Quote:
Originally Posted by Studsy
Hi everyone,
Im pretty new to astronomy and astrophotography, and would really appreciate some suggestions on what gear i should start off with.
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I just (yesterday actually) went down the route of purchasing an entry level setup for astrophotography. I already have a 10" dob that is great for observing.
Spent about $3000 in total for a complete setup that should get me started.
I wanted to jump into the deep end of mono camera+filter wheels but after doing my research (and seeing the costs) i decided to start with DSLR. As funds (and my knowledge/ability) improve i can look into CCD.
Basically a decent mono CCD will set you back $1000+ (For instance an Atik 314L+ will set you back $1699) and a filter wheel is anywhere from $500-$1500 (i really do think filter wheels are horribly over priced for what they are!). Let's not forget the filters - assuming you want quality, lets say a set of Astronomik's 2" LRGB - $689 + Ha, OIII or UHC (whatever tickles your fancy) which are ~$250 each.
Get's expensive fast.
For what its worth my 'cheap' setup got me:
- HEQ5 Pro mount
- 80mm ED triplet APO refractor
- Canon 1100D (body only, with spare battery and 8gb SD card)
- Orion 80mm short tube OTA for guiding
- QHY5 for guiding
- Few others bits an pieces (adapters, extensions, Bahtinov mask, tube rings since the refractor has a (bad) L mount and a Baader filter).
And yes, you need precise polar alignment for astrophotography or else the image will drift.