Astrid

I don't know... I would prefer a bigger aperture. I think it is too late though. Daaamn this suckss

Oh... I bought it from a local retailer here in my country. I already have the receipt :/, they told me something about the 150PDS. (I just looked on their site and they don't sell the 200PDS version... strange). I really hope I won't have problems with reaching camera focus... is there any way to fix it if it will happen? I'm hoping for the best... Thank you. Edit: I've found the PDS version of the 200P. It doesn't really contain a lot of information about it though.

Yeah, I know... I'll definitely get a RA motor ... I just wanted to get a sense of the actual equatorial mount first. Thanks for the ZWO ASI120MC tip! It looks very nice.

200P, not the PDS version.

Hello! I need help in choosing an astrophotography camera. I don't know how much I need to invest for a good begginer one though. My current budget is 150 pounds... I know, not a lot, but I already spent 600 pounds for my telescope (I'm not saying this is a bad thing, I just got a SW 200/1000 EQ5 and oh my God I just cannot wait for it to arrive arghh!!). I was thinking about getting a webcam first... but I would like to start with a DSLR (I really like the Canon 4000D or 2000D and it fits my budget). Are those 2 any good? Or should I rather get a webcam and save money for a more expensive DSLR like the 800D (that costs almost as much as my telescope =)) )? And if so, any good webcams that I can get purely for AP? Edit: forgot to mention that I would like to do both deep sky and planets astrophotography... Any help is appreciated! Thank you a lot and clear skies!

I personally use a laptop (macbook air 2017) and it works veryy good for photoshop 2020. The only downside is that DeepSkyStacker and Registax are only available for windows so I have to improvise. Clear skies!

I'd say both are very good, but I'm assuming you'll capture more light with the newtonian. The APO is easier to carry (probably weighs a max of 2 kg, while the 130PDS weighs 4-5 kg) and doesn't require collimation and it's easier to maintain. So if you're planning on doing astrophotography in your backyard or somewhere close from home, go with the 130PDS or even the 150PDS (for a bigger aperture). But if you're living in the middle of a city (Bortle 7-8) and have to drive a couple of hours to go to a Bortle 2-3 place, then the 80ED will be better (even though it is a bit more expensive).

I have the Bresser 20-60x60 Spotting Scope (this is the closest I could find https://www.bresser.de/en/Sport-Optics/Spotting-Scopes/NATIONAL-GEOGRAPHIC-20-60x60-Spotting-Scope.html) and I simply love it! For the price, it does its job wonderfully! It produces very sharp images (like really sharp). I can clearly see moss and other details on trees from a distance of 10-20 meters. I use it mostly for cloud and bird observations. It comes with a case, so it is very easy to transport, even easier than a Mak probably. The only downside is the mount that it comes with. Not my favourite. For astronomical observations, I can see some craters on the moon (my profile pic was taken with this spotting scope), but pretty much no details apart from color on the planets, I'm planning on piggybacking this scope on my SW 150/750 EQ5 for AP... So overall, I will say that if you're planning on getting a spotting scope, go with it. You won't regret it, especially with this Bresser. *I attached 2 pictures of the moon at 60x and 20x & 2 cloud pics. (here is a youtube video with a review for it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui0HUoDFVeo)

Perhaps it could be the camera’s overheated sensor? I’m assuming that this is a problem mostly with long exposures

Hi! That list looks great! But may I ask, what filters do you use/will use for nebulae? I heard that the only nebulae visible without a filter is M42 (orion). Is this true? Thanks in advance!

I agree. I think we should encourage anyone that has a passion, appreciate any unique idea and not bring them down. And from what I'm seeing, in those astronomy picture of the year contests (2018, 2019 and 2020), the theme is more about creativity and new ideas every year. I personally consider that AP contests should not be all about expensive equipment, but rather creativity, inventiveness, inovation etc etc, so that anyone (including amateurs and professionals) has an equal chance.

A catadioptric (mak, schmidt-cassegrain), Especially the Mak127 will be amazing for the planets and the moon, and quite ok for deep sky too (but not suitable for astrophotography because of the long f/10-f/11 focal ratio and small field of view). It is very portable and doesn't need as much maintenance (collimating, cleaning); so definitely good if you're living in a city and have to transport it etc etc. But they are kind of expensive so the only one that'll fit in your budge is the Mak90 or perhaps the 127 if you stretch your buget a bit. A refractor will be good for the planets and the moon, but you'll need big apertures (diameters) in order to see good things. And they can get pretty bulky and heavy (and have a problem called chromatic aberration that appears kind of like a halo around the object). An apochromatic refractor (APO) has another set of lens that correct those aberrations. They are kinda expensive unfortunately and not good for visual observations (but great for AP). So that leads us to the last type, the reflector/newtonian. I just ordered for myself a Skywatcher 150/750 on an EQ5 (it cost 500 euros); Because of the limit of the EQ3-2 mount, in order to be able to do astrophotography on it I had to invest a bit for an EQ-5 mount, but if you only need it for visual observations, the EQ3-2 won't be a problem (https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-150p-eq3-2.html). Then there is the Skywatcher 150i Wifi (this one is the same OTA (tube) as the 150/750, but on an alt-az computerized , but costs a bit more) https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/sky-watcher-star-discovery-150i.html And another great one is the Skywatcher 130P or the Skywatcher 150PL on either an alt-az or eq mount ( the PL has a bigger focal ratio, f/8 if i'm not mistaken, which means it is extremely good for planets and ok for deep sky). Another great choice would be either a 6inch or 8inch Dobson. A dobson is a newtonian OTA (tube) on a dobson mount. Those are generally cheaper and good for both planets and deep sky, but not for astrophotography and are usually not computerized. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/sky-watcher-heritage-150p-flextube-dobsonian-telescope.html https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-dobsonian.html https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-150p-dobsonian.html Unfortunately, with 300$ you cannot get a Go-To mount, planets and deep sky (you'll have to stretch your buget a bit). The 1.5 months of research I did in order to find the best telescope for my needs taught me that lol =)). In conclusion: I'd say go with the 200 (8inch) Dob if you only need it for visual. The good thing is that if you're deciding on starting astrophotography in the future you can buy a used EQ5, EQ6 or even HEQ5 mount. You can modify it and install a computerized system yourself (I know some people that did that). The SW 150P, 130P or 150PL are great too, but you'll need to stretch your buget a bit, and I don't think you need an equatorial mount for visual observations. Hope this helped!

