Webcam Jupiter Images Compared
Hi All,
Here is a set of Jupiter images taken one right after the other using 3 different webcams,and a 2x Barlow lens on my 10″ SCT in my backyard in Dayton, Ohio.
The DMK image seems much bigger, but that is only because of my C-T adapter on the DMK, it actually puts the barlow lens about 2 inches in front of the CMOS chip, which gives a larger image scale.
Now the seeing was not great, actually pretty poor, but I was able to extract some information out of each Jupiter image under the same conditions.
Now the SPC900CN(operating at 640×480) and the Toucam Pro2(operating at 640×480) are both single shot color cameras made by Philips.
The DMK 21AF04 is a Monochrome camera(operating at 800×600), so I had to take 3 images thru RGB filters and combine them to get a single color image.
The Philips 900 ($81.00)camera was not as good as the Toucam pro2($169.00) or the DMK 21AF04 monochrome($450), there was a lot more noise in the 900 which made it difficult to make out fine detail.
The Toucam pro 2 did a good job considering the seeing conditions, which still gave an acceptable image with okay detail.. this is a great camera if you just want to take a quick color shot, no muss no fuss!
The DMK being a Monochrome camera requires a lot more work, you have to take 3 images, one in each, Red, Green, & Blue Filters and in rapid succession to prevent blur from Jupiter’s quick rotation. Then combine them in software to get a single true color image.
Is all this extra work worth the extra detail seen?
Yes, definitely its worth the detail,…If want to see the finest details possible in the cloud tops, including any new features…its a must!
Considering our seeing in the Midwest we are lucky to get what I have in the current image….
And Yes, The Wesley Impact Scar on Jupiter is still visible..it is quite long and thin now. Seeing was so poor(average for the Midwest) that I did not even notice it when I was looking at Jupiter and capturing the AVI data that night, but I noticed it after processing the avi file in Registax.
Now the difference in the cost for each also shows the difference in quality as well.
If you want the best go with the DMK, if you can’t afford the DMK, go look for a used Toucam Pro 2, its hard to beat as a low cost single shot color camera.
The old adage “you get what you pay for” just may hold true here, as well as you get what you put into it, all that work and time.
Disclaimer—I don’t work for or represent any of these companies, I just bought & own all three cameras over the years…and decided to try to compare them for image quality.
I hope this was useful for anyone looking to do planetary imaging.
Best Regards,
John Chumack
www.galacticimages.com
