Hutech-modified Canon 40D DSLR camera body, immaculate used condition, $850 shipped

[arkle]

Hello all,

I've lost interest in astrophotography recently so I've decided to sell my Hutech-modified Canon 40D digital SLR camera to someone who can make more use of it than I am.

It is in immaculate condition in the original packaging, with the standard Canon accessories, mostly unopened. The shutter count is under 5000.

It was purchased from Astro Hutech in California http://www.hutech.com/index.htm as model EOS044 and comes with a certificate of authenticity. The IR filter has been removed so that the camera is better able to record the redness of emission nebulae. The official description of the model is "Canon 40DH spectrum enhanced camera with built-in astronomical UV / IR blocking filter (Type Ib) and standard Canon accessories."

Here are a couple of images I've taken with this camera.

http://img138.imageshack.us/my.php?image=080209cn15xj5.jpg

http://img137.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cruxcarina15hp0.jpg

The camera can also be used for terrestrial photography with the Custom WB feature, and it won me a prize in a wildlife photography competition! It's a pretty awesome camera.









Specifications:

Increased efficiency 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor with larger microlenses
Large 3.0-inch LCD display
enhanced Live View display
LCD with broadened color gamut
6.5 frame-per-second continuous shooting capability
Buffer holds 75 Large/Fine JPEGs or 17 RAW images)
sRAW mode (small RAW format)
35-zone metering system
14-bit A/D conversion
Digic III processor
Highlight Tone Priority
High-ISO Noise Reduction
integrated Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit
0.95x optical viewfinder magnification
Interchangeable focusing screens
Continuous display of ISO in viewfinder
Auto ISO mode
ISO 100-1600 plus "H" (3200)
Powered by BP-511A, BP-511, or BP-512 lithium-ion battery pack
stores images on CF cards
The current price of a modified Canon 50D from Hutech is US$1395 + shipping + 10% customs tax, which even with the strong AU$ is currently over AU$1600. I am asking for AU$850 and I will ship for free within Australia.

I live in Adelaide and inspections are welcome. Any questions, please ask.

arkle

[DJ N]

PM sent!

[arkle]

Price drop. $900 including shipping in Australia.

[arkle]

OK $850 delivered! :)

arkle

[SFlySnuka]

Hi Steve

I don't do astrophotography. Can this camera still be used as normal ie portraits, landscape, wildlife?

Do u have any pics?

Would u need special lens for AP?

[arkle]

Hi Snuka,

Yes it can.

Digital camera sensors can detect infra-red light and this does not work well for normal photography - it would mean that warm objects, like people's faces, would appear too red because of the heat. To stop this from happening manufacturers put a filter in their cameras to prevent the infra-red light from reaching the sensor. All good for portraits, but not good for astrophotography, because the pesky filter also blocks a lot of the red light in the hydrogen emission spectrum, i.e. the colour of emission nebulae. When Hutech modify cameras they remove the filter so that the emission nebulae show up better in photographs (see my examples).

If you use a modified camera to do normal photography everything takes on a very slight reddish-pink tinge, because the camera is expecting more red light to filtered out. It's easy to mitigate for this though - you just use the Custom White Balance function on the camera. You take a photo of a white object and the camera adjusts the colour balance automatically.

I've attached thumbnails of a couple of normal photographs I've taken with the camera, the bird using a portrait lens and the bee using a macro lens. I won a prize for the bee :) The originals are quite large but I can email them to you if you give me your address.

For AP you have a choice. You can either attach the camera to the prime focus of a telescope using a tele-extender and a T-ring, or you can piggyback the camera onto the side of a telescope (for tracking purposes) and use a normal camera lens. The AP shots I linked to were both taken using the piggyback method, one with a macro lens (very sharp) and one with a 200mm zoom.

I hope that answers your questions.

Steve