I've had it for less than a month, but so far I'm really liking it for the most part. Here are some pros and cons I thought of about this scope to help you out:

Pros:

• It's great for visual observing! With it I've seen the Great Red Spot on Jupiter, moon shadows on Jupiter, the Cassini Division in Saturn, detail in Saturn's atmosphere, detail on Mars's surface, and so much detail on the moon that it almost looks like I could touch it. Deep sky objects also look great through the scope. (I live in a heavily light polluted area and I can still see some amazing things, such as certain nebulas and star clusters.)
  
  
• It's great for planetary photography. (Don't really need to explain this one, as there's an example image in this thread.)
  
  
• If you get it aligned well, the goto function works great! I've had lots of fun using it because it's a great way to discover new objects you haven't heard of before.
  
  
• Because it's a Schmidt-Cassagrian it has a lot less coma than other types of telescopes, which is helpful for both visual observing and photography. (Though you can buy a coma corrector if you get a different type of telescope.)
  
  Cons:
  
  
• Haven't tested this myself yet as I haven't needed to, but the majority of reviews for the 8SE says it sucks down the battery power in less than 30 minutes when it's on. To fix this issue, I bought a power cord, but if you want to take it out somewhere, you'll probably need to buy a power tank. (Or something like it.)
  
  
• This is not an issue where I live so I can't say any of this with experience, but since it's a Scmidth-Cassigrian telescope and has closed optics, dew can form on the corrector plate depending on the weather. (Here's a page about it with more information.) Uf you don't want to buy anything extra to fix this issue I've heard that leaving the 8SE out for about an hour before you use it will get rid of most of the dew.
  
  
• I've had a decent amount of issues with the tracking being finicky, but it very well could be fixable. (Objects tend to go out of frame over time, even when aligned. This happens most often when I tell it to go somewhere, or when I recently moved it with the arrow buttons. I do find that if I leave the telescope alone for a few minutes to let it "catch up" to its new position in the sky it can keep the object pretty solidly in the frame though.)
  
  
• Because of its mount type (Alt-Az) and its somewhat finicky tracking, this telescope is not good for DSO photography. Keep in mind it is definitely possible to get great images of DSOs with it, but it's a lot harder and if photographing them is your main goal then I wouldn't recommend the 8SE. (Here's a thread I found, in which some of the posts go into more detail about the issues I was talking about.) I bought the 8SE mainly for planetary photography, so this isn't an issue for me.
  
  
• With a star diagonal in, the telescope can't point above 70-80 degrees or so, which can be a pain depending on what you're looking at. You can fix this by moving the tube up on the fork arm more. I have heard that makes the tracking less stable because it's slightly off balanced, so I don't keep it that way, but it is an option.
  
  
  
  Hope this helped! And my apologies if you knew a lot of this already.

Hey,

Sadly, around the 150 mark, you won't find much for widefield.

However, at this price point, your best bet is a prime 50mm f1.8 lens, the f1.8 means it will collect a lot of light, but the 50mm means you'll have a much tighter field of view. It is not a bad thing though, as you can start to capture some details on some DSOs like M42 pretty easily if you are in an okay light pollution area. You can also make panoramas, some of the best milky way shots I've seen are actually exactly that. Huge panoramas!

This is a great article about just that.

Let me know if you need more informations about that, and good luck!

EDIT : Be aware though, that at 50mm, your maximum exposure should not exceed 10s. This is not very much, especially if you go to f2.8 for better image quality. The amazing panorama stitches you see out of 50mm lenses are done with tracked mounts such as a Orion SkyAdventurer mount!

Wow! You did an excellent job of explaining how DSLR users can easily get into astrophotography. Those are some great example pics too. I like the details like the icons for the equipment needed for subject you are discussing. I agree this should go in the sidebar here.

While following the links you provided I noticed that Gary Seronik, who wrote the howto on the barn door tracker, has posted another simpler design on his blog. I haven't built one yet but it's on the ToDo list.

And wow, that Dark Skies Finder site is amazing. Thanks a bunch for that link. I am thinking of heading to South Dakota to get me some dark skies. Any advice on getting a shot of an aurora? Go further north I suspect.

I'm not sure if you use affiliate links to Amazon but I like that method of supporting a web site. I'm using a $15 knock-off timer/trigger that you might want to link to. It's not fancy but it doesn't need to be.

Also, thanks for posting the Photoshop tutorials in 1080p. Great job. Subscribed!

Basically, yes, but you'll also need a few relatively cheap things to make sure you have power and a way to mount the camera to the scope. And you can definitely go much cheaper (especially on the camera). I just had the camera prior to getting into astrophotography because I do photography as well.

To answer your question, the only other thing I purchased separately that was involved in my setup for this shot was the battery pack that powers the mount, a T-Ring, and a T-Adapter that allows me to mount my camera to the scope.

Power Tank

T-Ring

T-Adapter

Again. You can go much cheaper on the camera and can actually just use a webcam to shoot the video that you'll stack into a still. Registax is free. Autostakkert is free. And there are free photoshop alternatives. You'll also want to use this program called BackyardEOS to shoot the videos at 5x zoom (My computer was acting up for this shot, so I didn't use it this time around) but it's well worth the $30 I think I paid for it. You can get even clearer shots like this one I got a while back. The program allows you to digitally zoom in at 5x using and use only a part of the camera's sensor. Please let me know if you need any other information. I'd be glad to help. Hope this helps some!

