Imaging with a Canon EOS 450D

[TheRahRahRah]

Hi all

I have had my telescope for a couple of years and would like to spend a bit more time doing some astrophotography.  I've used an adapted webcam a little but should be getting hold of a second hand (unmodified) Canon EOS 450D and then buy a Canon EOS T-ring to attached to my telescope.

I just have a couple of questions and would be really grateful for any advice.

Firstly; how does this camera get on?  I think I have found some astro pics using this camera that look really promising online

Secondly, in order to get decent pictures, do you need to record a video and then stack the images, or will a single photo with a longer exposure (when necessary) get good results?

It seems that this camera will only record video when attached to a laptop.  I'm happy to take the laptop out, but do people have any crafty tips for making sure the laptop doesn't ruin your night vision?

I'm on a real budget, so can't afford much else, so I hope this camera can do the job!

Many thanks in advance and thank you to those who probably answer similar questions all the time!

[Cornelius Varley]

Whether you use still images or video depends on the type of image you want to capture. For DSO images you need to shoot many long exposures which are then stacked in DeepSkyStacker (free program). For planetary imaging you should use the video capture method (I think this is a hack which requires a laptop to capture the liveview) For lunar imaging you can take several still images or the video capture and stack the capture in Registax.

[NickK]

As a camera exposes, often the electronics cause noise which interferes with the CCD - the noise then appears as additional electrons in the sensor to finally appear in the image.

Taking multiple images of the same thing then aligning those images allows the random noise to appear as not as strong (i.e. the signal to noise raitio increases as the signal is made stronger).

Often people will use a red piece of acetate (from a hobby shop) and tape it over the screen. Apple have the added pain of the glowing logo on the back to block too!

[baggywrinkle]

Get the T ring and experiment. It does not all have to be long exposure. The atatched are single shot 20 secs of an EQ5 mount usings an ED80.

[MattJenko]

I have a Canon 450D (although it is a modded one) - see the images in my signature link.

For anything outside the solar system, take lots of long exposure images and stack using DeepSkyStacker (as mentioned above). I simply use the Canon EOS utility on the laptop (I use an old MacBookPro) and using bulb mode, you can set up whatever exposure sequences you want. The 450D cannot have Magic Lantern installed unfortunately, so there is no way I know of to do a set of longer than 30 second exposures without a laptop. I haven't tried doing video with it, but know that is possible through the laptop as well.

There are various apps for the MacBook which change the colour scheme to a night vision friendly one, but in reality, setting everything up for imaging doesn't require good night vision per se, and once up and imaging, you can lower the laptop lid and get on with whatever else you are doing, so if you are then using a different scope for visual work, you are free to setup without having to stare at a computer screen.

[Mick J]

The 450 will be great,  what scope are you using and mount,  if using windows on a lappy look at APT software (it has a red  screen mode) to set your camera up.

[TheRahRahRah]

Thank you very much for your help.  I've got a Celestron Nexstar 127 SLT, which is serving me well at the moment.  I gather that if you don't modify the camera, that you struggle to image objects such as emission nebulae?

[PeterCPC]

Backyard EOS is a great program for using your Canon (small cost) and they provide Bacyard EOS RED which will give you a red screen to work with. Red is free.

Peter

[Mick J]

We have a 450d, self modified - went well, we replaced the filter but if I was doing it again I think I would just leave the filter out.  Don't worry about modifications and emission nebulae for a while there will be lots learn and do.  

[TheRahRahRah]

Thank you so much for the advice.  The camera arrives tomorrow and I'm looking forward to using it.