Astro-modifying a Canon T3i - Get Better SNR When Shooting Nebulae!

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DISCLAIMER
Opening your camera will void the manufacturers warranty - We are not liable for any damage or injury that could occur with this procedure. Proceed at your own risk.
Today I show you the process of astro-modifying a Canon T3i. All in all the process took me 3 hours total. The process is straight forward it just requires full attention to detail. Stay tuned for future videos where I will test the camera out under the stars!
I couldn't have done this modification if it weren't for Gary Honis, his website has all the info you need to get this mod done and I used his site to walk myself through it all. BIG shout out to GARY HONIS!
Garys Website:
dslrmodifications.com/
Shoot me a comment if you have any questions.
KJ
Here's where to find me!
/ kjscosmos
/ kjscosmos
/ kjscinema
My company, Barred Spiral Media helps influencers and businesses with cinematic content creation and strategy. We are focused on brands centered around nature, science, astronomy, and sustainability. If you need help with your content creation, contact us below!
/ barredspiral
TABLE OF CONTENTS
00:00 - Intro
00:58 - What You'll Need
02:08 - Body Disassembly
03:13 - Opening Camera
03:42 - Motherboard
06:25 - Detaching Sensor
08:47 - Sensor Dissassembly
09:41 - Astro Modification
10:45 - Sensor Reassembly
11:34 - Reconnecting Sensor
13:00 - Camera Reassembly
14:22 - You're Done!

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Опубликовано:

10 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 112

@Loopy01 2 года назад

Just did the mod right now and it worked like charm. Turning on the camera and hoping to get focus was the most nerve-racking moment ever. Your video alongside Gary's video were absolutely key to succeeding, so thank you so much!

@KJsCosmos 2 года назад

Yesss! So glad it could help you out man!

@KJsCosmos Год назад

Thank you to everyone who has checked out this video 🙌🏼💜 Let this comment section act as forum for Rebel series mods. So many people have completed the mod successfully and that’s great! However, not everyone is so lucky so I will be pinning comments with issues in order to help others find solutions - I don’t have all the answers.. I’m just a regular dude who modded my camera myself with success, but hopefully someone else out there will! Keep looking up friends!

@_tyler-_- Год назад

A) Make sure you're grounded before attempting this. Simple to do and it protects your investment. B) Take the top portion of the camera off. Significantly reduced the risk of damaging the top ribbon cables. C) Expect to have to re-adjust the sensor focusing screws at least once. Just a few more checklist items.

@ianlewis5474 Год назад

Just wrapped up this mod moments ago. Between this video and Gary's info, I fully knew what I was up against. Not to say that made it any less nerve wracking or stressful, LOL. But the sigh of relief was pretty amazing once it fired up, focused and took a shot. Thanks again!

@edgarsi Год назад

Hey Kyle, I did a modification and your video is awesome. Thank you! Later on I found out that it actually shifted my focal length and I was not able to focus on infinity with my EF lens anymore. It happens due to a missing layer of refraction between sensor and lens. Since I was also planning to buy a Light Pollution filter, the clip-in from Astronomik resolved the focus issue for me. Also modding the camera also changes the White Balance. Can be fixed by using custom WB mask or can be eliminated while stacking lights and working the post-production stage in RAW format.

@MissileGuidance Год назад

*Thank you so much !* Me and my dad did this together in 4 hours using YOUR tutorial and it was perfect, can't wait to use it now ! 😁

@bigtom6443 Год назад

After 2 days of trying, I did it! First attempt went poorly: I have an Eos 2000D, which has no documentation on disassembly or anything on RU-vid or Google about astro modding it. Turns out you have to entirely disassemble the case to access all the motherboard screws. I also nearly got electrocuted by the flash capacitor - thank god it happened to my multimeter and not my finger. My torx screwdrivers all got shredded by the Chad torx screws on the sensor assembly. Got a new set, got the sensor out and learned that the sensor assembly is COMPLETELY different to the 600D or the 1000D. It has no piezoelectric cleaning system. The main filter is glued to the bracket with the IR cut filter glued to a sub frame beneath that. I painstakingly peeled the main filter away with a hobby knife and managed to keep it intact. I was less careful with the IR filter because I'd frankly had enough by that stage. AND THEN; I had to reassemble and disassemble the camera 4 times to get it to focus properly, autofocus works as well. If anybody is reading this and made it this far: thank you. Please get a professional if you aren't sure what you're doing. I got very lucky with this.

