Sometimes it takes me a while to sift through verbose replies.
No-where in my reply did I suggest anyone swap anything, including a "rock" for a G-8.
In fact I was careful not to mention any brand. Period. As frankly, it didn't matter in the context of my reply, and still doesn't
The point was *tracking accuracy* and at the focal lengths at which it begins to matter.
Clearly lost on some. Cheesh...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zuts
Basically he got told he had a rock and to swap it for a G8.
Regards Paul
As for budgets, when I'm looking for a product and have a budget in mind, it tends to be a rubbery figure. If I see something that costs about 10% more but gives me 4x better value/performance/whatever, then I'd likely buy it.
Sure, sometimes you have to draw a line in the sand and say "can't afford it" and make an alternative choice, which is fine as well.
IFrom what I know, the EQ6 pro seems like it is a great mount for the price and performs like a champ. Comparing it to a Losmandy or a Vixen mount is really just rather stupid in my opinion. They are all different mounts and have their own pros and cons.
Well I cannot quite agree with that this has been quite an informative thread in between the noise.
The EQ6 Pro is excellent value can take a big load, it may be the only option in your range if the load is your main concern but it can have variable build quality according to the posts I have seen and even the good ones need to be re-greased and adjusted to perfom well. Great if you are confident to do that or know someone who is - as a noob not so long ago I did not feel that way...
I think you could consider Vixen or Losmandy level if you compromise a bit, either you will have to give away load capacity or goto or both. You will gain in the portability and raw tracking ability.
To take the car analogy a bit further - you can have the top of the range Hyundai or a basic Audi or a Prius for about the same $...depends on your preferences really but I think the comparison is still a valid one...
This car analogy thing is silly, mounts are measured by 1/ load capacity, 2/ Pointing accuracy. 3/ PE. Unlike a car, which can exude "character" and a thousand other subjective qualities. Its a machine thats does a very definable job. You look at yr budget, the spec, other user recommendations and u buy, no-one cares what it looks, sounds and feels like (unless its red ;-). Sure u can fiddle with it to make it work better, but there is nothing about its operation that is subjective, it pushes the OTA around and produces round stars or it doesnt.
...... but there is nothing about its operation that is subjective, it pushes the OTA around and produces round stars or it doesnt.
Fred! That's brilliant! I may have to quote you in future
So in summary, if you have an optical system of focal length x, and the mount (be it a garden rock, or PME) gives you nice round stars, you've got it scummed. Be happy!
This car analogy thing is silly, mounts are measured by 1/ load capacity, 2/ Pointing accuracy. 3/ PE
You are forgetting 4/ Price, which is just as critical, if not more critical, because it is quite often the defining limitation!
To the OP I think the EQ6 will meet your expectations to a best fit. It will handle an 8" SCT + 80mm refractor, and you will be able to image with a DSLR through the refractor, or with a Meade DSI (through a Focal Reducer) through the SCT. It has goto, and fit's your budget as it comes in at under $2000.
uumm, I did mention Budget. Anyway, NO, price in actual fact (in isolation) doesnt count, eggy stars = crap regardless. Price of the mount in itself is not the defining limitation at all!!, round or eggy stars is. Short FL, cheap mount. Long FL/heavy OTA, many $. Its not hard, duh . OK, mount is the most important item, soooo, match the rest of the rig to the mount price/spec, not the other way round!.
Fred, for someone who has produced some exceptional results from some rather inexpensive equipment, I'm sure you can appreciate that you can begin your journey down the astrophotography path without having to get the greatest performing equipment. Your LX90 shots are proof of this, you had a relatively poor performing mount with that LX90 but you still produced more than acceptable images with it.
Before you stuck a DSLR onto the back of that LX90 did you do it thinking "if I get eggy stars this will be crap" ?
mm, thats a cunning response Kal, got me thar (nice research ;-). No, at the beginning, I didnt know squat, and with no knowledge of this group (or any other). An integrated system such as the LX90 and a DSLR was the best I could calculate as a start for the price. BUT in hindsight (aint that a wonderfull thing), given this thread started with asking for advice, and had I had that luxury, I may well have considered other options. I often now see the same "what mount" question over and over here, and understand the apprehension in the advice given of "mount, mount, mount", when apature and cam options can also cloud ones judgement. The mount is such a boring item in the "killer pic" dream. I just feel the regular imagers here really do know the truth of the mounts importance, but patronise and encaurage beginners into substandard gear just to make them feel good, which is really not helpfull in forefulling the dream. In fact I wonder how many are just turned off altogether by their 1st experience with a wrong gear choice.
