best scope to photograph DSO in detail

[Puglets]

As title suggests would like some opinions on a good scope for photographing DSO in great detail

[jambouk]

What mount, guiding set up and imaging device are you going to use with it?

[kalasinman]

An ASA RC would be nice.....Mesu , etc, so what is the budget?

For me, if the finance were available, I'd opt for a visit to Olly in south of France for some education on how to do.

[Ags]

Used 1100D, 50mm/f1.8, barn door tracker. And dark skies.

[kalasinman]

One of the issues in astro is that there is no perfect kit, as the targets vary so widely in size. As the Hubble wide field image proves, there is just no end to how far targets may be.

A list of the angular size of common objects for astrophotography.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:IanOsgood/List_of_astronomical_objects_by_angular_size

Although sizes vary, the range is mostly larger than 20 arc minutes to a over a degree.

at the bottom, the angular size of the planets, all in arc seconds.

Much of the degree of detail displayed in an astro imge is a direct result of the quality of the tracking and guiding of the mount, and the focussing of the optics.

Next in importance, the seeing of the atmosphere, and the contrast provided by the amount of light pollution.

As fairly good optics are available at low prices these days (GSO touts their mirrors to be 1/12 wave), the main consideration remaining is field of view. An 150/750mm reflector will just barely frame M31, and will nicely fit many of the other popular targets, while a long focal length scope such as an SCT, or RC may require learning to make multi-panel mosaics for many targets.

[swag72]

I think a little more detail from the OP would help rather a lot here!

1) Budget

2) Current kit

3) Interests - ie larger DSO's of small planetary nebulas, or galaxies

Once we know that information I'm sure that the good folk of SGL will gladly help you spend your ££'s

[Chris]

I'm with Sara, more info please

[ronin]

Need a cooled ccd, a good eq goto mount like the NEQ6 or AZ-EQ6 or iOptron IEQ30 or IEQ45, guide scope and guide camera then the scope say a 100mm APM LZOS refractor. Then you will get the detail. :grin:

[ollypenrice]

The scope is the least important bit. Mount first, then camera, then scope.

A good basic setup would be HEQ5 mount with autguider, one of the Atik monochrome CCDs with Baader filterset and then a small apo or small Newt like the 130P. The apo would need a field flattener and the Newt a coma corrector.

There is a lot to learn, though. And then there's the software. I couldn't function without Photoshop (CS3 is fine) and Pixinsight.

Olly

[Puglets]

About £3000 to spend, I have a a celestron 8se now which is great for the moon, planetary viewing and some dso objects but not all

[jambouk]

What mount is the celestron on?

[Puglets]

I was looking at the celestron Advanced VX GOTO Equatorial Mount any good or a better alternative?

[Puglets]

AltAz mount currently

[Scott]

neq6= £945

atik 414ex mono= £1119

Baader lrgb 1.25" =£73

manual filter wheel= c.£100

qhy5-II= c.£200

st80 (guidescope)= £97

sw.ed80 imaging scope= £350

Total=£2884

The remaining £116 will quite rapidly get chewed up on bits and pieces

OR,,,you could start by buying "Making every photon count"....£20  

[jambouk]

What about the flattner-reducer and spacing rings and dew bands and dew controller, and leads to run it all from a laptop?

[Chris]

How portable do you need the setup to be? 

[Puglets]

Auspom nice shopping list I will check it out properly and price compare before buying. So is my scope I have currently useless for dso even if I spend money to modify? Wedge etc...

[Puglets]

I would be bringing the scope in and out of my house so not necessarily for travelling and setting up

[Scott]

Auspom nice shopping list I will check it out properly and price compare before buying. So is my scope I have currently useless for dso even if I spend money to modify? Wedge etc...

thats just my opinion mate.....take advice on here for sure but never take anything as gospel when it comes to spending your own hard earned

[ollypenrice]

Some people persuade wedge mounted SCTs to take deep sky pictures and some don't. If we put it that way then it's not confrontational or controvertial, it's just factual. I know several members of each camp. Would I try again having failed once? No. (That's also 100% factual!    )

I like Auspom's list but, for a small refractor, I'd save by going for the HEQ5 and spend a bit more on a more upmarket Atik. The HEQ5 is as accurate as the 6, easier to move about and cheaper.

Olly

[Puglets]

Gosh ok I will have lots of researching to do now, good to have a point in the right direction

[nicks90]

One thing that's not really been stressed enough here is software/processing.

If you can't spend hours manipulating your images with the appropriate skill, knowledge and understanding, you might as well be using a tasco first scope and a smart phone camera.

And good quality skies!

[DaveS]

HEQ5 Syntrek (Not Synscan, put the money towards the camera), 130 P-DS, coma corrector. ST80 and QHY5 II for guiding, then your choice of CCD. Atik 383+ perhaps? though you'd need bigger filters which might as well be Baader as they're pretty much best value for money.

As for software, EQmod, PHD2 and Cartes du Ciel are free, Astro-Art 5 which I use for all my processing is about £150 from FLO.