@ricardoantoniocuevasvidea7738 Год назад

Finally, following your in indications, I did it!!! But the process is very hard, but I reach the goal. Now I'm shooting with my camera upgraded 😄😄 Excellent tutorial, thanks a lot bro.

@icyxxxxx Месяц назад

Very nice!

@user-pi5xu7qs7n 2 года назад

Just did the mod today. Thanks for a great video. Waiting for clouds to clear to test. :-)

@jkd432 2 года назад

Beautifully done, Kyle. I own a T3i and it’s fascinating to watch you expose the anatomy of the camera. To me it’s like a tutorial on brain surgery - fun to watch but no way would I try it myself! 😁

@KJsCosmos 2 года назад

Thank you for stopping by! Im really glad you enjoyed it, it was a scary procedure but I'm glad I went through with it. Cheers!

@TheUrbanAstronomer 2 года назад

Great walkthrough!

@zaugitude 9 месяцев назад

Great tutorial and tips. Nice work! Look forward to seeing the images.

@KJsCosmos 3 месяца назад

Thank you so much!! I will be doing a video showing the photos I've taken with the camera soon!

@adamhaisman5735 3 года назад

Very impressive! I would be way to scared to try that with my cameras!!!

@ChunkyPokemonTime 2 года назад

totally going to do this tomorrow , i thought it was over complicated but this looks easy

@ChunkyPokemonTime 2 года назад

did it lmao wasn't to bad everything working and focus achieved thanks!

@KJsCosmos 2 года назад

@@ChunkyPokemonTime Yes siiirrr!! SO happy it worked out for you man!!!

@flyprincess69 3 года назад

Im going to do this to my T3i!!!! Thanks for the detailed video.

@KJsCosmos 3 года назад

Awesome! Glad to help thats exactly what I made the video for!

@andrewgarrett4959 Год назад

Just did the mod with this video playing. There are actually 5 screws in the bottom of my T3i. That caused a bit of confusion as one was beneath the "void warranty" sticker. Then I managed to break the glass filter with the piezoelectric element on it (LPF1 filter). I was planning on an H-alpha mod, but it looks like I ended up with a full spectrum camera. Time to buy an Astronomik L-2 snap in filter I guess (unless someone has a better suggestion for DSOs). Great video! Thanks!

@John-Shutterlyphotos 3 месяца назад

Going to try this with a 30D. My mother in law was throwing it out, still works great.

@KJsCosmos 3 месяца назад

Thats perfect!! One person's trash is another person's gateway to the Cosmos 😏

@John-Shutterlyphotos 3 месяца назад

@@KJsCosmos What's your opinion on the 30D with 8mp for astrophotography? I have a 7D, but I still use it for wildlife and did not want to covert it. Thanks

@KJsCosmos 3 месяца назад

@@John-Shutterlyphotos 30D is definitely something worth learning and playing around with. I’d sooner modify that than your 7D that you daily drive for wildlife. Ultimately the 7D will give you a cleaner image, be easier to shoot with and easier to process - but the 30D can still make good images with the right techniques and if it was free, even better! Maybe a good use of it would be to use your 7D for more broadband targets like galaxies and then use the 30D for Ha targets like nebulae. You could also composite the two on a given target to get the broadband signal from the 7D and then shoot with a modded 30D to just add a luminance layer in the nebula and bring that signal out more while still using your 7D. Just some ideas!

@John-Shutterlyphotos 3 месяца назад

@@KJsCosmos Thank you so much, that is very informative 👍

@yushubu5759 2 года назад

Gonna watch this like 10 times, then mod my own.

@ss4717 2 года назад

I couldnt thank you Enought!

@northtexasskies3243 2 года назад

Im not going to try this until I get a new camera lol. Thanks for the tutorial!

@KJsCosmos 2 года назад

Fair enough! This video will be here should you decide to! Thanks for the watch!

@uglyoldblindbloke8298 Год назад

I don't think I have the patience for this, :). I'll probably break something. Great video.

