Is this a good astrophotography set up.

[Doc]

I have spent the last three days reading about astrophotography, the more I read the more I think this could be for me.

I would like your opinions on this set up that I have in mind. I will have a budget of approx 2200 pounds.

EQ6 Pro Synscan.

Either a WO Megrez 80 Apo or a WO Megrez 90

As for a camera I need help. Can anyone advise on a good camera about 200 pounds. What can I expect in the way of exposures with the above set up. Also do I require anything else.

Btw I have an old laptop that I can dedicate to the set up.

I did think about the WO Zenith 66 as a guide scope piggybacked on the 80 or 90 but that can come later.

Cheers

Mick

[geppetto]

I'll throw in my two penneth

Agree with the EQ6 Pro...

Scope to get your feet wet, an 80mm Skywatcher APO

Camera for starters... Canon EOS350D

All for about £1800 leaving you some spare for filters, focal reducer

and general stuff

[Doc]

I'll throw in my two penneth

Agree with the EQ6 Pro...

Scope to get your feet wet, an 80mm Skywatcher APO

Camera for starters... Canon EOS350D

All for about £1800 leaving you some spare for filters, focal reducer

and general stuff

Thanks Phillip.

Why do people rate the Canon 350D so much is there a special reason?

[buzz5]

350D is very popular, also with the Canon software you can control it from a PC and change the settings... plus there are articles on modding that version of Canon Camera.

[Ant]

EQ6 Pro I agree with - if you have a problem carrying things then maybe the HEQ5Pro.

The ED80 (whichever brand you decide on) is an excellent imaging scope.

The Canon is also excellent, there are some great results. As Buzz has already mentioned there are plenty of articles for removing the IR filter and adding some active cooling.

There is also loads of free software for controlling the camera remotely.

The EQ6PRO or HEQ5PRO can be controlled via Starrynight software, it had PEC training and a guiding port.

I currently have a Revalation ED80 and HEQ5 (not PRO ) with the 300D. I'm really looking forwrd to the winter

The only thing that I would add would be a 2" 2x barlow, a 1.25" powermate and a webcam.

Ant

[John]

I've owned a Megrez 90 and currently an ED80 and, optically the ED80 is just as good as the Megrez (apart from the small aperture difference of course) and it's about £350 cheaper !. The Megrez is a great scope but that extra money buys you wonderful build quality (as opposed to adequate build in the ED80) rather than superior optics. I used to describe my Megrez 90 as "an ED90 in a Saville Row suit". If you value top quality finish and engineering the extra money might be worth it for you of course (not that my ED80 is going to fall to bits anytime now )

John

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

You might want to kick off using the Tal just to see if you enjoy the frustration of imaging, rather than stump up for an APO 'scope.

EQ6 pro, definitely the bees knees for this setup without busting the budget wide open.

Canon, yes as the 350D is the norm for software to talk to. Lots of problems getting a Nikon to talk to software.

Guidescope? ST80 would give you more aperture, so more potential guide stars, and you save a few bob. Purple fringed stars are just as good for guiding you know.

Guide camera - Toucam with no modification works for me.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[anthony]

EQ6 - yes!

ED80 - yes!

I have been lucky enough to have the ed80, ed100, wo 80mm and a wo 110 along the way. For price and performance the ed80 and 100 are top scopes. The focal length of the ed80 however will be kinder when it comes to tracking/trailing in your exposures. Build quality is not the same but that is going to have little impact - it might if you have a large ccd, filter wheel, focal reducer and a pile of cables sticking out the back.

An ed80 can be guided with another ed80!, (or a WO66mm jobby even) - The ed80 is good value new, great value used so you wont munch up your budget as quickly. If you go new why not try for a package deal with the eq6/ed80. I know that the 200/250 newt tubes are significantly better value when in a package.

BTW the 200/250 tubes can be great for imaging. Look at some of the pictures by Yfronto. However, they are bigger and more difficult to balance, you'd need to be guiding, focus travel can be a bit limited - so stick with the ed80 to start off.

I find a specific ccd much better than a 350d.

Pros - cooled, very sensitive. can start and be happy with monochrome images, add on filter wheels etc as you progress.

cons - learning curve, need proper software, small chips

I'd seriously consider a CCD such as those by starlight express. You can get them cheap second hand, (Telescope house ebay store for new) I have seen an Mx716 2nd hand at £350 recently.

DSLRs have such a big chip that the average telescope cannot keep the image flat, (undistorted) right to the edges. Modding them will invalidate the warranty.

Whatever way you go - EQ6pro and ed80 is a good place to start on the budget you have set. Regardless of the camera choice, be prepared for a lot of learning and, (if everyones else's experiences are anything to go by), frustration and enjoyment.

Anthony

[Doc]

Cheers guy's loads of great ideas.

This is definately going to be a learning curve

So I'm definetly going to go for an EQ6. It seems the norm for photography.

Scope is a toss up between Orion ED80, Skywatcher ED80 or my favorite WO Megrez 80 APO. The last only for the build quality. Any of these should do a brilliant job.

Has anyone any feedback on the Meade DSI camera?

Kaptain which Webcam do you use. I've been reading about the Toucam 840K Pro 11, it seems really good. Do you use Guidedog when you use your webcam to autoguide? And also would a IR block filter have to be used on this webcam?

So many questions....

Mick

[SteveL]

I have a Meade DSI, but it has been relegated to a guide camera since my 350D arrived. Below are a couple of images, both of M13, one with the DSI-C, then a week or two later, the same object but with the 350D (my first DSO taken with the 350D). You tell me...

M13 - Meade DSI-C

M13 - Canon 350D

[Doc]

Hi Steve.

The Canon shot definately looks better. Stars are sharper, there's better colour and overall the Canon is alot better to look at then the Meade.

I have read a few articles saying that ccd chip are a lot better than a cmos chip. I believe that the Canon has a cmos chip, which is confusing as lots of people rate it and it does take excellent photo's.

Is it that cmos chips are very good for short exposures that require stacking while ccd chips are expensive but great for longer exposures.

Steve how do you guide your DSI is it with the meade software or some third party make such as guidedog?

[SteveL]

Both these shots were taken in AltAz mode, 20 second subs, unguided. When i get a decent long dark night (clouds rolled in too early last night for deep sky stuff), I`ll be playing with guiding using the DSI as the guide camera, and trying PHD and GuideDog to see which is easiest/best.

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Kaptain which Webcam do you use. I've been reading about the Toucam 840K Pro 11, it seems really good. Do you use Guidedog when you use your webcam to autoguide? And also would a IR block filter have to be used on this webcam?

Mick

Mine's an 840K Pro II and I use it plain without filters to maximise the light getting through. All you need to guide is a star on the chip and let the software do the rest.

I use K3CCD tools for guiding for no other reason than I had it already, it works, and I understood how to set it up. Never tried any of the other software as I've not needed to. I've heard good things about GuideDog and PHD but I believe that Maxim (£££££££) has the best sub-pixel algorithms.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[anthony]

Off topic, but that is a lovely M13 on the 350D.