2 !
Capture with Nikon Coolpix P1000, manual video mode in HD 1080p 60 FPS, up to max 125x zoom (3000 mm),
variable exposure from start 1/30 to later shorter than 1/1000 sec. Below videos near culmination and also complete pass.
First image is a good single, second one a stack of good frames ...
Camera was on Emmanuel's modified EQ6 with Videos Sky tracking software/hardware as described here.

Single VS stacked

Part of the pass near culmination :
RightClick on video to donwload best quality in MP4 :

Also : Most of the pass (black frames eliminated) after registration with crop from 1024p with PIPP (only in MP4), click HERE

Occultation of a bright star by the Moon ...
Left click for movie in XVID or right click to download MP4 !
Right Click UHD to download a couple of seconds in original, best resolution, 3840x2160 video !

20181122 ISS Tracked !! Click here !

Video : https://youtu.be/jnsNkG4lztA

MOST DSO, solar, lunar and planetary images below done with P1000 on a portable Sky-Watcher, polar aligned, motorized equatorial astronomical mount !

20181114 Andromeda Galaxy with P1000 ! <- At the Dead Dea, Israel* -> 20181114 Orion M42 with P1000 !

L: 4608 x 3456, Exp 60 sec., f/5.6, ISO-100, FL 180 (Equ 1000) mm, RAW size 25.2 MB, 19 combined/stacked RAW exposures in DSS ! L: 4608 x 3456, Exp 60 sec., f/8, ISO-100, FL 467 (Equ 2600) mm, 4 combined/stacked RAW exposures in DSS !

L: 4608 x 3456, Single Exp 60 sec., f/8, ISO-100, FL 155 (Equ 860) mm, RAW

* at the flat concrete eastern exit of a bridge under the road GPS 31° 30' 38.86" N, 35° 23' 46.98" E.
BTW it is a great place with famous hot pools (45°C) where you can relax and prepare your hot shower in a bottle !

20181108 (new Moon) Pleiades with P1000 ! 20181031 Orion M42 with P1000 !

L: 4608 x 3456, Single Exp 1/2 sec., f/5.6, ISO-6400, FL 102 (Equ 567) mm, RAW size 25.2 MB,                                                                                L: 4608 x 3456, Exp 60 sec., f/8, ISO-100, FL 539 (Equ 3000) mm, RAW size 25.2 MB, 2 combined/stacked exposures !
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              NX-D capture, DSS, RegiStax6.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Good polar alignment
                                                                                                                                                    I have been asked to show the processing ... Open this link !

20181030 Orion M42 20181029 Orion M42

L: 4608 x 3456, Exp 60 sec., f/8, ISO-100, FL 539 (Equ 3000) mm, RAW size 25.2 MB, Single Exposure ! L: 4608 x 3456, Exp 60 sec., f/8, ISO-100, FL 539 (Equ 3000) mm, RAW size 25.2 MB, Single Exposure !
Even better polar alignment strong and permanent gusts of wind !

Anyhow showing the maximum amount of photons this camera can grasp with its longest available exposure.
WB and denoise in CaptureNX-D, stretching and gamma processing in RegiStax6.

20181022 Orion M42 20181020 Orion M42

L: 4608 x 3456, Exp 30 sec., f/8, ISO-100, FL 539 (Equ 3000) mm, RAW size 25.2 MB, Single Exposure ! Better alignment ! L: 4608 x 3456, Exp 1/8 sec., f/8, ISO-200, FL 539 (Equ 3000) mm, RAW size 25.2 MB, 9 Frames in DSS

Note : My motorized polar mount cannot actually follow star about correctly for more than 10s ...

20181021 17:23 LT ISS pass in front of the Sun

Very difficult as Sun near sunset ! Altitude= 6.8° and very far away : distance=1696.0 km ! Moreover thin clouds ...

