Mount for DSLR

[frogdr1ver]

So after reading a fair bit and being probably more confused than i was when i started! My aim is to do some astro imaging. I would also like to do viewing. I will probably have a budget of around £500 after asking a photography forum one of the bits of advice I've been given was to get an heq5 mount and use my camera (Canon 7d and Sigma 120-300mm with either or 2x or 1.4x TC) on it. Whats everyones take on that please?

Cheers

[damnut]

Ahh you are there already... For what you have described you will need deeper pockets! The mount new will be c£500 (no goto) without a scope. So you need to decide really where you are going to start & with what type of scope??.

SOS :-(

[frogdr1ver]

Is the HEQ5 the minimum mount to be looking at then? What sort of price do they go for used? Any other options for using a scope/mount and webcam etc for that sort of budget?

[Stephen]

It really depends on what sort of weight you are planning on putting on it, but the HEQ5 is the usual minimum recommended.

Some very good imagers on here use an EQ3 Pro and just DSLRs.

You could choose to image with the camera and lenses you already have with no scope? (Though would need to do some weight calculations.)

Consider picking up a copy of this and having a read if you are going straight in for photography

[RikM]

IT depends very much what sort of astrophotography you want to do and what your expectations are of image quality. Do you want Hubble pictures...or a grey smudge with some stars and a warm feeling that you took that. (That sounds harsher than I mean )

Deep sky AP has the emphasis on the stability and tracking accuracy of the mount. Long exposures are used (several minutes at a time). This one costs money to get a high quality result.

Lunar / planetary AP is more about long focal length and many hundreds, even thousands of short (< 1sec) exposures. Typically some kind of .avi file video clip type of thing is used. This can be done with a relatively modest budget.

Which floats your boat?

Edit: forgot about widefield with a camera lens on a small tracking mount

[frogdr1ver]

Thanks for the book advice, I've spotted that one being mentioned a few times. I reckon my camera/lens combo is around 8kg or so.

Do you want Hubble pictures...or a grey smudge with some stars and a warm feeling that you took that.

Love that saying! I want the first but will probably end up freezing cold with the second!

I want to have a go at wide field (probably start there) as well as deep sky i think. I know i need to walk before i run and I'm trying to ease myself in and get all the facts before i spend any money.

[pvaz]

The HEQ5 Synscan, a tripod head and your current gear will do for widefield. It's actually easier to learn about processing and all the other stuff before introducing a scope into the mix. For a DSLR only a smaller mount would suffice but then you'd have to upgrade once you decide to take the next step. It would cost more then getting a HEQ5 from the start.

About the camera, most images you see gather light in the infra red wavelenghts. For this people open up their perfectly good DSLRs and replace the original filter, making the camera pretty much useless for daytime shooting. You can do it without modding the camera but the nebula, etc, won't have that much red and will look smaller.

The best guides for Canon Digital Rebel modification | Astronomy Photography- DSLR Astrophotography Tips & How to

[ollypenrice]

While you have to respect the weight limit of a mount, and maybe divide the stated payload by two for imaging, the other killer is simply focal length. A long FL needs serious guiding, a short FL doesn't. If you went with your present camera lens and an HEQ5, and started with the lens working at its shortest FL, you might well get good results. You would certainly be in a position to find out where you were in terms of your aspirations and you'd get a good introduction to getting the best out of yuor data.

Olly

Nothing much wrong with camera lenses even if you do have some longer FLs available. 200mm Canon lens on Simeis 142;

[jgs001]

If you're looking at using a light weight setup for your camera and lenses, the astrotrac is well worth a look and I think it's in budget.

[frogdr1ver]

Thanks for all the replies again. I knew it was going to be an expensive game to get into! I have lenses from 12 to 300mm before using any TC,s. Id love to have the cash to spend around a £1k as it looks like thats the sort of starting point to be able to do imaging and viewing.

Id spotted the astrotrac and i did wonder about it but i want to grow into the hobby and get a proper telescope as well if not straight away.

Love the picture, awesome that its with a 200mm lens.

As for doing the IR route i think that may come but would get an older camera and get that done. Or see if i can get a used one from a forum.

[frogdr1ver]

Jgs001 another user name i recognise as well as swag72. Two of the people that have inspired me to head off down this road.

