CortezBlue
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Baja Astrophotography?
Anyone here have any first hand experience in matching up a telescope with a DSLR to do some astrophotography?
Interested in getting a telescope to do some moon shots.
Let me know
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Archie
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I´ve used "regular" point&shot cameras coupled to a spotting scope (nikon coolpix on a tasco 20-60x 60mm), mostly for wildlife photo, good results
with some limitations.
But you have a D800, right?, then you should not be afraid to invest in a good telephoto (400mm +) and a teleconverter. That will cover more ground
(and sky). And the best tripod you can get your hands on.
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DENNIS
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Get ahold of Mike.......astrobaja. He might be able to help you out:
http://forums.bajanomad.com/member.php?action=viewpro&me...
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: | Originally posted by CortezBlue
Anyone here have any first hand experience in matching up a telescope with a DSLR to do some astrophotography?
Interested in getting a telescope to do some moon shots.
Let me know |
ask nomad astrobaja, he is master star gazer, head always above the clouds!
and there are a bunch of photography forums on the intertubes that have oodles of night sky photography advice and instruction.
build a barn door mount/tracker for your dslr, that project alone will occupy many spare hours.... and give you a fun toy for dark nights in desert...
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astrobaja
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Cortezblue:
If you go to the Cloudynights.com website there is a forum just for DSLR astro imaging, check it out you will get a lot of good advice there:
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php/Cat/0/Bo...
You will need to get an adapter for your camera body so that it can slide into whatever type of focuser you have on your scope 1st.
Then you should have a digital cable release (you can do it on a self timer but its a pain)
Doing simple shots of the moon is easy since the exposures will be very fast, tracking is not even necessary here, more complicated exposures of milky
way needs a tracking setup or a barn door mount like Goat suggested.
Best to go to Oceanside Photo and Telescope to see the different scopes, something like a 80-100mm achromat is not too pricey and you can use it for
daytime viewing too..
\"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.There is another theory which states that this has already happened\"
Douglas Adams
our website: http://bajadarkskies.com |
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CortezBlue
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| Quote: | Originally posted by astrobaja
Cortezblue:
If you go to the Cloudynights.com website there is a forum just for DSLR astro imaging, check it out you will get a lot of good advice there:
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php/Cat/0/Bo...
You will need to get an adapter for your camera body so that it can slide into whatever type of focuser you have on your scope 1st.
Then you should have a digital cable release (you can do it on a self timer but its a pain)
Doing simple shots of the moon is easy since the exposures will be very fast, tracking is not even necessary here, more complicated exposures of milky
way needs a tracking setup or a barn door mount like Goat suggested.
Best to go to Oceanside Photo and Telescope to see the different scopes, something like a 80-100mm achromat is not too pricey and you can use it for
daytime viewing too.. |
Good info. It's funny you mention Oceanside. I actually live in Phoenix, I know I should be going to Rocky Point, but we ended up buying in San
Felipe. Any who, we use to own a condo on the beach in Oceanside for several years, got tired of paying Cali Taxes and huge HOA fees. Decided to
sell the condo in 2005, wow, I look like a genius, but it was just lucky timing.
Any way, every time I am in Oceanside I always go to my favorite camera store. But, I tend to leave there lost, way to many options. So I decided to
try and do my investigating on line to get some info.
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David K
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The shop is where I purchased my Canon after the Nikon died, a couple years ago. Can't miss it... exit I-5 at Mission Ave., Oceanside, go west, and
the camera/ telescope store is on the right hand corner, one block west of the freeway... a big telescope is on the roof!
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Bruce R Leech
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http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-Universal-T-Adapter-1-25in-9...
get on of these and a good telescope with good clock drive and you are set. my longest exposure was just under 2 hours.
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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astrobaja
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Bruce, thats really good! You must have done a super job polar aligning your mount! What was the subject of your exposure?
Back in the day people used to "hyper" film by cooling it to get the least noise and best sensitivity, wow that must have been a LOT of work!
Up at the observatory they use the same principle but in conjunction with CCD's but they use liquid nitrogen!! Amateur CCD's (which can be as
expensive as $13,000) are cooled thermoelectrically.
\"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.There is another theory which states that this has already happened\"
Douglas Adams
our website: http://bajadarkskies.com |
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CortezBlue
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| Quote: | Originally posted by astrobaja
Cortezblue:
If you go to the Cloudynights.com website there is a forum just for DSLR astro imaging, check it out you will get a lot of good advice there:
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php/Cat/0/Bo...
