Camera choice

[TheRahRahRah]

Hi there

I've got a Celestron Nexstar 127 SLT (Which I am really enjoying). I recently left my job and they gave me some money which they said I should put towards some telescope accessories (great bunch). I'm looking at some additional lenses, but I'd also really like to try some astrophotography and am unsure what to use with my scope. I had a practice adapting a very cheap webcam which seemed to work with an old telescope, though I tried it again with my new scope and it didn't work! I know you can buy webcam-style cameras specifically for astrophotography, but unless you spend a lot, they just seem like over-priced webcams.

I was wondering whether anyone had used a webcam with my scope and what camera you would recommend? I'm interested in taking shots of the planets. Also, this may be a silly question, but do I need to take the lens out of the webcam for my style of telescope?

Perhaps it's worth going for a DSLR?

Any advice would be much appreciated. These kind of questions have probably been asked many times, so do point me in the direction of other threads if they exist!

Many thanks

Ben

[x6gas]

Hi Ben,

Try for a webcam - people are getting good results from the Microsoft Livecams, Xbox cams, and the famous Philips 880 or 900.

Also, check out this thread: http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/155930-very-cheap-pgr-firefly-03-mono-on-ebay/

Point Grey cameras are highly regarded...

[Capricorn]

If it is planets then a webcam is the best option.

The approach being set up the webcam and take a movie of the planet, this is an avi file, made up of a few hundred frames and you select the best 40% and stack them on each other, then click a button like "sharpen" and hopefully the image is good. Sounds easy?

Planrets are small and oddly bright, so you put a 5x barlow in the eyepiece then the webcam - bigger image on the webcam.and you do remove the lens on the camera and focus the image direct on the webcam sensor.

Probably need a 5 minute avi file to start with, not too big and really something to play with.

You will need the free software Registax or similar, there are others just cannot recall the names, different people prefer different ones.

If you go after DSO's at any time then that is different, you will need a DSLR or ccd, you will also need a good equitorial mount. Also a few other bits.

One thing to remember is that there are realistically 4 planets to image: Jupiter and Saturn that are good, then Mars which needs high magnification and a fair degree of luck, finally Venus which will either be a bright cresent with no detail or a bright disk with no detail.

[TheRahRahRah]

Thank you very much! I might try out the Point Grey camera: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Point-Grey-Research-USB-2-0-Digital-Camera-/290761823982?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item43b2c156ee#ht_1240wt_1271

Was the suggestion to try out this adapter: http://www.firstlightoptics.com/adaptors/125-nosepiece-to-webcam-lens-thread-toucam-pro-spc900nc.html

Will this work with the camera?

Many thanks for your help!

Ben