Sorry, I didn't provide much background - Here is something I posted in an earlier thread
>
> My current equipment :
>
> 1. Camera : Canon T3i
> 2. Lenses : Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, Canon 50mm f/1.8, Canon 55-250mm f/4.0-f/5.6
> 3. Tripod : Proline Dolica
> 4. Software : Photoshop CS3 and Lightroom 6
>
> Using these, I manage to get these : Album
>
> I want to further my astrophotography, but realize I would need better equipment to better these.
>
>
>
> Which of these would be best bang for my buck for a step forward with astrophotography?
>
> 1. A tracker : Ioptron SkyTracker OR Vixen Polarie
> 2. A good solid tripod and ball head
> 3. PixInsight software (Is there a cheap or free alternative to a $250 software? I tried DSS, but found it to be inconsistent with results)
>
> I know a good answer to this would be 'everything', but I can't get myself to spend a lot of $$ at this moment. I could spend a few hundred on one of these, and then at a later point re-evaluate.
>
> Thanks for hooking me into this awesome hobby!

Basically, I have already tried my hand at the milky way and the moon. Without a telescope or a longer zoom lens, I doubt I could do planetary photography. Once I convince myself to buy an Ioptron Skytracker, it could open me up to getting shots of the Pleiades cluster, Andromeda galaxy, Orion nebula. Hence my question.

So it just coincidence then, that all three of them are around the same part of the sky?

Does she own a nice tripod already? If so, the iOptron Skytracker is the perfect gift for the entry level astrophotography, even a lot of people who own tons of nice equipment would love one of these. You get great tracking for widefield skyscape shots, but it is in a super compact little tracker instead of lugging out one of our huge EQ mounts. Not only that though, it is even easier to use and much less daunting than jumping straight into something like an EQ mount.

I know it is at the upper range for your budget at $300, but you can snag it used for $250 here if it hasn't sold yet. Or $260 from Amazon. I checked Astromart for you since you don't have to make an account, and the only one for sale over there is the same guy on CN.

If this is too far out your budget, I am not sure what would be the most cost effective per benefits thing to get around that price range. Like there are tons of objects, just they wouldn't be super useful as a beginner. Like a clip in LPS/CLS/UHC filter, a guide camera or guide scope, PixInsight, etc.

If all else fails you can get this beautiful Orion nebula bracelet from astrophotographer Terry Hancock or some other space themed jewelry (like maybe a ring made from a meteor or something).

But really, I have no idea. Shopping for girls is hard.

For a Cell phone, just hold it up to the eyepiece. For extra stability, you could get an eyepiece adapter. With few exceptions (newer cell phone cameras are getting sophisticated enough for long~ish exposure on bright objects), the only objects you will be able to snap will be planets and the Moon.

For a DSLR, you will need 2 components, a T-Ring which acts as a lens attachment (and you will need to find one for your specific camera brand), and a T-Adapter which will allow the camera to insert into the telescope like an eyepice. Given you are going to an actual observatory, they likely use 2" eyepieces, so a 2" T-adapter will probably be needed.

You should also make sure they are OK with you taking pictures like this. I help run a local public observatory (ie no research, just open nights for the public to look up) and we host monthly photo nights, but setting up the scope for photography requires changing the focus and if you are taking photos that means you'll be tying up any lines behind you for several minutes. On the other hand, if this is a private observatory and you don't have to worry about lines, then great. I would call ahead to make sure either way - maybe they already have the adapters you need

Reposting from last week's thread:

>Two questions, somewhat dependent on each other. First, out of these two scopes, which is the better option? They pretty much can be taken to the same focal length and ratio (I think) given reducer/barlow and their apertures are the same. Orion ED80 f/7.5 or Astro-Tech AT80EDT f/6. I guess the main difference is one is a doublet and the other a doublet? How significant is the color correction on a triple compared to triple? (Keep in mind cost for second question).

>Second, which mount? I'd likely eventually upgrade to some autoguiding. Explore Scientific EXOS2GT Motorized Equatorial GoTo or Celestron Advanced VX Computerized Mount or maybe you guys have another suggestion?

>I do have a budget, not too certain what it is though. Which would be the better compromise, better scope or better mount?

Also, how much would an autoguiding setup benefit either of these setups? Would it be better to get the cheaper scope and get autoguiding or not?

With $100-150 you could probably either (1) get a nice tripod and try to take some wide-field shots of the Milky Way or certain constellations from a dark location (i.e. very far from Chicago) or (2) Get yourself an okay-ish telescope and take lunar and planetary shots. I took this and this with a ~$120 telescope + $35 barlow lens + $10 camera adapter and a very similar camera, and while they're definitely far less impressive than what most people on this sub can do, they were a lot of fun to take and (imo) a great way to get into the hobby. I'd recommend paying a bit more for a better telescope since this one is definitely not ideal, even for this price range. Unfortunately, AP gets expensive really quickly, so you'll most likely have to shell out at the very least a few hundred dollars to get some nice and crisp space shots. It's probably better to pay more now to avoid later feeling the need to upgrade your equipment immediately, especially if budget isn’t a big issue. I say this as someone who’s been using the same cheap equipment for several years, though, so it definitely depends.

