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Hi John
I have travelled down the road that you now appear to be on.
I started with a DSI Color and then got a DSI2. In my Sydney location
mutiple imaging with guiding is almost a necessity. The beauty of the DSI2
is that you can set a star and the camera will automatically track on the star as it takes successive images (note this is not to be confused with guiding with a separate camera/scope), stack the images and provide a composite when you have finished. You may also take a suite of dark frames off line and the DSI2 will automatically subtract the appropriate dark frame. You can also keep all separate images for stacking and adjusting offline to provide a better result.
The DSI2 is a great economic colour camera and the Envisage software (when you get to understand how to use it) is very good. You may see comments to the contrary but I can only assume that these are from people who have not bothered to learn how to use it. As a starter, I decided on a colour camera rather a mono (which of course has more sensitivity) because I had seen the results of beginners in attempting to merge colours.
However, properly exposed and merged colours from a camera with luminosity/red/green/blue imaging are superb when handled by an expert.
After a while I saw that the definition of the DSI2 could not be compared with that obtained from DSLR. I now have a modified Canon 400D which has a chip size of 22mm compared with the DSI2 6mm wide. Pixel density
is also higher with the Canon. This provides a much better definition on a screen size image compared with the DSI2. However, it is necessary to modify the Canon to remove its original Infrared stop filter and have it replaced with an external astro filter. I choose to use an external infrared/light pollution filter. Also the Canon is noisier and requires exposure lengths 2 or three times that of the DSI2. (You don't get something for nothing in this game!).
Looking ahead, if you are considering getting a scope go for one with a 2 in focuser in case you wish to change to a DSLR or high end CCD in future.
So in summary, the DSI2 is a nice starter camera but keep in mind possible upgrade to a DSLR (or preferably to a high end, big chip, cooled
CCD camera if you can afford it!). With this configuration the DSI2 makes a very good guiding camera and is still good for small dim objects such as galaxies.
By the way my scopes are a Meade 80mm f6 apo refractor, Ritchey
Chretien f8 astrograph, HEQ5Pro mount. Scopes are used for imaging or guiding depending on what field of view I want.
Hope this helps.
Cheers Peter
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