Jun 23, 2017 the bahtinov mask is a widely used tool that cleverly uses diffraction as a focusing aid. The other mask is designed to fit schmidt cassegrain telescopes. In each panel, im showing the star as viewed with top and without bottom the mask in place. Bahtinov grabber goes 64 bit and 32 bit update niels. The batinov mask consists of three separate grids that produce three angled diffraction spikes when the telescope is pointed at a bright star. Of the two i have come to prefer the full width half maximum fwhm feature of bye. Measure your diameter from the end of the tube or dew shield. This symmetry should produce a diffraction pattern that is also. Apt and other software can assist in achieving perfect focus for your photos. The central spike moves left or right relative to the diagonal x spikes according to focus position. Below are my instructions for generating any arbitrary sized tri bahtinov mask and for using it for collimation. I came across a video on youtube of a flymesh bahtinov, not focal length dependant has anyone ever tried this method before.
This mask attaches to the front of the scopes objective lens to show the astronomer how to precisely focus their telescope. The farpoint bahtinov focus mask pictured below top is a general purpose mask designed to fit refractors and newtonian telescopes. Dec 02, 2017 bahtinov mask 3d printing video thanks to the benny fab lab at benny library the bahtinov mask is one of the best tools for focusing your cameratelescope setup for imaging. The bahtinov mask is a very elegant solution to one of the biggest problems that besets the deep sky astrophotographer focus. It is very easy to use and will result in obtaining precise focus with a camera lens. As you go towards focus, the hfr will get smaller graph goes down. Farpoint manufactures this lifesaving astrophotography tool out of virtually indestructable abs plastic and comes in two major types and in a range of sizes.
The gerd neumann bahtinov mask is of high quality and should last a long time with care. It is common practice to focus your camera dslr or astroccd on a bright star as this star and the object you want to image will both be at infinity so getting the star in focus will ensure that the deep. Farpoint focus mask celestron 11 sct hyperstarfastar fits fastarhyperstar ready c11 scts. Comparison of focusing masks gabor toth astrophotography. If you get a deadon polar alignment, and focus then on a near by bright star, using the fwhm feature is really superior to the bahtinov mask. I 3d printed a bahtinov mask, so i can clearly see the sky. Pop the mask in, calibrate the spikes, remove the mask, and there you have it. Relativetothehartmannmask,the diffraction pattern created by the bahtinov mask allows for much more precise focus.
Farpoint bahtinov focus mask for astrophotography for celestron 6 sct. Focusing using bahtinov mask main sequence software. Flymesh bahtinov mask diy astronomer stargazers lounge. Improve your astrophotography focus with a bahtinov mask. Bahtivov mask the bahtinov mask is a plate with three sections of parallel slits that fits over the end of the telescope and produces diffraction spikes on the focal plane below left photo. Thus, my idea of a tribahtinov mask that has three bahtinov masks arranged in a 3fold symmetric fashion. Below are my instructions for generating any arbitrary sized tribahtinov mask and for using it for collimation. There are many methods, software and devices on the market but the bahtinov mask is the least expensive and is a. Telescope focus aids telescope focus masks high point.
Also, a hartmann mask doesnt provide the precision of the spikea. With the tri bahtinov mask, i have added the ability to check whether the sct is also well collimated. By using the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. The idea is to create a specific diffraction pattern so that you know if you image is in focus. Precise focusing of telescopes and astrographs is critical to performing astrophotography. Hartmann masks are cut either with circular or triangular holes. Therefore, the most obvious way to me is to have three bahtinov masks designed into the mask. A bahtinov mask is a device used to accurately focus an astronomical telescope. Bahtinov mask other focusing methods astronomy notebook. The bahtinov mask is a widely used tool that cleverly uses diffraction as a focusing aid. With so much time and effort put into your polar alignment and autoguiding accuracy, it would be a shame to spoil a photo due to poor focus. You are in focus when you make a symmetrical shape. They are named after paul bahtinov, who developed the first designs.
Bahtinov mask focusing feature backyardeos otelescope. Adjust the telescopes focus so that the central spike appears directly between the other two. Gosky bahtinov focusing mask for telescopes dew shield diameter from 75mm 114mm 2. The bahtinov mask achieves perfect focus in seconds. Fine focus and bahtinov masks ask craig stark labs.
