Want to buy a CCD Imager

[want a be]

Looking to buy a ccd imager. Have looked at the Meade deep sky imager w/autostar suite ($99) ,Celestrons nextimage ($99),Orions Starshoot solar system color imager 2 ($179) ,Orions New starshoot deep space imager 2 ($699), SAC 7 ccd camera ($398) and some of the ones that are in the thousands of $$$. I have a Celestron CPC 8" Scope and want to know if any one has any recomondations for me. So far I am kind of leaning towards the Orions Starshoot Deep Sky Imager for $699,because I would like to do some DSI along with planetery also. Has anyone have one or any of the ones I listed that can give my some advise....Roger

[Terry B]

I don't have much knowledge about the cameras you have mentioned as I use a home built CCD based on the Audine camera but there is another not too expensive option that gives you better size sensors etc than the modified webcams. It is a QHY6 found at http://www.qhyccd.com/QHY6.html
Take a look at the forum on that page. Plenty of US people are using them.

[want a be]

Thankyou I will check it out...

[iceman]

Hey there.

Personally I wouldn't look for an imager that can do both solar system and deep sky. The criteria you look for in an imager is different for each of those type of targets.

I reckon you need to decide what you want to image more (deep sky or the planets/moon), and then look for the best imager you can afford.

If you want to do deep-sky, your options are:
- DSI/DSI II
- Orion Starshoot
- DSLR
- and others

For solar system, your options are:
- ToUcam Pro II/900nc
- DMK/DBK 21AF04
- Lumenera SkyNyx/Infinity
- PTGrey Research DragonFly Express

[want a be]

I thankyou for the advice...

[[1ponders]]

I agree with Mike, though I have found that the DMK does a very acceptable job with Deepsky for a planetary camera.

[bugwhiskers]

Recently I purchased a 1280*1024 webcam (USB2) from Rockby Electronics in Clayton VIC for the princely sum of $19.00. The lense just screws out and I already had an adaptor to suit our Meade LX90. The Lunar eclipse will see it used for the first time, if the pics are good I will post them here.

regards
bugwhiskers

[iceman]

Nice one bugwhiskers, I hope it works out.

However, I'd suggest you give it a trial run on the almost full moon tonight. You don't want to be learning during the eclipse :)

[jjjnettie]

The Gstar-Ex is a nice little camera. Deep Sky and Planetary. Check out some of the images captured with it here.
http://www.myastroshop.com.au/guides/gstar/index.htm

[asterisk]

Hi

You might like to look at:

http://www.optcorp.com/ProductList.aspx?uid=319-320-445

Cheers