Absolute Beginner AP

[JJDOBBER79 (Jas)]

Hi Guys,
I am an observer who is really keen to start imaging at the entry level. From what I read this seems to require an investment of 1-2k. I read somewhere that you can get a webcam and record video through the eyepiece and then chop it up into stills. Obviously it will not produce photos of the likes on this forum (awesome by the way!!!!!)but i just dont have that sort of money at the moment, or rather the wife will not like it. hehehe. Does anyone know if this is even possible. Does it have to be a special webcam etc. Help is appreciated. I would really love to take some photos of the awesome things that I am observing.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by JJDOBBER79

Hi Guys,
I am an observer who is really keen to start imaging at the entry level. From what I read this seems to require an investment of 1-2k. I read somewhere that you can get a webcam and record video through the eyepiece and then chop it up into stills. Obviously it will not produce photos of the likes on this forum (awesome by the way!!!!!)but i just dont have that sort of money at the moment, or rather the wife will not like it. hehehe. Does anyone know if this is even possible. Does it have to be a special webcam etc. Help is appreciated. I would really love to take some photos of the awesome things that I am observing.

Do you have a DSLR already? If you do try to stick that on your scope or even just at the sky on a tripod and do some nightscape. That should get you started. Video is more suited for Planetary/Solar although some do a little DSO with them. I've even seen people taking shots with their phones through the eyepiece if it's bright enough like a big DOB. Some others will chip in. Don't know much about webcams.

[JJDOBBER79 (Jas)]

Thanks Marc,
hey has anyone had any experience with these webcams

http://www.myastroshop.com.au/produc...p?id=MAS-070A2

The sample pictures show nebula. Maybe they are lying to me. It is definately in my price range $149.

[LAW (Murphy)]

I'm going to be brutally honest and say "don't buy a webcam". They're fine for planetary work but so is a dslr, and you can also use a dslr on DSOs.

I'd recommend finding a cheap, second hand canon 400d or 450d (or Nikon equivalent), and a good second hand eq mount (if you dont have one).

[Poita (Peter)]

What gear do you already have? (scope, mount, computer etc.)

[JJDOBBER79 (Jas)]

Thanks Murphy and Poita.
I will look at a cheap dslr. I have a 6" dob on a dob mount. Do I need an EQ.

[Nortilus (Josh)]

for planetary no, you can just guide by hand. but for DSO AP, an eq mount is essential. You can get away with 3-5 sec exposures just pointing you dslr at the sky and stacking them for a wide field image.
trust me when I say that getting into AP isnt cheap. You could get away with an OK beginner setup like I do for about $3000 if you can find alot second hand. Shoot me a PM is you want to know more about my rig, as I'm a bit of a beginner too.

[LAW (Murphy)]

My advice, as a fellow beginner, would be to get
something your going to get the most life out of.
I knew astrophotography was where I wanted to go
so I bought an 8" f/5 newt and the best EQ mount I
could afford. When I was starting out I wanted something that
was easy enough to use, but not so simple that I
wouldn't learn the basics. so I intentionally bought a
mount that wasn't GOTO, this kept cost down and
means I have to 'manually think' about the sky. You can get very satisfying results from nothing
more than a reasonable (8-10" f/4-5) newt, on a
stable mount, and any camera you already own, as
long as it's mounted securely.
Later you can 'add on' guides copes, off axis
guiders, autoguiders, filters, better cameras... But you'll need a solid base that won't frustrate you. I didn't find the EQ mount particularly daunting, but
it is a little more work than a Dob in regards to
setting it up every night and portability.

I bought my mount and scope for less than $800 second hand, and I already had a dslr and that's basically the bare necessities.

[malclocke (Malc)]

Although I'm also a beginner, I'd recommend a DSLR as a first purchase. You'll be able to get started on bright objects (planets, the moon and the sun with a suitable filter) with your dob. Although it can be frustrating, it's possible, and the DSLR has the advantage that it can double up as a day-to-day camera and you can also use it for widefield astro shots with a tripod. If you get heavily into astro photography the DSLR will still be of use.

Here's some examples of what I've managed with a 10" dob and a Canon 550D, you'll almost certainly do better

http://www.flickr.com/photos/malcloc...57630289171018
http://www.flickr.com/photos/malcloc...57630289171018
http://www.flickr.com/photos/malcloc...57630289171018

Keep in mind that you will need a t-ring and adapter to fit the camera into the focuser on your telescope.

Another thing to be aware of is that on some scopes it will not be possible to reach focus with a DSLR, basically you sometimes can't rack the focuser in far enough. My dob has this problem, I get around it by using a 2x barlow lens which allows me to reach focus, and is necessary for a good level of detail on my planetary images anyway. If you get the chance try someone else's camera before investing so you know if this is going to be a problem for you.

[LAW (Murphy)]

Addendum:

The frustrating and rewarding thing about Astrophotography is that you definitely get what you pay for. When I was starting out I was using very basic kit, no autoguiders, no 'goto', a $10 laser collimator, and free imaging software. Since then I've upgraded to a Catseye collimator (big difference!), Backyard EOS software (brilliant, highly recommended if you have a Canon DSLR), an Orion "Awesome Autoguider" and I "shoestring" modified my old EQ6 to take ST-4 commands for guiding.

On top of the flashy new tech, my own ability to find targets, set up effective imaging techniques, and post processing has improved in the 12 months since I bought the 'scope and you can see the difference in these two images of M8. A year ago I could only manage 30 second expsosures, unguided, now I can shoot 10 minute exposures with 100% success.
(Sorry about the harsh jpeg compression, the easiest way for me to transfer pictures from one computer to another is to upload/download from facebook )