Thinking of getting into astrophotography

[Jazza11]

Sorry if this is the wrong thread but lately i have been thinking about getting into astrophotography in a few years or so not straight away but i was thinking of mayby getting a 150mm - 250mm refractor when i do, i hear refractors are easier for astrophotography not sure if thats true but i was also thinking about using my 10" dob and just get a EQ 5 mayby 6 depending so what do u think? as i said i dont plan on getting into it for mayby another few years if i do but what do u guys think?

[Hagar]

If I can give you only one piece of advice when it comes to an Astrophotography setup it would be buy the biggest and best mount with the best load carrying capacity you can afford. EQ6 is OK 5 is too small.

As for the refractor, I would spend the extra here again and go for an ED APO or at least a semi APO as the achromatic scopes don't cut it very well with a camera. 80 to 100mm ED refractor will serve you very well when imaging DSO's without major colour aberations which are common in the Achromatic range of refractors.

But again, MOUNT, MOUNT, MOUNT.

[iceman]

What's your budget and what do you want to photograph?

It's a long slippery slope! :)

[toryglen-boy]

thats quite a sweeping statement, the EQ6 is ok, the EQ5 is too small?

many people here use an EQ5 to great effect. I myself plan on putting an ST80, an ED80, and a Canon 450D on a HEQ5 Pro mount, and i know it will handle it just fine.

:shrug:

[Davekyn]

I hope you get there soon Duncan. I bought my ED80 with just that in mind. Will have to stick with sketching in the mean time :).

Jazza...I wish I spent all my money on the mount 1st! I kind of regret it now. You see, having had the mount sitting there, I would of at the very least followed up with the purchase of a very Afordable ED 80...then I guarantee I would of experimented with a toucam whilst waiting for a real camera later :)

Now I'm caught up in chasing targets down with the ED and happy to sketch, whilst making exscuses to spend on other items:)

I wish you the best of luck. Your in the right place to get help here!

[toryglen-boy]

I hear what your saying Dave, but if its any help, i think you have taken the right path. I remember doing sketching of my observations years ago, and it was great at teaching me how to see. through sketching i went from seeing fuzzy blobs, to seeing detail in things, where i hadnt before seen it.

I have the ED80, and the ST80, i bought the HEQ5 Pro from a charming forum member and that should turn up any day, so i am well on my way

:)

[Davekyn]

I am seriously excited for you...Awsome! What a feeling that must be. You thinking about repacking the grease. I suppose with an ED80 around F7 it may be no biggy. I'd like to know how you rate it.

Congrats!!!

[Hagar]

Quite sweeping you think. With a maximum carrying capacity of 10KG for an EQ5 and working on loading a maximum of 2/3 for astrophotography that gives a max loading of 6.5KG. An ED80, guide scope of some description, some method of mounting them, a guide camera and a DSLR or similar, you don't need to have a maths degree to see that the EQ5 is not suitable. Allowing for future upgrades is out of the question.

The construction of the EQ5 and HEQ5 is quite diferent and the load bearing capacity reflects this. EQ5 = 10KG HEQ5 = 13.5KG.
Having owned both an HEQ5 an EQ6 Pro mount I can tell you without doubt the EQ5 and even the HEQ5 mount just will not cut it with anything but the lightest imaging setup.

To save the extra for an EQ6 Pro mount would have to be the best advice I could give anyone when imaging is the use. It allows for future expansion and upgrades and gives a very stable platform for imaging. Even the weight and build of the tripods make a significant change during imaging.

If you are coming down to BSG this year talk to a few of the imagers at this event and you will find my statement is correct.
What I am really saying is think very hard before committing money to a setup which will need to be sold before long to allow your imaging to progress.

It can be expensive to be a 2 minute expert.

[toryglen-boy]

Doug

You are obviously a seasoned vetran at this, and know your onions, and please dont think i was having a go, i wasnt. And i also agree with what you say about the mount needing to be much beefier than needed for ordinary viewing. But saying the HEQ5 wont do it is crazy, sure i dont expect it to carry a 12" OTA and other paraphenalia, but it will do good astrophography, admittedly it doesnt have anywhere near the load of an EQ6, but that said, it must be one of the most popular mounts sold, and action speak louder than words, i have seen plenty of great pictures taken with a small, similar setup, even if we analyze the 2/3rds rule for imaging. The HEQ5 has a limit of 13.5Kg here is what im using.

