I'm using my ASI 533 along with my C9.25 and 0.63 reducer to image galaxies. I tried M81 and M51 both at 150 gain for 180sec exposures. When I bring the images into DSS software, the star detection threshold for M81 could detect only 30 stars with the slider all the way down to 2%? When I staked the image and brough it into Ps, I had to do some brutal levels and curves adjustments to even see the galaxy in the frame. It was worse when I attempted to stake M51 in DSS, where the number of stars detected were just 16! DSS could not stake the 40 or so images that I spent the night capturing. When I switched to my Nikon D7500 and took light frames each for 180sec at ISO800, DSS detected hundreds of stars and staking was seamless. Has anyone encountered this using a similar setup?