@lukasfleury145 2 года назад

Succesfully modified my T3i, was scary but it worked. Thanks

@KJsCosmos 2 года назад

Fantastic! Congrats my friend! Happy shooting

@Naztronomy 2 года назад

Very informative video! I'm actually modding an old T2i now. It's currently naked sitting in a drawer because I can't locate my T7 screwdriver to remove the grounding screws. So while I wait for a new shipment, I've been watching these videos to see if I missed anything. I've also been debating whether or not to remove LPF1 (the piezoelectric element) and go with a naked sensor. Guess I have a couple more days to think about it until my new screwdrivers get here. I've been recording my process so I can rewind and review if I broke something. Keep up the videos! Definitely sub worthy!

@KJsCosmos 2 года назад

Thanks for the kind words! Yeah I had a lot of debating with myself trying to figure out what kind of mod to do.. I ended up settling on the one filter due to the ease of reassembly and what not!

@Naztronomy 2 года назад

@@KJsCosmos I also ended up doing just the H-alpha mod and I must say, it has been super awesome! It's nebulae season so I've been having fun with emission nebulae for the past few weeks. Thanks again for the video, it was super helpful! I've pointed several people to it since completing my mod.

@IKP1000 2 года назад

Fantastic video, thank you. You make it look easy, but The Fear stops me following in your footsteps :-)

@KJsCosmos 2 года назад

I appreciate it a ton! It was a scary process for me as well, took a lot of convincing myself to actually do it.

@IKP1000 2 года назад

@@KJsCosmos Hi Kyle. My previous comment about feeling The Fear too much to try this myself was made a whole month ago and "eventually" I DID overcome Fear and modified my Nikon D70. I have no experience at all in this area (I can just about change a plug if really necessary...) but inspired by your video, and watching another specifically for the Nikon D70, I dived in and it worked perfectly first time. Then I did the same to my D80 Nikon: fail! The view screen was white, and the images were all black. I went in again and disconnected then reconnected the ribbon cables more carefully, and it worked perfectly again. Happy Days! The D70 has quite a thin filter, so removing it didn't affect focus. The D80's is thick so focusing is now completely off, , so it requires 'trial and error' focusing. If I can live with this, I also won't bother with a further glass filter replacement, but I'll wait to see how hard it is to use on the scope. The D70 is a dream, showing detail in the Horsehead nebula with UHC front attached filter in amazing detail. Thanks again.

@paradis9989 2 года назад

Great video, I have a queston, did the camera loose it's ability to autofocus when using it for terrestrial shooting?

@MetaView7 2 года назад

Thanks !

@MetaView7 2 года назад

Would you have any Before and After photos? Maybe that's a topic for the next video?

@GTheoMedia Год назад

Awesome ! I felt it too it when you took the sensor out :) . So this was a full spectrum modified I assume. (you left the sensor naked?)

@xaviergonzalez4800 9 месяцев назад

One thing I did do that I think it is a great idea was... I replaced the IR cut filter with a quartz glass lens. Not only does it protect the sensor, but quarts glass can receive light farther from the UV and IR spectrum than glass can. I also have one on my guiding camera because it allows a lot more light to enter the sensor, close to twice as many stars.

@KJsCosmos 9 месяцев назад

That’s a great tip! Did you source your glass element from anywhere in specific?

$@frackcenturion$

@frackcenturion 3 года назад

great video i am doing this mod right now, one thing to mention is you need jsi screw drivers not phillips 🔭👍

@bakerfx4968 Год назад

Oh man I def might try this on my t2i! Any insight on if it’s easy to do to newer canons like my 5Div? Lol I’d prob pay to get that one Astro modded but if it’s as easy as this I might try myself if successful with the t2i

@FurlongStrongPersonal Год назад

As a tech person, seeing you with the nitral gloves and the tooth pick I was like "ahwe the baby scared of esd" the toothpick is a great idea! But up untill you brought out the screwdriver you were being way to carful, it was endearing. And then that iron and steel rod came out and I flinched. .... ...... Don't take that personaly I just enjoy watching random repair videos when I'm stoned.

@jonrobinson1026 2 месяца назад

Trying to find the same for the 400d. Do you think the filter sandwich will be the same? Many thanks

@leonardorser3455 5 месяцев назад

Hi. I have an old t2i . The mod should be pretty similar.

