(Part 2) Best products from r/astrophotography

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.

Album of processing steps, updated as I add to the tutorial

Hello to both new /r/astrophotography visitors and old pros. In this tutorial, I wanted to run through the various steps and options for astrophotography processing in PixInsight using an M8 data set from /u/RupeshJoy852. His hardware is fairly modest: a DSLR and an Orion 80mm ShortTube refractor. He took a set of 90 second exposures at ISO 1600 and then gave the data set to me to see what could be done in PixInsight.

For each step, I'm going to discuss the Newbie, Intermediate, and Experienced options, and I want to show that even with a fairly basic workflow using a PixInsight trial license, you can get decent results.

First step for all three is to get a look at the data.

• Newbie: Use the Blink process to load up all your images and flip through them to see which had good tracking and which have bad streaks. When using a DSLR, the image is often completely dominated by one color, in this case red, so you click the red, green, and blue striped button to be able to unlock the color ratios and really see your data.
  
  
• Intermediate: Same thing, look through your stack of data and select out the good from the rest. You can use the Move button in Blink to select the ones that are good and put them in a separate folder. You should also be shooting darks, flats, and bias frames, so look at those too.
  
  
• Experienced: Use Script>Batch>SubFrame Selector as well to really measure and filter your best frames. You can sort by SNR, FWHM, Eccentricity, and other measurements of your stars.
  
  For DSLR data, you Batch Debayer your data
  
  N: Load Script>Batch Processing>Batch DeBayer and load in your good images. Run it and get the resulting FITS files.
  
  I: You should be shooting darks, flats, and bias frames, so use Batch Preprocessing instead to load all your data in and calibrate. Debayering is part of the process.
  
  *E: Following the advice of /u/EorEquis, you should be Dithering your exposures, so you should be able to skip dark frames -- they might be injecting noise into your final frames! There's an active debate about it, and I still use darks, but I understand the logic.
  
  Align all the images so that you can stack them
  
  
• Load the Process called StarAlignment and load in your newly Debayered FITS files. Pick one of your best frames and use it on top as a reference that all the others will be aligned to. Choose an output directory for all the new aligned images. The defaults should work fine.
  
  
• Same for intermediate and experienced, but if you used Batch Preprocessing above, you will get the aligned frames as output.
  
  "Stack" your images, getting an averaged result with greatly increased signal to noise ratio. We shoot multiple frames so that the uncertainty (noise) in any given frame cancels out with the rest of the frames when averaged. The real astronomical light, the signal, will be revealed, showing the Deep Sky Object.
  
  
• Use Image Integration, load your frames, and then adjust the Pixel Rejection settings. Choose Winsorized Sigma Clipping if you have more than 8 images and try using the defaults. The result is a master light frame that we'll be processing!
  
  
• Intermediate users should inspect the resulting Rejection maps and tune their Sigma High and Low to reject only artifacts like hot pixels, cosmic ray hits, satellite trails, etc. Keep everything else in order to add to your signal.
  
  
• If you are dithering (you should be!) and your data is undersampled, consider giving the new Drizzle option a try.
  
  'Screen Stretch' the master frame to see what you've got (all levels)
  
  
• Once you get your master, it doesn't look like much. It's a 32-bit image file being displayed on your 8-bit display, so all the good stuff is in the darkest pixels. Here's a great explanation by /u/EorEquis, I highly recommend it. In PixInsight, you simply hit Ctrl-A (PC) or Cmd-A (Mac) to automatically screen stretch your data. However, in this case, we get an even more red image. So we need to 'decouple' the red, green, and blue channels and re-stretch. Open the Screen Transfer Function process and click the little Chain Link button in the upper left. Then click the 'radiation symbol' button or just hit Cmd-A again to re-stretch. Voila! Your data is visible.
  
  Rename the image by double clicking its tab on the left. I usually just call the raw file 'RGB'.
  
  Background Extraction -- remove the gradients on the image from the sky glow and vignetting from equipment.
  
  
• Newbie: You can use Automatic Background Extraction to automatically model the background of the image and remove it. I set it in this case to Subtraction and it did a reasonable job with the big gradients. Since this field is rich with nebulosity, it might not always do well, but it generally only deals with big gradients, so I don't think we lost any detail.
  
  
• Intermediate: Use Dynamic Background Extraction to place your own points that represent the background. It's tough in this case because of the thick nebulosity, but it should do a fine job.
  
