33 Doubles in Orion. Astrophotographic Roadmap

(Aka how to observe when the weather is cloudy)

I was trying to find a good photograph of this beautiful constellation on the Internet, but I think it's better if one of us can supply it. On November, 21st, 1998 I mounted my Zenza Bronica RTSi medium format camera over my Vixen Great Polaris, using a Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 mm. standard lens (equivalent to a 45 mm. lens in a standard 35mm film camera).

The film used was Fuji NPH 400 ASA (what a film!!) and the exposure was 15 minutes wide open at f/2.8. Tracking was provided by the Vixen MT-1 RA motor, and no guiding was used.

In order to convert it to digital image, first I sent the rollfilm to "Laboratorios Magenta", in Gijón, Spain, where they use only first-class technology (from the best paper available to Schneider-Kreuznach lenses for enlarging) and ordered test prints in 13x18 cms (5' x 7') size. The results amazed me. The stars were pinpoint and the color was terrific, with any trace of grain.

Then I scanned the photo at home with a cheap (about $70.00) Primax flat-bed scanner at 300 d.p.i. The image reaches magnitude 9.5 and it's really nice to compare the stars towards the plots in Uranometria or those from planetary programs. If you own a good computer monitor, I suggest you to see the image at night using the full resolution (1440x2060) with the lights turned off, it's better than using a 35mm Panoptic eyepiece!! :)