You can try using a compact digital camera through the eyepiece Ben, although I dont know how good a quality of image you can achieve with that technique through an ETX60. I had an ETX 80 and tried gamely to take some images using that method - though without great success.

That having been said I was holding the camera to the eyepiece and using normal shutter release. I recently got myself an adapter like Adaptors - Skywatcher Universal Camera Adapter but I have not had any attempts to use it so far - my ETX 80 broke as did the 125 replacement but that is whole other story.

There is always the option of attaching a DSLR to the rear cell port using the appropriate adapters though I'm not sure if the ETX 60 will like the extra weight at the back.

I would stress, however, that I am a newcomer to practical astronomy myself so don't rely solely on my comments.

As an aside you posted your question as a blog entry - I don't think that quite so many people read the blogs as the forum proper. It might be an idea to ask your question again in, say, the imaging part of the forum.

Hope that helps a little.

[edit] Good advice that not to rely solely on my advice :-) - I think another (possibly better?) place for the question might be the section "Beginner's Help and Advice".

Planets and the moon is about all the ETX-60 motors can handle really... The guiding is not accurate enough for long exposure stuff, and a DSLR will collide with the fork mount.

I used to use my standard digital compact camera on a (very bad) adaptor to take moonshots through an eyepiece - nowdays, the adaptors to fit a camera to the scope are much better though. I still have that adaptor here if you want it (PM me)

I started with just getting the moon in the Field of View on the moon, and taking a snap down the eyepiece. Its pretty easy to do, you just need a fast shutter speed and a steady hand.

Good luck, and make sure you post your results here!

Cheers,

Richie

Hi Guys,

I have got my first ever photo. I took some pictures of the room with a doctored webcam. I just used all the automatic settings and took a avi video, than ran it through Registax.

Tycho and the Terminator on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

The Terminator on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Gassendi on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

For my first image, I think it came out quite well.

Thanks for the replies.

Ben