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Christopher Winstone1986

By Christopher Winstone1986
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Christopher Winstone1986

Christopher Winstone1986

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Hello,

I'm relatively new to this hobby but I want to start taking pictures of what I've seen. I was wondering if I could get some pointers?

I have a celestron nexstar 130 slt telescope and I'm thinking about getting a Canon 650D camera but not knowing anything about astrophotography at the moment I don't know if this is a good camera to get!

I've seen people use webcams and stacking on photoshop but that seems way too complicated for what I want, plus I want a decent camera anyway so I just want to be sure that it will work well with my telescope.

I want to start off small with the moon and wide field sky shots but I eventually want to take pictures of planets and hopefully deep space objects (no idea how to do that at the moment!)

Also, being new I've not seen much (only Jupiter, Andromeda and the moon) so if anyone could point me towards a target that a new starter living in Cambridge, uk with an ok(ish) level of light pollution, that would be fantastic!

Looking forward to getting to know this community :smiley:

Thanks in advance,

Chris

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scoobee

scoobee

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hiya chris, welcome to SGL, remember if you have a question just post it no matter how daft you may think it because at the end of the day you will get an honest answer on here, trust me I have been there :grin: :grin:

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JamesF

JamesF

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Welcome to SGL.

The usual advice for anyone getting interested in DSO imaging is to buy a copy of "Making Every Photon Count" and have a good read through that first. It will probably save you from expensive mistakes and help you get clear in your own mind what you actually want to achieve.

Lunar and wide field shots can be done with just a camera, or a camera and telescope depending on the intended result and the 650D would surely be good for that, but if you read the above book first you may decide that another route is perhaps more appropriate...

The books "Turn Left At Orion" and "The Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders" are good guides to targets to find though many people start with the list of Messier objects. If you've not seen that much yet I'd definitely recommend the first book and to get a little visual time under your belt before getting too involved in imaging.

James

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sologuitarist61

sologuitarist61

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Hi Chris and welcome. The Canon 650D (or the 1100D) are fine cameras that can be used for astro imaging and can also then be used for the family camera as well. The good thing with getting a Canon DSLR is that a lot of the amateur image taking software is based around the Canon brand. I am thinking specifically of BackyardEOS which costs a few £'s but will giving camera contrl from you PC or laptop. Good luck with your purchase.

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r3i

r3i

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Welcome to the Forum Chris.

James F has provided an excellent reading list, perhaps you can ask for them for Xmas?

Not sure from your first post how familiar you are with where everything is in the night sky but I would also add a planisphere to the list. Even when you get to know the night sky like the back of your hand, they are still handy to have around to check when and where objects that you're interested in are going to appear.

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Christopher Winstone1986

Christopher Winstone1986

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Thanks for the warm welcome!

Welcome to the Forum Chris.

James F has provided an excellent reading list, perhaps you can ask for them for Xmas?

Not sure from your first post how familiar you are with where everything is in the night sky but I would also add a planisphere to the list. Even when you get to know the night sky like the back of your hand, they are still handy to have around to check when and where objects that you're interested in are going to appear.

I'm learning how to use the constellations to find things quickly, I'm using an iPhone app called 'Star Walk', it's really good and even has a 'night time' mode not to affect your night vision (but the street lights near me seem to make that redundant I guess).

Just seen the Pleiades and Orion Nebula, even with a near full moon in the sky they showed up pretty decently. Definitely getting excited about this now. My poor wallet...

But like you suggested, Christmas should help me on my way! :smiley:

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keeplookingup

keeplookingup

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Hi Chris and welcome

you found the right spot for your questions and chats. These guys know their stuff. Believe me when i say that I have had many questions which I thought were 'daft' and everyone was very nice and helpful.

anything you can read, talk about, ask about etc will help you along your path to your goals.

When I started observing many years ago, I never knew this hobby was so intricate. Filled with many little important details but everyone thus far has been correct and given many useful tips.

follow up on all of them as I have been and still doing.

I too am interested in AP but I still want to find that perfect scope

cheers

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JamesM

JamesM

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Hi Chris and welcome to the forum. Interestingly whilst having a lemonade at my local (...cough!..cough!) someone was showing me 'Star Walk' on their phone and I have to say I was duly impressed, especially the night vision mode which wasn't too bright. For your existing computer, the free planetarium program known as "Stellarium" is also really good and you can view the details here but by all accounts it's not as good as an 'app' on your phone.

+1 for Steve Richards' "Making Every Photon Count" (FLO £19.95) which really in my view is essential reading. Getting hold of that overview at the start before making an initial investment in kit for imaging is vital unless you want your first image of a black hole to be the one in your wallet. A quick glance at the imaging sections and in particular the kit that imagers list in their signatures will give you some insight on what kit most people have found to work successfully. Ultimately, what ever level you choose, (widefield, solar system or deep sky) the key thing is to ensure that your chosen kit makes it a fun rather than a frustrating activity and one which you will stick with in the longer term.

Clear skies and enjoy the forum

James

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