Hi everyone,

I have a question concerning the Capture Module: Are there any plans to implement a „Flat-Dark“ Option? If you click on Bias it will automatically take the shortest possible exposure time. That ist cool, if you want to take Bias, but if you want take Flat-Darks you have to adjust the exposure time to the exposure time of the Flats. I can help myself if I take the option „Darks“ also for the Flat-Darks, but then I have Darks with two different exposure times. That works, because you can check the „duration“ button and then you easily see it. But it would be cooler if there would be an option for „Flat-Darks“.

By the way: the Flat-WIzard does not work for DSLR because of the Raw-Files. Howeverit is possible to use the AV-Mode so that the camera calculates the optimal exposure time. But if I use the AV-Mode it does not show me the exact exposuretime (it only shows the manual set exposuretime). But I need the exposuretime to make suitable Flat-Darks. Are there any plans to either make the Flat-Wizard work for DSLR or to show the exakt exposuretime when the AV-Mode is used?

Thank you very much!

Hi, NH,
I think I figured out a workaround for this. It makes the process semi-manual rather than fully automated but it should work.
1. Set up a Flats sequence for ONE filter only (e.g., Red), using the auto-ADU (e.g. 35,000).
2. Ekos will figure out the exposure necessary to get that ADU with that filter and take the sequence for as many flat frames as you specified. When it does, you'll notice that the Expoure time it chooses now appears in the Exposure box under Capture Settings.
3. Now change the TYPE only to Dark, don't change any other exposure settings. The exposure time will now be the same as for the flats. You may wish to save the flat darks to another folder...
4. Now click the "+" sign to add this newly-created Dark sequence to the list and click the "play" button.
5. You now have flats and flat darks for that one filter (Red in this case). Repeat the same steps for the other filters.
6. Voila!
7. Make sure to label the flat darks and the darks you take for the light frames differently!

Hi AstromanBK,

thank you for the answer! That sounds like a good and easy workaround for Astrocams.

But the "problem" is that the Flat-Wizard does not work for DSLRs. You have to use the AV-Mode, but then Ekos does not show the exposuretime. Meanwhile I manually find out the exposuretime for my flat-device.