2026-10-09 APP 2.0.0-beta48 has been released !
This is mainly a bug fix release for the reported bugs in beta47. In addition it has a significant User Interface performance improvement noticable when you need to process 1000s of images in APP.
2026-10-03 APP 2.0.0-beta47 has been released !
This is a very big release... many code optimizations/rewrites, many parts of APP are much faster and more precise, especially star analysis and registration are much faster ! Big mosaics will go much faster 🙂
And we introduce a new preview filter, which includes the new Adaptive Deep Sky Stretch and a General Levels Stretch, this has been long over due. The old preview filter (the panel on the right side to stretch and preview your data) has not been updated for a couple of years and it is a critical part of any APP session.
Adaptive Deep Sky Stretch or ADSS is a much more intuitive stretch algorithm. It is also color preserving (which is a great new addition in itself ! ) which means that the highlights are no longer bleached, color is maintained from the linear data while stretching. You can simply stretch your data using the sky background level and signal width sliders which work much easier and more intuitive. You no longer need to fiddle with the old complicated sliders with zoom buttons. All the zoom buttons for the sliders are made redundant. And you can enter slider values in the slider value fields yourself. I will make a youtube video in the coming days to explain and fully introduce ADSS. Once the video is ready, it will be highlighted on the forum.
RGB Combine upgrade !. The RGB Combine Tool has been rewritten mostly. The tool is faster and easier to use and most importantly, the Luminance slider to inject a luminance channel or channels into the RGB composite is now working correctly. It no longer bleaches the RGB colors. Combined with the new ADSS preview, you will get much better and easier great composites with great color! I will also explain this in a new youtube video.
This is my first LRGB capture with ASI1600 MM-C with Optolong filters. Obviously fully processed and combined in APP with some very minor tweaks in Lightroom.
Vey nice Simon 😉 !
Looks very nice and smooth...
Do you have more details, like which telescope and integration times per channel ?
Mabula
Hi Mabula,
Apologies in my excitement to share my photo I forgot to include the details:
Telescope: Explore Scientific 127mm ED APO Essential Series
Mount: SkyWatcher AZ-EQ6
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM - Cooled
Guiding: OAG, with ZWO 120MM-S
Filters: Optolong 36mm unmounted LRGB
Gain: 0 - After the level of noise in the image I wish I used unity gain (139) as most people advise.
I cannot remember details of exposures.
Darks, flats and bias subtracted.
Simon.
Nice image. We have the same telescope and guidescope camera 👍
Nice image. We have the same telescope and guidescope camera 👍
Thanks Greg. How do you like your ES 127mm. I love mine, for what they cost they are fantastic and the image quality is not far behind the better scopes. I use a TS field flattener with mine and I find I get perfect stars across the whole frame.
Hi Mabula,
Apologies in my excitement to share my photo I forgot to include the details:
Telescope: Explore Scientific 127mm ED APO Essential Series
Mount: SkyWatcher AZ-EQ6
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM - Cooled
Guiding: OAG, with ZWO 120MM-S
Filters: Optolong 36mm unmounted LRGB
Gain: 0 - After the level of noise in the image I wish I used unity gain (139) as most people advise.
I cannot remember details of exposures.
Darks, flats and bias subtracted.
Simon.
Thank you Simon for sharing the details 😉
In my experience, the gain 0 setting is good for longer exposure times though 😉 i have an asi1600 myself and have shot some excellent images with gain 0. I think the sweetspot is somewhere between gain 0 and gain 139 though...still nice dynamic range and pretty low read noise. With gain 139, the dynamic range starts to get really tight I feel. But then again, if you combine plenty of images, the dynamic range will increase from that. So it does depend a bit on the target that you're shooting on which gain to use. For a high dynamic range object like M42, I would suggest to use a lower gain then 139 😉
Cheers,
Mabula
Nice image. We have the same telescope and guidescope camera 👍
Thanks Greg. How do you like your ES 127mm. I love mine, for what they cost they are fantastic and the image quality is not far behind the better scopes. I use a TS field flattener with mine and I find I get perfect stars across the whole frame.
Indeed, well crafted. Love it. Am replacing the focuser though, as mine tends to lose focus too often when imaging, and not so good for an autofocus motor. I have been looking for a well matched FR/FF for it. Funny ES doesn't really have one. What is this TS model?
Nice image. We have the same telescope and guidescope camera 👍
Thanks Greg. How do you like your ES 127mm. I love mine, for what they cost they are fantastic and the image quality is not far behind the better scopes. I use a TS field flattener with mine and I find I get perfect stars across the whole frame.
Indeed, well crafted. Love it. Am replacing the focuser though, as mine tends to lose focus too often when imaging, and not so good for an autofocus motor. I have been looking for a well matched FR/FF for it. Funny ES doesn't really have one. What is this TS model?
Hi Greg,
I upgraded my focuser to a Moonlite with stepper motor and am very happy with the quality of Moonlite.
Here's a link to the field flattener https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p1010_TS-Optics-PHOTOLINE-APO-Flattener-Corrector-for-Refractror-Telescopes.html
Funny, I'm waiting on my 3" FT also. Ordered mine in November! I'll check out the FF link. Are you at F/7.5?
Argh, I don't read German. I'll check in the US.
There is an English version of the web page. Just click on the UK flag near the top right hand corner of the page.
