tooth_dr

Mine is held in the finder shoe as normal but I've removed the springy screw and added additional screws. The cable of the camera is attached to the findscope bracket also to eliminate at snags. I'm not by any means an expect imager, but I'm getting reasonable results 600s+. Some info here on a thread on mine:

It looks the same in the photos. There is a plethora of info on the use of a 9x50 finder as a guider! Search button is your friend! On the note of adapters - you wont need to spend £50 but around £28 should get you a nice adapter from Modern Astronomy. If you want to get good guiding I wouldnt scrimp on the connection of the camera to the finder. I guide my ED80 rig with a finderscope guider, and it seems fine at around 520mm FL. I plan to guide my 1500mm newt with one was well, but just havent had a chance to try it out yet. 1500mm seems to be quoted as the upper limit for the 185mm FL finderscope. You'll need to change or modify the mounting bracket too, to eliminate flexure.

Is the Celestron finderscope any different to the Skywatcher one?

Excellent! Keep us posted.

The all important adapter ?

I guess this makes me a ‘proper’ astro imager now ? EFW2 arrived today. Ordered an M54 to M42 adapter from FLO. I wonder what to put in position #5?

There are a few ways to do it even with a camera and lens. But this moves the goalposts on your original question.

That is a nice shot. I wouldn’t worry about wasting imaging sessions. If you haven’t done deep sky imaging before there will be a lot more to go wrong than just lens choice, be prepared for just about anything to go wrong ?

I haven’t forgotten Rich! This year I promise ?

The most logical thing to do is to get the HEQ5 mount and try the lens for imaging since you already own it. Then if it doesn’t meet your expectations get an ED80. Or am I missing something?

How does the Es Reid test work? Do you keep checking scopes until you get one that ‘passes’ or is one scope adjusted (if needed) until it passes?

I decided to make up a small visual/imaging travel kit. Here it is:

Now that’s what a telescope should look like!

Tasco 44TR - picked this up on Tuesday. Apart from dust it’s nice a tidy. Have to finish fitting it to the L-Bracket tomorrow, but just popped it up for a quick photo. @Stu Big thanks to Stu. I googled for 60mm scope rings and your SGL threads on this topic popped up. You suggested Munsen Rings which I had never heard off. In a shop beside my work I picked up 2 x 62mm rings (exact diameter of scope) for £2.40 today. Result ?

Some nice new filters arrived ??

False colour image in PS using NCs actions. Tried to get some Oiii last night but there was high cloud then total cloud!

Some adapters and pieces amounting to over £100

Thanks MG ??

Thanks Dave. It's also a bit larger than a 1.25" filter so less vignetting too. I used an ED80 with a FF 0.85, so about 520mm focal length and F6.3ish. I dont think this camera is anywhere near as sensitive as yours at all. I couldnt really see much in the 5 minute subs, but it was there when stretched and stacked. I've attached my previous attempt at this object a few years ago with a DSLR and a 250px. . I used APT and plate solving to align with previous nights. I typically save the position I used on the first night, which may be deviated from the standard goto position to improve the framing, and then request that saved position on subsequent nights. I label them as AJ IMAGES, so that I can easily find the targets I've imaged in the past, and can easily revisit them at any time. I wouldnt consider not using it now, it is a game changer. No three star alignements etc. I just take a image with it in home position, then plate solve and sync the mount to this. Next I choose any target and within a few minutes it's perfectly centred, just as the camera is cooling down. Thanks Sara, if I'm honest your review/info/comparisons on this sensor swayed me in buying this over a new ASI1600MM. So far so good!

So here it is! @Craney After a very smooth transaction and plenty of 'after-sales' advice from @Jkulin (cheers John), I started acquiring darks and bia, then finally got first light this week. Firstly my spacers havent arrived yet, so ignore the star shapes. Secondly I dont have any filters per se but I did manage to Blu-Tac a 12nm H-alpha EOS clip filter to the inside of the M48-T2 adapter. Details of image: 6 hours of data in 300s subs at -15oC, taken over two nights 2nd/3rd/4th July; darks, flats and bias used for calibration; stacked in DSS, processed in PS using some NC actions. Pointers and comments welcome. Early doors yet but a promising start. Best wishes Adam