Camera setup

[cowasaki]

Right I've now managed to arrange a swap for a complete setup by using some photography equipment I don't use anymore and will collect a setup next weekend HERE. Can I just check what I need to buy to start taking photographs. The eyepiece hole is 2".

I have an extensive camera equipment setup but was thinking of using the D700 with AFS 50mm F1.4G with it's high ISO performance. I will be able to use live view and even shoot tethered to my macbook air so it should work out well.

I have a manual focus 50mm f1.8 too which has a 52mm filter thread.

Is the above the best thing to use or would a zoom lens work better. The 50mm has a 58mm filter ring but all my zoom have 77mm so getting a bit large.

[RikM]

You normally take the lenses off and mount the body straight onto the focuser via a T-ring / T-adaptor. The scope acts as the lens. Unless you can get a focal reducer for the Maksutov range you will need serious exposure times for deep sky targets but it will give you great closeups of the moon.

For planetary shots you may be better ditching the DSLR all together and taking a look at the high frame rate cameras like the imaging source range. You need to take many hundreds of frames, normally as an avi file, and then stack them to produce a composite with more detail than is visible on any of the individual frames.

I am not sure how good the focuser is on the Mak 180, many people fit an external Crayford focuser to prevent mirror shift on the internal system.

You have a fantastic visual system for the moon and planets though.

[cowasaki]

Thanks. I thought that was how it worked before I went into the camera section and then saw people talking about which lens. It was only then that I thought it was attached to the filter screw!!

So forget lenses and attach the D700 directly to the scope.....

I didn't mention the scope because I will be buying a 200p or 250p and a cheap mount in a couple of months and sticking the 180 on the new cheaper mount and the probably 250p on the HEQ6....

So I need a 2" to Nikon F mount adapter then?

[RikM]

Smart move.

If you are going for a fast Newt I would suggest an MPCC coma corrector and a T-ring instead of a 2" T mount. Two birds with one stone. After that, look at autoguiding.

Welcome to the dark side

[cowasaki]

Smart move.

If you are going for a fast Newt I would suggest an MPCC coma corrector and a T-ring instead of a 2" T mount. Two birds with one stone. After that, look at autoguiding.

Welcome to the dark side

Yes that looks ideal with the D700 being full frame. I've saved so much on the original outlay that that should fit nicely into the budget. Will the 250p be much better than the 200p for photography?

[RikM]

They are essentially the same, just different focal length, same as lenses. Faster f ratio is good, then pick your focal length to suit your target. The 200P will show you more sky than the 250P, the 150P will show more again and an ED80 with a 0.85 reducer still more.

What sort of targets were you interested in? Without an autoguide system, you will be limited in your maximum exposure time so a shorter focal length (ED80 + reducer) would give you an easier time. This little black and white scope really is a giant killer in astrophotography.

Take a look at this FOV calculator. Select your camera and pick a scope and then select some objects to see how they fit in the field of view.

Edit: without an autoguider, the 200 is better than the 250.

[cowasaki]

They are essentially the same, just different focal length, same as lenses. Faster f ratio is good, then pick your focal length to suit your target. The 200P will show you more sky than the 250P, the 150P will show more again and an ED80 with a 0.85 reducer still more.

What sort of targets were you interested in? Without an autoguide system, you will be limited in your maximum exposure time so a shorter focal length (ED80 + reducer) would give you an easier time. This little white scope really is a giant killer in astrophotography.

Take a look at this FOV calculator. Select your camera and pick a scope and then select some objects to see how they fit in the field of view.

Edit: without an autoguider, the 200 is better than the 250.

I have the "NEQ6( as EQ6 pro) pro tripod with Synscan hand controller with goto" so I then need to connect an auto guider to that? What do I need to get that working?

[Black Knight]

The usual route is to use a separate guidescope and camera, although standalone autoguiders are available, although they still require a guidescope as well. These First Light Optics - Skywatcher Startravel 80 OTA are very popular as guidescopes, and the QHY5 Guider Cameras @ Modern Astronomy is a popular guidecamera.

