New to astrophotography and have a few equipment questions!

Studsy (Jordan) · #1 20-01-2012, 02:14 PM

Hi everyone,

Im pretty new to astronomy and astrophotography, and would really appreciate some suggestions on what gear i should start off with.

I have purchased a C8-SGT on a CG5 mount, which i have been using for a few months now, but would really like to move into taking some photos. I am looking at purchasing a cooled mono CCD camera + filters etc, but i dont know if this is too large of a step to start off with.

So my questions for now are:

1. Should i start off with some DSLR imaging, or is going for a CCD straight away easy enough?

2. I am looking at an 8300 chipped CCD such as the QHY9. Is this a good camera, or is there another which would be a better choice?

3. What would be a good autoguiding setup for this scope?

Thank you in advance for your help!

blink138 (Pat) · #2 20-01-2012, 02:53 PM

i dont know a lot about it either but i have read hundreds of our members posts and i think a more experienced astro photographer would tell you to put the money into a better mount first
pat

Studsy (Jordan) · #3 20-01-2012, 03:01 PM

Hi Pat,

Thanks for your reply. I have read that a fair few times too... Any suggestions that arent too expensive though, as i am a uni student and it takes a long time to save

CarlJoseph (Carl) · #4 20-01-2012, 03:08 PM

Welcome to the dark arts Studsy!

I'm certainly no expert but for what it's worth, here's my advice ...

DSLR is the way a lot of people seem to go since they already have one handy to play with. Do you have one already? If you do, you might as well use it me think.

Definitely a good mount would be a worthwhile investment. I don't know what the CG5 mount so couldn't comment on that. A good balance between not to expensive and good quality seem to be the EQ6 mounts. I have one of these and really love it.

Hope this helps a little in some way.

Cheers,
Af.

Studsy (Jordan) · #5 20-01-2012, 03:18 PM

Hey Carl,

I don't personally own a DSLR, however i have a friend who lets me borrow his occasionally. So no matter how i start out i still have to purchase a camera!

Where did you purchase your EQ6?

traveller (Bo) · #6 20-01-2012, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Studsy

Hey Carl,

I don't personally own a DSLR, however i have a friend who lets me borrow his occasionally. So no matter how i start out i still have to purchase a camera!

Where did you purchase your EQ6?

EQ6 pro new is $1500 from Andrews and can be had for $1000 used here. There was one for sale in Perth before Xmas, but I am pretty sure it's gone by now.
Have you thought about webcam imaging? It's quite forgiving, basically take a short video of a planet, use a freely available program like Registax and stack all the good frames to make a decent image. Kept me going for 2 years, on a motorized EQ2 mount and a 114mm newt. A modified webcam costs around $90 and you can use your existing mount.
There is an article in the article section written by Barry (bloodhound) which is very informative.
All the best. Bo

CarlJoseph (Carl) · #7 20-01-2012, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Studsy

Where did you purchase your EQ6?

I got mine from Andrews, it was around $1600 from memory I think with a few bits and pieces.

Bo makes a great point about the webcam option. It will definitely be a great way to get into it and get a feel for what's possible.

Studsy (Jordan) · #8 21-01-2012, 02:47 PM

Yeah i have considered a webcam, but i'm much more interested in DSO imaging, which i dont think a webcam is suited for.

I actually got to have a play with my friends DSLR last night and was amazed at the image we got of M42. Unfortunately i hadnt set the mount up right so it wasnt guiding too well

It's definitely convinced me that i need at least a DSLR or a CCD

traveller (Bo) · #9 21-01-2012, 03:21 PM

DSO imaging is very demanding and unforgiving. You will need a solid, accurate and stable mount. EQ6 as someone suggestede is a good start. What is your budget? A good mount and a ccd can easily set you back a couple of thousand, a good used DSLR would cost $500 upwards depending on what you get.
Bo

RobF (Rob) · #10 21-01-2012, 04:07 PM

And remember you'll need a parallel guidescope setup, or reasonably expensive and challenging to configure off axis guider (and either way a 2nd guiding camera). Imaging above 1000mm focal length and F/7 focal ratio is also not a lot of fun when you're a beginner, and that's the region you're in with the SCT unfortunately. An experienced operator MIGHT be able to coax an EQ5 and SCT to give exposures of a few minutes or so, but you have to be prepared to throw a lot of frames away. Do you have the temperament to cope with that?

Another thing to consider for next couple of years is La Nina - be realistic in how much dark sky time you can access (important for DSO imaging) and how many dollars worth of gear will be lying around between sessions. If you can work from your backyard from time to time that's a big bonus, especially for learning your gear.

Trouble is, you've shot M42 through your own scope, so let's face it, you're dead meat now.

Studsy (Jordan) · #11 21-01-2012, 04:23 PM

Bo,

My budget is probably around 3-4 grand, but all of this is really a long term goal, so i still need to save all the money. At the moment im looking for ideas for how to start, but i want to have a setup which is good enough to just add on to until i have enough money to purchase much better equipment.

I'm thinking that to start with now i might save for an EQ6 mount and DSLR, probably both second hand...

Rob,

I really hope that i have the temperament for DSO imaging, because after last night i want more haha

I know i probably sound stupid, but would you mind explaining how the La Nina will affect the skies?