  
• Experienced: To better place your DBE points, try downloading a DSS frame or a well-processed image of your object from the web. You can register that image to your own data, then place your points. Then you can use those points on your real image, confident that the points match the real background.
  
  Background Neutralization and Color Calibration -- now that the big gradient is taken care of, our color channels need to match each other and reflect reality, where blue stars are blue and red stars are red.
  
  
• Newbie: Make two Preview boxes with the New Preview tool at the top. Preview 1 is a small box with the background of the image (if you can find any!). Stars can be included, but avoid nebula structure. Preview 2 is the thing you want to Color Calibrate against. The best thing for this is a face-on galaxy, but for nebula fields, I tend to pick the main DSO or even just use the entire image. Then run Background Neutralization with Preview 1 and Color Calibration with Preview 2 (white reference) and Preview 1 (background), turning Structure Detection off. When done, hit Cmd-A again to auto-stretch, this time with the Color Chain linked again in STF.
  
  
• Intermediate: Same as above, the defaults work well and you can double check the results with Histogram Transformation.
  
  
• Experienced: If you are shooting a nebula field like this one, try a new technique that I just learned. At some point in the night, take a one minute image of your field, just enough to get the colors to register. Then slew to a nearby face-on spiral galaxy at the same altitude (to account for extinction) and get the same one minute exposure. When doing Color Calibration, you can refer to this other frame and guarantee a real valid representation of white light!
  
  Histogram Transformation to 'Stretch' your data -- all along, we've kept our files 'linear', which is very good. In other programs, you immediately have to stretch your data permanently so that you can't do important steps like gradient removal and color calibration while linear. Again, I refer you to /u/EorEquis 's [excellent video explanation]((https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWXj6Pc_hog). We're now ready to permanently stretch the data to work on it in non-linear space, so what we see on our monitor is the real image.
  
  
• Newbie: We will simply take the automatic stretch done by STF and apply it to the Histogram Transformation process. There is a little triangle icon at the bottom left of STF, and you just drag it to the bottom bar of Histogram Transformation. This transfers the settings, so you should see the diagonal line (linear) suddenly curve tremendously -- that's the stretch! Then just apply that Histogram Transformation to the image. It turns white, meaning it's doubly stretched (by HT and STF), so hit Reset in the bottom right of the STF and it will return to looking the same.
  
  
• Intermediate: Same process, but did you know that you can tune the STF's autostretch settings? Cmd-Click or Ctrl-Click the radiation symbol button (autostretch) and you'll get a dialog of options to tune. I frequently just darken the background by lowering the Target Background, but you can also boost the highlights more if you'd like. You can of course do these things in post-processing next, but getting a nice stretch up front can save time.
  
  
• Experienced: Consider using Masked Stretch. It's not perfect for every image, but it can really help retain star cores on some data.
  
  (more to come)
  

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?

I'll take a stab at a few :)

3) How do i get an empirical measurement of seeing/light polution etc so i can record the data during taking the subs?

Couple of ways you can do this. You could use a "sky quality meter" like this guy or, apparently, build your own.

Otherwise, you could use the work by Tony Flanders to collect data over a few weeks and measure your skyglow with your camera. This method is, obviously, a good bit less expensive, but clearly impractical for any area you're not at for an extended period of time.

Either of those methods would give you a quantitative analysis of the skyglow in your area.

4) What are the books every newbie should read to understand/learn about this awesome hobby?


IMO, Patrick Moore's PRactical Astronomy Series is a pretty solid place to start. You'll want to read descriptions/reviews thoroughly since some of them are limited to a particular hemisphere, or visual work only, etc. But in general, if it's in that series, it's likely to be good information packaged in an enjoyable read.

Finally, Turn left At Orion is, arguably, the beginners' Bible for any sort of amateur astronomy.

5) What are some good videos that are a great source of learning?

Probably can't go wrong with /u/forresttanaka's videos on YouTube as a starting point.

6) (For the people on the Northern side of the equator) If you could image 1 object in the Southern hemisphere, What would it be?

NGC 3372

omfg, NGC 3372

7) What is the difference between J2000 and JNOW, What are the benefits/drawbacks of each one?

The Earth's precession (wobble...1 wobble every ~26,000 years) means that objects in the night sky do "move" over long periods of time.

J2000 is the coordinates of a given object on the date of epoch (Julian date, hence the J) specifically, in this case, 12h on 1 JAN 2000. This gives us a uniform, unchanging reference for our current epic. We can say "Object X is at coordinates Y" and have everyone in agreement.

