My take on it is that, there are so many amazing images posted in IIS and many from very dedicated and talented individuals with clearly outstanding kit. I find these really inspiring, and a never-ending source of interesting targets to peek at
But what actually pushed me over the edge to get a DSLR was raymo's results with his 1100D. Already owning an equatorial mount and a couple of scopes, what an excellent low-cost entry into this imaging world I thought. I almost couldn't believe it was possible without spending heaps on more fancy kit but the evidence was presented to us right there, with his blood, sweat and tears.
And with the help of a couple of patient chaps at star parties (eternally thankful, they know who they are
), who have given me lessons on photography basics and paying attention to my mount setup, I've started getting results...not so much that I'm brave enough to post them on IIS, but it's given me the confidence to get out there snapping!
I appreciate the physics of a cooled CCD...and accept that my little 1100D is not going to give me that kind of results in a Sydney summer. But it has given me a lot of enjoyment so far and I'm keen for more dark skies to capture some more data
I'm not after Hubble like images, or the real professional-level images we are fortunate to see every day here on IIS...but something I can readily do myself, exploring the sky, capturing memories, and just having fun with the wonders above. Maybe one day I'll graduate to a OSC CCD too...there's always more better, but it's interesting to see what the "old tech" can do
I guess what I'm getting at, in a roundabout way, is that there's a lot of enjoyment to be had from this at any and all levels, of budget, skill, experience...at least, that's my point of view