@KJsCosmos 3 месяца назад

Yes, I believe its basically identical to the T2i!

@thomasmorrison6068 Год назад

is this the same for the regular T3? or just for the t3i

@jonrobinson1026 Месяц назад

Here is a cry for help. Searched the Web for help but nada. All pug back together and everything working. BUT .. live view will only stay on for a split second. Anyone experienced similar? Glad you inspired me to dive in. Thanks

@KJsCosmos Месяц назад

Hey there! Does the LCD work okay? Are you only having issue with live view and not anything else? If the LCD works fine it could be a connection from the sensor to the motherboard. If the LCD isnt working at all one of the first cables you undo inside the camera is the LCD wire. I believe theres a youtube video out there where someone fixed their lcd as well as astromodified their T3i. Maybe check their video out? I wish you the best in finding a solution!

@jonrobinson1026 Месяц назад

@@KJsCosmos Thanks for your reply. Nothing works now,as touched the capacitor by accident(ouch!) . The camera is now in the DSLR graveyard with a broken Nikon d7000. Thanks

@bobbeanbags 2 года назад

Hey Kyle, great video! I used a vernier caliper to set the screws. When I put everything back together it won’t turn on. I had issues with the ribbon cables up near the shutter … the one on the bottom (closest to the motherboard) has kind of a funky flip down connector. I feel it’s not seating well but it’s very hard to try and push in because the top of the case blocks the ability to push the ribbon cable into the connector. Any tips on getting this one seated correctly?

@KJsCosmos 2 года назад

Have you tried using a rubber tipped tweezers to reach into those tight spots? That’s what helped me the most in those difficult to reach areas.

@ricktaylor1645 Год назад

i was told to use a replacement glass for the IR

@KalTheCleric 5 месяцев назад

Did you end up getting any pics with this camera afterwards? Would love to see how it turned out. Great job!

@KJsCosmos 3 месяца назад

I have captured data with it, and it honestly works great! All my photos are on my Instagram @kjscosmos and facebook.com/kjscosomos - I will be doing a follow-up video showing the data I've captured on it. It's my main Astro camera to this day!

@Doomdog308 Год назад

But do you have to do this to this camera or can I just leave it

@astrocactus4097 Год назад

Does anyone know the size of the screw used to take out all of the screws???

@EddieTorezz 2 года назад

Could you show photos taken by this camera before and after the modification?

@KJsCosmos 2 года назад

I don’t have direct comparisons just yet, but you can check out my Instagram @kjscosmos everything from my photo of the Cygnus wall and on is taken on the Astro mod T3i

@nunopsilva 2 года назад

Great explanation. I've followed the instructions, even from a written tutorial, and I removed the filter... However.... Now the camera doesn't turn on... Any suggestions? I've already reopened the casing, and went again up until removing the main board, exposing the filter piece. I didn't remove it again as I didn't found it necessary... I'm also checking on other places for help, but if you have any hint, please let me know :)

@KJsCosmos 2 года назад

I think it would be good to check every single ribbon cable/connection so you can confirm everything is plugged in and working.

@vornamenachname498 Год назад

I did it and the mod basically works, but my cam doesn't detect the SD-Card anymore and also doesn't like to be slightly shaked. Do you maybe know a solution?

@josiptomljenovic1187 Год назад

I have a problem with my 600d..I cant take 2min expo..Asiair gives me expo failure..If i take 1min expo it will only do one and then gives me error..If i shoot 30sec expo it will take them but it takes a long time to save it on card or usb connected to asi..Any solution?

@kevinashley478 Год назад

Hello KJ. I assume that's your initials/name. So, it turns out that NO ONE in my state will do this, even camera repair shops that do onsite repairs. I don't feel comfortable shipping my camera all over the place, so I am left with the option of doing this myself. I have had experience with circuitry and circuit board repair. I have two main questions. 1) Would you recommend the avg person to do this themselves? 2) What specific tools do you need to complete this task?

@rdiazmartin 2 месяца назад

Hi I have just received a supposed astromodified t3i which lpf2 filter has been removed.. I notice just shooting some daytime pictures I dont see anything strange in the colors.. how could I make sure is really astromodified and is not a fraud?

