I've not been at the scope much recently, but have been enjoying playing with some film cameras a lot. I plugged an old (1980-ish) SLR into my 8" newt the other night and set it going for a half hour on orion and on carina. I don't have a film plane indicator on the body of the camera, and just winged it.... and the coma is bloody horrendous! Honestly, I think it would be better without a corrector, yes? But as a proof of concept, I think the images are encouraging.
Focussing is a bit of an issue, and my mount isnt really up for 30min subs in its current state, but this was fun.
I've not seen heaps of film astro (other than nightscapes, of which I have seen many many many), so I was happy to see some colour and shape.
I don't think I'll have another chance at Orion, but I will try to improve Carina over the coming months, firstly by figuring correct spacing for the coma corrector, then working a better way to focus, and also tuning the mount for better long exposures.
Anyway, a throw back for some people, I guess! Any comments and suggestions are very welcome. Gear was the skywatcher 200pds, olympus om2n with t-ring and kodak ultramax 400 film. I have some 800 Portra in the same camera right now and will sacrafice a few frames to astro if we get some ok nights in the coming week.
Love that you're shooting film Although you're making a rod for your own back, haha. I wouldn't have a clue how to focus with a telescope using a film camera! The last time I used one was 2005 at least.
That said, besides the coma issues, you've also got stars going in the same direction, which to me indicates an issue with both polar aligning and lack of guiding. The second requires cash investment, but the first can be done as you are now (although what mount do you have?)
Nail those points and you'll have some cracking data to share. I really look forward to seeing more film pictures, that's for sure!
Love that you're shooting film Although you're making a rod for your own back, haha. I wouldn't have a clue how to focus with a telescope using a film camera! The last time I used one was 2005 at least.
That said, besides the coma issues, you've also got stars going in the same direction, which to me indicates an issue with both polar aligning and lack of guiding. The second requires cash investment, but the first can be done as you are now (although what mount do you have?)
Nail those points and you'll have some cracking data to share. I really look forward to seeing more film pictures, that's for sure!
brings back memories JP... through the late 80's I did a lot of this using T-Max 400 ISO BW film which I processed myself and hypersensitised colour films (kept in the fridge) which incredible ISO then of 1600+... Scope was a hand made 8in F5...the work involved in twisted posiitons doing hand guide adjustments using a crosshair eyepiece...contorted for hours and you could go for 2 hours and then accidentally bump the scope and gone... havent kept a single image... could now do better on my mobile phone ...:-)
You're a brave man taking on film in a digital world. If nothing else, it makes you realise how difficult it was to get a decent result 30 to 40 years ago. My first acceptable shot using film was of the Carina nebula. I can still remember sitting at the illuminated eyepiece of my guidescope for 30mins, gently nudging the RA and DEC buttons to keep the guide star centred in a block of the printed grid of the eyepiece. Tedious work and not knowing for weeks sometimes if your guiding and exposure was going to achieve a successful result. Fortunately in my case it did. Well done on giving this a go, like you said, at least you can see some shape and colour.
At that focal length however, you will need to utilise some form of guiding....may as well keep with the trip down analogue memory lane nostalgic theme and whack a guide scope, with illuminated retical, on the side of the 8" and eyeball guide your 30min subs
Where or how do you develop the film and do you scan the negs or make prints or both?
I did THIS back in 1984 with my 8" F7 Newt, using piggyback eyeball guiding, (crappy drive) this is a scan of an old print, so the quality suffered further
Very cool that someone would bother to have a shot at things, as we did them 40 years ago
Although you're making a rod for your own back, haha. I wouldn't have a clue how to focus with a telescope using a film camera! The last time I used one was 2005 at least.
this is a scan of an old print, so the quality suffered further 
