yeah! a "what camera" thread!

[4lefts]

i know lots of people ask this question, but i have a (very) slight twist on it. i've ordered ken's "getting started" book from amazon, partly as a bedtime read to see what the deal is with spectroscopy, and partly because i think it would be fun to get a staranalyser and do some simple spectra. but, i'm also at a point where i think i'd like to get a new camera, and i like to do some planetary/lunar/solar bits.

i can't really afford a set of filters and wheel, so i was thinking about getting a colour imaging source camera. so my question is... from a spectroscopy point of view, will i regret getting a colour cam? what difference does it make? does it matter if it's one of the cams with a built in ir block filter?

i know it's impossible for other people to be able to tell me what i might regret in the future (!) but any opinions would be welcome. would it be better to get a mono cam and live with taking mono planetary images for a while if such a camera would be better suited to spectroscopy and ha solar photography?

cheers

stephen.

[jsandse]

Hi Stephen,

You could go for a DFK_21AU04.AS_Colour camera. Price is £275.

For that you get an excellent planetary camera and a usable camera for taking spectra of brighter stars with the star analyser. Disadvantages are that camera is noisy and chip is small but it will be ok for taking spectra of brighter stars with the star analyser. IR cut according to the web site is at 7000Angstroms - so you should get most of the spectra of the star including the important Halpha

region.

You must remember though that if you get a black and white camera it will take far better planetary images as well as better spectral images. You could just get the DMK21AU04 black and white and buy a single red filter - that will give you the sharpest planetary image (though not a colour image of course) and then wait and save up for the other filters and the filter wheel.

Hope this helps

cheers

John

[4lefts]

thanks. it does help - i.e. it confirms for me what i was suspecting. save more money.