They can be attached either using a dual mounting bar, or mounted piggyback on top of your normal imaging scope.

One of the main advantages of using a dedicated autoguider is that it doesn't need a computer running guiding software to operate. But if you are using a laptop anyway either to control the mount, or control your main imaging camera, this is less of an advantage.

[RikM]

The best way is a SkyWatcher Star Travel 80 (ST80) as a guide scope with something like a QHY5v mono guide camera, an ST4 cable and and a free download called PHD which is a guiding program.

I don't know if it will work on a mac so you may need to run it via a windows simulator.

I use a bargain program called APT (astrophotography tool) to control the imaging caera, but I think it is only compatible with Canon at present.

[RikM]

Andy beat me to it

[Black Knight]

Hehehe Great minds, eh Rik?

These are examples of dedicated autoguiders:

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Synguider Autoguider

First Light Optics - Baader LVI Smartguider 2

[cowasaki]

As I already have the 180 could I mount that and the 250p on the HEQ6 and use the 180 with the star guider to begin with then later in the year I can replace it with the ST80?

[RikM]

Probably not. I think the wieght would be too much.

As an alternative, I use the same QHY5 mono guide cam, but I have it fitted onto my 9x50mm finderscope rather than use a separate ST80. You just need a c-mount to straight through finder adaptor again from Modern Astronomy. Perhaps not quite a stable as an ST80 guider, but I can get at least 10 min subs with no star trailing.

[cowasaki]

If I got this setup:

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Startravel 80 (EQ1)

and took off the ST80 would the tripod etc at least work with the 180 just so the kids could use it?

[cowasaki]

although i've it isn't too bad on it's own:

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Startravel 80 OTA

[RikM]

If I got this setup:

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Startravel 80 (EQ1)

and took off the ST80 would the tripod etc at least work with the 180 just so the kids could use it?

NOOOO

The EQ1 is very light weight mount best suited to small short refractors, baby Newonians or DSLR cameras. Actually, with a motor drive and a fast lens, this is nice for widefield images.

[cowasaki]

Thank you everyone for being so helpful, just a few more questions:

What about this device ?

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Synguider Autoguider

This would save me needing a computer for the guide scope....

Also would the ST102 be as good as the ST80 (might have another deal )

Lastly do I need a guide scope bracket like this:

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Guidescope Mount

or a doubler bracket

or what?

I am looking at getting the main setup this weekend and the Nikon camera adapter this month then the guidescope stuff next month (so I'll have to use the 180 as the main scope for a short time) then get the 250PDS and a EQ3 (I think) the month after at which point the 180 can go on the EQ3 and the 250PDS can go onto the main rig......

[cowasaki]

NOOOO

The EQ1 is very light weight mount best suited to small short refractors, baby Newonians or DSLR cameras. Actually, with a motor drive and a fast lens, this is nice for widefield images.

EQ3 better

[RikM]

EQ5 at minimum and it's probably a strugle on that. There is a very good reason the previous owner had it on an EQ6. It has a huge focal length and needs very solid mounting or your view will be bouncing all over the sky and you'll never see anything. That said, it is fantastic scope. A friend of mine in Cheltenham has one.

The ST102 would probably be fine instead of the ST80. The message I am trying to get across is that bigger is not better for astrophotography. (Edit: unless you are talking about the mount !) Smaller and lighter is the name of the game for optics because you are not limited to the amount of light the eye can take in, you can simply open the shutter longer.

E.g, there is no need to get a 250PDS unless you WANT the longer focal length and narrower field of view and you are prepared to put in the extra effort it will need to get images with that scope.

As I am sure you understand, it is not as simple as stick a camera on it and press the button.

I am not trying to put you off in any way, just letting you know really are starting at the deep end with regards to kit. Once you have it all figured out though, you will have a good set up for small faint objects.