P1000 at ISO 6400, 1/1250 sec. exposure, f/8, 3000 mm FL, UHD 30 FPS

Real speed 25% size :

Slowmotion :

20181014 ISS
Third trial, hand held* ...

Images shown at 100 % size. Last image, bit blured has been kept as it shows I guess the biggest ISS image the P1000 will be able to capture.

My best ever pictures of the ISS with a consumer camera in handheld mode !

The pass was of high magnitude
14 oct. -3.9 [Mag] 18:35:39 10° NO 18:38:56 79° NE 18:42:13 10° SE (data LT from Heavens Above)

How did I do :

Coolpix P1000 in UHD movie manual mode
Focus in manual mode minutes before on the small Moon crescent
Parameters : ISO 800, Exp 1/1250 sec, Zoom up to 3000 mm, Aperture f/8 (required), continuous recording.

At this magnitude the ISS was bit bright at small zoom in the electronic viewfinder !

Moreover, loosing the ISS, handheld, at F 3000 mm is very easy !!
When it happened, I zoomed out until found again in FOV, then zooming in quickly ... until next loss :)

Processing :
MP4 movie was processed by PIPP in ISS mode, output in .PNGs.
Using Irfanview, I selected good frames (less blurred than yesterday because of smaller exposure).

* I had not the time to fully setup the support of the P1000 for Emmanuel's mount ...
It will be next time but not before the end of 2018 or in 2019 !

20181013 ISS
Second trial, hand held ...

Much better !
Images shown at 100 % size.
The pass was of average magnitude
13 oct. -2.7 [Mag] 19:27:42 10° ONO 19:30:51 42° SO 19:32:31 22° S (data LT from Heavens Above)

How did I do :

Coolpix P1000 in UHD movie manual mode
Focus in manual mode minutes before on the small Moon crescent
Parameters : ISO 800, Exp 1/640 .. 1/800 sec, Zoom up to 3000 mm, Aperture f/8 (required), continuous recording.

At this magnitude the ISS was not bright at all at small zoom in the electronic viewfinder !

Moreover, loosing the ISS, handheld, at F 3000 mm is very easy !!
When it happened, I zoomed out until found again in FOV, then zooming in quickly ... until next loss :)

Processing :
MP4 movie was processed by PIPP in ISS mode, output in .SER.
Using SER Player, I selected and saved the few good frames (most are blurred by my hands movement).

Tomorrow the ISS is much brighter then permitting shorter exposures and offering the possibility of a bit larger ISS ... will see !

20181011 ISS
First trial, hand held ...

Capturing the ISS with a consumer camera generally gives some sort of small often fuzzy bright spot ...
Then it is my new challenge with the P1000 !

L: 4608 x 3456, Exp 1/800 sec., f/8, ISO-400, FL 539 (Equ 3000) mm, size 5.0 MB

Ok what to think about this first trial and bad result ?

GOOD : Chosen exposure and speed are Ok (ISS Mag -3.6) !
Note : picture at 1/4 of pass then ISS small size is normal.

BAD : My choice to take hires + RAW stills was not a good one for 2 main reasons :

- the ISS was seen just as a bright spot with no details at all in the electronic viewfinder !

- Even in full Manual mode and full manual focus mode, when you half press the shutter, the view is not refreshed for almost 2 seconds ! Very bad !
then of course at 3000 mm FL, you loose the fast moving ISS and must de-zoom a lot to find it again !
I was incredibly lucky to get blind, at least the above image ...

What to try next time (Oct 13) ?

Chose UHD movie manual mode !
In this mode you can continuously :
- zoom in / out with no refresh problem
- Turn ring to ajust focus (deactivate focus zoom -> FOV too small -> loss of ISS)
- adjust exposure and aperture

20180930 SUN

!! Be WARNED !!
!! NEVER point the Sun without fitting a genuine solar astronomical filter as your camera would be instantly destroyed !!

Sun in White Light with a tiny sunspot ...
Astronomical visual solar filter from Baader.

