Stacking Video with Registax

These are the steps to get an image from a video recording.

Record the target. At least 100 frames and up to several hundred.
    * My method is to record in groups of 100 x 2.56 second frames
      (4 minutes 16 seconds record time).
      This keeps the file sizes and processing in Registax manageable.

Record with the optics covered for the same length of time, to create a dark frame.
    * One dark frame (100 x 2.56 sec) can be used for several images providing the settings
      do not change and the ambient temperature is similar.
      If you change camera settings or the temp varies, take corresponding dark frames.

Registax can import an avi file directly, this negates the need to convert the avi into bmp or tif files.

Before you start stacking any deep sky recordings, you need to create a master dark frame.

Load the dark frame avi. Then in the Flat/Dark menu select Create Darkframe. Registax will then produce an image showing all the hot pixels but with the random noise averaged out.

When the dark frame has finished stacking, save the image as a bmp (default format). Name the dark frame appropriatly with time taken and/or optics and/or object   If you archive the dark frames then put the date in the file name as well.

Now in the Flat/Dark menu select Load Darkframe. When you have multiple darks, choose the appropriate dark for the time the target was imaged.

Now you can open the deep sky target avi.

Here you can deselect any unwanted frames from the list.

Tick the darkframe check box to subtract the loaded darkframe.

Select your reference star. Set the Lowest quality to 0 % so that all the frames are used. If you want Registax to clip the lower quality frames, set the value to 70-90%.

To save any further button clicking, tick the Automatic check box. Click the Align button.

When the stacking process has finished, you have options to adjust sharpness (wavelets), brightness, contrast etc. Or, just save the raw stacked image.

Save the image as a tif file for processing in Photoshop.

 Initial processing in Photoshop