Dilema!

[blinky]

OK I know I posted a question about attaching a Canon D350 to my Newt. But....After meeting Andy who sold me the ZS66 he said that the Canon's response to HA (Thats the red right?) was only about 6% of the green response. I cannot afford to get the camera modded so would just be using it 'as is' Is this going to cause problems when imaging things like M42? The dilema comes about as I have had a loan of a Nikon 5700 for a few months and this is sensitive to IR (I can shine a remote control at it and see the led's light up) so I am wondering if I should make the guy an offer for it? The problem with the 5700 is that the lens is non removeable so I have to shoot afocus shots, but on the other hand it does have a rotatable screen like most video camera's have so is usefull when attahced to the newt.

So straight question Nikon 5700 or Canon D250/400?

Oh and does DSLR Focus support the D400?

[geppetto]

So straight question Nikon 5700 or Canon D250/400?

Straight answer, I'd go for a DSLR.

As much as I love my Nikon 5400 and it takes some superb afocal shots,

it's the afocal bit that ties you down.

A DSLR is a much more versatile camera

[blinky]

Thats one vote for the DSLR then....

[GordonCopestake]

I agree, bridge cameras are great if you have no asperations to do anything other than point and shoot stuff. The DSLR is so much more flexible. I have a Nikon D70 (and it works!) and it does duty as the "family" camera for days out, it attachs to a 'scope for prime focus long exposure images and I can attach a 200mm lens for piggyback widefield long exposure stuff.

If you look for the cameras that are one or two generations behind the current kit they can be had dirt cheap second hand from ebay. For Canon look at the 300D or 350D (the 400D is the current model of choice). For Nikon look for the D50 or D70(s) (the D80 is the current model of choice). I think cannon is slightly better than Nikon for astro stuff, but theres not much in it if you see a good deal

[Kai]

Dslr

If you browse the net there are many pictures taken on unmodded Canons that i would love to be able to produce,enough to keep me busy for a long time yet

[blinky]

I am a bit concerned about the lack of HA response. Does this not mean that I will not be able to take nice shots of the Orion Neb?

[GordonCopestake]

Other than the Cannon 20Da no DSLR will give you good Ha reponse without modding (that I know of)

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

I'm guessing that the numbers need sorting out here a little as this kind of raw statistics thing gets on my.

All DSLRs have 50% green pixels to match the colour sensitivity of our eyes. That means on a good day you would get 25% red.

The Ha band is narrower than a narrow part of the spectrum, so about 10% of the red bit even when exaggerated a lot (its probably closer to 2%) so that takes the percentage down to 2.5%.

Comparing 50% for the green with 2.5% for the Ha works out at 5%, so the 6% is what I'd expect in an ideal world.

The IR cut filter does reduce the Ha sensitivity, but it doesn't get rid of it completely, certainly not enough that M42 won't show up.

Captain Chaos

[blinky]

n excellent explanation. Cleared up the confusion nicely