Skywatcher ST80 1.1kg
Orion ED80 2.47kg
Canon 450D 1.74kg

thats 5.31Kg, and lets add say ... another 1kg for adapters, guiders and stuff, and round it up to an even 6.6Kg.

thats still just under half of the mounts full load !! and 2/3rds of an ordinary EQ5.

its simple. If these mounts where completely pony, then they wouldnt sell, and if the HEQ5 wasnt up to the task, then it wouldnt have an autoguider port as a consideration.

So yes, i would also advocate a HEQ6 as its bigger, beefier, and better all round. But for people with a small setup like mine, getting started, i certainly wouldnt say its little brother is "too small"

hope i dont cause offense

;)

[leon]

Well Said Doug, and I agree, Mount Mount, Mount,

Leon

[leon]

Duncan If you have to weigh everything to be able to load it onto a mount that can carry its given load capacity, then the mount is to light for the job.

A mount should be able to carry the load with ease to make it a good imaging set up.

I will probably be flogged for this statement, so be it.

Leon

[toryglen-boy]

So would anyone Leon

[toryglen-boy]

i didnt weigh anything, i got the weight from the manufacturers websites. The point i was trying to make was, a HEQ5 is perfectly adequate for a light imaging setup.

[leon]

Duncan it probably is, I apologise if I have come across a bit harsh, but I have found in my experiences that if the mount is stable enough, all seems to work well.

leon

[Hagar]

Without going into too much detail, the HEQ5 was not the original mount discussed here. It was an EQ5. an entirely diferent mount in all aspects to the HEQ5. The internals and build quality of these two mounts is again very different.
Astrophotography requires more from a mount than just it's ability to carry weight. It must firstly be capable of carrying the weight but it must also be capable of guiding to quite fine accuracy with little to no tight spots or jumping. Both the HEQ5 and the EQ5 fall down in this category. They run relatively small stepper motors with small gears which are not up to very fine accuracy. The EQ6 being some what beefier has a much more rigid structure, right down to the ground, and believe me when two ED80's are stacked on top of each other this rigidity is tested. The ability of the mount to stop resonating after a gust of wind or accidental tap is also of major importance. The EQ6 range handle this far better than either of the EQ5 range.
I have had an EQ6 and HEQ5 and have now bought and use a G11 Losmandy mount for these very reasons.
The descision is of course up to the individual but my statement was meant as a warning for some one who is looking to get into this wonderful hobbie.
My advise is still. Save a bit longer and buy an EQ6Pro mount, you wont be sorry you did and it will last you through the progression which is Astrophotography.

No Offence Taken.:thumbsup:

[PCH]

A very interesting discussion, and fwiw, I would say to all parties that there have been very many 'nearly new' HEQ5 Pro mounts offered for sale over the time I've been a member of this forum.

In many cases I can clearly remember, these have been from people who wanted to get into AP. It might just be that the mount wasn't up to the job for these people - who's to say.

Just an observation :thumbsup:

[Alchemy]

hmmmmm. i would go the eq6 over the eq5 clearly the larger mount gives you more options long term,

mount mount mount.... if it lets you down its a bust.

one also needs to consider aperture fever, it strikes many and its nice to have a bit of back up room to expand and update.

me i bought the G11, could have used he titan though ... never mind if i had one of those i would have only put a 16 inch or bigger on it and wanted the next mount up:lol:

[mick pinner]

IMO don't get the HEQ5 for the price difference get the EQ6, if you stay with astrophotography and want to get some larger scopes you will then want a larger mount and lose money if you sell the HEQ5. finances obliging of course. it's all about the mount.

[toryglen-boy]

do you honestly think anyone is that thick that they wouldnt chose the 6 over the 5 if money wasnt an issue?

:rolleyes:

[toryglen-boy]

FWIW probably the most sold make of eyepiece on here is TeleVue ...

they must be pants as well then


:rolleyes:

[mick pinner]

if money wasn't an option we would not be talking about either mount.
l have seen so many people join this forum over the years and buy a heap of stuff from the classifieds only to readvertise the gear soon after finding it was not up to their expectations, now this can be due to not asking questions beforehand or not getting the answers to the questions they do ask.
the mount question comes up again and again, the simple rule, to me anyway, is if you are getting into astrophotography do the research on what others have done and learn from their mistakes and experience, it will save you money and frustration in the future.

[marki]

Just playing the :wink2: here but if you read the original post I don't think a eq5 or heq5 pro or eq6 or G11 for that matter will serve his purpose. I mean the guy wants to take pics using a 10" refractor (APM 254mm = 45kg):eyepop:. Shouldn't we be talking a paramount ME or bigger :shrug::P;):D.

Mark