Alien 13

I tend to just use the 500 rule as a starting point i.e. MAX exposure length but modify it by 1.6 (Canon APSC crop factor) for non full frame cameras so I get 500/1.6 = 312.5, so my goto rule of thumb is 300/lens focal length. Alan

The Mask is fine but I noticed that the image shown didn't quite have pinpoint feint stars and looked like some dimmer ones were about to "blink on" had the adjustment been a tiny tiny bit more. Alan

A good year for me although it started bad with a certain virus in December 2019 that I still haven't fully recovered from, not been outside now for a year but plenty to do and lots of new challenges indoors. Alan

Interesting, had always thought of Baader film as being as flat as the ocean in a gale, odd that my ND/UV/Polarizing camera lens filters etc are as flat as a flat thing. Alan

I am an Affinity Photo user now but still have PS CS6 which cost an arm and a leg back in the day, I gave up on PS purely for its lack of RAW support on the latest Canon cameras. Looking at the current monthly subscriptions for PS I would say its a bargain, I would imagine PS would cost £1-2K if bought outright but could be out of date within 6-7 years. Alan

Very nice but its not a proper bike, no mudguards/lights or even a bell Alan

The focus point for Mars or anything else will be the same as the Moon, tiny adjustments might be required to compensate for atmospherics but I do mean tiny.. Alan

Option two please, still the same even if the prize was £250... Alan

The list I posted earlier suggests the best ISO for the 40D is 800 and my initial thoughts using the 500 rule for shutter speed is 500/14 = 35 .7 seconds as a maximum. Alan

The ISO depends on the camera model there is a list here as for shutter speed start with around 20-30 seconds and see how the stars look in your image. For focusing use liveview find a star (focus must be reasonably close for this) then zoom in X10 and adjust focus so that the faint stars blink into view. Alan

Thats a realy good image, your nephew is a natural...Its amazing realy how often hand held Lunar shots work with camera lenses. Alan

Nice pattern and the focus is almost spot on, must try one. Alan

Loved it, noticed that not only was the Earth moving but rotating, does this mean that it isn't flat Alan

The method you describe works fine, I use it all the time, just remember to factor in the delay time (2 or 10 seconds) into the timer interval. Alan

I would personally get a 2 inch extension piece or a 2 inch camera adapter anyway as at its native focus its still handy for full disc Lunar imaging etc. Alan

Im back, Stuart is the member I was thinking of, worth searching all his posts. Alan

I think at least 1 member uses this lens for AP with very good results, certainly on par with a top end APO scope but cant remember any details at the moment....Ill be back. Alan

I dont think it effects how you use the histogram, just means that you may have to expose for longer to reach the same point (which is a good thing as it means better dynamic range). The 80D is unique in the Canon range as it is pretty much ISO invariant which means the data captured in dark areas suffer no noise penalty if you use post processing software to increase levels rather than using a higher ISO, much like a lot of Nikon cameras. Alan

Just tried mine and yes the app is limited and so too the EOS utility on the PC via remote wifi. I tend to use the app/eos util to remotely set the camera and get it focused using the microfocusing options then switch control to a wireless intervalometer (dont like the cold so do everything from indoors). As Happy Kat mentioned shoot at the cameras optimum ISO which in the case of the 80D is 100-200. Alan

Unfortunately the timer/intervalometer will only work with multiple 30sec subs and the bulb timer only works for single shots, the two cant be combined. A cheap wired intervalometer will be an easy option or try the Canon camera connect app. Alan

Affinity Photo is a good alternative to Photoshop and is reasonably priced, it is quite popular with members on this site. Alan

Think that mount needs 12V so my solution wont work. Alan

The power requirements depend on the specific mount etc. for example my EQ3 only requires 6V so I can power it, my dew heaters and tablets/mobiles etc of cheap mobile phone power banks making everything very portable. Alan

The 80D is a bit of a beast to get your head around but there are quite a few users on this site if you have any questions. The video linked too by Tony Northrup is excellent but does not cover some of the more advanced features like custom shooting modes which are so handy if you cant remember a previous set up, it can save all the relevant options for Astro/Video shooting/macro photography into one place on the dial ie C1 or C2. Alan

Unfortunately that is only true if the polarscope can be rotated and has an hour scale like the SW ones.. Alan