You will need to get an adapter for your camera body so that it can slide into whatever type of focuser you have on your scope 1st.
Then you should have a digital cable release (you can do it on a self timer but its a pain)
Doing simple shots of the moon is easy since the exposures will be very fast, tracking is not even necessary here, more complicated exposures of milky
way needs a tracking setup or a barn door mount like Goat suggested.
Best to go to Oceanside Photo and Telescope to see the different scopes, something like a 80-100mm achromat is not too pricey and you can use it for
daytime viewing too.. |
Astrobaja
What is your take on this setup?
Cost?
capability?
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/ele/3561290485.html
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
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Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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| Quote: | Originally posted by astrobaja
Bruce, thats really good! You must have done a super job polar aligning your mount! What was the subject of your exposure?
Back in the day people used to "hyper" film by cooling it to get the least noise and best sensitivity, wow that must have been a LOT of work!
Up at the observatory they use the same principle but in conjunction with CCD's but they use liquid nitrogen!! Amateur CCD's (which can be as
expensive as $13,000) are cooled thermoelectrically. |
those were shooting nebula with my old clock I needed to track a star close to my target and keep adjusting buy hand with a joy stick. that makes a
long 2 hours
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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astrobaja
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Cortezblue: hmmm that craigslist Meade 90 ETX has a lot of accessories but the price is similar to brand new, its a very slow scope (almost F 14) so I
don't think its well suited to photography, also not sure if that mount is sturdy enough to suppory a heavy DSLR camera on the back of the scope.
Question is what are your aims? Are you happy to stick to just taking pics of the moon, or do you want to try for some deep sky objects such as the
orion nebula? You can also do piggyback photography if you get a bigger scope and mount the camera/lens attaches to the scope body and you could do
wide field shots of the milkyway. Also how much are you willing to spend?
It might be best to pose your questions in cloudynights theres loads of people there with tons of experience.
Heres a good beginner scope from OPT, its a refractor, but again I'm not sure if you could attach a heavy DSLR body to it, best to ask at the store
http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=79-16640
\"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.There is another theory which states that this has already happened\"
Douglas Adams
our website: http://bajadarkskies.com |
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CortezBlue
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Location: Fenix/San Phelipe
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| Quote: | Originally posted by astrobaja
Cortezblue: hmmm that craigslist Meade 90 ETX has a lot of accessories but the price is similar to brand new, its a very slow scope (almost F 14) so I
don't think its well suited to photography, also not sure if that mount is sturdy enough to suppory a heavy DSLR camera on the back of the scope.
Question is what are your aims? Are you happy to stick to just taking pics of the moon, or do you want to try for some deep sky objects such as the
orion nebula? You can also do piggyback photography if you get a bigger scope and mount the camera/lens attaches to the scope body and you could do
wide field shots of the milkyway. Also how much are you willing to spend?
It might be best to pose your questions in cloudynights theres loads of people there with tons of experience.
Heres a good beginner scope from OPT, its a refractor, but again I'm not sure if you could attach a heavy DSLR body to it, best to ask at the store
http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=79-16640 |
So as of late I am getting into star trails with objects either as silhouettes or I do some colored light painting
I have al just bout a hasselblad 500c/m that I am going to SE for star trails
I don't want to do deep space but do want to do the Milky Way shots
Also the guy just dropped the price to 400 bucks
Let me know your thoughts
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astrobaja
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I'd find out if that Meade 90ETX can take the weight of a DSLR body before pulling the trigger, theres lots of used scopes out there on the market.
The best least risky place to buy is Astromart.com
That scope you are looking at has an alt/az mount not good for milky way shots, you could get a small equatorial mount/tripod just for a DSLR, they
are not too pricey.
\"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.There is another theory which states that this has already happened\"
Douglas Adams
our website: http://bajadarkskies.com |
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CortezBlue
Super Nomad
Posts: 2213
Registered: 11-14-2006
Location: Fenix/San Phelipe
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| Quote: | Originally posted by astrobaja
I'd find out if that Meade 90ETX can take the weight of a DSLR body before pulling the trigger, theres lots of used scopes out there on the market.
The best least risky place to buy is Astromart.com
That scope you are looking at has an alt/az mount not good for milky way shots, you could get a small equatorial mount/tripod just for a DSLR, they
are not too pricey. |
Ok good info
Thx
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