imaging scope

[sam mayo]

i am going to start saving getting imagine kit and i was wondering if using my 250px is to impractical and if so should i get a smaller one i have seen people using this scope but for a begginer it might just make a hard task alot harder would love som advice on this matter thanks sam

[rocketandroll]

Hey Sam

Depends what you want to image :-)

A dob is not ideal for imaging anything unfortunately.... I assume it is not driven in any way, if it were then you could theoretically do some planetary imaging with it and a web-cam so long as the drives could keep the target centered long enough.

Really you need to start with a quality Equatorial mount, a HEQ5 or NEQ6 is the usual starting point.

Then you want a scope on it relevant to your intended targets... a small fast refractor if you want to start on DSO's, a long focal length Catadioptric scope or Newt if you want to go the planetary route.

Then you want a relevant camera.... a webcam or dedicated planetary camera for planets, a DSLR or dedicated long exposure CCD for DSO's

You can do a lot in both fields without guiding but for DSO's you will ultimately want to add a guide scope and guide camera too.

Unfortunately it's a costly jump whatever you do, folks here however can make sure you jump in the right direction, with the right equipment :-)

Ben

[ollypenrice]

Deep sky or planetary? For DS you'd need an NEQ6 or, ideally, better than that. Quite a handful for a starter scope...

Olly

[sam mayo]

yea i will have neq6 but wasn't sure what scope tto go with it i want easy of use and its for dso i am saving atm wont take me much longer and after i have the mount i will have about £500 for the scope but if thats not enough i can save more and get the right oner i was planning on getting the mount 1st to get the hang of it and i can test other peoples scope at party etc while i decide do you think this is the right way to go ?and thanks for the replys appreciate it thanks sam

[RikM]

The NEQ6 is the right mount to give you options. As for scope...there are lots to choose from. The safe bet is a Skywatcher Evostar 80ED Pro with the flattener/reducer and some more cash put aside for a guide cam and either a second scope, normally an ST80, or a finderscope adaptor. Then you need to think about the camera. A DSLR is fine to start off but long term a CCD will give you better results. Not cheap though unless you can find one second hand.

[FarSide]

If you want to go planetary, however, the C series from Celestron is a very good start; the C6/C8 is something i'd advise for a half decent planetary telescope.

[sam mayo]

thanks rik will look at the skywatcher . with a dslr and ccd is one harder than others because i would rather get a ccd to start if its not going to be that much harder it will be of putting,i am looking forward to the imaging workshop hoping this will be covered in some way thanks sam

[RikM]

DSLR vs. one-shot-colour CCD vs. mono CCD + filters is a big question, and one that probably deserves its own thread

Yes. We will cover this in some detail at the Cotswold AS imaging workshop

[sam mayo]

great i will wait till then,thanks

[kirkster501]

I am having a lot of fun and am on a steep learning curve with my ED80, HEQ5 and a unmodified Canon DSLR 1100. All used with EQmod and APT. This will remain unguided for a few months yet. There's quite a lot to master with this little lot and shall see me good for a few years yet. This seems to be a very common AP beginner setup.

//Rant begins

Problem mastering this lot is our weather. Its just so bad !!! I start to pick it up and learn the ropes and get the hang of it ... then its cloudy for three weeks and almost back to the beginning again! I can't get enough consolidated time to learn properly

//Rant over

[ollypenrice]

One of the small fast apos offers the easiest way to start and, in my opinion, CCD is easier than DSLR. You have to work around so many aspects of the DSLR because it isn't working in its intended environment.

I also suspect that mono CCD may be easier than OSC after the capture stage. I use and teach both but I don't think there's all that much in it, really. I just find that sometimes, with OSC, images are curiously difficult to process. If you decide to go for CCD you can place less emphasis on a very fast F ratio. If you go for DSLR then a fast F ratio becomes even more valuable than ever because of the high noise levels and time limits imposed by lack of cooling.

Enjoy the ride, whatever you choose!

Olly