Is a eq5 mount good enough for astro photography ?

[steve walsh]

I'm currently saving for a mount,the scope I will be attaching to it is a skywatcher maksutov cassagrain 127 with a canon dslr 1100d. Will a eq5 goto mount be ok with this set up?

Cheers

Steve

[ronin]

It may be just OK with regards the weight however the Mak is a long focal length and this would be the cause of problems. Small tracking errors are more significant, any movement is amplified more (wind).

Next is that having the long focal length the image is bigger - OK on planets, but also dimmer - not OK on DSO's.

To compensate for the dimmer image it is either more exposures or longer exposures, both increase the probability of something going wrong.

If you were going to have an EQ5 then sensibly I would suggest you would image with something like the WO ZS 71 or the older WO Megrez 72, or a similar scope from StellaVue or TS etc.

The 127 Mak is a good visual scope, however you are now looking at AP and that is a different field and set of criteria.

[JamesF]

It depends what you want to be imaging with it. If you're looking for multi-minute exposures I think you'll struggle with the Mak, though it would probably work nicely with just the DSLR and lens. If you keep the exposures relatively short then some of the brighter DSOs may become viable targets.

This image of M13 is from my 127 Mak and 450D mounted on an aging EQ3-2 with 45 second exposures:

I have really struggled with it though and in the end moved to the HEQ5 Pro. I'd expect the EQ5 to give you an easier time.

Obviously you'd need at least the RA motor drive to go with the mount.

James

[JamesF]

Oh, you'd also be able to do nice lunar (and solar, with a white light filter on the front of the scope) full disc images with the Mak and DSLR.

James

[JamesF]

And furthermore if you search the DSO imaging section for my threads starting "127 Mak" you'll find a number of globular cluster images from the last couple of weeks. For most I had the 127 Mak on the HEQ5 Pro, but I think an EQ5 would be sufficient with good polar alignment given that I got at least one decent image with the EQ3-2. I'd certainly defer to anyone who has actually tried it though.

James

[malc-c]

I'm currently saving for a mount,the scope I will be attaching to it is a skywatcher maksutov cassagrain 127 with a canon dslr 1100d. Will a eq5 goto mount be ok with this set up?

Cheers

Steve

Balance is an issue - as you can see I had to have the CW right up to the hilt of the mount.

The focal length will mean that you will get trailing on long exposures, so ideally some form of guiding would be handy. You could get away with replacing the finder with an 8 x 50 one and fitting a webcam or better still a QHY5 to it for use as a guide scope. Having said that, ideally for long multiple exposures the resolution of the EQ5 could make capturing faint DSO's a challenge to say the least, hence why most folk recommend the HEQ5 as the entry level mount for imaging work. Brighter clusters, nebula and galaxies should be possible with the EQ5 when guided, but you could have your work cut out as James stated. The EQ5 however does make for an excellent platform for luna, solar and planetary imaging, using DSLR or webcams

[knobby]

I'm a complete newb at DSO imaging but even with my severe lack of talent and hopelessly inadequate polar aligning skills...

I managed this

9 use able 30 second captures with a Nikon D300 at 1200 ISO

Its pants... But its recognisable

[knobby]

Balance is an issue - as you can see I had to have the CW right up to the hilt of the mount.

The focal length will mean that you will get trailing on long exposures, so ideally some form of guiding would be handy. You could get away with replacing the finder with an 8 x 50 one and fitting a webcam or better still a QHY5 to it for use as a guide scope. Having said that, ideally for long multiple exposures the resolution of the EQ5 could make capturing faint DSO's a challenge to say the least, hence why most folk recommend the HEQ5 as the entry level mount for imaging work. Brighter clusters, nebula and galaxies should be possible with the EQ5 when guided, but you could have your work cut out as James stated. The EQ5 however does make for an excellent platform for luna, solar and planetary imaging, using DSLR or webcams

You just need heavier EPs

[steve walsh]

Thanks for all your input,there is so much to learn.even at the beginning but it's a fantastic hobby

[Derick]

Like it was previsouly said.. You need at least the RA motor to be able to do a descent 15 to 30 sec exposure.. the EQ5 will give you to around 21lbs of payload... So concider that!

[ollypenrice]

You are working against a double whammy with the Mak. The very slow F ratio means you need very very long exposures for equivalent signal. ( Eg F5 is 4x faster than F10) Then, as said above, you have a long focal length which demands accurate tracking. So you need accurate tracking for long subs. That's the double whammy.

But... have a go!

Have you read Steve's Making Every Photon Count (available from FLO?) You should.

Olly

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

[Derick]

Honestly, for that scope... if your starting... and you have a good deal on a EQ5... go for it... F10 scopes are widely used for astrophography... but youll have to consider to stack many 30sec exposure together to start with some viable data!!!!

But when you know what you like.. y'oull obviously go for a setup that will require a much more solide mount... since astrophotography requires some good payload and consider that to some point youll have a small scope piggybacking your main scope for auto guiding and so one.... So like i said.. for a first start kit... with a good $$$ deal it's a go for me!