Edit: The t3i also has a really great crop video mode that’s perfect for planetary photography, if I remember correctly.

If you’re trying to photography the Milky Way or galaxies/nebulae/etc, going for a sturdy tripod (and then eventually getting a sky tracker for ~$300 to really kick up your shots, if you enjoy the hobby) might be the move to get your feet wet without breaking the bank. Check out the “What Telescope?” page on the wiki for more info, but I’m not sure how recently it was updated. Hope you can find the equipment that’s right for you

That's the scope I started with :)

The easiest way to get involved (IMHO) is to get a DSLR and a T-mount. This will allow you to attach a canon DSLR to the back of your scope. Now you can easily take pictures of the moon, planets, and brighter objects in the sky.

Deep Sky Stacker is a free image pre-processing program that will help you stack all of your images together with their calibration frames to get ready to do the processing to get the detail out of the image.

As for image processing, Pixinsight is what I use, and it's a hefty pricetag, but it's a one-stop-shop. It does everything you need it to do. I've seen others with exceptional results from using photoshop, but I have no training or expertise in it at all. Here is a fantastic book that explains the intricacies of PI.

For long exposure stuff, you'll need a high quality equatorial mount, and for even longer exposure stuff, you might need a guide camera, but you'd be surprised what a well aligned unguided mount can get you, especially for brighter objects (like M42 here) and shorter exposures. Instead of the 3 minute exposures I took here, you can take 45-second exposures and just collect buckets of them and stack them all together.

A car adapter? Mine came with one. As for the power supply id recommend this


Here is what i bought to track with it.
PC interface Cable
Serial Adapter
And finally this, but this is optional to you. Youll probably eventually want to image from your backyard, and if you do youll want this. AC Adapter

Another thing, Unluckily for me and for you, the mount does not come with a polar scope. Do some research to what kind you want, but I got this one

Other than that, Good luck! If you ever want some real time advice come check out the chat room under the useful links tab on the side of the subreddit! Chances are I'll be there, or one of the AP gurus.

The biggest bang for the buck is a tracker. It makes your pics 50x better. Even an older camera like the 30D with a kit lens on a tracker is better than a sweet 6D with a fast prime lens on a tripod.

Allow me to refer to my comparison of exposure times. Again ;)

With a modest telephoto lens you are limited to a couple of seconds exposure. Compare that with what you see at 60 seconds in my example above.

Tracker's are pretty simple. Add an intervalometer, so you can get a lot of vibration free photos.

​

​

If you can swing it, don't overlook the 550d. It does very well as at widefield shots, DSOs, and has the added benefit of Movie Crop Mode which you can use for planetary imaging. The 18-55-IS lens is a nice little lens, and despite being a little slow, it's definitely enough to get you going.

The cool part is, if you end up upgrading your mount and getting a scope, it's versatile enough to where you don't need another camera to learn the basics of a different type of AP.

It also does HD movies and is a nice daytime cam.

There are a lot of lenses worth buying. The 50mm 1.8 is cheap, fast, and tack-sharp. I'd definitely recommend that one. All the other lenses I want are pretty expensive. For widefield/milky way shots, a lot of people seem to be using the Rokinon 14mm which seems like a lot of lens for the money. Haven't tried it out personally, but it gets good reviews.

So I've been doing astronomy for several years now and decided to try to venture into astrophotography. I bought a Canon T6 Rebel, this T-ring, and this adapter to use with my smallish Celestron refractor (not sure the exact model atm, sorry) and my computerized Celestron mount.
I'm fairly sure I'm missing something obvious here but how do I use an eyepiece with this set-up? They don't seem to fit in the extension tube.
Also, can someone recommend what settings I use on the Canon or recommend some good resources for someone new to DSLR and astrophotography. Right now I'm mainly looking to photograph Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and the Moon.
Thanks!

After realising there is a solar eclipse not too far (10h drive) from me in 3 weeks time I figured I should do something about it.

Only I have never photographed the sun before and I would appreciate some advice.

I googled around but other than "use a filter" I couldn't find anything specifying what I should do to get a successful image.

First things first, my tools.

I will be using my DSLR, Pentax K-5, due to the remote locations needed I can't carry a telescope.

I have a selection of lenses ranging from 17-50 F2.8, 50 prime F1.7, 18-135mm F3-5.6 and this is my longest, Sigma 70-300.

I also have a doubler so it doubles the focal length and also a 10 stop ND filter.

One thing I have looked for is a filter, not finding a specific lens filter but this stuff.


My questions are:

1. Should I by something like this 500mm mirror lens?
   
   
2. Is that filter material the right stuff if I attach it to a lens?
   
   
   
3. What is the actual technique of getting good focus, exposing the image? do I take lots and stitch them? do I take long exposures? do I bracket each shot my a couple of stops? I have a small window to get this right and dont want to cock it up!
   
