From: Milton Aupperle <milton@outcastsoft.com>

Date: May 10, 2005 6:23:56 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Re: Which Astroiidc option best?


Hi Tim;


On 10-May-05, at 6:03 PM, Tim wrote:


--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, Milton Aupperle <milton@o...> wrote:


> Not now with Apple's iSight out their. Actually shortly after Apple did

> the iSight, most companies stopped any future production them and EOL'd

> all of them. The only exception was Unibrain who are still producing

> cameras.


A while back, I did a search to see if anyone was using the iSight for astroimaging (since I

have one).  I only found one or two citations of people who tried it at all - not quite

enough encouragement for me to make an adapter to try mine on my scope.  Well, that

and the fact that my scope is more than 6 feet from the computer.  But I'll probably fiddle

with it at some point just for hoots.  Have to shoot afocally, though, and probably pick the

eyepiece projection magnification value high enough to overcome the  autoexposure's

tendency to saturate the image...   ...probably more hassle than it's worth, in the end.


Also the iSight optics have auto focus - at least the current ones do.


But I do wonder what might happen when the number of iSights out there reaches a point

where used units are low enough in price to see amateurs taking them apart and tossing

the lens assembly...   ...but again, probably not woth the effort.


It might cease functioning altogether, as the Autofocus will continue to try and use the optical assembly and if you short out the leads/motor in it.... BZZZZZZssstttt..


Also Astro IIDC doesn't support the iSight and your stuck with YUV video coming out of those cameras - and that really blows for Astro Imaging (bad image aliasing since it delivers YUV411 or YUV422).


Milton J. Aupperle

President

ASC - Aupperle Services and Contracting

Mac Software (Drivers, Components and Application) Specialist

#1005 - 815 14th Avenue. S.W.

Calgary Alberta Canada T2R0N5

1-(403)-229-9456

milton@outcastsoft.com

www.outcastsoft.com