Another newbie seeking first telescope advice!

[Suzy]

Lee, I was having a look at the Bintel site today, and they have the Astronomy 2010 book on special for only $10!!!

http://www.bintelshop.com.au/welcome.htm

[Sunday (Lee)]

Originally Posted by bmitchell82

If your looking at astro photography a 10" dob when you have modified a few parts preforms extremely well. to the point where you wouldn't be able to pick that its of a low end dob variety unless you looked at it!

The NEQ6-w would be the absolute minimum that you could go for with a 10" even a 8" Newtonian. If you look at Skywatcher they use Pyrex glass which almost negates cool down time due to the low expansion.

If it was me i wouldn't bother with Go-to celestron scopes, sure they buzz around and sure you can see a few things but like it has already been said. What you pay gets divided between aperture and gizmo's. More aperature less gizmo's less aperature more gizmo's.

I myself own a 10" dobsonian that i have modified to work as a astrograph for astro photography

www.brendanmitchell.net/Project%20254
www.photobucket.com/brendanmitchell

Are examples of the 10" dobsonian (and a ED 80) with a Canon 40d. Also with my experience and though looking at people on this forum, if you are a keen photographer you will move away from visual generally in a speedy fashion. Not that you will forget about visual, just the camera holds a lot more.

Though in saying that, don't be fooled, astro photography isn't easy, as compared with the 1/1000th sec shots for day time, your integration time for a DSLR will generally be 10 min each exposure, and you will do that for 8 hrs. But is very satisfying when you get a good shot!

Good luck

Thanks Brendan, I suspect you're right: once a photographer always a photographer! My camera is also a Canon 40D, nice to know I could potentially use it & a (modified) 10" Dob once I know what I'm doing.

Some very nice images there by the way!

Regards,
Lee

[Sunday (Lee)]

Originally Posted by Suzy

Lee, I was having a look at the Bintel site today, and they have the Astronomy 2010 book on special for only $10!!!

http://www.bintelshop.com.au/welcome.htm

Thanks for the heads-up Suzy, can't pass that up!

Regards,
Lee

[Sunday (Lee)]

Originally Posted by LeeSMaz

Hi guys,
My name is Lee as well, but from Wollongong.

Just into astronomy as well.
Same questions but after some looking around and seeing samples of
views through the scopes, I went and bought a Mak127 goto from Andrews.

Thanks Lee, I appreciate your perspective.

Regards,
Lee

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

Definitely. Even the 40d in stock form will give you the goods, its just the terrestrial filters that kill hydrogen alpha (which is very abundant in emission nebula). Its not a bad thing it just changes your perspective and objects to capture slightly (more blue than red or more oxygen3 and less hydrogen alpha).

Hear is a Stock 10" on a EQ6 and i think its a Sony camera that was posted today just so you know what you could expect as a straight up beginner.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=64390

[Sunday (Lee)]

Originally Posted by bmitchell82

Definitely. Even the 40d in stock form will give you the goods, its just the terrestrial filters that kill hydrogen alpha (which is very abundant in emission nebula). Its not a bad thing it just changes your perspective and objects to capture slightly (more blue than red or more oxygen3 and less hydrogen alpha).

Hear is a Stock 10" on a EQ6 and i think its a Sony camera that was posted today just so you know what you could expect as a straight up beginner.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=64390

Wow, I'd be incredibly happy to achieve shots like that! So essentially a 10" Dob could be re-mounted (and with associated finder scope & camera hardware) to do this? Looks like I'd definately be future-proofing with the Dob purchase!

Lee

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

You got it chief. easy to do but like i say there is a lot of other things behind it all.

I have plenty of experience with these Bertha's so if you ever need a hand or some advice shoot me a PM, im sure that there are a few people who would recommend it.

Good luck with your decision

Brendan

[LeeSMaz (Lee)]

Heres a pic of jupiter taken with no particularly good equipment or
any software used other then cutting it to a smaller canvas to upload.

Skywatcher Mak127 on goto-az scope.
10mm eyepice.
Digi cam adapter thingy.

All from andrewscom.

Then a samsung s860 digi camera.
8.1 mp, it is a ccd camera on investigation.
Was set at 8 or 4 sec shutter time f8.6 picture settings
with I think iso 400 or thereabouts, that part
was on auto.

Cheers.
Lee.
ps. Saturn well, looked better through the scope then
in the pic so will do it again.
Might try that staking thing with registax.

[Andy Walters (Andy)]

Hi Lee, I have a 10" collapsible skywatcher, that fits in my car. Great viewing is possible with it.
The trolly makes easy to move around! See photo.
And welcome to IIS.
Andy.[IMG]file:///home/andyw/Desktop/PICT0324.JPG[/IMG]

[Andy Walters (Andy)]

Sorry folks I realize I don't know how to upload photo!
Andy.

[Sunday (Lee)]

Originally Posted by Andy Walters

Sorry folks I realize I don't know how to upload photo!
Andy.

Thanks Lee & AndyW with photos or attempted posts of photos, it really helps me decide on a purchase. I've worked out I'm not going to do anything in a hurry (not in the next couple of weeks anyway). I'd really like to look through a few scopes but am having trouble contacting anyone locally. I'm still leaning towards the 10" collabsible Dob but I'll now also do a bit more research on the Mak 127 & similar formats.

I'm also intrigued by the impending availability of tracking & fully go-to Dobs (a few suppliers list them as "coming soon"). This would appear to provide me with fully manual or fully go-to in a large aperture, user-friendly mount format, nice choices. I'm not sure just how good tracking / go-to Dobs are though. Any thoughts from the collective barins trust???

Lee

[Sunday (Lee)]

I'm also intrigued by the impending availability of tracking & fully go-to Dobs (a few suppliers list them as "coming soon"). This would appear to provide me with fully manual or fully go-to in a large aperture, user-friendly mount format, nice choices. I'm not sure just how good tracking / go-to Dobs are though. Any thoughts from the collective brains trust???

Lee[/QUOTE]

Anyone got an opinion on the effectiveness of the tracking / go-to Dobs? I may delay my decision & go that way if they seem to shape up ok.

Cheers,
Lee