In 2008, pavel bahtinov, a russian amateur telescope maker and astronomer, published an ingenious new way to easily focus your dslr camera. The bahtinov mask makes it easy to focus your dslr camera, ccd camera, or webcam when imaging the night sky. This customizable design generates custom bahtinov masks, which are used to aid focusing telescopes during astrophotography. Bahtinov focus masks make focusing for astrophotography easy. Farpoint bahtinov masks are by far, the easiest, fastest and most consistent manual focusing aid available to the amateur astrophotographer. With the tribahtinov mask, i have added the ability to check whether the sct is also well collimated. There are many methods, software and devices on the market but the bahtinov mask is the least expensive and is a very effective tool.
The image projected by the objective gets sharp at a certain distance behind the objective. Although not very expensive to buy, it can be made by hand using cardboard or a ridged thin plastic using a template or pattern. Im running the 32bit version on a netbook, canon 300d camera and dslrfocus software for image capture. It requires the capability to acquire 640x480 images. For an sct, the secondary mirror has three adjustment screws. Both types of mask are available in a range of sizes to cover your imaging needs. Precise and repeatable focus can be achieved in under a minute, even in poor seeing conditions. Thus, my idea of a tri bahtinov mask that has three bahtinov masks arranged in a 3fold symmetric fashion.
Ive been having difficulty focusing to infinity with my canon 6d and samyang 14mm f2. Guess what the sbig st2000 which uses this chip has the gain fixed at. One thing ive seen with all these focusing methods is the need to get fairly close to focus before they work. The bahtinov mask was invented by russian amateur astrophotographer pavel bahtinov in 2005.
The bahtinov mask is a variation on the hartmann mask which uses three separate grids. This farpoint bahtinov mask fits telescopes with outside diameters of between 5. Dec 06, 2014 one thing ive seen with all these focusing methods is the need to get fairly close to focus before they work. When precize focus is achieved the pattern becomes symmetrical. May 10, 2011 does a focus mask work for lunar imaging, so you focus on a star then pan across to the moon keeping the same focus. This focus mask type is the only one that does not use diffraction and are best suited for gross focus adjustments as smaller discrepancies can be difficult to detect. One mask is a general purpose mask designed to fit refractors and newtonian telescope. Bahtinov focusing masks see and buy bahtinov focusing masks at our hertfordshire uk based showroom or buy online. One method that works well is to use a bright star, a bahtinov mask and manual focus with 100% magnification in live view. Sep 07, 2016 the mask will produce six long angled diffraction spikes on the star. Im running the 32bit version on a netbook, canon 300d camera and. After reading many discussions and articles in web pages and forums i decided to build my own bahtinov mask. The device used for recording the image be it traditional photoemulsion or digital sensor should.
I no longer need to fiddle around and wonder, is this the best i can focus it. The bahtinov mask has become the preferred method of focusing a telescope, either visually or when imaging with a ccd camera, dslr or webcam. Unlike a hartmann mask which provides no visual cues on the direction of travel needed for focusing, the spikea mask is a bahtinov mask which clearly shows the direction of travel needed to achieve focus. How does this mask work, and how did mr bahtinov get the idea to cut such a peculiar shape. Carey focus masks use slits in two angles, 12 degrees on the left and 10 degrees on the right. This distance depends on the focal length of the objective and the distance between the objective and the subject. A bahtinov mask can help you achieve a sharp focus for your astrophotography images. The bahtinov mask is one way, but without this you can get quick, clear. The bahtinov mask is a device used to accurately focus astronomical telescopes. The bahtinov mask was invented by pavel bahtinov from russia. A tri bahtinov mask for aiding collimation and focusing of. If you do not have a bahtinov focus mask, get one, it will ensure you have the best focus possible, regardless of the seeing conditions. Two of them form an x shape, and another spike crosses it, forming a shape. It consists of a disk made of opaque material fitted over the telescope objective with slots cut out in a specific pattern devised by amateur astrophotographer pavel bahtinov.