   Thanks for reading

Jupiter & Saturn 7/8/2019 - Chicago, IL Area

Taken with my Skywatcher 8" Flextube 200P Collapsible Dob Telescope

Canon EOS Rebel T1i (500D) @ 3200ISO mounted via T-Ring EOS to 1.25" Adapter

SVBONY 2x Barlow

Captured with "EOS Camera Movie Record" using LiveView 5x Zoom for a 1:1 pixel ratio on my laptop

Videos Processed & Stabilized with PIPP, for Jupiter 4903 total frames, after PIPPing 4182 frames, Saturn 2027 frames

Stacked with Autostakkert 3.014, best 60% all settings used HERE for Jupiter

RegiStax 6 wavelets, RGB Align, RGB Balanced, wavelet settings HERE or in main pic

Slight contrast, brightness & shadows/highlights edits in Photoshop

Imgur Gallery HERE

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was my first ever attempt at Astrophotography with my new 8" Dob scope and I think it turned out very well! Seeing conditions where not optimal and I was in a light polluted park with lights all around and no shroud around the scope, but still the pics came out impressive to me! Please let me know which image you like the most, 1-4, and if you have any tips or comments let me know! I cant wait to get back out there and get some more pics!

>My budget is around $300. I just can't figure out which tripod is good for AP.

Wow, $300 for a tripod? I think I just never understood why some tripods cost so much. I bought the Amazon Basics tripod for $25 and I absolutely love it. It's extremely light, sturdy, easy to adjust, and comes with a bag and built in bubble levels. I can't think of anything else I'd need in a tripod. And it's on sale right now for $19. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KP473Q/ 4.5 star average rating out of almost 5000 reviews - you'll rarely see items with such good numbers. The only thing I don't know is how well it would work with a Star Adventurer, but I'm sure you can find out.

Hi, I want to get into astrophotography. I'm an amateur photgrapher with a Sony A-37. Thing is I'm somehow limited in budget, since a good telescope is like out of my current wallet lol. I'm planning to buy this tracker as a starter, and I'm between buying this telephoto lens or this telephoto lens. I have the 18-55mm lens that came with the camera, I have made some research and for the looks of it, the 18-55mm can get the work done for capturing the Milky Way.

Am I doing a good set up for a beginner? Thanks

I'm about to purchase my first kit for deep sky imaging but have one simple question to ask, just to be sure before purchasing.

Would a Skywatcher ProED 80mm Scope fit on a Celestron Advanced VX goto Mount?

Thanks!

I'm looking at getting a barlow lens to do some planetary imaging. I currently have a D3300, which I hook up to the scope with a 1.25" T-adapter and a T-ring. If I want to include a barlow in this setup, do I have to get an item that is a T-adapter and barlow, such as the Celestron barlow here, or can I get any barlow and insert it between the telescope and the T-adapter?
Also, is there a big quality difference between cheap barlows? I'm looking to spend <$50. I've heard that the Celestron one I linked is alright, as well as some GSO and Astro-tech barlows, but I'm wondering how much better they are compared to a cheap alternative like this.
One more problem- I have two telescopes, one is an old Meade alt-az goto that works fine with the current D3300 setup, and the other is an old 8" Bushnell dob. With the T-adapter and T-ring on the dob, the sensor on the camera is too far back to focus, even with the focus scrolled all the way in. How would I go about fixing this? Will a barlow make this problem worse, or fix it?
Thanks to anyone who takes the time to read through all this!

I am debating between the Rokinon 16mm f/2.0 and the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8

I currently use a Canon Rebel T5 and have been using a Sigma 10-20mm f/4 lens for my astrophotography. I have got some excellent shots with it. I am traveling to NZ soon and would like to get a better lens for astrophotography. My problem is I am torn between the better f/stop of the Rokinon and the focal length range of the Tokina. The auto/manual of the Tokina is also a plus for non-astrophotography pictures.

The Rokinon is cheaper too, which seems like a plus.

Help!

There are a lot of tracking mounts on the market. Just a few of the popular ones:

• Star Adventurer - $320
  
• iOptron SkyTracker - $280
  
• Polarie Vixen - $400
  
• Nyx Tracker - $89
  
  Of these, it seems that the Star Adventurer is the best performing at ~40 arcsec of periodic error. Performance of the Nyx Tracker scales proportionally with price, but still good enough to take 5x longer exposures than without a tracker. [A disclaimer - the Nyx Tracker is my product, designed as a budget option for those testing the waters or that want a portable, light, rugged, easy to use option].
  
  

Hey guys, I have an Omegon N 150/750 EQ-4 Telescope (German site). I also got my hands on a Canon EOS 350D.

On astroshop.de, they point out, that an DSRL probably isn't best for that telescope and an webcam would be better.
Does that apply to planetary and DSO imaging? I will definitely do not but I hope to get especially decent DSO shots.

Should I use an Adapter like this one (or do I even need to buy all these parts?) for my 350D or would I be better of using an mobile phone adapter like this one for my Xiaomi Mi A1 camera?

For reference, I just recently bought these two:

• http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002APX3VQ/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  
• http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0000665V6/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  I wont say for certain, as I'm just getting into this myself, but I imagine you'll need similar kit for your scope. A t-adapter to fit into the telescope, and an adapter for your camera to attach to it!
  
  Hope that's somewhat helpful

I purchased this tracker, which says it has "AccuAligning dark-field illuminated polar scope". I haven't received it in the mail yet so I'm not sure about finding polaris in the scope, but I do have a Sky Guide app for my iPhone which shows me where everything in the sky is, if that is what you mean.

