Fegato

Yes that's right. AVX should avoid the rotation problem certainly. I think you will probably decide you want to guide though at some point. My current setup with the 8 Edge is a ZWO ASI294MC Pro using the Celestron OAG (and another ZWO camera to guide). Standard ZWO and Celestron adapters that come with the camera and OAG provide the correct back focus distance.

It's all a bit complicated when you get started - like you I started by sticking a DSLR (in my case Fuji) onto my 8 Edge HD. You're correct though - take off the diagonal, attach the T adapter to the telescope, and the camera with correct T ring to the T adapter. The space between scope and camera is critical to getting good focus across the whole of your camera frame / sensor. With the above, this should be correct (133.35mm for the 8 Edge at full FL). You'll notice that the T adapter comes in 2 pieces. By removing the shorter extension, you then get the correct distance for the 0.7x focal reducer (105mm). Easy as that! For long exposures (galaxies etc.) - the focal reducer gives you the advantage of halving exposure time (with a lower resolution bigger field - which might be advantage or not!). Which mount have you got the 8 Edge on? You may find you're quickly frustrated, as without guiding, you will probably find that the mount tracking is not good enough to give you tight stars for more than 30-60 seconds. And if you have an Alt Az mount (e.g. Evo, like I had), you will get some rotation in the field beyond this sort of exposure (stars trailing in a sort of circular pattern around the field). Anyway, that's how I started... but then I got a dedicated astro CMOS camera, an OAG for guiding, a Hyperstar lens for fast wide field shots, upgraded mount to a Eq mount, and then got a RASA 11 with an even bigger Eq mount etc etc. Addictive, expensive business, astrophotography! (but fun...)

I've been struggling all summer with this Veil Nebula 2 panel mosaic - it's been beset with various problems including failed meridian flips, operator error (failing to turn on camera cooler), and a general dissatisfaction with the stars (star problems are obviously even more of a problem with a mosaic). In the end I've gone with the nebulosity from subs using the NBZ dual narrowband filter (41 and 35 x 240s) and the stars captured without filter (40 x 2 x 10s). Anyway, I've done all I'm going to do with it, and am reasonably pleased with the result. As it fits this challenge, I thought I'd enter it! RASA 11 v2, CEM120 mount, ZWO ASI2400MC pro camera.

I'm not surprised you had divided opinions - there's nothing in it between those three shots is there really? But thanks - I'm honoured!

Here's another (and final) attempt from me, NGC 7023, the Iris Nebula, a first go at this target. I thought this would be a good one for 30 second exposures - with no filter this is probably around optimum with the RASA in my Bortle 3 skies. But I also needed no moon, and just managed to grab this early last night (29th Aug). I had various issues with the calibration and some strange artifacts coming from somewhere in the image train, but fortunately the large frame available allowed me to crop most of these problems out! RASA 11 v2, CEM120, ASI2400MC Pro, IDAS ODW (clear filter - optical distance worker), 99 x 30 seconds. Robin

Here's another one from a couple of nights back. NGC7000, North America Nebula. 85x30s - same equipment as above, but processed (in Pixinsight) using pseudo Hubble palette to try and bring out detail, particularly the Cygnus Wall. Robin

here's a first attempt from me - a widefield shot of M27, the Dumbbell Nebula, taken last night. 85 x 30s taken with ASI2400MC Pro and NBZ dual narrowband filter, on a RASA 11. A nice bright target to go for when the moon is up, and although perhaps a bit small for this resolution, I like the way it looks a bit lonely and isolated amongst a wide star field! On the downside, the moon gave me some gradients which I haven't managed to totally remove, and my stars in the corners remain a work in progress!

Just came across this thread, thank-you... I'm a bit fed up endlessly fiddling with my Hyperstar in the freezing cold desperately trying to get "pinpoint star images" as promised. I didn't realise the RASA8 could take an ASI2600, the central obstruction is wider than I thought. I also hadn't twigged that the additional weight of the RASA over the 8 Edge HD was relatively small, so my CEM40 will carry it fine. Apart from the expenditure, I'll probably have to wait months too, but I'm sorely tempted.

Hi - did you sort yourself out with this? I have the Edge 8HD, Hyperstar v4, and ASI294MC Pro too. I have spent ages trying to get the collimation right, including making sure the corrector plate is centred, and endless looking at defocused stars. But despite very carefully getting the "doughnuts" as right as I can, I always have coma in all 4 corners facing in to the centre, implying collimation not right or spacing not right. I'm starting to worry that the spacing is the problem although that seems weird - I assumed that having specified the right camera, I would just stick the camera with its standard nosepiece onto the Starizona adapter and all would be well, and a very rough measurement suggests I'm about right for 39.8 from the start of the adapter to the sensor. So - sorry, not providing any answers, just interested in your experience.

I have a CEM40, purchased fairly recently so still learning. I take in and out in a similar way to Paul, so in theory don't need to reset zero position. But any playing around while switched off does mean you need to do this. The Search Zero Position function does allow the mount to find the zero position itself, so you don't need to do it by eye. I use this and it appears to work fine. Just make sure the mount is totally level first obviously.