Where to start....

[Meddle]

I've had my scope (skywatcher 200p dob) for a few weeks & naturally I'm very keen to document what I'm seeing & amaze my friends with images (show off & impress girls).

After a good old read of various posts, I realise a dob isn't the best for astrophotography & accept I'll need to remount the scope at some point in the future for long exposures & tracking.

a DSLR seems the right way to go for me, seeing as I can justify the cost by being able to use it as a day to day camera. Budget is allowing for a canon 1100 & T adaptor for prime focus photography. I'd like a system that will give some good initial results, but something I can slowly build up.

My main interest is DSO's & I live in the essex countryside. I also have an old celestion eq114 that I could motorise inexpensively for piggyback shots.

Am I heading in the right direction. Any tips or advice from you pro's before I spend money? Will I be able to get any decent results before buying a tracking mount?

[DirkSteele]

Before spending any money, I would suggest you purchase the book "Making Every Photon Count." It will definitely save you money in the long run by avoiding buying equipment that will not be fit for the desired purpose.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Piggyback is the easiest way to capture DSOs, but before jumping the gun, buying a book like "Making Every Photon Count" as suggested is very wise.

[Meddle]

Thanks,

I'll have a look at the book & try my very hardest to keep my overexcited impulse to buy at bay.

Its either an excellent book, or you're on commission!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Not on commission, just a very good book.

[Scott]

plus 1 for the book. if you read it you will have already saved a lot of money 'coz dso imaging on a dob isn't hard, its impossible. you could however get good results on planets and lunar with a webcam and a dob

And no, I'm not on commision either

Scott

[ollypenrice]

Read before you buy. In all honesty I woudn't get fixated on making the Dob part of your deep sky imaging plans. You could mount it on an equatorial but you might well end up spending less and achieving more by starting to build an imaging rig from scratch. You say you know that a Dob 'isn't the best' for deep sky imaging. I'd put it more bluntly than that and simply say it cannot be used for deep sky DSLR imaging. I'd take your time, do some reading, manage your expectations and above all enjoy the Dob. It's a lovely visual scope.

Olly

http://ollypenrice.smugmug.com/Other/Best-of-Les-Granges/22435624_WLMPTM#!i=2277139556&k=FGgG233

[Meddle]

Thanks for the advice, money really does burn a hole in my pocket so I think a wise choice is to spend it on improving my visual experience rather than imaging - ill still purchase the book to help with future consideration.

For now ill just pass off a few Hubble images as my own to impress mates ( who are luckily clueless enough to believe it, ha!)