Of course, precession means it won't be EXACTLY there...how far off depends, obviously, on the date. So, to be precise about where the object is at this given time and date, we use "now"...hence, JNOW.

Which you use typically won't matter...most software/mounts/etc will know the difference, or calculate the difference, and be able to find whatever it is they're looking for.

Where it will matter most is when you're using 2 or ore pieces of equipment/software/etc, and they're talking to each other (For example, using Stellarium to control your Atlas mount via EQMOD). In that case you simply want to be certain you're using the SAME
system for everything.

Hey guys, I've had a problem with focusing on my Orion 8" Astrograph f/4.9 that has plagued my astrophotography experience for over a year now. I'll get right to it.


I have an Orion 8" Astrograph f/4.9 that I use on top of a Dual-Axis Motor Controlled Atlas mount. It's NOT a GoTo mount, but rather just has a controller that allows me to move the scope. There are no plug-ins for anything besides the power cable and controller. I use a Canon T3 DSLR for taking photos.


Here are some pictures: http://imgur.com/a/raItu


I have done pretty well considering I only paid $270 for this setup, in total. It's worth much more than that. I have managed to get some very cool photos, as you can see if you look through my history.


Here's the catch, as well as the problem:


Most of these photos have been taken using a 3x Barlow. The 3x Barlow allows me to get up close and personal with objects such as Saturn and Jupiter. Without the 3x Barlow, I cannot achieve focus.

http://imgur.com/a/A847K


This album shows my problem. When removing the 3x Barlow, I cannot find a point where I can focus my camera. I have tried a number of low-profile adapters, as well as extension tubes and still cannot achieve focus. Here's an example of my frusturation:


http://imgur.com/a/ijGju


Using the extention tubes showed no signs of hope. I wasn't able to see ANYTHING using the extension tubes, not even a sign of focus.

However, using the low-proflie adapters, I could see that I was very close to achieving focus. As my camera moved closer and closer to the focuser, the view was more clear.


If I complete remove all the adapters from my Crayford focuser and strip it down completely, I can achieve focus my holding my camera right up to the focuser. It blurs around the edges, but it works.

If you look at the last photo in this album I just posted, this is what the focuser looks like completely stripped down. Holding my camera up to that with no lens, I was able to take photos like this and this.


What adapter/focuser/corrector do I need so that I can achieve focus without using a Barlow on this telescope/holding my camera by hand up to the bare focuser?


Thanks for all the help that numerous people have offered me over the past while. Though it has been unsuccessful, I have appreciated it so much. Perhaps it is time for me to move onto a GoTo mount and a more modern, adaptable scope.

Edit: Here are some adapters I have tried:

Orion 2" Zero Profile

Orion 5117 Prime Focus Adapter

Hi all, I'm looking for suggestions for a good stable tripod for my camera. When I was starting out, I just picked up an Amazon Basics tripod that was able to do "well enough" as a newbie with a Sky-Watcher star adventurer mount, my Nikon body and kit lens. However, since then I've picked up some faster glass that's also a bit heavier, and it's become abundantly clear that a better tripod is called for.


All of my current gear weights just under 10 lbs, but if there's a good recommendation that can support in the 15 - 20 lb range so I have some room for growth/margin, I think that would be perfect for me.


Would anything from Manfrotto be a good choice? Randomly searching on Amazon has led me to: https://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-190XPRO-Aluminum-4-Section-MT190XPRO4/dp/B00G36G9Q4

Cool, that was fortunate. Crank that ISO up and have some fun out there. :)

Try taking a couple of exposures of just a random field of stars like you did, and cramming them into deep sky stacker to get some experience with it. You can just skip calibration frames and just get a cool result without them, then gradually add in calibration frames once you're comfortable with the process.

One cheap addition I'd recommend to your kit if you don't already have one is something like this : https://www.amazon.com/Polaroid-PLRTC18-Replacement-Shutter-Release/dp/B008FBMSWY for $20 you can easily take multiple exposures without bumping things around in the dark. (I think that one works on the 70D, but make sure.)

This will be useful even without a motorized mount, the stars will drift out of frame over time, but you can still stack quite a few shots and stack them, you'll just have to crop a little off your final image. Good luck!