@KJsCosmos Месяц назад

That sounds pretty normal. I can shoot regular color on my T3i, it just looks a little red. BEst way to check is to shoot a target heavy in Ha and see if you get good signal. Try Cygnus, North America Nebula, or California Nebula is Perseus to name a couple.

@anakinskywalker5838 2 года назад

Anyone in here who has done this to an sl2(200d) or any other of canon's newer models? Edit: just successfully finished modding my 200d. For anyone with a similar dslr like 800d 250d etc. You just have to be little careful because there are more cables then in the older models. I recommend using this and any other disassembly video of your camera.

@arturo_trrs0231 9 месяцев назад

Hello, what type of screwdriver did you use?

@KJsCosmos 3 месяца назад

Hey there! I believe I used a PH00 or PH000 small Philips head for the entire mod.

@Ryuuken24 2 года назад

This mod is great but, you still need a lot of cooling to get rid of image noise.

@KJsCosmos 2 года назад

I’ve found that a plenty of exposure time still makes great images! I’m looking into Peltier cooling for it.

@crateer Год назад

Honestly, noise isn't that bad (well, if you're not living in super warm climate areas and depends on the sensor of course) You will get rid of most, if not all, noise with the right imaging settings, enough integration time, calibration frames and noise reduction in post-processing :) I find it funny that Most people actually totally underestimate what you can achieve with a cheap, modded dslr.. except for noise, even the cheapest camera can hold up to many/most entry level cooled astro dedicated osc cameras for just a fraction of the price :)

@shibamjana 6 месяцев назад

Sir can you please tell me after the modification the Autofocus and the AWB still work or not?

@KJsCosmos 3 месяца назад

Hey there! My autofocus does in fact still work, I believe you can still Auto White on it. I just keep it at 5600K all the time and haven't had any issues with editing out the red cast. When I stack my data the color balance isn't an issue either.

@shibamjana 3 месяца назад

Hello Sir I have some other quarries can I contact through Instagram or Facebook?

@FilippoCurtiAstro Год назад

Hi I just did the mod following your video. Now when the sensor is cleaning it gives the error 06 and while shooting it gives the error 70. Any suggestion? I checked all the ribbons cable and didn’t touch anything. Before the mod it was working well…

@KJsCosmos Год назад

Anyone else on here run into this? Just did a quick google search, looks like error 06 is a problem with the cleaning system and error 70 has to do with circuitry? I’m always suggesting going through all connections again, but maybe someone can chime in if they have any advice.

@FilippoCurtiAstro Год назад

@@KJsCosmos Hi!, Thank you for your fast reply! I tried again to check all the connections and the error 06 while cleaning the sensor is still there but now when shooting it gives the error 30 (shutter) even if the shutter seems to be ok and was not touched in the procedure. May it be some dust in the flat connections or some connector not attached so well? I re-checked all the connection 7 times :(

@FilippoCurtiAstro Год назад

Just figured out what was the issue. I damaged the small connector behind the mainboard since it was really difficult to handle without removing the top case. For anyone who wants to do this mod i really suggest to remove also the top case of the camera (there is a wonderful super fast tutorial from ifixit) to have more space to handle better the connector behind the mainboard and check all the connections. Now everything works perfectly. Just one thing: I used your method to take note of the sensor position but the focus is still a little nearer I'm doing several test to find the correct position, is there a way to do it without disassemble everything all the times, take pics and then check? and also, is it possible that the focus location is slightly different without the LPF?

@crateer Год назад

@@FilippoCurtiAstro regarding your last question, yes, the focus point changes slightly when removing the lpf2 filter. Easiest solution would be to get a clip-in filter for the camera (many people reported that it works for them) Second options would be to replace the stock lpf2 filter with clear glass of the same thickness to regain the focus point you had pre-modifying. Or third option, if you don't want to spend any more money, and that's obviously a bit more tricky and takes time: you could adjust the sensor Position itself.. you could try it as you have your markings and measurements of the stock-position, so you shouldn't be able to mess the positioning up completely, and if you do, you know where you had it working before :) Basically, get the sensor closer to the lens to regain the ability to get infinity focus. Just make sure to adjust the screws evenly! Question back to you: you said you damaged the connector behind the Mainboard, how did you fix it?