[cowasaki]

Thanks Rik,

I'm trying to get all the options and ideas sorted in my head before I go off on the wrong tangent. If I can get away with the 180 then I would keep that. By the time it comes to affording the 250PDS I will have been using the 180 with the other kit for a couple of months so hopefully I'll be in a better position to understand what I need/whether I need it.

As it stands then the camera mounting stuff this month should at least let me have a play, get some moon shots etc. With that I'll then sort out the auto guider next month. I'll probably take stock at that time and decide where I want to go.

Thanks once again.

[Stagman]

Thanks Rik,

I'm trying to get all the options and ideas sorted in my head before I go off on the wrong tangent. If I can get away with the 180 then I would keep that. By the time it comes to affording the 250PDS I will have been using the 180 with the other kit for a couple of months so hopefully I'll be in a better position to understand what I need/whether I need it.

As it stands then the camera mounting stuff this month should at least let me have a play, get some moon shots etc. With that I'll then sort out the auto guider next month. I'll probably take stock at that time and decide where I want to go.

Thanks once again.

Hi Cowasaki

If I may make a suggestion?

I think the 'one step at a time' approach may be best? i.e. don't try running until you can walk Get the scope and learn how to use it, setting up etc, perhaps even try a few short exposures first before even thinking about guiding.

[Stagman]

Ooops. Double post!

[cowasaki]

Hi Darren

If I may make a suggestion?

I think the 'one step at a time' approach may be best? i.e. don't try running until you can walk Get the scope and learn how to use it, setting up etc, perhaps even try a few short exposures first before even thinking about guiding.

Thanks. I have had scopes before and have been interested in astronomy for 30 years but this will be my first decent setup. I am taking it step by step, I am getting the kit and ordering the stuff to attach the camera to it this weekend so I will have a month to play with it.

The guide stuff will be next month (because I have spare cash Feb/March) so I should have had a month to play and even if it doesn't get used for a few weeks it's the best time for me to buy.

I am a very experienced photographer doing stuff with water droplets, studio stuff etc so I understand about long exposures etc. I understand the reasoning about using a guide scope now (I previously assumed the mount held it on target well enough) and I will actually be controlling the camera's shutter using a device I designed and built for the water droplets which will allow me total control of when the shutter opens/closes, how many times and for how long etc......

[Stagman]

Thanks. I have had scopes before and have been interested in astronomy for 30 years but this will be my first decent setup. I am taking it step by step, I am getting the kit and ordering the stuff to attach the camera to it this weekend so I will have a month to play with it.

The guide stuff will be next month (because I have spare cash Feb/March) so I should have had a month to play and even if it doesn't get used for a few weeks it's the best time for me to buy.

I am a very experienced photographer doing stuff with water droplets, studio stuff etc so I understand about long exposures etc. I understand the reasoning about using a guide scope now (I previously assumed the mount held it on target well enough) and I will actually be controlling the camera's shutter using a device I designed and built for the water droplets which will allow me total control of when the shutter opens/closes, how many times and for how long etc......

I wasn't referring to your photographic ability or your endeavours in electronics either! I was talking about how to set up the scope and use it.. I based my reply on some of your previous posts which showed a lack of knowledge of some pretty basic stuff.

Sorry if I offended..... Good luck

[cowasaki]

I wasn't referring to your photographic ability or your endeavours in electronics either! I was talking about how to set up the scope and use it.. I based my reply on some of your previous posts which showed a lack of knowledge of some pretty basic stuff.

Sorry if I offended..... Good luck

You didn't offend me at all and thanks for posting, really.

I was just showing that I have an understanding of the subject but some of the details I wasn't aware of

I always reasonably assumed that the camera attached to the mount but then people were talking about camera lenses with caused some confusion hence my original question.

Then I assumed that I could take 20x 10 second shots for stacking and the mount would keep the telescope on track - I didn't know that these mounts with their goto features etc wouldn't keep in still enough. So now I know that I need a second scope with a auto guider in order to do those 20 shots.