LottJT

2 hours ago, Timebandit said:

 

I am not surprised you are confused 🤔 . I am still trying to make sense of that answer 🤔

 

 

 

I don't think you will go far wrong with those upgrades in eyepieces. 👍

 

That's good to hear. I've obviously got no experience so have tried to do quite a bit of reading up and based on what others have said these seem like a good start. I'm hoping I can barlow the 16mm Nirvana for higher magnification but if not will think about getting the 7mm Nirvana too when I can afford it. 

6 hours ago, John said:

I've queried that with the seller. Hopefully they will confirm one way or another ASAP.

 

With the seller saying that it was no longer for sale I bought the it from FLO along with a 12mm BST Starguider as I'm in a bit of a hurry to upgrade from the stock EPs.

Thanks for querying though, if it does become available again it will hopefully benefit someone else. 

Just now, johninderby said:

There is a 16mm Nirvana in the sales section.

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/353464-ovl-skywatcher-nirvana-16mm-uwa-eyepiece/

 

Thanks for the heads up. I did actually enquire but the seller said they have are no longer selling due to lack of interest. That confused me a little if I'm honest as I'm interested but it's obviously their choice. 

1 minute ago, John said:

The 16mm Nirvana would work well at F/5.9 I think. The extreme edges of the field of view might not be 100% perfect but the majority of the field of view will be very nice. They are very good value currently for an 82 degree eyepiece.

 

Yes, they do seem like good value from the shopping around I've been doing. I'm going to get one and then try to decide whether to get the 7mm too or a 12mm BST as I try to upgrade my EP selection. Thanks for your help, I know it can be personal preference but it's still reassuring to learn from others' experience before spending your hard earned money. 

On 11/12/2014 at 13:16, John said:

I agree with Lowjiber. While the light pollution can't be overcome without observing from somewhere else, you can use a little more magnification to darken the background "glow" which will help with deep sky viewing. I have some light pollution where I observe and consequently don't find my 31mm eyepiece as good as my 21mm or 13mm for viewing the deep sky. To complement the additional magnification, wide or ultra wide eyepieces can still show a generous field of view.

So there may be a role that wider angle eyepieces could play in helping you make the best of your observing circumstances.

I also have an Orion XT8 dobsonian and am looking to upgrade from the stock eyepieces. Living under bortle 6, maybe 7 skies means this thread is really relevant and useful. I was planning on going for a couple of BSTs but I've seen you say good things about the 82° Nirvanas so, based on your advice of going higher mag complimented by wider FOV, I think I'd be better off going for the 16mm for DSOs. Before I part with my money I just wanted to check that it would be decent (I say decent as I'm being realistic with the sub £80 price tag) at f5.9, I think you have experience of the Nirvanas at f6? Any advice would be much appreciated. 

On 22/04/2020 at 14:59, Mr niall said:

As promised - bit windy last night so ended up with 35x 60sec at 80mm, ended up throwing the rest away. Alkaid in middle, M51 on right, M101 on left. Sure you could do better much better pal. But mount worked fine.

Well the only imaging I've ever done was 1x 30sec shot of the Milky Way taken on holiday with my DSLR propped against a shoe to point it skyward...so this is definitely better than what I've produced! I'm obviously not in a position to judge other people's images but it definitely looked like the tracker has done what it promises. Thanks for sharing. 

1 hour ago, Mr niall said:

I’m not very good so it may not be very inspiring! Was really windy last night too. Lost quite a few subs, but I’ll share what I end up with for reference if nothing else.

I'll await your Hubble level images with anticipation! 😉

10 hours ago, Mr niall said:

Yes I’m doing an M51 / M101 widefield as we speak!

Hope it went well. I'd be very interested to see how you got on.

14 hours ago, Space Oddities said:

I used the Minitrack a couple times with this tripod, but also heavier payloads: about 2,5 kg for the lens, camera and filter wheel, 1.2 kg for the mount (AZ-GTi), 1 kg for the wedge. So almost 5 kg in total for deep sky imaging, and no problem  

As I said, the only gotcha with this tripod is probably durability. A brand like Gitzo or Manfrotto, who are dedicated tripod companies, probably uses better quality and more proven materials than Neewer. My tripod still works fine, but isn't as smooth as its first days. But for the price, it's totally fine with me  

If you can find on the used market, for the same price, a good Manfrotto or Gitzo tripod that suits your need, I would go for it. If you prefer something new, carbon fiber, then the Neewer is a good option. 