The Sun (FL 1800 mm - Equ 35), ISO-125, 1/1600 sec., f/8) processed from 1 min, UHD 2160p movie
Converting .MP4 to .SER (AS!3 compatible) with PIPP (1000 / 1920 frm kept),
AS!3 (50% kept, Convolution - Blend RAW for 50%, RGB aligned, saved as TIFF)
and Lucy Ridchardson Deconvolution in Astra Image.
Pushing the processing much farther reveals the granularity of the Sun surface (right).

Note : the same sunspots in Halpha with the PST ...

20181223 Almost full MOON ...

Moon was about 64° high, age 16.1d, illuminated 98%.
P1000 on Star Adventurer roughtly aligned with Android Pole Align App.
1 shot every 5 sec using a timer handset.
70% best of 114 NRW frames (F=2000mm, f/8, ISO 100) registered in Autostakkert!3 (AP size 108) after batch TIFF 16b conversion with Capture NX-D .
Saturation increase with Irfanview : 25 x Sat +25, Auto adjust colors and finaly lowering then Green and Red channels.

NOTES :
Original Moon shots look rather grey even if you can suspect some very pale colors.
Increasing saturation in post-processing will show the colors better ... if you have a rather noise free image ! That's why I used a timer to take a good hundred of RAW pictures.
Autostakkert!3 in planetary mode will well register and co-add them (AP size should not be too small).
With 100 pictures, S/N in now 10 times better (SQR 100) than a one shot !
Importing the resulting 16b image into a processing software (Irfanview works OK, but of course PS also ...) and increasing saturation by steps will make the colors flash ! Then you adjust the balance as you want for a pleasing result ...

See this NASA article to learn about the chemicals involved :
https://moon.nasa.gov/resources/164/colorful-moon/
and also http://spaceweathergallery.com/full_image.php?image_name=Maximilian-Teodorescu-MineralMoon-Dec2018_1545610554.jpg

20181030 Gibous MOON ...

L: UHD 30FPS,f/8, ISO-100

20181028 MOON in broad daylight ...

L: 4608 x 3456, Exp 1/500 sec., f/8, ISO-100, FL 359 (Equ 2000) mm handheld, 5.1MB

20180924 Full MOON ...

The Moon (FL 2000 mm - Equ 35), ISO-125, 1/400 sec., f/8) processed from 1 min, UHD 2160p movie
Converting .MP4 to .SER (AS!3 compatible) with PIPP (1200 / 1950 frm kept),
AS!3 (50% kept, Convolution - Blend RAW for 50%, RGB aligned, saved as TIFF)
and Lucy Ridchardson Deconvolution (gaussian, 0.45 / Iter 9) in Astra Image.
Also see general process below @ date 20180916.

20180921 Gibbous MOON ... using for hires all the size of the sensor (P1000 turned vertically) ...

Great details on full !

20180919 Gibbous MOON with Mars close by ...

The Moon (DSCN0712, FL 2800 mm* - Equ 35), ISO-125, 1/160 sec., f/8)
(* if 3000 mm the Moon does not fit in movie mode !)
Processing with PIPP and AS!3 - see 20180916 - here PIPP : 1000 / 5000 frm kept ...

- LEFT : AS!3 : 50% best, convolution sharpened with Blend RAW in for 50%, RGB align.
- CENTER : AS!3 : 50% best, RGB align, RegiStax6 WSL1_0G_WVb0g100v1000_b0g100v10_b0g100v10_b0g100v10_b0g100v10_b0g100v10__CB120_0_GA120.
- RIGHT : AS!3 : 50% best, convolution sharpened with Blend RAW in for 50%, RGB align, WX-explorer Bilat Wv, layer1 = 1000. On this image a tiny crater inside Plato is barely visible ...

General view ... (FL 42 mm - Equ 35 mm : 235 mm), ISO-100, 1/160 sec., f/4.5)
Mars is ... the tiny dot at bottom left ...

Mars (FL 2600 mm - Equ 35), ISO-125, 1/80 sec., f/8)
Processing with PIPP and AS!3 - here PIPP : 1200 frm kept, AS!3 : 30% best, convolution sharpened with Blend RAW in for 90%, RGB align but seeing poor ...