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

Hi all. I have a Canon T3i right now. I will also be getting an Orion ED80 shortly. Pretty new to Astrophotography, but I know that I will need a tring and a DSLR adapter for my scope, correct? Is anything else required to attach the DSLR to the focuser? Also, can anyone recommend a good tring+adapter. Would something cheap like this suffice, or should I get something nicer? Thanks!! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013DID11A/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AHQ6VCR020F8X#Ask

My phone- Samsung Galaxy S6
My scope- Orion AstroView 6" reflector, 750mm, f/5

I use a cheap mount to put my cellphone up to the eyepiece. This one, actually- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z6U9EBA?psc=1

The tricky part is getting your camera lens lined up with the eyepiece, making sure the eyepiece is exactly parallel to your phone and getting the right distance (eye relief) to get the best image. Adding the cameraphone is adding a major player to your optical train and if it's not lined up right, you'll get garbage.

I put my red headlamp on my lap and point the barrel of the eyepiece toward it while I move my phone around in the mount. Once I get a bright, full, red circle I tighten it down and nudge it into the best position. I use a 10mm plossl as my eyepiece.

I then pop my 25mm into the scope and get my target centered, then I use another 10mm plossl to center that before swapping in my phone rig. Once the phone is in there, I use Pro Mode that comes standard on the S6, It is better than any free app. If you know of a good one, let me know!

From there I focus, adjust ISO and exposure time record about a minute of video for stacking later.

I use a Mac, so I do all of my processing in Lynkeos.

That's it in a nutshell for me!

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.

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.

Is she interested in using the telescope visually too? or mostly just for photography?

A "complete package" scope at that price that would be pretty decent for visual and also decent for lunar/planetary/very bright DSOs is the Celestron NexStar 4se plus a T-adaptor and T-ring for her Nikon. Total: under $500

One that would require a bit more work and luck to find used stuff, but might be worth it if she wants to continue with the hobby: Used Celestron AVX or Orion Sirius mount, some kind of power option, cheap 80mm refractor like the Orion Short Tube, T-ring for Nikon. Total: Maybe $600 if you get lucky

I think a book is a good way to go, if he is just getting started with the hobby and doesn't have an introductory text yet. There is a lot of info online, but it's not always easy to find, and it's not always trustworthy. A book is more practical in a lot of ways.

I can recommend the book Astrophotography by Thierry Legault. It covers all types of astrophotography in an accessible but detailed manner, and it's also a nice-looking book IMO.

I'm sure there are other good intro books out there, that just happens to be the one I bought when I got into this hobby, and I enjoyed it a lot.

Thank you, you're very helpful!

So as far as I understand this is a good deal for visual work only and not for astrophotography, because it has an Alt-Az mount and not a GEM.

So what is a solution you would recommend, for up to $1000?

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!

it's the one /u/t-ara-fan linked, but It doesn't come with a tripod. you'll need to find a reasonably solid tripod. I leave my tripod on the shortest it will go when i take images since that makes it more stable. I think i paid less for mine than the one linked, cant recall though


Amazon has the three items listed at the following prices:

This item:SkyWatcher S20510 Star Adventurer Astro Package (Black) $329.00

SkyWatcher S20530 Star Adventurer Latitude (EQ) Base, Telescope Accessory, Black $65.00

SkyWatcher S20540 Star Adventurer Counter Weight Kit, Telescope Accessory, Black $30.00

Link

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?

This book came recommended to me and I absolutely love it. It will specify some good targets for every time of the year.

As far as software, on my computer I currently use:

Backyard EOS (Costs a bit but is more or less necessary for capturing images with a Canon DSLR, you can set up sequences with specified times, mirror lock delays, save frames as flat, dark, light or bias, and even focus with a live view through the camera).

Sharpcap
DeepSkyStacker
Stellarium
Registax
PixInsight
Photoshop

Some cool online resources:
Photoshop DSO processing.
PDF DSO Guide.
Astrophotography Youtube Tutorials.
Forrest Tanaka's Youtube Channel.

keeping the end in mind is a perfect way for being proactive. way to be a hero! I, too, am starting out to do DSOs and astrophotography.
just bought a Orion SkyView Pro 8" Equatorial Reflector and i have had my DSLR for about 2 years now so im quiet used to it. i do not have a mount and need to figure out how to mount my DSLR on top of my telescope..

Any help/advice for me? (i have used the astro view to find stars and planets.. no clusters, nebulas or galaxies yet though. i upgraded to the SkyView8. )

*EDIT: I Just bought http://www.amazon.com/Orion-5338-SteadyPix-Deluxe-Camera/dp/B0069VXY7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394732235&sr=8-1&keywords=orion+camera+mount (i dont know how to make a link.. or a hyper?...anyway, thats what i purchased)

The previous poster stated a 2" T-adapter. What dictates the need for a 1.25" or 2" adapter?
That $20 one was the cheapest I could find, the others were $50-$90 or something. 1.25" ones are much cheaper.