I will turn off NR and I do have live view for my XE-2. The lens is not a zoom lens, just straight 150mm. It is extremely high quality, it is a $3000 lens on the level of hasselblad that I got for a very good price. I am concerned about focusing, should I shoot some photos of stars then zoom in on the preview to see if they are in focus? Then adjust accordingly. I always shoot RAW, yes.

Oh, and thank you very much for the help.

Hello,

I'm planning on making an astrophotography setup. I've used this subreddit's guide to assemble something's, but I just wanted to check if all the items in my list are correct. I'm also confused on where to buy some items required for the setup.

Here are the list of things that I have/am going to buy.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-mounts/skywatcher-heq5-pro-synscan.html - Skywatcher HEQ5 Mount

https://www.astronomics.com/astro-tech-6-f-4-imaging-newtonian-optical-tube.html - AstroTech 6 inch imaging Newtonian Telescope

https://www.otelescope.com/store/product/4-backyardnikon-20-premium-edition-otl-byn-p/ - BackyardNIKON premium edition

Nikon D850 - DSLR (Already Own)

https://www.astronomics.com/t-ring-for-nikon-35mm-and-dslr-cameras.html - T-Ring for Nikon DSLR cameras

https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93625-Universal-1-25-inch-T-Adapter/dp/B0000665V6 - Universal 1.25 inch camera T-Adapter

https://www.astronomics.com/astro-tech-7-short-universal-dovetail-plate-for-vixen-style-mounts-black.html - ASTRO-TECH 7" SHORT UNIVERSAL DOVETAIL PLATE FOR VIXEN-STYLE MOUNTS

https://www.telescope.com/Orion-Magnificent-Mini-AutoGuider-Package/p/99631.uts?keyword=orion%20magnificent%20mini - Orion Magnificent Mini AutoGuider Package

https://www.astronomics.com/astro-tech-photo-visual-coma-corrector-field-flattener-for-fast-focal-ratio-newtonian-reflectors.html - Coma Corrector

TUBE RINGS - Don't know where to find one for my telescope!!

I would really appreciate any help on finding the missing items, and suggest additional items if I didn't include them in this list. Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this post!

That does seem like a solid lens for the money and the pics are great! Nice job.

I was shooting with a Nikon the other night, but I'm in the Canon camp. But I did check to see if there was a Canon equivalent (sort of - an f/2). I did more checking and I think I've decided to go with the 50mm f/1.8 and the Rokinon 14mm f/2.8. If I budget right, I'll be able to get both instead of just the one.

And seriously, that Orion pic is awesome.

I'm looking to buy a small portable tracking mount for my DSLR... something I can just use to replace the head on my camera tripod. I'd love to have that sort of portability because I can just lug my Losmandy G-11 everywhere (lol). Ideally, I would want one with a polar scope for easy alignment. Here's a couple I've seen:

iOptron Sky Tracker

Skywatcher Sky Adventure

This $400 Vixen thing

There are several more on the market too, I just saw an ad for the mini version of the skywatcher in the most recent S&T. Has anybody used any of these?

Solar filters are specialized filters that block out most light (something like 99.99%). But the Sun is so bright, that the remaining 0.01% of light is more than enough to take the kind of picture I took.


If you look up the companies Baader or Thousand Oaks Optical, you'll be able to find solar sheets that they sell. They also sell specific filters for telescopes and cameras but those are expensive.


For my project, I purchased this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DS7SCBQ


It's manufactured by Thousand Oaks Optical and it's pretty sweet! You might have trouble ordering them in such short notice though :( Good luck!

While this isn't exactly wide angle, the Canon 50mm lens is great for wide-field astrophotography and it's cheap. I have it and have gotten great results with it so far.
Here is a link for it on Amazon

A great starter lens for astrophotography with Canon DSLRs is the 50mm f/1.8 "nifty fifty." Amazon link. Its short focal length is quite forgiving for iffy or no tracking, so if you're only working with a tripod, it'll do you well.

At that price, I would definitely buy used. Look on craigslist and ebay for DSLRs with the kit lens included. The kit lens will typically have a range of 18-55mm which is good for milky way. For $200, I bet you could find a Canon T2i or Nikon D3100 with lens, battery, sd card, etc. For milky way + time lapse, you would also need a basic tripod so add another $25 minimum for that. I would suggest Canon, so that you can install Magic Lantern firmware add-on. Magic Lantern adds an internal advanced intervalometer, which is very useful for timelapse.

Please help me!

I have an Orion XT8 and right now I'm just trying to use it with my DSLR to take pictures of the moon and planets.

I have a Pentax K100D and at first I tried this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0159KORTU with the proper lens to T adapter, but I couldn't get my sensor close enough to focus. I found that if I took out the 2" lens adapter thingy on my telescope and manually made the barlow go deeper that I was able to focus on Jupiter, but I had to hold it manually and it was, of course, shaky.

Then I got to thinking, what if I just got an adapter for the 2" eyepiece mount? So I did that and I got the official Orion 2" camera prime focus adapter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008N66XMW but after trying it tonight, I am unable to get my camera sensor close enough to focus on the moon (didn't try anything else).

So, please help me! What do I need to use my camera with my telescope?