Farpoint bahtinov focus mask for astrophotography for celestron 11 sct. Here, ill show a video of me using both the current version of the fine focus tool and augmenting this with the use of a bahtinov mask. Each section of parallel slits is orientated at a slightly different angle, giving three different. Farpoint bahtinov focus mask for dslrs cloud break optics. Bahtinov mask created by 3d printing astronomy notebook.
Generating the tri bahtinov mask using satoru takagis webapp. Its an elaboration on the idea of a hartmann mask something you stick over the front end of your scope to induce a diffraction pattern that makes focusing. Bahtinov mask to focus on a star focusing tips youtube. Bahtinov focusing mask for 8 f10 telescope a4 printout, generated by tool. Generating the tribahtinov mask using satoru takagis webapp. Kendrick bahtnov focus masks kendrick astro instruments. Dec 18, 2008 a bahtinov mask is a device used to accurately focus an astronomical telescope. The bahtinov mask the sky at night in digital images. This process is an essential step of any deepsky astrophotography session.
Farpoint fp410 bahtinov focus mask celestron 8in sct. I was playing around with thisonline bahtinov mask generator. As long as the mask slots are not damaged, the mask should continue to perform well over time. How to make and use a bahtinov mask lonewolf online. I have used the bahtinov mask feature and byes fwhm. A bahtinov mask creates diffraction spikes visible to the viewer, with each direction of slots in the mask corresponding to a spike. It consists of a disk made of opaque material fitted over the telescope objective with slots cut out in a specific pattern devised by.
No matter which type of camera you use, a bahtinov mask can help you achieve a higher level of accuracy when focusing your telescope or a camera lens. Achieving focus has been a tough challenge since i began with astrophotography, so i decided to do something serious about it, preferably something that does not cost a lot of money. Apt has a function called bahtinov aid based on bahtinov grabber technology and it provides an excellent visual and digital reference when using a bahtinov mask to come to focus. At times when visually the focus looks correct the one of the overlayed lines shown in the software is way off and can jump between two places. Also when the problem occurs the mask angle is also shown incorrectly. Lightweight, precision cnc cut, non flexing and with adjustable rubber tabs. These are not generic masks, each mask is tuned to the telescopes focal ratio for the very best performance. Whether youre doing planetary visual observing, planetary imaging, or deep sky imaging, the bahtinov mask is a great accessory to get the. The bahtinov mask is a device used to focus small astronomical telescopes accurately. So i thought i would try a farpoint fp400 bahtinov focus mask to see if it would help me focus better.
Jun 09, 2018 the result is what i call a tri bahtinov mask. The bahtinov mask allows digital astrophotographers and visual observers to get razor sharp focus in seconds. For focusing the image of a telescope, one can use a bahtinov mask. Bahtinov mask other focusing methods the bahtinov mask, invented in 2005 by a russian amateur astronomer, pavel bahtinov in 2005, is a device used to focus using a bright star. A bahtinov mask is a focusing aid for astronomy in general, and astrophotography in particular.
How to make bahtinov mask, pdf templates deepsky watch. Anyone who has ever taken a photograph knows the importance of focusing. But when i input the parameters for my camera lens say the sony zeiss 24mm f1. Although masks have long been used as focusing aids, the distinctive pattern was invented by russian amateur astrophotographer pavel bahtinov russian. The difference in focuser position between the four pictures shown below is very small, a few tenths of a mm. Unlike autofocus and star measuring software tools, this old school method can be done without the use of an external computer, and only takes a minute. In 2008, pavel bahtinov, a russian amateur telescope maker and astronomer, published an ingenious new way to easily focus your dslr camera, webcam or ccd camera for astrophotography. I made a simple program that detects the three lines of the bahtinov pattern and tells you how far the central line is from the crossing of the diagonal lines. For astrophotography, a digital image can be analyzed by software to locate the alignment of the spikes to subpixel resolution. It does not fit with the hyperstar or fastar camera installed. The mask will produce six long angled diffraction spikes on the star. Aspikeaexample of the nowclassic bahtinov mask is shown in image1. Farpoint bahtinov mask for refractors or newtonians with 5. How to focus at infinity when capturing star fields hasselblad.
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