Hi,
I would appreciate some advice as I am about to pull the trigger on buying some more serious astrophotography equipment.
I have dabbled around a little during this winter with some simple equipment, and the results have astounded me, so now I am ready to get into this bigtime. I would like to keep the cost down somewhat, so even if cost is not the biggest issue, I don’t want to pay big money for small improvements.
Conditions:
I live under a Bortle 6-7 sky. I would prefer photographing at a dark site all the time, but unfortunately this won’t be possible. My plan therefore is to collect narrowband from the premise of my own home, and go to a dark site to collect RGB - data. (Bortle 3) Thus I am going mono, and need manoeuvrable gear.
I am quite well versed with computers/software as I have worked in the industry for quite some time, so software/processing and stuff like that doesn’t scare me one bit. Otoh I really don’t enjoy hardware tinkering as much even if I am not a complete buffoon.
I am quite the perfectionist when it comes to the raw material grabbed. I strive for great pictures. If any of my suggestion would prevent me from doing that please let me know.
What I am thinking of in terms of gear:
Mount:
Starwatcher EQ6-R PRO: Tried and tested alternative that is “good enough” from what I have heard.
iOptron CEM70: New and intriguing, higher payload and better precision? More expensive though.
Scope:
TS-Optics PHOTOLINE 130 mm f/7 with two correctors. 1x and 0.79x. I have seen marvellous results from this scope… (eg. pete_xl on astrobin) But it is heavy. Do I need the CEM70 if I choose this one?
Skywatcher Esprit 100. Tried and trusted, and a lot lighter than the above scope. Plus cheaper.
Guiding:
Right now, I am definitely considering going without a laptop in lieu of the conditions above, and therefore I am thinking of the Asiair Pro plus guide camera and scope from Zwo. I have also considered the Lacerta MGEN3, but there are disadvantages to that in terms of functionality. Are there any advantages?
Also, are there any downsides for skipping a laptop? Can you reach much better results guiding with one?
Camera:
Since I want to go mono, I don’t have that many alternatives:
ASI1600MM Pro Again tried and tested. Microlensing issue though…
The new upcoming aps-c mono from QHY. Will have to wait for that one though. I am not good at waiting....
Filters:
Here I´m in the dark. Use Zwos NB-filters? Are they good enough now? This is the hardest part for me to figure out since I have not imaged in NB before.
Autofocus:
Will buy later.
Appreciate comments on this. Are these good alternatives? Do you have any other suggestions that might be better from a cost/performance point?
Thanks –
/Ulf