Nikon Coolpix 4500

Got myself a new toy on Saturday - the Nikon Coolpix 4500, and I thought I would share some of my better results with you in case you are thinking of getting one.

I'm only just starting to learn how to use this camera, but so far I am very impressed. It is a lot lighter and smaller than the Canon EOS 300D, which was an important selling point for me, as I will be bringing this camera abroad on eclipse expeditions. But it still packs a punch!

On to the pictures...



A picture of Orion taken from the Phoenix Park (beside the Nelson pillar). I don't know the details of this picture (my bad - the camera has a setting to always record those details), but I suspect it was 8 sec at ISO 100 (or maybe 200) unguided.



An unguided, finger on the sutter release button for one minute, ISO 100, photo in the middle of light-polluted Dublin. The limiting magnitude in this shot seems to be about 6.5 (can anyone spot a mag 7 star? )

Hi.
Those are better then I thought you get from the center of Dublin.
Did you do anything with them in photoshop ?

Did you do anything with them in photoshop ?

Nope - they were reduced in size (by a factor of two on both axes), and that's all. And, since the resulting files are quite a bit smaller than 1/4 the original, I suspect that they were saved with a greater compression ratio (ie poorer quality setting) than the originals.

I took some more last night from Malahide. I'm going to analyse them to try and get a better feel for what this camera can do, but a quick analysis shows mag 8 stars in a 77 second exposure of the Little Dipper.

Aren't digital cameras great

Hello cobyrne,
I too got a Nikon 4500. Yes, it's weight makes it nice and handy. However, I find the controls a little akward to remember. I got a nice enought shot of Comet Machholz recently. See www.irishastrosoc.org on the home page. Exposure 1 minute driven (but not guided) on an equatorial.
Good luck with it.
John

Just curious...

can smeone tell me, IF cobyrne took that exact same photo in the sam conditions etc with a Canon 300D, what would the difference in picture be?

No disrespect to you Chris, I am just curious as to the camera specs! There is nothing wrong with your picture! Please go easy on me! :lol:

Seanie.