I started with a Nexstar in LA and would not recommend that to a newbie astrophotographer. Nexstars are fine for visual observation and even planetary imaging but they’re the worst for everything else. Instead, get him this telescope and this mount . That should keep him busy for a long time in astrophotography. Plus both have good resale value in case he doesn’t stick with the hobby ;-)

Oh, and bring him to the LA Astronomical Society’s HQ in Monterey Park! We have open house every Wednesday. Anybody there will be happy to show him the ropes

I was thinking of going with a mount ($800-$1000) and using my DSLR with this. Then when I have more money and experience, I'll buy a telescope to attach to this. Can someone give me their opinions on this? I've read around, and apparently others have done this and recommend it. I was hoping I could do decent tracking without a guidescope, then get one later.

Here's the mount I'm considering: http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-Advanced-VX-Computerized-Mount/dp/B00AYGIQDS

Do I need something to attach my DSLR to it?

Edit: After doing more research into this, apparently I need a vixen style dovetail plate? Could someone link me to one on Amazon that would work. That would be awesome.

Thanks a lot it's been really helpful.

Right now I'm looking at this and this. I'll be good then?

I know it's a 1.25 and you said to get a 2" but right now I'm going cheap. When/if I decide to really start doing things hardcore I'll get the nice stuff.

I have this telescope and am looking to fit it onto this mount and replace the stock finder with this finder scope.

My question is, what do I need to make sure everything fits properly together? Searching "celestron VX tube ring" or anything of the sort doesn't bring up anything - almost seems like the mount is meant to be exclusive for their telescopes, and I don't know where to start for the finder.

Edit: I found this for mounting the finder scope, which seems like it'll work, but I still need some advice for the equatorial mount.

Edit 2: Doing a bit more research, would this do the trick for the mount? And then I find rings that fit my scope?

I have the SL2 and as noted here you can use bulb mode for exposures longer than 30 secs. The app will facilitate this or a remote trigger as well. I just got one last week and just testing it, it looks like it works as advertised.

This is the one: https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Shutter-Release-Remote-Control/dp/B003Q9RERY

Edit: Looks like its same as one below lol

Sorry was being terse:

The trick is to have the duration of the star-trail stay within the airy disk of the star, to maintain a more oval object than a line. Most of my pure-camera astrophotography was done with 1000ASA monochrome and 3200ASA color film on a camera using a 1.8. 18 seconds was about the limit on the monochrome but the 3200 Konica was so grainy that I could get 23 seconds. The more choke you put on the light path the longer you need to expose it. The 18mp and larger sensors on modern cameras are getting up into the resolution of the monochrome film I used. (I did most the astrophoto at night in the winter in a Bortle 0 location.. where you couldn't see the snow you were standing in.)

So what happens when you use the tighter F-stop is you get less airy-disk to hide trails in and thus need shorter exposures to reduce the "line" effect.

You should run the lens wide open and reduce the speed of the sensor until you get the image you want. Making the f-stop tighter reduces your light gathering in astrophotography and requires either higher sensor settings or longer duration of exposure - Higher sensor settings will create distortion in the histogram and generates more base noise that has to be filtered out by circuitry that isn't designed for astrophotos.

Always run with the aperture wide open using the slowest sensor that will give you the exposures you need. Pushing the f-stop up just makes you need more exposures of shorter duration.

This is where simple clock-drive mounts come in. A clock drive mount doesn't have to be super precise to quadruple your wide-field exposures. Just about any old Tasco motorized equatorial mount will keep a 18 to 55mm lens on-track for a useful period of time, you can usually find em at the junk tables at flea markets. Or you can bust for http://www.amazon.com/SkyWatcher-S20520-Adventurer-Photo-Package/dp/B00Z4HVR7Y/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1457621801&sr=8-5&keywords=tracking+camera+mount+astrophotography kinds of systems that are portable full equatorial and programmable units.

http://www.telescope.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=9882&utm_source=google&utm_medium=comparisonshopping&utm_campaign=US-googlemerchant&gclid=CjwKEAiA04S3BRCYteOr6b-roSUSJABE1-6BL5yUVvdDtawbpb2N40vTOB9mW1evaEkTnjcIujXmfRoCIIDw_wcB huge link I know. a piggy-back for that is simple enough to cobble with rubber strips and hose clamps and then you just manually keep the star in position for a minute or so.

Lots of cheap options.

I was also thinking of this one - might be better?

I remember seeing some of your posts! Things seem to be going well with your new scope :)

I am trying to choose between the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM prime lens ($150):

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-EF-S-24mm-2-8-Lens/dp/B00NI3BZ5K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453663389&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=canon+24mm+ef&psc=1

or the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM prime lens ($125):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X8MRBCW/ref=s9_simh_hd_bEfbKvb_p421_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-4&pf_rd_r=07NDGBMY1PF9QVKZFADQ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=eede5008-87c3-576d-9581-6d6f182e32c3&pf_rd_i=13440588011

I just want to take just some general night sky shots (when I get the opportunity). I am leaning towards the 24mm lens because I would like a wider field of view. Which lens would you recommend I get? Thank you very much!

