#1  
Old 09-10-2021, 11:41 AM
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xelasnave
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Equipment to start.

Starting in astrophotography often involves what seems like huge sums of cash so here I want to present gear options that will get you there without buying stuff that will prove inadequate need upgrading and fail to deliver the goods.

I am somewhat inspired by Martin's ( startreck) excellent results using a six inch Newtonian Reflector telescope.

Many folk see a starting point as a 80mm triplet refractor which certainly is a great scope for astrophotos but I would suggest that to start with a six inch Newtonian Reflector will see great photos and a saving of between $1500 and $2000.

Many folk are frightened of a Newtonian Reflecting scope because of numerous intimidating articles, directions and advice on how to collimate a Newtonian Reflecting scope...I say dont be.. and certainly if you go for a scope the same as Martin's which is a F6 I recall, you wont find collimation difficult or maybe not even needed ... Probably by the time it is needed you will be a seasoned astro photographer and you will wonder what all the fuss was about...now if you are using a F4 scope getting it right will require some effort, the sort of effort that sees the many articles on how to do it..

Next your mount..in my view there are only two choices..A HEQ 5 or a EQ 6 pro.

The 5 will take a six inch Newtonian Reflector scope easy..and I have (as many folk have) carried a eight inch Newtonian Reflector scope on the 5 such that I obtained (in my view) great photos, although maybe somewhat shorter exposures than say if you placed the eight on the EQ 6 pro...

If you want to future proof your mount go for a EQ 6 pro..and if you go for the 5 you may want to add belt drive...then the 6 is the smarter option...the price difference becomes much less and the 6 already had belt drive...or being totally realistic start with a EQ 8 r ..only $8000

If I had my time over I would go EQ5 then EQ8, skip the EQ6...but I am now past a six inch or eight inch scope and trying to carry an 11 inch...look at the money I would have saved if I bought the RASA, EQ8 and camera first up..

Now most folk start with a DSLR ...if I had my time over I would pass by the DSLR and go for at the very least a cooled one shot colour but after experiencing narrow band I would start there...but thats so much money you say.. yes but to go dedicated cooled astro camera at the start I would have saved $800 on the DSLR that now sits gathering dust never used and my smart phone side stepping its need for everything not astro...plus at the start you underestimate the absolute need for cooling..and just look at a DSLR photo alongside a dedicated astro camera or narrow band...why waste time getting results that in a very short time you will not be happy with...it is a waste of money.

So start with...Eq5, six inch, and a cooled dedicated astro camera.. even if you go bigger later this rig will always be useful...look at Martin an eight down South and yet his six inch still producing excellent results in Sydney.

Also I have pretty well given up on auto guiding ...mainly because I am following the "lucky' capture approach going for many short exposures which I see as a way forward particularly with the fast RASA but when starting out doing without auto guiding saves money which I contend is better spent on your main camera. In any event I do believe one should go for some time getting the mount to work as best it can before you add auto guiding...my old EQ 6 (I have ywo)after years of tweeking really does not need auto guide at all...

But the main point I want to make is dont underestimate the six inch Newtonian Reflector and put the money saved by not going for a 80mm triplet into a dedicated cooled camera.

And Martin if you are there could you add a photo taken with the six inch..maybe two..a galaxy and a nebula..and please add any observations your experience provides.

Alex
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Old 09-10-2021, 12:06 PM
AdamJL
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I agree with almost all of this, but I still thing refractors are better for beginners

Yes there's a cost, but there's enough to learn with this hobby and if you can afford the jump up in cost to a refractor, I would recommend that. They are "set and forget", pretty much. If you're jumping into this hobby from terrestrial photography (like I did), then that's one thing you already know and don't have to re-learn
Plus, they tend to give better contrast as well.

It's also easier on guiding performance when your tube is small compared to the light bucket (which catches breezes easier).

Best thing to a reflector is the resolution they can give because of all that extra light *drool*

Just my opinion. Great advice, Alex
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Old 09-10-2021, 03:01 PM
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xa-coupe (Jeff)
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I'd also add that don't be afraid of guiding and also use a software or hardware aid for polar alignment. Alignment is the key to everything really IMO.

