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Maybe try a 2D "fluid" head (the kind used by video makers) ? Mine handles up to 4-5kg, but there are some more robust ones which can handle 10kg and even more, and you usually don't pay the "astro tax" on them, so you may get a very good one for the price of your SW/Bresser/iOptron/Omegon wedge. I'm using mine with a Minitrack LX3 plus camera and lens (~3kg total) and it's a breeze to setup and lock the altitude, with no shift while locking, and no play once locked. YMMV. PS : of course you would need a good tripod and photo plate to fit, if you don't have them already.

I am the same so far, highly pleased with my initial handle and look through session.

Thanks Hughsie, I. Just noticed the front lens part of the Asi 120mm screws off. Will try it next sunshine we get but are the internal reflections coming from the Lunt optical train or does the camera lens window also add newtons rings? It would be quickly swapped into the Lunt eyepiece so little chance of dust. Anyone tried this?

That Bresser payload is only 5Kg I believe so you'll be limited on what you can mount onto it. That is the ioptron one. There is a more "advanced" ioptron wedge marketed as the SGP version for their tracker, never used it though. One is on eBay from overseas but by the time you add in import tax it'll be closer in price to the WO one.

My Astigmatism is 1.5 if memory serves me again = or - I have no idea. No modification, just with the eyecup fully down so far. Sadly weather has stopped the chance for mor testing.

I like it because it is story related, Its Folklore and that is something handed down by word or story. If it was scientific, then it would not be Folklore.

im gonna go look at astro tools see how big saturn and jupiter seem in my fov. i have a 600d 4.29 pizel size even with a 5x barlow, jupiter looks about 2 x 2 pixels in astronomy tools

I find the SL to be an excellent EP: sharp and flat across the FOV. I honestly have nothing negative to say about it.

A family member is giving me an older DSLR and lens to trade in for a new Mirrorless camera. I want to get something small and lightweight to take on holiday to Canada, and to start learning how to do nightscapes. There’s a Canon sale at the moment, but I’m told they are fairly common: I’m looking at the Canon R50 and Kit lens which will be £750-ish minus whatever I get for trade in. The other option is the older Canon RP but it’s £1000-ish. I could go for Used from a reputable shop for a bit less (but see below) I note that Used body only entry level mirrorless aren’t that much cheaper than a new entry level mirrorless with kit lens in a sale…. TL:DR what lightweight entry level mirrorless would you all recommend for nightscape and landscape photography? And are there better options in the Nikon/Sony ranges? Thanks NC

@Stu1smartcookie Nice! I love those reassuringly chunky alloy knobs on those plates, it just feels so much more secure! That diagonal looks ace too!

at least i have a flattener

I am interested in purchasing the Geoptik Nadira observing chair and was looking for vendors that will ship it to the USA. Any help would be appreciated. Clear skies and thank you.

been some time since i've used any processing software and gimp is free. i can basically open and save stuff, but i'd like to try, er cloning/smoothing out some parts of the starless image outputted from starnet, from a sprial galaxy image. mainly just to see if i can then stretch it further before bringing out too much noise. im gonna watch the link below but just wondered where the 'stretch view' (like i use in siril) is located or called? i can't google it if i don't know the official term. Also i assume gimp has a basic clone type tool for me to play about with?

You definitely will not need a flattener. John

I've shot the moon with a 90mm f6, barlow and a small pixel camera (178MM). It can be done. Requires fast frame rate video and autostakkert etc Jupiter and Saturn require longer focal lengths

ADM , Skytee Clamp ...and a 2" Stella Mira Diagonal , delivered this morning by the Royal Mail .

I suggest you buy and read Steve Richards' book "Making Every Photon Count" (available from FLO). Then research any newer developments (e.g. Siril software) online.

Had my wife look through it who admittedly is not and astronomer, but has good eyesight. She saw the same artifact as me on the stars and Jupiter. The Starfield is currently away for testing at FLO. Will be interested to see what the outcome is.

@Alan White Alan, if I may, what is the empty filter frame used for? I've seen this before my friend?

Ty all for this need to have a detailed read. I thought maybe I could use a Barlow, screw it all together in image train and get (eg) 1000mm and f12 ish. The low f wouldn't matter planets are bright. As usual seems not. But need to read all the above in detail first. Ty again

@LaurenceT Hi Laurence! No honestly thank you for the constructive feedback my friend! I really would prefer people were totally honest with me so I can recognise my mistakes and improve my astro-images! So in relation to the micro-sd and dongle issue, you're 100% correct, all it was, was I forgot to change the settings in my Air to save files to Dongle instead of sd card! lol. I ended up finally working out how to transfer all the files direct from my Air's sd card to my home computer via WiFI. It was literally my first ever night gathering data using my Air in place of my Laptop. So i'm still learning but i'm fairly pleased with my progress thus far! Kind Regards, Wes.

If you just need the knob, well a knob is a knob. A knob from an electronics store might work. Failing that, as a last resort you can have one made - just drill and tap a piece of round stock and fit a grubscrew in it.

@Alan White Did you like it? Sometimes old legends and stories are , well, let's say unscientific 😃 and I've found some people a tad disappointed that Romanian lore IS almost exclusively 'story' oriented . Somehow between the Romans, the Turks , the Tatars , the Rus , the Huns and so on and so forth coming to kill us , no real science was highly developed except those required for survival like food preservation ( like telemea cheese ) walls ( Murus Dacicus) and Uber stealth ( long standing joke about the host of Jabarkas the Terrible not finding a soul to kill , so they stopped to drink water , tied the horses from a great tree, and when he looked back his host horses disappeared , and a 'Thank you' note was pinned on the tree) and orientation ( the Milky Way wa named Calea Robilor - The Slave Road - because it was used for bearing by the captured romanians running from slavery )

There are other things to look at, such as clusters (a couple of nice globulars in Hercules for example) and hundreds of double stars. I'm in Sheffield too and the LED streetlights here puts paid to any kind of deep sky observing unless you are willing to go out into the Peak District. There's a narrow dark strip down the centre there if you find the right place.

See also this "morsels" I created. Anton (www.astronomy-morsels.ch) Saros-Inex Cycles, Panorama V1.0.xlsx