rwilkey

Hi Blue, 'Getting Started With Imaging' would be a good place to start, I think.

Hi Stephanos, I am not a photographer but an observer only and from an observing point of view and ease of use the Skyliner 200P is streets ahead of the 130P, I understand the EQ2 mount is not very stable from other comments on this forum. However, if you are only interested in astrophotography, which I sense you are, then your first purchase should be this book by Steve Richards 'Making Every Photon Count', it will show you that small refractors are more suitable for astrophotography anf other great tips. Welcome to the forum BTW!

Hi Blue, my family came from Somerset (Taunton, parish of St James) in the early 1600's (during the late reign of Queen Elizabeth I) so I feel I have some affiliation with Somerset, esp. as I was born & bred in Bath. Now in Swindon I am not all that far from you. A warm welcome to the forum and enjoy your new toy. Clear skies!

Hi Plissken, welcome to the forum. No, you do not have to buy 2" eyepieces, the 2" diagonals always come with a 2" to 1.25" adaptor, so you can use 1.25" ep's without a problem. I use a 2" diagonal but find I use 1.25" ep's most of the time, the disadvantage of 2" ep's are that they are heavy (you may have balancing problems with the 72ED) and they are more expensive. They do have advantages, of course, not least their wide rich fields.

Hi Geoff, I think we all find that. A very warm welcome from me. Clear skies!

Hi Synthesis, a warm welcome to the forum from me. Clear skies!

Hi Darren, welcome also from me across the pond. Clear skies!

Our meeting on the 20 March will be our AGM and this will be followed by a talk called 'The Red Planet' by Dr Bob Gatton who has been an active member of the club since 2013. More details found here: http://www.swindonstargazers.com/

Hi Raph, yes, I suppose you might call it 'borderline', however, the book concentrates on what astro-gear you need more than the actual nuances of the photography itself, it's about telescopes, mounts and guiding, with a good section devoted to computer programs used in processing the finished image. I have no experience in photography whatsoever and I comprehended every paragraph, it's a good 'read' to be honest.

Hi Matt, if you can, get a copy of 'Making Every Photon Count' by Steve Richards, it is the bible of AP, found here: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/making-every-photon-count-steve-richards.html

Hi Mike, welcome also from me. We are lucky here in Swindon because though with have talks at our club, we also have a small group of observers, sometimes it is just two or three of us and we text or email when we are going out. I appreciate your frustration but I find a number of our club members are 'armchair' astronomers, so we have a small, but lively group of members. Good luck and clear skies!

Hi Katie, what a lovely place to live and I also suspect you get great dark skies, a warm welcome from me!

Hi Alexandros, I hope you are having good weather in Greece, it is horrible here. Anyway, one of my favourite sky atlases is this one and I highly recommend it: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sky-Telescopes-Pocket-Atlas/dp/1931559317/ref=sr_1_16?crid=303XILAINBH7K&keywords=sky+atlas+book&qid=1582387411&sprefix=sky+atlas%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-16

Hi there, a warm welcome from me too. Clear skies!

Hi Craig, a very warm welcome from me too. Clear skies!

That's right Raph, you get seagulling at the edges, but on-axis it is brilliant.

Hi Dave and welcome to the forum, this is the place to ask questions if you need any help, lots of knowledgeable people here. New telescopes come packed with clouds BTW 🤣

Hi Rob, most ep's will perform well in your scope (f/8) and 2" ep's will be no exception

Hi Rob, that just about sums it up, what scope do you have and does it have a 2" focuser? Yes, they get more expensive and a 2" would get you more of the sky. If your telescope focal ratio is slower than f/6 then the 32mm Panaview 70° would be a good choice as John suggested above. On-axis this is a stunning ep and was my first upgrade, never looked back!

Hi Rob, and welcome to the Lounge. Alan is a great guy to deal with, when I first started buying from him he used to send me a little pack of sweets with my order. I have also met him a couple of times in London. On your question, I am not sure why the StarGuiders are not made in longer focal lengths except to say they would need better glass and be better corrected. As an alternative I would recommend the Explore Scientific 52° LER Series 30mm, a bit more expensive but you can guarantee well-corrected and comfortable to use (long eye relief). Found here: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/explore-scientific-eyepieces/explore-scientific-52-ler-series-eyepieces.html

Hi there, your images are superb! Welcome from me way down south. Clear Skies!

Hi David, I am not a photographer but a web designer so use PS quite a bit, but I have had a little go at your picture, the first is Image>Adjust>Curves, and the second is >Colour Balance as follows on top of the >Curves: You would do well to separate the two subjects and treat them individually. BTW, I was using an older version of PS: 5.5

Hi there, I use Baader Fine Tuning Rings (FTRs) for this purpose as I found the standard extensions took it too far out. I always have the 14mm and the 28mm close at hand, fits snugly in the diagonal. But as others have said, the telescope was built for observing objects much further away (2 billion miles?), so try it out on Orion or the Moon. The 14mm ExSc 82º is a classic and very useful ep to have in your armoury, so stick with it. Clear skies!

I agree with Louis D above, the Baader Morpheus would be more suitable for both of you, eye-relief is around 20mm which would suit both of you. They are quite expensive but do meet your criteria, better to spend a bit more now as they will serve you well in the future.

Hi Orion17 and welcome, I am also in the South West, but in a light polluted town, you must be near Exmoor perhaps?