Edit: I'm a college student on a tight budget so I really can't afford to spend more than $150

It can be pretty hard to get everything lined up if you're trying to hold the phone up to the eyepiece, especially if the focal length is smaller. The easiest way that I've found is to use the smallest focal length eyepiece such that your phone's camera can only see the lens and there is no rim showing. Then, to hold it steady in that centered position, it's handy to have a phone camera mount like this one. I reserve one eyepiece and align everything in daylight, which is less frustrating. When I want to take a picture, I align the scope with a different eyepiece, then switch out to the one with the mount attached to it. It's pretty crude but it has worked pretty well so far! I hope this helps.

Duly noted! Suppose to be clear skies tonight around 8pm est going to give it a try! I also think I need a better lens with a better f stop?

Looking at this lens currently

The Cloudbait link works for me (I was able to get there from your post), so I'd just try it again, although the cached copy is basically the same.

Cost breakdown for just the tracking mount:

• Mechanical hardware (wood, aluminum, nylon, delrin rod, screws, threaded rod, etc.) was roughly $30
  
• Ball Head, $20
  
• Breadboard, $25
  
• Battery, $40
  
• Power leads, $5
  
• Microcontroller board, $20
  
• Motor, $15
  
• Angle block for calibration, $25
  
• Motor Driver Board, $20
  
• Misc bulk components (LEDs, headers, microswitch), $5
  
  So, a little over $200 for everything, although there is definitely room to save depending on what components you get and where you get them. Still is about half the cost and more flexible than a comparable commercial product like this, although mine doesn't look quite as elegant. :)
  
  The entire thing is also mounted on a $200 tripod head and a $200 tripod, but you could get away with something an order of magnitude less expensive--I already had the tripod equipment, so it wasn't an added expense for this build.

It was $299 on B&H a few days ago and I waffled. Should've jumped on it then. I know it's only another $40, but I need to get a new bag and remote shutter too. I should say I was eyeballing this too https://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-STM-Lens/dp/B00X8MRBCW/ref=pd_bxgy_421_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00X8MRBCW&pd_rd_r=JPQRZ1MVN3RM57MMZB8Y&pd_rd_w=6V3G5&pd_rd_wg=uc7ku&psc=1&refRID=JPQRZ1MVN3RM57MMZB8Y as Lonely Speck did a decent review on it, but I feel like it isn't wide angle enough and I spend just as much money getting some on Fiverr to stitch my photos together.

Would you trust the Amazon Warehouse Deals for the same used Rokinon lense?

Thank you very much! I use this: https://www.amazon.ca/Gosky-Universal-Phone-Adapter-Mount/dp/B013D2ULO6

It looks good. Of course, it won't be as good as attaching a dslr or a dedicated planetary camera, but it does really well considering its only 20 dollars.

Canon 70D & 100-400mm f/4-5.6 lens @ 400mm f/9 with a piece of solar film for all of the images other than the total eclipse. Shutter/Iso varied a little but between 1/500-1/1000 & Iso800-3200.

Removed chromatic aberrations and made some minor contrast/noise/highlight adjustments but the raw photos looked great right off the camera. They didn't need much- mostly a little cropping.

Taken from Crossville Tennessee

Hello, astrophriends. I purchased this off of eBay a month ago and it finally came today. A Vixen Polarie Star Tracker Mount. I saw it recommended in a thread somewhere in this subreddit. It was my impression when I ordered it that this was all I would need to get started taking longer exposures and eliminate star trails. I opened it and the manual is completely Japanese. Can anyone point me to a manual in English? Also- am I missing a part? Do I need this (Vixen Optics 35505 Polarie Star Tracker (White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006ZSRHKC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_F7E7Cb2515RNW) as well? Thanks in advance!

> Canon 400mm DO II
> The lens alone is nearly two grand

Where can you get that lens for $1000 to $2000? It retails for close to $7000. Would love to know the sites you're using.

https://www.amazon.com/Canon-EF-400mm-USM-Lens/dp/B00NI3C8A6

USB to laptop with this for the 500D. Camera to telescope with this for the 500D. Good Luck!

Thanks for the advice! I was already leaning toward the Star Adventurer, so I think I'm gonna go with that.

With the tripod that I have, how would I attach the SA? Does it just to screw onto a quick release plate?

http://smile.amazon.com/iOptron-3302B-SkyTracker-Camera-Mount/dp/B00EFRN1GE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453420545&sr=8-1&keywords=ioptron

haha, I wouldn't downgrade. But I will sell mine as well someday, when I upgrade!

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DS7SCBQ

---

^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

I use this one personally. Works great.

You will need a T adapter for your eyepiece holder (20$ at most) and a T mount to EOS adapter (10 to 15$). You can find both on Amazon: let me know if you have any trouble finding them (I'm on my phone on a train atm, sorry) see the links above. You can then use the free EOSMovrec software (on Sourceforge) to tether your camera to a PC and use the central part of your sensor to acquire near native resolution 1024x600 video. Beware: the binary Mac version is very outdated, you'll want to use the Windows version (or compile from the source). You'll then want to stack the video (e.g. in Registax).

EDIT: added links.

Yep, I've found it very capable, both on a tripod (a nifty-fifty is an inexpensive way to capture a lot of light), and through my 8" SCT. Here is an album of images I've submitted to this subreddit, all were taken with my unmodded T3i with exposures no longer than a minute, stacked in DSS of course!

