Astrophotography requires you to have knowledge of: cameras; telescopes; mounts; mount alignment; astronomy; and more....very good knowledge at that.
Then you need: Scope; mount; dew heaters; guidescope; camera; computer; power supplies; USB hubs...the list goes on.
If you lack all this then throwing money into something nice and shiny will see you quickly overloaded and burn out.
IMHO, buy a modest scope like a 8" Dob first and see how you like it before you jump in the deep end, or, research research research the net on the above topics.
I think the age-old advice of not starting out with AP might be a fair general rule, but not always applicable depending on the person and their experiences.
I personally never had an interest in visual work and can sympathise with the OP. Strange thing is lately I've started to feel an urge to do some visual, after 18months of pure AP.
If you are going to jump straight into AP the key is to make sure you keep things simple. Short focal length is a must.
If you have a dSLR you could work with that budget, but if you need a camera as well that might make things a bit more challenging.
I have an old 60mm refractor, and a 6" Newtonian. Both without drives. And binoculars. So basically I have been doing back yard observations from the outer suburdpbs of Melbourne and sometimes I have specifically driven out to country Victoria to escape the city lights and heat etc.
I have always been interested in astronomy and telescopes from a young age. My piggy bank had collected more gold coins than I thought it would over a 5 or 6 year period.
What better way is there to spend some loose change which turned out to be quite substantial? The home loan could use an extraordinary payment, but what the hell, you only live once.
I have been shopping around online and also visited the Bintel store in Melbourne, and Ozscopes in bays water somewhere.
There is lots to choose from. And I have been steering away from refractors, because my Newtonian reflector is much better than my cheaper refractor, but refractors were strongly recommended to me for particular type of observations like planets.
My feeling is that I would like to invest in an all round telescope if possible that may cover most of the night sky objects. If that is not possible, then perhaps a high quality mount that will last a long time and cater for future investments in telescopes and equipment.
Not entirely sure which way to go at this point, but flexibility and future updrades is a key for me at the moment.
Ahh a little clearer...then you are reasonably experienced in collimation and mount alignment, as well as the basics of astronomy.
An 8" ~ F4 reflector on a mount for astrophotography has more demands (re: finicky) than a refractor...wrt to collimation; tube flex; the camera gets in positions that is difficult and causes flex...etc. A refractor ~ 80~100mm will be easier.
But...the reflector is cheaper and gives a damn nice FOV, unless of course the refractor is a short FL (probably F6 at best).
A refractor is easier to start with in general but the reflector is probably a better tool.
Mounts...depends upon your scope. Buy the best mount you can for the scope size. Bigger scopes need bigger mounts but probably 2/3 of the money spent should be on the mount.
An ED80 on a HEQ5 is a good start! Or maybe a short 8" F4 reflector on an EQ6!
Lease time on a ultra high end professional rig in a dark sky site? Seriously if you spent $100 - $200 you might end up with stunning pictures you could show everyone, hassle free, that you couldn't achieve without a colossal outlay and exacting set-up.
These services readily exist. If you just wish to image - but don't want to learn how to set up and run the gear - which may take years and cost thousands - this might be a perfect choice to evaluate.
If consequentially you want to tinker with gear for many months or years to get satisfaction - then state this and we can give you better advice!
Most of that $2347.60 will end up having to go on the mount. Mount prices have risen sharply with the drop in the Aussie dollar unfortunately.
Talk to the guys at Bintel also. I presently use a Bintel 8" F4 on a HEQ5 pro. You can get that combo (or the F5 version) for the dollars you have, (probably not much change after freight) but you will also need a coma corrector and camera which will take you over budget.
Astrophotography has a steep never ending learning curve. Both in the hardware side and software image processing. It's both fun and frustrating at times.
I certainly do want to tinker with the technology and learn a lot more about imaging and tracking targets properly over long exposures etc. I am prepared to spend the initial outlay of the mount, goto system and the scope. In about 12 months I should have a further $1000 or so (probably not in coins this time) to spend on a digital camera, guidescope set up and other bits and pieces.
I have always just observed the night sky with the two basic scopes I own, and shared with friends and family.
It would be great to record some of these observations and experiences.
