Quote:
Originally Posted by pvelez
I am poised at the edge of the diving board, ready to leap into the unknown.
Both Peter and Theo have been very helpful in answering my questions. The new SBIG 8300 and QHY9 mono cameras use the same chip and have similar specs. They both look like great cameras and I have drooled over them for some time.
The big difference in price centres on the filters and filter wheels and the excellent reputation of SBIG.
I have 2 inch Ha and OIII filters so I'm leaning towards the 2 inch rather than the 36mm filter wheel that SBIG is proposing to introduce.
So my question is simple - is the additional cost of the SBIG set up worth it for me?
I use an 8 inch schmidt newtonian operating at f4. I am in light polluted Sydney only 7 km from the CBD.
I'd appreciate any guidance from you all.
Pete
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kal
Hi Pete,
I think included software has to factor into the equation as well if you are discussing price difference. With the Sbig camera you get CCDsoftV5 which is worth a few hundred dollars in itself, plus TheSkyV5. Of course how much this software is of value to you will depend on what software you intend to use in your setup.
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Pete,
As Kal wrote, CCDSoft V5 is the camera control software for SBIG ccd cameras. It integrates nicely with The Sky planetarium program. SBIG cameras come with Software Bisque's TheSky v5, Level II which is a “cut” down version compared to my purchased copy of The Sky 6 Professional Edition, so it may have limited or even no integration capabilities???
If you are controlling your mount with a fully functional copy of The Sky and controlling your SBIG camera with CCDSoft, then these two programs can work together and you can e.g. locate and identify asteroids.
After you have captured your image, CCDSoft can launch The Sky and display the field and identify field stars and any known asteroids.
You should also look at how you will use your system re the camera control software and how it integrates with other applications. Are you interested in identifying asteroids? Do you plan to pursue astrometry or photometry?
Here are some screen shots showing the capability of CCDSoft and The Sky 6 Pro Ed, the target being Eris.
Cheers
Dennis