Is [this Gotsky[(https://www.amazon.com/Gosky-Telescope-Adapter-T-mount-Cameras/dp/B013DID11A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1474703452&sr=8-2&keywords=telescope+t+mount+canon) one better than the Fotasy one?


So I need to actually try the camera on the telescope before I'll know if I need a Barlow? How do I choose the right one? I did a little bit of research on what a Barlow is, and they seem to have a variety of lengths, but I couldn't find how to choose one for my setup.



Thanks for the help

I'm unsure how you want to use the webcam but, I used the Solomark Smartphone Mount for my Galaxy s6 edge through an 8 inch dob. The only planet I've taken a picture of so far is Uranus . Works best with my 25mm eyepiece and is a little tricky with the 9mm. I'm sure the mount you found will work fine.

Awesome picture! If you had trouble taking a picture with your phone i recommend buying this: https://www.amazon.com/Landove-Smartphone-Photography-Binoculars-Microscope/dp/B06Y6G8YQ7/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Landove+Universal+Cell+Phone+Smartphone+Quick+Photography+Adapter+Mount+Connector+for+Telescope+Binoculars+Monocular+Spotting+Scope+Microscope+%26+and+with+Cell+Mobile+Phone&qid=1559059983&s=electronics&sr=1-1

Sorry the link is so big, but it is what I use for my planetary pictures. Also very glad that you enjoyed jupiter for the first time! It is so weird knowing what I've been missing the whole time I did not own a telescope.

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?

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.

This 14mm manual focus Rokinon is a popular AP lens: https://www.amazon.com/Rokinon-FE14M-C-Ultra-Canon-Black/dp/B003VSGQPG And it's pretty dirt cheap for a quality DSLR lens.

Unless you see yourself really needing AF for daytime work, you'll never use AF for AP. And 14mm is very forgiving for focus in the daytime.

I'm nervous to suggest other adapters because I really don't want to make two bad suggestions, but an alternative could be something like [this] (https://www.amazon.ca/Orion-5308-2-Inch-Zero-Profile-Adapter/dp/B008N66XMW). You'd screw one side into your T-ring and then the other side should fit into your 2" eyepiece holder just like a normal 2" eyepiece would. So then you would have Camera->T-Ring->Orion 2" Zero-Profile Prime Focus Camera Adapter->2" eyepiece adapter->drawtube thread.

Before you buy that though send me a picture of the threads on that adapter you bought next to the threading on your 2" eyepiece adapter or anything you have that does actually thread into the focuser. I'd like to see what the adapter's threads are seeing as I have no idea what else it could be.

Yes indeed, I used a t-ring, which luckily on my scope threads directly onto the scope's eyepiece holder - the scope came with t-threads already on it!

The scope is a Celestron powerseeker 80EQ.

This is where I got the t-ring

I am eagerly awaiting the skies to clear here to start. As a start I have a basic Star Navigator 70060 Reflector which is decent for my current purposes. I tried it last summer for planetary and star viewing and it did what I expected of it and more.

I want to start using it for astrophotography with my phone and getting the hang of things before investing further in telescopes, cameras and software. I want to practice on the Moon and some planets if possible.

I took very simple images with my Huawei P10 lite and was pleasantly surprised. Here is one I took of the Moon during the eclipse by just holding the phone over the eye piece: https://i.imgur.com/XUyPGpC.jpg

I want to buy this Mount Adapter as a start but I was wondering how would such a mount cope with phone with multiple cameras such as the new Huawei P30? Does anyone have experience with that?

Thanks! If you do end up going with this telescope, I'd recommend getting the AC adapter especially if you plan on doing backyard astronomy as it doesn't come with one.
I'm also looking into buying a solar filter eventually.

For absolutely everything that you need to know for AP, I would suggest this: http://www.amazon.com/Astrophotography-Thierry-Legault/dp/1937538435/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448998390&sr=8-1&keywords=Astrophotography It is pretty up to date as well, being published in 2014.

