camera bargain

[laser_jock99]

Just bought one of these:

Orion StarShoot USB Eyepiece Camera II 52183

For £4.99 from local Cash Converters- I don't think they knew what it was!!!

Still £69 elsewhere I see.

http://www.scsastro....ra-ii-52183.htm

EDIT- plugged in & working!!!

[nightfisher]

Wow, now thats a bargain

[JamesF]

Blimey. What a deal. Well done.

James

[Double Kick Drum]

Oh good work!

That's a deal and a half.

[Andymac79]

Nice

[studdedsole]

Great buy

[laser_jock99]

Can anyone recomend .avi capture software to use with this camera?

Thanks

[JamesF]

I'd give SharpCap a whirl, perhaps FireCapture too.

James

[allcart]

Wow, if it works thats got to be the bargain of the year. I've found our local shop does seem quite astute at finding out the going rate for any cameras they have, as there prices are always on the high side.

[laser_jock99]

I'd give SharpCap a whirl, perhaps FireCapture too.

James

SharpCap seem to work fine. Thanks.

[Twiggles]

How does it perform? Are these set cameras better than the converted web cams or do they all perform to a similar level?

[laser_jock99]

How does it perform? Are these set cameras better than the converted web cams or do they all perform to a similar level?

When plugged into to PC the computer recognized it as a Trust 14823 Webcam. So this is really just a web cam CCD in an astro ready housing.

[garethmob]

I feel like I'm missing summet although I'm drugged up to the hilt with this cold .... But how much was it?

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[Stu]

I was wondering that too.....can't see it?

[laser_jock99]

I feel like I'm missing summet although I'm drugged up to the hilt with this cold .... But how much was it?

£4.99 from local Cash Converters (it's in first post but in small text for some reason)).

[garethmob]

Kwl that's a really good deal:)

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[Radscanner]

If that camera was a "consumer" item sold nationally then the price you paid wouldn't have seemed such a bargain. Although I've had a long break from astronomy and come back, therefore I would be considered a born again "newbie", I'm not so naive to think that marketing of this kind of stuff is anything other than gross exploitation of a niche market with a great deal of over-pricing of goods designated as "astro-imaging" special equipment, when in reality it is lo-tech which should in the first place have been quite cheap. £69 is an absurd price for this item and no-one should be duped into paying that amount. It's a useful piece of kit but over-priced outrageously as advertised by most suppliers, so anything around £10 seems about right to me. Looking at pricing of all sorts of things, from filters to mounts, the fact that it has the "astronomy" label seems to convert perceived value to way over what these items should really be, and this is continually reinforced by the amateur astronomy community as somehow justifed.

In another thread I have pointed out that for example a simple, small and modest guide scope and lo-tech guide camera combination is being marketed by several suppliers at between £300 and £400. For that price you can actually buy a COMPLETE reasonably good quality entire goto 130mm telescope with mount, syscan motors, goto computer and handset, plus three fair quality lenses including a barlow, and in all cases for LESS than the cost of what is a very low quality guide camera and scope. Pricing of addon astro gear is utterly ridiculous and I am surprised there isn't a concerted effort by astronomy consumers to bargain these absurd prices down.

[RobH]

Niche markets are always expensive....try aviation or sailing.

At the end of the day, that's the way the world has and always will work no matter what anyone thinks about it.....you aren't forced to spend your money are you.

Rob

[Radscanner]

Niche markets are always expensive....try aviation or sailing.

At the end of the day, that's the way the world has and always will work no matter what anyone thinks about it.....you aren't forced to spend your money are you.

Rob

No we're not forced I agree. And yes it is because it's a niche market, but not quite so niche that the consumer has no buying power at all. I'm always happy to pay a fair price. For example I have no complaints at all about the cost of my 150p and mount with Goto,,,,fantastic value. The point I am making is that the small items like lenses and the kind of camera the OP highlighted are ridiculously out of proportion with the cost of whole systems, and it would only take a relatively small number of astro enthusiasts to put their foot down for prices to fall. And I agree about sailing too - over £1000 now for a tiny winch, and aircraft gear - well don't get me started on that one!!

[RobH]

Yep.....the definition of a boat....a hole in the water you drop money into

[laser_jock99]

If that camera was a "consumer" item sold nationally then the price you paid wouldn't have seemed such a bargain. Although I've had a long break from astronomy and come back, therefore I would be considered a born again "newbie", I'm not so naive to think that marketing of this kind of stuff is anything other than gross exploitation of a niche market with a great deal of over-pricing of goods designated as "astro-imaging" special equipment, when in reality it is lo-tech which should in the first place have been quite cheap. £69 is an absurd price for this item and no-one should be duped into paying that amount. It's a useful piece of kit but over-priced outrageously as advertised by most suppliers, so anything around £10 seems about right to me. Looking at pricing of all sorts of things, from filters to mounts, the fact that it has the "astronomy" label seems to convert perceived value to way over what these items should really be, and this is continually reinforced by the amateur astronomy community as somehow justifed.

In another thread I have pointed out that for example a simple, small and modest guide scope and lo-tech guide camera combination is being marketed by several suppliers at between £300 and £400. For that price you can actually buy a COMPLETE reasonably good quality entire goto 130mm telescope with mount, syscan motors, goto computer and handset, plus three fair quality lenses including a barlow, and in all cases for LESS than the cost of what is a very low quality guide camera and scope. Pricing of addon astro gear is utterly ridiculous and I am surprised there isn't a concerted effort by astronomy consumers to bargain these absurd prices down.

Narrow band filters are the biggest rip off. A dielectric coating run costs about £450, you can get about 200 1 1/4" filters in the coating chamber............

[Gina]

Been there, done that, got the T shirt Many many years ago now. I seem to like expensive pasttimes though photography has now become cheap. No more film, paper and chemicals. Oh well, if you want prints you still have paper and ink

[emadmoussa]

Seriously!!

[laser_jock99]

First images with the £4.99 camera, taken through the 8" F4 scope and 5x Barlow lens on a rather turbulent night.

[OptimusGREEN]

Have you done any planetary work with this cam yet? I'm interested to see how it does after stacking etc.

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