Help regarding doing astrophotography properly.

[Astro18]

Hi, I'm 18 and from Manchester, UK. I recently began astrophotography, but only on a very small scale.

I use an adapter to attach my Canon 650D to my Celestron C8 - Schmitt Casssergrain telescope. However a few years ago the tripod broke and the new tripod is not as rigid which is a massive headache as its not really suitable for capturing images as its very wobbly. So because I don't have a goto, finding the planet is very difficult and as a result it will be almost impossible to align with a barlow. As well as the difficulty in searching for the planet, i also have great difficulty focusing as there is a lot of movement especially when its magnified so much.

As a result of all this, my pictures are very small and they are lacking any real detail.

So far, i have already captured Jupiter, Saturn and of course, the Moon.

However the problem is the result is very unclear and very poor.

I really need a better telescope to capture greater detail on the planets. I'm currently thinking about a 12" Newtonian. I also need tracking capabilities which will able me to get longer exposures and i need a very very good sturdy mount and tripod.

Can anyone give me any advice what's the best way to get things done the right way and how to get much clear images. Thanks

[swag72]

The very first purchase you can make is 'Making every photon count' a book that can be found in the book section of the FLo website. It is THE imaging bible, which although it deals more with deep sky objects, it will still prove invaluable for imaging information. You have already discovered the golden rule of AP - The mount is THE absolute key. If you do not have a good stable mount then you could have the best optics and camera money can buy, but your images will be compromised.

I can't give much info on planetary imaging, but I do know that a small chip, fast frame rate camera will be a good starting point as regards a camera.

Steve's book will give you loads of help and also there's some great tutorials and knowledgeable folks on here.

[nephilim]

DSLR's are really not suited for planetary imaging, they're much better for DSO AP, a webcam is much better & will be a lot more forgiving on your mount weight wise, I use a cheap Xbox cam & for less than a fiver can produce images such as this

This was taken using my old 130mm scope on a wobbly EQ2 mount.

Steve

[Scott]

a 12" newt is gunna put an eq6 at it's limits. the next step up mount wise will put a massive hole in your pocket. I think (and others will probably disagree) that you would be much better off with an 80mm frac (apo if the wallet will allows) and put it on an heq5 or neq6. either way, it's not a cheap hobby. If dso's are in your plan then get yourself Making every photon count. If you are only interested in planetary imaging then I'm not sure what would be the best book to read (possibly these forums). you can get away with a lighter mount for planetary but you may end up kicking yourself if you decide on doing some dso work. good luck with your journey into ap.

Scott

[Scott]

DSLR's are really not suited for planetary imaging, they're much better for DSO AP, a webcam is much better & will be a lot more forgiving on your mount weight wise, I use a cheap Xbox cam & for less than a fiver can produce images such as this

This was taken using my old 130mm scope on a wobbly EQ2 mount.

Steve

while I agree that webcams are generally the preferred camera and the truelly great photos are usually taken with a dedicated planetary camera, I can't agree that dslrs are unsuited to planetary imaging. I've had better results with my 1100d than I ever did with a xbox webcam. I think cameras and software have come a long way recently. Nice pic by the way .

[nephilim]

while I agree that webcams are generally the preferred camera and the truelly great photos are usually taken with a dedicated planetary camera, I can't agree that dslrs are unsuited to planetary imaging. I've had better results with my 1100d than I ever did with a xbox webcam. I think cameras and software have come a long way recently. Nice pic by the way .

Very nice mate (your Jupiter pic), the Xbox cam was just a cheap way into planetary AP for me & a stop gap till I have the funds for something more suited, it does the job but leaves me wanting MUCH more

[emadmoussa]

To put it bluntly:

1- DSLR are not suited for planetary imaging. They're great for deep sky objects.

2- I don't think you need a bigger aperture to capture detailed planetary images. An 8" telescope is more than enough for entry and intermediate level.

3- To achieve detailed images of planets you need to stack images to bring out the details. Registax is the most commonly used.

4- Investing in a specialized planetary camera is worth it and will develop your techniques further. I used a modified Xbox webcam - lots of threads on SGL on how to modify this £3 cam. Really simple!

5- Remember that a motor is a must if you want to high quality images - you need to track the object in sidereal movement.

[emadmoussa]

while I agree that webcams are generally the preferred camera and the truelly great photos are usually taken with a dedicated planetary camera, I can't agree that dslrs are unsuited to planetary imaging. I've had better results with my 1100d than I ever did with a xbox webcam. I think cameras and software have come a long way recently. Nice pic by the way .

You can't compare the EOS 1100D with the Xbox webcam. Even for planetary the 1100D is a billion times better, it's still not as suited to planetary imaging as other specialized cameras. Cheapest option is the QHY series.

[Scott]

You can't compare the EOS 1100D with the Xbox webcam.

To put it bluntly, think I can and think I did.

edit: i think i also stated that designated webcams take superb images

[emadmoussa]

To put it bluntly, think I can and think I did.

edit: i think i also stated that designated webcams take superb images

I was just saying, nothing personal, mate. And yes, some designated wrbcams can produce decent images, but I haven't seen any that's comparable to a proper, or at least a good, specialized planetary cameras.

[Scott]

I was just saying, nothing personal, mate. And yes, some designated wrbcams can produce decent images, but I haven't seen any that's comparable to a proper, or at least a good, specialized planetary cameras.

No worries, nothing personal here either. I'm just saying that a dslr is just as suitable some webcams. at the end of the day if you take an image and you're happy with it, then it's suitable

[gdj1976]

DSLR's are really not suited for planetary imaging, they're much better for DSO AP, a webcam is much better & will be a lot more forgiving on your mount weight wise, I use a cheap Xbox cam & for less than a fiver can produce images such as this

This was taken using my old 130mm scope on a wobbly EQ2 mount.

Steve

I'm new to all this and have seen the reference and posts about modifying an xbox cam. I am assuming that this connects to a PC, but that most people use a laptop? My PC is in the house and would need a very long USB to connect, which would presumably affect the effectiveness of the cam?

[planetdnb]

DSLR's do introduce some vibration in the click which can render them not too great for planetary work. If the OP's mount is unstable then this could be a real issue, one that you wouldnt have with a webcam. (Just my 2cents!)

[planetdnb]

PS. Invest money in a mount. thats got to be about the most important bit of kit you can buy!