This is the Star Adventurer. An Alt/Az tracks the object using altitude (up and down) and Azimuth (left and right). An Alt/Az mount will produce field rotation. An equatorial mount tracks using the rotation of the earth allowing for MUCH longer exposures. A prime lens is a lens that has one focal length. Many lenses will allow you to go from 18mm to 55mm or from 75mm to 300mm. When manufacturing non-prime lenses, some quality is sacrificed due to having to make the lens capable of multiple focal lengths. More quality and precision go into a prime lens. Prime lenses also tend to have larger apertures (letting in more light/low focal ratio). Prime lenses also tend to be a little more expensive, but you can get a Canon nifty-fifty (50mm) for wide field astrophotography and every-day photography for under $150. Here is a Canon 200mm prime for $750. Here is a picture from Astrobin taken with the Star Adventurer, a Sony A7, and a Samyang 135mm prime lens.

I have this Barlow which, combined with this t-ring adapter allows me to shoot with my Nikon at prime focus with an additional 2x magnification.

I think the way the magnification is going to work is you take the focal length of the telescope divided by the size of your camera's sensor, which is the magnification you'd get with just the camera and the telescope. So with that 500mm focal length scope and your camera's 35mm sensor (although I think the sensors aren't exactly 35mm) then you'd end up with 500/35 which is a 14x magnification. So with the 2x Barlow I linked you'd get 28x, although you'll also have to compensate with the slightly dimmer magnified image.

Hi guys! I'm just looking at amazon for a dslr to barlow. How is this?

www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B013DID11A/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AHQ6VCR020F8X&psc=1

This will be my first attempt at putting dslr to a telescope. I have a standard 1 1/4 telescope and a Rebel XSI.
I see that its from a canon ef to m42 and then m42 to 1 1/4. Would that still be alright? Or should I just man up and buy a canon to t and universal t to 1 1/4?

Would this telescope be a good choice for Astrophotography?

I would prefer something can can assist me in tracking as much as reasonably possible.

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexStar-4-SE-Telescope/dp/B000GUFOBO/ref=sr_1_2?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1452609274&sr=1-2&keywords=Celestron+NexStar+4SE+Maksutov-Cassegrain

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.

Does anyone have experience or own this book?

https://www.amazon.com/100-Best-Astrophotography-Targets-Telescopes/dp/1441906029/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537816644&sr=8-1&keywords=100+astrophotography+targets

I just picked it up on amazon, and despite being advertised as having full color images (which would be very helpful considering the subject material), all the images are in black and white and look like they were simply photocopied (very poor quality). I sent it back to amazon and I'm waiting for a new copy, but I'm curious if I'm missing something...

What do you think about this contraption?

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-5338-SteadyPix-Deluxe-Camera/dp/B0069VXY7K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1398007449&sr=8-3&keywords=steady+pix+iphone

Is it worth tinkering with or just go with DSLR?

Something like this is what you're looking for. If you want to use your phone instead, you'll need an additional adapter to thread it on.


In the future, you might consider a DSLR and T-adaptor so you can shoot at prime focus.

The barlow is built into the adapter

Is the 'Frequently bought together' list here the setup you're talking about?

How does this setup look?


EOS T7i
iOptron
Rokinon
Remote
Tripod

Is this the one?
Rokinon FE14M-C 14mm F2.8 Ultra Wide Lens for Canon (Black) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B003VSGQPG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_i2b2DbJTN0ZCB

Here are a couple pics. These are screenshots because I was having trouble uploading CR2 files. I'm using a Celestron C8 with the Canon 450D. I'm using a T ring adapter with this barlow but I take out lens so I don't get the 2x magnification. I was using BackyardEOS and was doing at both ISO 800 and ISO 1600. I was also varying the exposure time between 30 seconds and 1 minute (I even tried a few at 10 seconds). DeepSkyStacker kept telling me I only had 1 frame to stack, even when the threshold was set as low as possible.

Hello,

I'm a complete noob to amateur astronomy. I once had a cheap refractor telescope as a kid, but it's long broken. I'm currently looking to get a new one, primarily for the purposes of stargazing, but perhaps further down the line take some photographs (issue is I don't have a camera, nor am I sure I will get one). I'm more interested in viewing deep field objects, but as I understand it, the only way to do so is through long exposure with a camera (?).

I'm currently looking at a few different models:

Celestron NexStar 4 SE Telescope -this one being the absolute limit of my budget

Celestron 21035 70mm Travel Scope

Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker Telescope

From what I've gotten from the 'What Telescope?' post, I need to choose between deep field and planetary viewing. What will I be able to see with my eyes, versus a camera?