" Orion Belt and Nebula " - Testing Helios 44M-4 58mm f/2

A test with my Helios 44m-4 in severe conditions: severe light pollution (inside the city), clouds, high ISO (maximun for Fuji X-E1 in raw), short exposure (only 2 seconds) and aperture f/5.6 (for avoid lens aberration).

The lens was cleaned but two elements have problems in the coating.

The result was satisfatory.

The orange color in the clouds is due the light pollution.

Colors of the nebula and brighter stars could to appear.

Even in tiny stars we can see the diferent colors (orange and blue).*

 

* Note: In some astrophoto images in the internet the tiny stars don't have color (appear only white).

Probably the real colors were lost in the post-processing due the extreme increase in the brighter part of the Milkway (the center).

 

Of course, in these conditions I was unable to bring Barnard's looping and Flame Nebula to the image.

Even Running Man Nebula isn't appear quite well.

 

Equipment:

 

* Camera Fuji X-E1 (unmoded)

 

* Lens adapter M42-Fuji X mount

 

* Lens Helios 44M-4 58mm f/2 (produced in the USSR by Jupiter from 1958 to 1992)

 

* Tripod Weifeng WT-3750

 

Settings:

 

* Shutter speed 2 seconds

* Aperture f/5.6

* ISO 6400 (max ISO for Fuji-X shooting in raw)

 

Processing:

 

* 64 photos (light frames) stacked in the Deep Sky Stacker

* No Dark Frames

* No Offset-Bias Frames

 

Post-Processing:

 

* Adobe Camera RAW

* Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended

 

Mogi das Cruzes - SP / Brazil

Done