I've looked at some used Manfrottos and Gitzos but the only ones in my budget seem to be the less sturdy models or those without heads. As I need to get the LX3 and probably a Starwatcher equatorial wedge as well as the tripod I need to keep the costs down where possible so something like the Neewer seems to fit the bill. Thanks a lot for the advice, it's all been really helpful. 👍

7 hours ago, Mr niall said:

I use that exact tripod (except its branded as Rollei) with my LX3 and a Canon 250d. Its rock solid cant recommend it enough. Mine is only the aluminium one too not the carbon version so you should be fine.

Thanks for the recommendation. Good to read of someone using a similar set up to what I'm proposing. I know it's more suited to wide angle Milky Way images but have you managed to capture any DSOs with it?

21 hours ago, petevasey said:

"Hi Peter, 

I'm thinking of buying the LX3 and as this would be my start in astrophotography I'd need a tripod and head too, you seem to know of some good alternatives so I'm wondering if you can offer any advice to someone who doesn't have Manfrotto money"

Sorry, but I'm not really up to speed as far as tripods go. For some years now I've been using a Manfrotto unit, a 190XPro 3 section, which happily carries my Star Adventurer.  But as you say, Manfrotto are quite pricey, albeit very well made.  That Neewer unit looks very nice, and with carbon fibre is not only light, but won't freeze your skin in sub zero weather!

Best of luck, Peter

Yes, I've read that carbon fiber is a good option and I know Neewer make decent budget alternatives to the higher quality brands so I may go for that if I can't find a Manfrotto or Gitzo for similar money. Thanks for getting back to me. 

1 hour ago, Space Oddities said:

Have you considered the used market as well? There are good Manfrotto tripods available, like the famous 055, going for around £100. Could be a chance to get a more premium tripod for a good price.

I can't comment on Vanguard tripods, but I'm using this tripod from Neewer since a couple years, and I'm very happy so far. I think a few other people on the forum use it as well. For the price, it's excellent and very stable. The ballhead is also good, and will easily carry your setup. The carbon fiber makes it surprisingly light and yet, quite solid.

Also, 2 interesting features this tripod has, and that you should be looking for, IMO:

• a hook under the central column, that allows you to hang something and improve the stability of the tripod, by lowering its center of gravity
• removable rubber feet, with included metallic spikes: this is great if you're imaging in the grass. You can keep the rubber feet if you're on a hard surface, like concrete or pavement.

The only downside is that the glue used on the rubber knobs starts to wear off, which makes tightening it more difficult. I need to add some glue. That's the downside of cheap Chinese brands, but to be honest, for the price it's really not a big deal!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/en/gp/product/B01I1C8VGI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

I haven't looked at used yet so I'll definitely see what's available for around the £100 mark. If I don't see anything the Neewer you suggest could be a good option, I'm familiar with the brand so would sort of know what to expect in terms of quality. If it's used by a few other people of the forum I guess this level of tripod and head is sturdy enough to image with - do you know if anyone has used it with the Mini Track LX2/LX3 because I'm pretty sure the LX3 is the route I'lltake but just need to sort a tripod and head too? 

Thanks for your response and I hope you don't mind a follow up question, I just want to make sure I'm spending my hard-earned money on equipment that will get me started. I know I'm definitely at the budget end but from what I've seen, if I spend wisely, things like Andromeda and Orion nebula should be possible. 

On 24/04/2019 at 10:57, petevasey said:

But of course if the tripod has a pan/tilt head - often the case if already being used for photography, that will also do the job.  Like the one to which I posted a link earlier in this thread.  Personally, and particularly if using an accurate polar scope, I would prefer a head which has fine adjustments in both Alt and Az.  There is a Manfrotto unit. but it's expensive, as are most look alikes.  It's possible to buy separately the geared wedge for the Star Adventurer.  Strong, stable and good value.  The only problem there might be the fixing to the short dovetail if that comes with the wedge - it has a 3/8" bolt, but I think the Minitrack only has a 1/4" thread.  Relatively easy to sort with a bit of ingenuity.  A pity the LX3 doesn't have the larger 3/8" thread with a 1/4" insert - even more adaptable to a variety of mountings.

A little later just to mention again the Andoer ball head which is good quality (I have one) and a substantial saving over the one supplied with the Minitrack.

Peter

Hi Peter, 

I'm thinking of buying the LX3 and as this would be my start in astrophotography I'd need a tripod and head too, you seem to know of some good alternatives so I'm wondering if you can offer any advice to someone who doesn't have Manfrotto money. I've read that Vanguard make decent budget tripods so do you have any idea if something like this would be sufficient for the LX3 with my Nikon D5600 with 18-55mm kit lens, 70-300mm and 50mm Nikon series E lens?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vanguard-Alta-Pro-263AB-100/dp/B004OYUDG4/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=vanguard+alta+pro+tripod&qid=1587317337&sr=8-3

Any advice on tripods and heads would be much appreciated.