I'm with Adam would suggest a refractor but after using a 6 inch newt for a while, I don't think that it is a bad idea either.
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Old 09-10-2021, 04:21 PM
Startrek (Martin)
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Alex,
Thanks for using my 6” newt set up as an example for beginners into Astrophotography
I totally agree that the 6” newt is rarely mentioned on forums , in Astro magazines , YouTube clips etc.... as a first or beginner telescope to get into the hobby. The 80mm refractor is the mentioned first and foremost as a beginner telescope to get started with and I suspect the most popular across the world. There absolutely nothing wrong with starting off with an 80mm refractor, they are excellent instruments which produce excellent images with the right camera and accessories.
However my journey was a little bit different, I started the hobby with the intention of just doing visual astronomy only ( Astrophotography was something a long way down the track if at all ) Bought a 10” push , pull , nudge Bintel dob and I was hooked observing the moon , planets and clusters etc...
The penny dropped when one night I stuck my iPhone 5 or 6 ( can’t remember) against the eye piece a took some lunar images. I thought wow this is unbelievable. Kept occasionally using the iPhone in the dob for about 4 months until I went into Bintel one day, saw Don and asked him for an all round scope for visual and some entry level Astrophotography. I chose the 6” f6 GSO Bintel newt and a HEQ5 mount.My wife didn’t use her old Canon 600D much so I borrowed that and I was up and running with 30 sec and 60sec unguided subs. Over time I learned how to guide, bought a coma corrector, bought a laptop , set up my little outdoor workstation and I was well and truly hooked on AP
The images the 6” newt was producing with my DSLR IMO were pretty good but it wasn’t until I bought the 2600MC, 14 months ago that this little $299 newt really came out of its shell with performance. I then bought the 8” f5 newt for down south in my Obs and next year I’m looking at a 10” f5 carbon fibre newt.
Collimating the 6” f6 is an absolute snack and it’s holds Collimation extremely well.
The GSO Bintel 6” f6 newt is a superb Astrophotography scope and better than I ever imagined.
As Alex suggested, here’s some images taken using my 6” f6 newt in Sydney Bortle 8 skies , over the past year or so

Thanks

Cheers
Martin
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Old 09-10-2021, 06:02 PM
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xelasnave
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Well Martin if I can do as well with the 11 inch RASA I will be happy... excellent images.
I really think this fear of collimation is unfounded .. my eight inch has never been touched..never..and it travelled from Sydney to up here on a regular basis..it cant have been too bad as I certainly could not notice anything that jumped out...
Adam mentioned his concern that wind could be a problem but I have never had such a problem as fortunately have been in sheltered places but for me if there is wind I find it blows the stars around more than the scope.
Adam also mentioned that a refractor offers better contrast and I expect that may be the case because I think refractors have baffles..I must look in mine rather than assume..however when I ran my six inch Newtonian Reflector Telescope I fitted baffles in the tube at about 100 mm intervals ...also I ran a two foot baffled dew tube..everything was painted flat black and while the paint was wet I sprinkled saw dust such that it stuck to the wet paint..let dry and painted a second coat of flat black paint...the resulting contrast in my opinion was excellent...
I do hope that our message enables some folk to have the confidence to go for a six inch Newtonian Reflector Telescope and put the money saved to a cooled camera and hit the deck running.
I look at your images Martin and think they must clearly establish beyond any doubt that there is nothing shabby about a six inch Newtonian Reflector Telescope...I do feel that the fear re adjustment is most unfounded and I expect as many photographers come from a terrestrial background they dismiss the Newtonian Reflector Telescope without actually giving one a fair trial..actually no trial at all...further as you observed F6 covers a lot of ground ..longer FL but gets all the stuff we seek.

So I hope any folk saving up may be able to buy a little sooner...or at least take my message re getting a dedicated camera with the savings.
AND everyone... look again at Martins images and ask if you would be happy with such a result.
Alex
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Old 09-10-2021, 06:12 PM
AdamJL
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xelasnave View Post
however when I ran my six inch Newtonian Reflector Telescope I fitted baffles in the tube at about 100 mm intervals ...also I ran a two foot baffled dew tube..everything was painted flat black and while the paint was wet I sprinkled saw dust such that it stuck to the wet paint..let dry and painted a second coat of flat black paint...the resulting contrast in my opinion was excellent...
That's more work
To each his own of course. I just wanted less work to do to get running.

One day, I will get a reflector for sure. They're perfect for long focal length targets >1000mm. With a refractor at those sorts of focal lengths, you might have to sell the car to buy one
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Old 09-10-2021, 06:39 PM
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Sunfish (Ray)
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Most people already own a reasonable DSLR with live view and the images are easy to process.

A second hand ED prime lense is not hard to find to get started and will go onto a lighter travel mount.

Also great for terrestrial uses.

I agree that 6 or 8 inch newt is a great scope for the money, I have a lot of fun with mine, but you need to factor in the coma corrector , clunky focus and the short focal distance where a second hand SCT is very forgiving , light and flexible with cheap reducers. I had my SCT out for the first time in a while and the focus is just so easy and precise after the newt. You can see why they remain popular.

Last edited by Sunfish; 09-10-2021 at 06:51 PM.
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