Remote or laptop ?

[alowen]

Just out of interest for DSLR imagers, do you use a remote timer for astrophotgraphy or a laptop? I'm very new to astrophotography and understand both methods (kinda), but which is more popular and why?

With a remote timer and 'live view' it should be relativly easy to achieve focus, but with a laptop / netbook and 'utility' software it must be even easier.

Any thoughts opinions welcome.

Al

[carastro]

I use a laptop, and find focus and live view easier than I would if I was using the viewfinder of the camera, or Liveview on the back of the camera whihc most of the time defaults to showing my settings rather than liveview anyway.

Having said that, I can only see the brightest stars on live view, but that's sufficient for an alignment procedure and focus with a Bahtinov mask. I use Canon Utility and if you position the square on live view over the star you can then enlarge it to complete the focus in live view.

Some people don;t have live view, so I guess they take an image of a few secs and examine for focus.

Carole

[RikM]

I use a laptop as well. I find the camera screen can end up in some awkward positions so it's not always easy to see. Using software like APT means you have a nice clear screen which you can position wherever you want for ease of viewing and gives you focusing tools like FWHM.

I only use the liveview screen and timer remote for startrail pics now.

[rocketandroll]

I use a digital remote timer to control exposures etc and just take short exposures to check focus... that's simply because I have to do all my imaging from remote sites, but it works just fine...

If I was doing it in my own garden and could take the time to set it all up... a laptop would probably be a better solution.

I just need to be ultra-portable.

Ben

[Dougie]

I use laptop with APT software to view using liveview on screen for focussing. APT handles all the exposures of the camera and works well with Canon cameras.

[Psychobilly]

Both depending on how far I have to carry the kit... for stress free widefiled I use a timer remote...

[The Sailor]

Both, but prefer laptop.

Jim

[JohnC]

Laptop and APT

[melsky]

I use a remote timer (or sometimes two with two cameras on the astrotrac) it's so much quicker to set up and go before the clouds roll in.

Mel

[Glen]

Remote for me too. Laptop is just another thing you have to keep the frost off/battery charged (if not cables untangled)/Excess light/interruptions;).. to name a few.. But there is, as mentioned upside on both.

[SniffTheGlove]

I am just trying out my 350D I brought a few months back and was recommend APT. I tried the demo and loved it so I then brought it the next day.

It can take exposures and immediately show them on the screen helping me focus. My focuser is motorised but not controllable from the laptop but from a hand controller. I may look at adding some form of laptop connectivity to the focuser in the future.

For DSLR I would say APT and then fall back onto DSLR Shutter or a hand remote.

[MjrTom]

Both depending on how far I have to carry the kit... for stress free widefiled I use a timer remote...

I am of the same thinking.

If i'm imaging in the garden I will use a laptop, if I am dragging all my kit out to wilds of snowdonia its a Canon TC80N3 every time