Human nature, being the way it is, will always attempt to get the most from the least in blissfull ignorance, which is why the same topics appear time and time again. But in this hobby, there are well defined absolutes that can be extracted from groups such as this one, which, with a little thought and consideration can avoid much pain and multiple expensive short term upgrades. I think back to the LX90 days and sigh "yeah, good experience", but it came at a price. Wow, theres a question, whats more important, expensive personal experience, or trust in advice based on collective experience ;-).
As a recent newbie (6 months) to astro-photography i offer the following observations.
I initially got a Nexstar 11 GPS (thanks Jase) and had great fun with it looking at all sorts of things. Unfortunately I live 3km from the center of Sydney and basically it's just too bright for me. After a few trips to dark sky sites I basically lost a lot of interest dragging the scope out under light polluted Sydney skies. I wont sell it though as for dark sky its great.
So, I thought i would try astrophotography and got a second hand cheap DSLR. I got some images of planets and a few DSO's but of course the DSO's on a alt az mount were horrible. So I got a wedge. Maybe I should have perservered but as an utter newbie trying to get a decent image at 2700mm on a shonky celestron wedge while learning what drift alignment was ...well forget it. Fortunately I gave that idea up.
Next purchase was a meade ed80 series 5000. The photos were a bit better but again piggy back on a Nexstar 11 with a hard to adjust wedge well.. again very difficult for a newb.
Next purchase was an EQ6. I wanted a G11 but after my previous efforts wasnt sure i could ever do astro photography and didnt want to waste 5,000 on a G11 that i wasnt sure i could use properly. I thought about a G8 but again didnt want to be limited to my 80mm refractor. The price of EQ6's dropped from 2400 AUD to 1900 AUD so i got one.
It took me ages to learn how to drift align but eventually i did. Guess what, my photo's were better. A bit of star trailing if i went over 1 minute, but under one minute no problems.
Next purchase was a 70mm achro of ebay for 70 bucks and an LPI for 100 bucks as a guider. Fantastic, now i could go for 5 minute subs with no trailing.
Still i wasnt happy with my photos. Why? Field curvature. So i got a televue reducer. Not a great match with the ED80. Field curvature gone but severe vignetting.
Next purchase was a Televue 85. For a newb i thought my photos had improved out of sight. No trailing, no field curvature, no vignetting. Was i happy. Of course not. Why? Because my camera is not modded and so i get horrible Ha response.
My next purchase will be proper astro cam. After that maybe a C9.25 OTA and after that who knows, maybe a G11 or better.
My point.
For a newb yes a mount is very very important. But on a limited budget IMHO the most important thing is a decent mount for the FL. The original poster has a C8 and may be able to stretch to an ED80. An EQ6 will be all he needs to hone his imaging skills on a C8 with 0.63 reducer. Next IMHO is the scope and a C8 is a decent scope so he has that already. Next IMHO is a better camera before a better mount; and he can always sell the EQ6.
Decent mount plus decent scope plus decent camera = decent pictures.
A better mount would not make for significatly better pictures at his focal length. If he wants to go longer in the future he can get a G11 or better. If he doesnt he would be better of getting a better camera.
At the end of the day he has a budget of 2000 AUD. For what he is attempting to do I see no problem with him getting an EQ6 and if he perserveres he will take nice photos.
For all we know he may take up planetary imaging and for that an EQ6 is definately adequate.
This will probably be my last post on this topic. I made it this long because i just cant help feeling that except for a few posters the OP is not getting serious answers to his question, with respect to his stated budget.
One poster said 'great thread except for the noise'. That is fine and i am glad he is getting something out of it. However he is not the one asking the original question.
All the dribble aside, I have an EQ6 with Synscan and find the mount to be a great inexpensive mount which is quite suitable for imagining DSO's.
I am able to get good quality well tracked images out to 10 minutes by using a simple DSI and ED80 as my guide scope and an FS102 as an imaging scope with a Canon 40d up its rear. the goto is spot on as long as you take a little time doing your setup and use an illuminated reticle. We would all love the best gear money can buy but unfortunately a limitted budget often means some sacrifice.
The EQ6 with goto for $1700 - 1800 is an excelent mount to begin imaging with.
I have decided to go with the EQ6... I will be autoguiding with my 80mm refractor and DMK so I should be able to get at least 10 minute subs without star trails.
One frustrating part of the EQ6 for me was the DEC adjustment levers. I found them very awkward to use when drift aligning. Give the standard ones a go first but if you are not happy try these
