Newbie camera help

[Weekes]

Hey there guys, long time reader/stargazer but first time poster! (exciting lol)

So anyway, I really want to get into astrophotography to give me more to do when I go out gazing at night. Problem is, I know absolutely nothing about photography and cameras! So if anyone out there could give me some pointers as to what I need to know and even further a decent camera and equipment to get me started. I want to start fairly cheap to be sure I actually want to follow through with all this so I will be looking second hand (eBay/Gumtree). From what I have read I should be looking at Digital SLR's (Canon seem to have a bit of hype for this) a sturdy tripod and a cable release. So any help nudging me in the right direction for gear and basic techniques and tips would be very much appreciated :)
> Thanks in advance

[rustigsmed]

hi matt,

welcome to IIS :thumbsup:

Sounds like you are planning on getting started with some wide-field astrophotography.

Here's a link to Mike's (the creator of IIS) fundamentals of nightscape photography.

http://www.mikesalway.com.au/2013/05/24/np101-fundamentals-of-nightscape-photography/

It should help you get started with basic do's and don'ts.

There are two types of DSLR's, ones with 'full frame' sensors and ones with smaller censors (APS-C). The physical difference being that the full frame sensors have a bigger sensor. What that means is the camera kind of catches a wider view and therefore you can take longer exposures on a tripod. However, they're generally more expensive to buy... if your budget can't stretch to a full frame, you can still get nice results with the the smaller framed models. There is more info on this on mike's page.

A sturdy tripod is also very handy to have, when i first started astrophotography just over a year ago, i didn't have one at all and resorted to balancing the camera on my beanie :) i have a tripod now.

i don't have a cable release but instead use the camera's count down function to reduce vibrations.

I'm sure some other people will provide other advice. but yes a simple canon DSLR will do the trick :thumbsup:

don't forget to check the classifieds section on this website for digital cameras.

there's so much more that could be said, but i think read mike's page, get yourself a DSLR, play around with the settings and take heaps of snap shots. its definitely all about practice :thumbsup:

make sure you post your results, even if they're not great in the beginners astrophotography section for tips.

one more thing, capturing the target is only one thing, image processing with programs such as photoshop is really a must. i've attached two images from when i first took my canon out trying to take snaps of the milky way, they are the same photo, one out of the camera and the other with some tweaking in photoshop :thumbsup: i'm sure you'll be able to see the difference.

cheers,

rusty

[DavidLJ]

Hi Matt

If it's wide-field images of the night sky that you are interested in then a DSLR and camera tripod with adjustable head is the way to start. You would also want to consider adding a tracking device such as the Vixen Polarie or the iOptron Sky Tracker to get longer exposures. But if it is deep sky objects that you want to image through a telescope then one solution for dipping your toes into the world of digital imaging at (comparatively) minimal cost would be to take the video camera route. You can get some satisfying results and the learning curve is not particularly steep. And, within reason, you won't need an automatic guiding system. If you catch the imaging bug you can later consider moving to a standard (and usually much more expensive) imaging camera, etc.

An excellent reference for video camera use is Deep-Sky Video Astronomy from AstroShop http://www.myastroshop.com.au (http://www.myastroshop.com.au/). The $45 cost would be well spent if it helps you decide if that is a route that you might like to go.

Cheers, David

[Weekes]

Thanks for the responses guys :)
David, I should have specified that wide angle is what I am looking at currently. Though deep sky is extremely interesting and will be my next level if this becomes a new obsession :lol:

Rusty, thanks for the informative reply. That link was extremely helpful and nudged me in the right direction. I guess now all I need to do is start looking around for some gear and the rest is hands on learning :thumbsup:

So now I'll start searching eBay, Gumtree and this site for a good deal :D
If anyone has some other great sites for this I would be very appreciative