New EQ Mount soon or New Package Deal later?

[thewigster]

Really starting to enjoy photography (mainly scuba diving so far) - but looking to do more below and above the water. So will eventually get a DSR that i can use for diving and astrology.

Have had my SW200p with DOB mount for about a year and only just starting to use it properly. Ive been trying to take a few images/vids with the compact camera Canon S100 so far but hand holding and quality as you can imagine is far from perfect but seeing Jupiter the last 2 nights for the first time has really inspired me.

So for the short term, need to get used to seeing the planets but want to take better pics than just hand holding with over exposed blurring images (and then progress to DSO's). Been looking around SGL and seems the HEQ5 with tracking seems to be a very good starting point which would last for years.

So it is it worth going for the HEQ5 and tracker soon? (or something equivalent) or save up and go for a package deal for about a grand for a new scope/eq mount say next year?

Thanks for any feedback

[Xplode]

The HEQ5 is a good choice and will do nicely with the SW200p if you get some scope rings for it.

Buy a guide camera too and you can start producing nice images with your setup

[swag72]

The HEQ5 is a good start for DSO imaging. Have you read a copy of 'Making Every Photon Count'? A cracking read and something of an imagers bible. 

The easiest starting point would be an HEQ5 coupled with a short focal length refractor, such as a Skywatcher ED80 - A great scope that punches well above it's weight. For DSO imaging this would be a much more favourable pairing than a 200p, which will really act as a sail on the HEQ5 and will be pushing it on an HEQ5 in my opinion.

[thewigster]

Thanks both for the info. Looks like it will be a HEQ5 soon then - think the scope will have to wait for a bit. Did see that book mentioned a few times - so have just bought it on FLO - will have a read of that (so should keep me quiet for a few weeks). Did have a peek at the flickr pics Sara - very good indeed!

I do have a 2nd hand EQ2 mount but did read that it would be a nightmare with my 200p sat on it! shame.

Think I will just have to look about to try and get some slightly better pics with what I have for now.