[jgs001]

Glad to have inspired... I think ... Given your inclination, then yeah, go for the HEQ5. If you go for the Synscan, then you have the mount ready for goto and guiding (not a consideration now, but it will be .

Defo invest the money for Steve's book though.

Have you tried a bit of widefield with the 12mm lens on a static tripod ? You ought to be able to get about 50 second exposures before any noticeable trailing (give or take). Shoot 10 or so, then cap the lens and shoot 5 or so (darks). Sling the images as lights into Deep Sky Stacker, and the darks as just that, and tell it to get on with it. Push the ISO as high as you can and the lens as wide as is useable... depends on the quality of the lens of course... you may need to stop it down to f/4 or so.

[frogdr1ver]

Yeah ive invested in the book last night so hopefully that will be here soon. Not tried anything with the wide-angle, to be honest didnt even think about it until the last couple of days. I think id got into my head you must need a telescope to achieve anything as coming from a wildlife photography way of thinking where focal length is everything.

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[swag72]

Blimey ........... Cheers Euan!! Hop over to the imaging board though, there is shed loads to inspire you over there!!

Good buy with the book, you will learn lots and probably be a little confused by some of it on your first read. But stick with it and ask questions and you'll be up and running in no time at all.

[frogdr1ver]

I've ordered making every photon count and it should hopefully be here this morning. Really looking forward to reading it. Been talking on another forum about light pollution, how many people successfully do reasonable astro photography in their back garden? I live in a new housing estate and its not flooded with street lights but its obviously not pitch black either. With the way the sky has been recently I can't even see the moon to get my tripod and camera out to get an idea of my level of pollution.

I'm probably going to ask for vouchers for Xmas to go towards the mount/scope so where's the best place to ask for them to be from? I'm assuming first light? Other.than eBay do any shops do used eqpt I should know about?

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[swag72]

Very few people have totally dark skies, and most have some form of LP. People on here are imaging from London and other places with what I would consider to have a fair bit of light pollution. A filter will really help as well as some post processing skills.

There's a link to a LP map knocking about, I'll see if I can find it - Will give you an idea of what you're up against maybe.

UK Map showing LP - Not the one I was looking for, but will give you an idea.

[frogdr1ver]

Never even thought of a light polution map! Thanks for that. Googled it as well and it varies a bit from site to site but was surprised how politest Lincoln was as its not exactly a big city. Still at least I'm right on the outskirts and not in the middle. Hopefully we will have a clear night before Monday as I'm off back to work Tuesday for a fortnight. Now if I could get my camera out there and get them to switch the flare off we would have pretty much zero light pollution on our rig.

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[saturn5]

Very few people have totally dark skies, and most have some form of LP. People on here are imaging from London and other places with what I would consider to have a fair bit of light pollution. A filter will really help as well as some post processing skills.

There's a link to a LP map knocking about, I'll see if I can find it - Will give you an idea of what you're up against maybe.

UK Map showing LP - Not the one I was looking for, but will give you an idea.

Was this the one you were thinking off?

need-less light pollution

[frogdr1ver]

That one is really good! Gives you a good idea of what youi might be able to see. Thanks for that.

[todd8137]

hi what sub length would i get with a 18mm lense ?

i usally do 30 sec subs @18mm so how do i work out how long to shoot for with a 18mm lense ?

keep in mind that i am just use in a tripod with no tracking

theres also the barndoor mount

[todd8137]

frogdriver

have you had a look at a " barn door tracker " google it and take a look they cost about 15/20 quid to make

A Beginner's Guide to DSLR Astrophotography

if you or any one you no as any skill in knocking bits of wood together this is way cheaper and i bet you have most of the bits to make this

[jgs001]

The rule of thumb that seems to work well, is the 600 rule. 600/focal length = max exposure time in seconds from a static mount.

[todd8137]

Hi and thanks will keep the 600 in my head now

Cheers

[frogdr1ver]

frogdriver

have you had a look at a " barn door tracker " google it and take a look they cost about 15/20 quid to make

A Beginner's Guide to DSLR Astrophotography

if you or any one you no as any skill in knocking bits of wood together this is way cheaper and i bet you have most of the bits to make this

Had spotted that the other day and meant to look into it, thanks for reminding me.

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[frogdr1ver]

The rule of thumb that seems to work well, is the 600 rule. 600/focal length = max exposure time in seconds from a static mount.

That's a good one to remember thank you.

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