20180917 MOON past 1st Quarter with Saturn conjunction

Single capture, FL 1100 mm, 1/20s, f/5.6, ISO-100

..........................................................................................|||....................................<--- Saturn is here (just above ||| )!

... Saturn & Mars too !

FL 3000 mm (optical), UHD 2160p MP4, converted to SER with PIPP in planetary crop mode (300 x 300), Autostakkert!3 with convolution (Saturn blended with 25% of original, Mars with 95%)

Saturn 5100 frames, Digital Fine zoom 2X resulting in FL 6000 mm
To compare with unprocessed single image of Saturne ( no digital zoom)

or single video frame below (using color corrections and cropping of output in PIPP)

Mars 4530 frames, no digital zoom

20180916
MOON 1st Quarter

Tonight, 1st Moon quarter !

I used the Nikon P1000 piggy-back on my telescope (polar aligned motorized mount) in vertical position to have the whole Moon crescent at this high magnification !
Focal length 539 mm (35 mm FL 3000 mm), Manual movie dial position, UHD 2160p mode 30 FPS.
Manual exposure : 1/160s, F8, ISO 125, focus auto then locked in manual, 3840 x 2160.
MP4*, 1 min movie converted to SER with PIPP
then processed with Autostakkert!3 with convolution (65) and keeping 90% of the 1920 frames, followed by wavelets and stretching in RegiStax6
( DSCN0658 PIPP : pipp_lapl4_ap842 | AS!3 : Planetary mode, 90% Best, convolution set at 65% of original | RegiStax6 WVG level 1 0.00 / 1.00 / 84.0 Gamma 1.10 D-ring 60%

* the UHD 2160p P1000 video - at the source of this still image - can be watched here ... https://youtu.be/njhD0UkuF-8

20180915
MOON / SATURN / MARS / JUPITER / VENUS

The Moon was already low in the Sky ! Focal length 503 mm (35 mm FL 2800 mm), 1/250s, F8, ISO 800, manual focus with 4x magnification, 4608 x 3456, both JPG and RAW (NRW)	Focal length 503 mm (35 mm FL 2800 mm), 1/20s, F8, ISO 100 enabling RegiStax6 processing without creating too much noise, manual focus with 4x magnification, 4608 x 3456, both JPG and RAW (NRW)

NRW -> TIFF 16b -> JPG	NRW -> TIFF 16b -> RegiStax6 (WVG-0450100100-0000100490) -> JPG
Right click here to save as ... original RAW picture (NRW)

SATURN Focal length 539 mm (35 mm FL 3000 mm), 1/20s, F8, ISO 100 manual focus with 4x magnification, 4608 x 3456, JPG	MARS Focal length 539 mm (35 mm FL 3000 mm), 1/30s, F8, ISO 100 Same focus as Saturn, 4608 x 3456, JPG

Saturn and some satellites using long exposure ... Titan, Rhea, Dione and more visible on full, Focal length 539 mm (35 mm FL 3000 mm), 5s, F8, ISO 100 4608 x 3456, JPG
	LEGEND :
JUPITER Focal length 539 mm (35 mm FL 3000 mm), 1/60s, F8, ISO 100 manual focus with 4x magnification, 4608 x 3456, JPG See Jupiter cloud bands on full ...	VENUS Focal length 539 mm (35 mm FL 3000 mm), 1/160s, F8, ISO 100 manual focus with 4x magnification, 4608 x 3456, JPG, 20180913 16:23 UT

20180914 MOON

Focal length 539 mm (35 mm FL 3000 mm), 1/10s, F8, ISO 100, manual focus with 4x magnification, 4608 x 3456, both JPG and RAW (NRW)

NRW -> TIFF 16b -> JPG	NRW -> TIFF 16b -> RegiStax6 (WVG-0450100100-0000100490) -> JPG
Right click here to save as ... original RAW picture (NRW)