Having just started this myself (also with prior experience doing visual), I'll concur that it is a slippery slope greased with money. That said, I've tried to future proof my purchases, so I shouldn't outgrow things quickly.
Your budget could get you an AZ EQ6 GT from the right dealer with maybe a hundred or two left over. If you went for a NEQ6 instead, you could get a 8" reflector too.
Problem is you also need a camera, guide camera, light pollution filters, guidescope, coma corrector, laptop, dew heaters........
Well need is a bit strong, but you'll need a camera at least.
Another route is going second hand - you could probably manage a decent basic setup if you picked up a second hand mount (NEQ6 is good) and OTA out of the classifieds here. Would leave plenty for a new DSLR and even a few of the other bits and pieces.
the NEQ6 Pro GOTO mount with a reasonable reflector is what I am leaning towards.
Slippery slopes are everywhere so we all need some common sense and realism to temper our expectations with anything we do - especially hobbies which can get out of control. I am not trying to win global astrophotography competitions or impress NASA. I merely want to dive into my hobby a little deeper and generate an image record of some of the objects I regularly follow during observations and perhaps record some special events when they occur, like comets, eclipses (like the lunar eclipse we just had in Melbourne) etc.
I could delay the purchase for 12 months when I get access to an additional $1,000, which will give me more bargaining power with the gear dealers - ie buying some accessories along with the scope and mount.
Since you are in Melbourne, ASV membership is only $70 pa. There is a very active AP group with monthly meetings and field trips. We have a fully equipped AP dome for members to use. You can join here http://asv.org.au/join
With the remaining cash, I would start with a nice digital camera, tripod and timer release.
Since you are in Melbourne, ASV membership is only $70 pa. There is a very active AP group with monthly meetings and field trips. We have a fully equipped AP dome for members to use. You can join here http://asv.org.au/join
With the remaining cash, I would start with a nice digital camera, tripod and timer release.
James
thanks James, i am aware of the ASV and its web site and facilities, but I have never joined.
Can members use the telescope at the AP dome to do astrophotography with your own photographic equipment?
I definitely want to move up to a GOTO mount set up. I haven't decided on the OTA yet. I have access to a Holiday house outside Melbourne which generally has very clear and dark skies, so I will most likely set it up there.
Anyway thanks folks for the advice.
Telescopes and astronomy in general have always fascinated me from a very young age. I need to do something in my middle age, and being a night owl, this is the perfect hobby for me.
Can members use the telescope at the AP dome to do astrophotography with your own photographic equipment?
The idea is to use the camera that is already there. You only need to bring a USB stick to take your images home.
If you want to bring your own gear, there are piers and 240V power out on the field.
Quote:
Telescopes and astronomy in general have always fascinated me from a very young age. I need to do something in my middle age, and being a night owl, this is the perfect hobby for me.
Another option is to go for the NEQ6 Pro mount or the AZ version, mount the Newt you have and learn a bit about EQ mounts and their use and alignment while considering a new scope.
There is no reason why you can't put a camera on the the little Newt and start the learning curve there.
It will show you why you need to set up very well why you will want to guide and also why you need coma correction and or field flatteners to get reasonable images.
That way you're not running out and spending money on something before learning a bit about what it is you really want.
Hope this helps.
As long as you will have fun with this hobby (or passion for some), whatever you choose will provide you with new experiences and ultimately it will be up to you (and the depth of your wallet) how far will you go in the infinite journey that is astrophotography.
I started just two years ago with extremely basic set-up...(see the photo from April 2013) and although there were choices made along the way that were not the smartest ones, nevertheless these choices provided with invaluable experience.
Yes all good suggestions and ideas.
The main reason I joined this forum was to extract some advice and learn from more experienced telescope users who dabble with photography.
Sales people at various outlets tend to suggest equipment brands and set ups that suit their store policies and profit margins etc. I would like to have a reasonable grasp of what sort of options are available to me from users who have gone through the process.
In the end we are all limited but budget constraints, access to clear dark skies, time etc...
I will be trying to get the best mount that I can afford with capacity to take on bigger scopes and added gear. The EQ6 is looking good and in my price range.
One question on the EQ6. I have read that the EQ6 has a belt driven system and that the belts cannot be purchased separately if there are any problems with worn or damaged belts later.