Hello! I have a friend that bought a SkyWatcher 200P Skyline Dobson 10 months ago. (https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-dobsonian.html) Even though it has a 4mm deepsky eyepiece and a good aperture, she cannot observe nebulas or even large galaxies (like M31). The planets look ok (no problems here). I was assuming that the problem was the collimation, but she checked it and the telescope seemed collimated. Perhaps the problem could be the EP...? The place where she observes is not light polluted (from what I understood she goes somewhere in the countryside, not in the middle of the city or anything like that) Is there anyone that owns a 200P or had a similar problem? Thanks in advance! Edit: she said she tried with both the 10mm and 25mm EP and still nothing...

Edit: After 1.5 months of research I finally decided on getting the SkyWatcher 150/750 on EQ5 (stretched my buget a bit, but I'm sure it was worth it). I'm definitely thinking about buying different accessories in the future (a coma corrector, filters, good quality eyepieces, right-ascension motors, dual-speed focuser etc etc). Lots of thanks to everyone that helped me to make this great decision!

Thank you very much for the suggestion! I have found the 150/750 on EQ5 for pretty cheap here and I emailed them regarding shipping safety and costs. I’m definitely thinking that this setup will be amazing both for aatrophotography and visual (especially for AP). I’ll invest in a good RA motor drive for long exposure photography later this year.

Hi! Is the 130PDS good for visual observations too? And is it worth spending a bit more for the 150PDS? Thank you 😄

That's a great idea! I live in an eastern european country, but that'a a good idea! I think it'll be cheaper if I'll order my telescope from a british or american retailer and just pay for transport and probably fees. Thank you for the 130PDS idea! I'll look into it.

No, I do not have a camera yet, but buying one won't really affect my buget as I have a separate one and I want to get the telescope fir.st The problem is that in my country telescope prices are a bit higher: for example the SkyWatcher 150/750 Explorer on an EQ3-2 is already about 589$, so I don't think I can go for a sturdier mount (maybe the steel version of the EQ3-2 though) .

I'd say that what you need is a Polar Scope (basically a scope that helps you to get a better and more precise polar alignment). You can find plenty of videos online about it and how it works (but don't worry, it costs around 30-40£). A polar scope is not necessary, but it will most likely solve your problem. Edit: I'm not sure if a polar scope could be used with a camera as well (I only saw videos about it with telescopes). AP software I know: Deep Sky Stacker and Registax. Clear skies!

My bad! I meant f/8. My buget would be of about 500$-600$. After a bit more research I think that with this price range the best for AP would be either an apochromat refractor (the EvoStar line from SkyWatcher seems really nice) or the PDS version of the 150/750 reflector on a used NEQ-5. The 150p photos are amazing @KevinPSJ ! Definitely worth the effort! Now, as a final question: What are some websites that sell used astronomy equipment? All that I could find on secondhand websites in my country were toy refractors... Clear skies!

Thank you for the suggestion! I'll look into it

I know the feel of giving up. I’ve been searching for a telescope for the last couple of months and still didn’t find one. Everytime I’m almost certain of getting one specific model, i find others that seem better and are easier to use. But what’s important is that your passion for astronomy is greater than the frustration, time and patience it takes to find one. Eventually you’ll find your scope and most likely everyone here that owns one could tell you that it didn’t take 2 days nor 1 week to decide on one.

You can use a cross hair intersection as a guide (diagram found online). The outlines of the focuser tube, secondary and primary mirrors should be concentric (circles with the same center), so your collimation cap or laser should land exactly in the center of those 3 circles (2nd pic). My opinion: if you're not that picky and already spent too much time collimating, I think it is ok (perhaps the primary dot could be a bit higher) Another illustration: green as the end of the focuser tube, magenta edge of the secondary and red reflection of the primary. So when magenta and red are exactly in their circles that's when you have the best collimation.

Same topic, but a different example. I know people using a 150p that weighs 4.2 kg on an EQ3-2 that supports only 5kg and doing astrophotography just fine (even though adding a camera, coma corrector, barlow, piggyback etc the poor mount works at 7-8kg). I have currently kind of the same problem with overloaded mounts and I saw a post saying that using a steel tripod instead of an aluminium tripod might help. I'm almost sure though that overloading it might lead to a shorter lifespan... Whatsoever, I know that for AP it is recommend that your OTA and setup weighs 1/2 of the mount's max capacity.

I might be wrong, but I think that this illusion happens because of the fact that Jupiter has a higher magnitude, so when you are looking thru an inferior to average quality scope, the light Jupiter reflects dims its bands, while for Saturn the ring is just easier to see since it is a separate structure, rather than a colored 'band' on the surface. I noticed this with the moon and a cheap scope too. When there is an almost/full moon I can see less details around the terminator/craters.