So just to be 100% clear, buying just the ball head is not enough, I would also need this part...

http://www.amazon.com/iOptron-3302B-SkyTracker-Camera-Mount/dp/B00EFRN1GE/ref=pd_bxgy_p_img_y

What scope should i mount on this with a $1000 budget?
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-Advanced-VX-Computerized-Mount/dp/B00AYGIQDS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466471593&sr=8-1&keywords=celestron+advanced+vx#Ask

$200 for a scope worth it?

I use one of these and they work really well:

Neewer LCD Timer Shutter Release Remote Control

You could also consider buying a remote shutter release (Here is what I bought for $20).

Having to press the shutter button will shake your camera and possibly make for a more frustrating imaging session, but using one of these lets you time shots and take pics without having to touch the camera body. I haven't personally used BackyardEOS or any of the apps but they offer similar (and more) benefits.

Here is an example on Amazon for the 1.25" kind (the type the score you are looking at will work with. It goes in place of your eye piece.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000665V6/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?qid=1413602179&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&dpPl=1&dpID=211R69YGRGL&dpPlWS=1&ref=plSrch

This cheap one on Amazon.

Something like this will let you take pics of the moon

https://www.amazon.com/Gosky-Universal-Phone-Adapter-Mount/dp/B013D2ULO6/ref=sr_1_3/133-6757998-2915363?ie=UTF8&qid=1527358550&sr=8-3&keywords=phone+to+telescope+adapter

For anything else sorry to say but you’d need a different scope

Still, here's the hardware:

http://www.amazon.com/Adorama-T-Mount-Adapter-Autofocus-Cameras/dp/B0002E3WRC

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93625-Universal-1-25-inch-T-Adapter/dp/B0000665V6/ref=pd_bxgy_p_img_y/180-3872360-3150301

and for really high powered viewing screw this to the t-mount adapter:

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93230-24mm-1-25-Eyepiece/dp/B0007UQNV8

The t threads are under the eye cup.


In bright sun light, this telescope will work as a 1000mm lens, but telescopes, especially cheaper ones, are not as well corrected. So it's going to have more aberrations than even cheap photographic lenses have.

50mm Lens: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camera-Lens/dp/B00007E7JU

What do you think of this?

http://www.amazon.com/Neewer%C2%AE-Shutter-Release-Control-Hasselblad/dp/B003Q9RERY/ref=pd_cp_p_0

I was looking into the polaire star tracker https://www.amazon.com/Vixen-Optics-35505-Polarie-Tracker/dp/B006ZSRHKC

what do you think about that?

Also, If I have my camera and the tracker, whats my next step? Do I only need a tripod?

I use the generic brand Gosky mount (https://www.amazon.com/Gosky-Universal-Phone-Adapter-Mount/dp/B013D2ULO6). And my scope has two knobs to turn for focusing. The "autofocus" I mentioned was for the phone camera.

How does this setup look?


EOS T7i
iOptron
Rokinon
Remote
Tripod

There are two parts that work together. There's the T-ring, which is particular to your camera; and there's the T-adapter, which is not. As a general rule, T-adapters are not specific to the scope - they either have a 1.25" barrel or a 2" barrel, so it's really a matter of what size focuser your scope has.

I'm not familiar with the particular T-adapter you've linked to, so perhaps someone else could offer more definitive commentary on it. If I understand correctly how it's intended to work, the wide end would screw into the rear cell on your SCT, where the narrower end would screw into your T-ring. I'm more familiar with this other model, which works as I described and should also, as far as I know, be able to work with an SCT.

I went ahead and looked up the adapters you would need to hook up to an Orion telescope, the t-ring and the camera adapter. However, this looks like it can total to over $60 for adapters. Apparently the Orion T-ring and a Celestron camera adapter are most frequently bought together. I'm not sure of how the two different brands will work together.

That's the same scope I have... camera too. I mounted it on a cg5 mount and use http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000237C9M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1398011436&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40 it's all you should need to connect your camera.

As for pictures... eh, I haven't been very successful with much yet... but it was cold and I'm completely new to the hobby.

What do you guys think about the gear I'm planning to buy for astro?


I have a canon Rebel Sl2 unmodified camera.

Skytracker 390 https://www.ontariotelescope.com/skytracker.html
(I'm considering the skyguider pro also)


Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM 133 https://www.amazon.ca/Canon-50mm-Normal-Lens-Cameras/dp/B00X8MRBCW

Celestron 15x70 100 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/283197-REG/Celestron_71009_15x70_SkyMaster_Binocular.html


GEEKOTO Tripod 200cm, Camera Tripod for DSLR 106 https://www.amazon.ca/GEEKOTO-Tripod-Camera-Compact-Aluminum/dp/B07N67D14D


Rokinon 135mm f2.0 690 https://www.amazon.ca/Rokinon-135mm-Telephoto-Digital-Cameras/dp/B00T48CE7G

I have an old basic go to scope from Mead. I believe it's a 4.5" Meade refractor. I bought this eyepiece adapter for it but my Olympus micro4/3 camera needs to be closer zoomed in. I mean it needs to be closer into the scope. The focus knob needs to be more screwed in. I need less throw on it.

Celestron 93625 Universal 1.25-inch Camera T-Adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000665V6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wRACDbC77S135

I don't know how to describe it. I need the focus point less deep than this item allows. Do they make things like this?