Unpopular opinion: stacking images doesn't fix bad focus

I was scrolling through the sub last night and saw a photo of Andromeda where the stars looked like little donuts. Too many people think stacking software can save a blurry image. I learned this the hard way after spending 3 hours shooting M31 with my 8-inch dob only to realize my focus was slightly off. Has anyone else wasted a clear night because they trusted post-processing too much?

2 comments

2 Comments

simonl1110d ago

Another clear night I lost was trying to capture Jupiter with a wobbly tripod, nothing beats solid setup.

carr.brooke10d ago

Oh man, donut stars are the worst. I've definitely been there, spent an hour dialing in focus on a star only to bump the scope and not double check it. Stacking can smooth out noise but it can't fix a blurry mess, garbage in garbage out. I now take a test shot and zoom all the way in on my laptop screen before I start shooting anything serious. Learned that one the hard way, right after I wasted a perfectly clear night on what looked like fuzzy cotton balls.