@pratishkedia2020 10 месяцев назад

@@KJsCosmos😮

@gabrieljaimes9491 3 года назад

Hello Kyle, sorry is it not necessary to buy and supplant the IR filter with some Neutral ones? Think I saw this step on other Canon Mods tutorials.

@KJsCosmos 3 года назад

Hey Gabriel! I don’t believe it’s 100 percent necessary to replace it, I followed Gary Honis’ mod instructions and he recommends replacing it with at least a Baader clear glass filter. I decided to just take the filter out and leave it empty and it’s been fine! It’s recommended that you use some form of UV/IR cut filter to help reduce star bloat and unnecessary wavelengths of light, but if you check my Instagram @kjscosmos my most recent image of NGC 7000 is unfiltered taken on an APO refractor and it’s sharp without the recommended replacement.

@szecsiattila 2 года назад

I did it... it won't turn on. :( tomorrow i will check all the ribbons and i hope it's gonna work.

@KJsCosmos 2 года назад

Oh no! Yes the best thing to do is really double check you have all connections firmly seated in their respective areas. It’s easy to leave one halfway in, the ribbon cables especially. Don’t forget the traditional connectors as well there are a few of those that need to be plugged back in. It may help to pause the video at certain points to get a look at what connections go where. Good luck friend!

@szecsiattila 2 года назад

@@KJsCosmos success!! Thank you! :)

@marcmonarcha4730 2 года назад

Hey Kyle! Thanks for the video. Do you know how modifying the camera would affect taking pictures of something like andromeda as well? or the milky way? I'm gonna do the modification but would just like to know what to expect

@KJsCosmos 2 года назад

Ultimately your images will shift more into the red end of the spectrum. Removing the infrared cut filter give the image a sort of magenta color cast. This color cast can be fixed with post-processing! But it’s worth the extra step to get the rich nebulae emissions that would otherwise appear a very faint pink. Galaxies are my personal favorite, no need to worry your galaxy images will ultimately appear more dynamic with the right processing!

@marcmonarcha4730 2 года назад

@@KJsCosmos sold!

@RemusLt 2 года назад

Actually you need three measurements, a measurement per each screw (three screws).

@mm9778 Год назад

*Watches up to the sensor mod part....proceeds to eBay*

@LeeeB0 2 года назад

Would you say to only do this mod if you never use the camera for snapping regular non astrophotography images ? This mod will kind of ruin everyday snaps correct?

@KJsCosmos 2 года назад

It won’t ruin everyday photos entirely. All images will have a magenta cast on them. My T3i is my dedicated Astro camera so I haven’t used it in any other setting. It’s my understanding that you can use custom white balance to correct it. I also imagine color adjustments in Lightroom/Photoshop would mitigate that color cast.

@mrgreenfull3897 2 года назад

Will the camera achieve focus with EF lenses if piezzo glass is also removed?

@KJsCosmos 2 года назад

I don’t believe so. I didn’t remove the piezo element, that was placed back into the sensor assembly. And my camera does in fact still have autofocus with EF lenses. You can catch a demo of this at 14:30

@omerkaya545 Год назад

Astro-mod: - Remove IR-Filter. Full-Spectrum mod: - Remove IR-Filter. Can someone people tell me the difference? I don't get what exactly is a Astro mod and what a full spectrum mod.

@ProppedNutFPV Год назад

02/24/22. Just did the mod. 1st x Turned On out of focus. 2nd x. SD Card wouldn’t read. Really…. 3rd x f#@ing thing won’t turn on. This mod really isn’t all that hard. Not at all.

@muhdminhaz 2 года назад

Show some raw astro images taken with this camera

@vitofelle5256 2 года назад

Sei Maschidal delle mma😬

@Redpulsar2011 2 года назад

Well done but no real time. Had to view another video (T4i) to help me to finish the job.

@KJsCosmos 2 года назад

Hey there, this video wasn’t necessarily created to help people with Astro-modding a T4i. It is specifically made for anyone with a T3i, because that’s what I own.

@RaisinEnjoyer 6 месяцев назад

Yeah Dont use this video as a tutorial. he skips too many steps...

@KJsCosmos 3 месяца назад

Haha, I filmed the entire process from start to finish. If you don't feel comfortable using this video to aid in a modification, that's totally fine! Don't do it.