CarlJoseph (Carl) · #12 21-01-2012, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobF

Trouble is, you've shot M42 through your own scope, so let's face it, you're dead meat now.

Ain't that the truth!

I would hate to see someone discouraged to explore astrophotography because of the cost. It definitely can get expensive quickly but try not to let that stop you. Yes, guidescopes, cooled CCDs and all of that stuff make the images you acquire a whole lot better. BUT ... you can do a hell of a lot with with a good mount, decent scope and a reasonable DSLR.

I've seen some amazing photography done with a basic DSLR and a dobsonian, 30 - 60 second exposures, quite stunning.

My suggestion if you're on a budget ... get yourself a DSLR and a cheap eBay intervalometer. This means you can start taking pics with your existing setup at 30 or even 60sec exposures. Then slowly build up the rest over time.

Cheers,
Af.

RobF (Rob) · #13 21-01-2012, 04:31 PM

No-one really knows what the weather is going to do Jordan, but I think most guys on here would agree 2010 and 2011 were shocking years for clear skies (particularly around new moon Sat nights

) compared to the years immediately before. These things are cyclic, but it has been getting people down of late. You can google La Nina/El Nino to get the idea.

Qld'ers probably a bit more sensitive about it I guess, as many of us were swimming this time last year. Worth bearing in mind there are often quite marked "imaging seasons" for various localities. Perth locals could give you advice on what to expect on the west coast.

Studsy (Jordan) · #14 21-01-2012, 04:49 PM

Carl,

When i was taking the photos last night, the image was starting to drift after only about 5 seconds. Obviously i was doing something wrong + it wasnt polar aligned, so i probably need to do a better job next time

Do i have to polar align for proper astrophotography?

Rob,

I didnt realise the skies had been so bad lately

thanks for your explanation!

graham.hobart (Graham stevens) · #15 21-01-2012, 05:14 PM

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-487-0-0-1-0.html
Here's a link about setting up a CG 5 from this very website.
Polar alignment is the most important aspect of astrophotography, once done you can use your DSLR and be in happy valley without spending all the moolah you mentioned. Use an adaptor for your camera so you can use it at prime focus and you will be able to start taking those shots.
I am in the camp with most others that getting to know your mount and using what you've got (DSLR) is the best way to start without buying a 2000 dollar CCD then still being disappointed with the results.
One thing I would recommend is getting a guide set up, either a small finder guider or modified finderscope/small cheap refractor etc plus a basic guide cam. Once polar aligned and guiding you can get very good results from all DSLRS.
There is an active second hand market here for stuff you need, I even have a spare modified finder for guiding if you get a camera like a Starshoot guider etc
PM me if you are interested.
Cheers
Graham

Studsy (Jordan) · #16 21-01-2012, 05:24 PM

Hi Graham,

Thanks for the guide. I'm going out again later this week so i shall give it a go then! I've pmed you about the finder!

whzzz28 (Nathan) · #17 21-01-2012, 05:25 PM

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.

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.

Studsy (Jordan) · #18 21-01-2012, 05:34 PM

Thanks for that Nathan, sounds like you have a nice starting setup! Is there any particular reason you chose the Canon 1100D?

whzzz28 (Nathan) · #19 21-01-2012, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Studsy

Thanks for that Nathan, sounds like you have a nice starting setup! Is there any particular reason you chose the Canon 1100D?

Few reasons:
- Budget
- Seems to produce fairly low noise
- Great battery life compared to other models
- Larger pixel size (5.2 um) compared to the other i was considering (550d 4.3 um)
- Supported by astro apps more so than other branded camera's.

A bit of reading: http://ghonis2.ho8.com/T3review/T3review.html

If your on a super budget you can try and get say a Canon 400d off eBay. They for for anywhere from $200-$400 second hand.

The above link also included detailed instructions on how to mod the 1000d and 1100d for astro work if i decide to go down that route a bit later.

I was able to get my 1100d, spare battery, card reader, 8gb SD card (prob wont use though) and screen protector for $399 delivered.
Considering spec wise it is similar/better than a 400d/450d and it was comparable in costs to getting one second hand; i decided to just get the 1100d.

alistairsam · #20 21-01-2012, 08:10 PM

Hi Jordan,

There's already some good advice in here, but have you thought of using a short focal length ota like an 8"f4 ?
I know it's another scope from what you have but it'll help reducing your exposure time and thus be more forgiving on errors, you could get some decent images by stacking one or two minute subs.
One downside is coma, easily corrected with an mpcc.
I have a 1000d and an 8"f4 and Have seen the difference focal length makes with imaging. Very significant.
I just bought a used qhy8 osc as a start into ccd imaging. Unmodded dslr's are a good start but the ir filter can be a hindrance from semi dark skies.

Is your ota fastar compatible? http://www.stargazing.net/david/fast...telescope.html
I've been reading up on hyperstar and the difference it makes with exposure times, so do keep that in mind.
It's not uncommon to have an imaging and visual ota as part of your collection.

I'd suggest sorting your guiding setup first till you can get 2 to 5 min subs and then moving to mono ccd's.

I think people have used focal reducers on ota's like yours for imaging. Will reduce exposure times.

In any case a guiding setup is a must.
Lookup eBay for used dslr's.

Good luck