Canon T3i and Celestron Astromaster 130mm

[Droopy1824]

Hey guys,

I just went out and bought a Canon T3i and t-ring and adaptor and hooked the camera up to the scope and couldn't get anything bright enough to shoot. I tried all preset camera modes, but being new to photography(and just having bought the camera yesterday) I didn't try any custom settings. I'm assuming I need to set up a few things and have no idea where to start. Any help/tips would be greatly appreciated.

[baggywrinkle]

Get the camera hooked up. I am assuming you are on an undriven eq mount. If that is the case spend some time in daylight getting the camera hooked up and focused on some distand daylight object so that you can check if there is enough travel on the focus adjuster on the scope.

If not you might need some extra spacing rings to give a bit more focal length. You can then try some terrestial shots and see what the camera is doing and then make adjustments. It saves a lot of fumbling in the dark as you become more familiar with the camera.

Doing that also gives you an idea of the field of view with the camera mounted and focused.

Next try the moon. This does not normally require long time settings. A half moon works well at 1/250th or less on an ISO800 setting. It also makes you use the live view to get a sharp focus. The next new moon is not long off a couple of days after a new and you should be able to get some nice shots.

With the camera on a T ring you generaly lose the auto settings. So go to manual and play with exposure and ISO. Above ISO1600 you start to see a more grainy effect.

Once you have had a play with the moon the planets can be tried, but they often need longer exposures and with an undriven mount that can be a problem.

But when you get your fiirst results you will be a happy man...it will also make you try other things.

[Bhm2344]

Hi,

I have my camera set to manual, which is an art to play around with. I would say play with your camera in the day, have a look at page 99 to get used to manual mode. Page 117 will help you select the right while balance, although I mostly keep it to Auto. Page 122 about mirror lock up is a must! As you take the photo, the mirror that is behind the lens flips up, and behind that is a set of curtains which protects the sensor. As the mirror flips out of the way the camera shakes, not notacable on normal photos, but on longer exposures you get shake on the image. Another thing to do, is mount the camera on the tripod if you have one, and take photos of the stars to get used to exposure settings (how long the shutter is open to "expose" the sensor to light)

Hope that helps you,

Phill

[baggywrinkle]

I second that tripod and widefield advice, good way of learning what ans what you cannot do....

[Droopy1824]

Thanks for the info, tripod just arrived today so I will be trying again tonight. This is going to sound ridiculous coming from someone who owns a dslr, but what is iso?

[Bhm2344]

Page 79 will show you more, but I understand its how sensitive the CCD is to light. Longer exposures in the dark will need a high ISO to bring out more stars and detail.

[baggywrinkle]

ISO is effectively the speed of the camera film/chip. In the days of film there were slow and fast emulsions on the fim to react to light.

A slow ISO film required combinations of longer exposures balanced against apeture, slow ISO were 100 120 etc. They also had a finer grain so could be enlarged more easily.

Faster ISO number allow shorter exposures but the pay off is in (on flim) courser grain and on digital noisier images.

Fopr wide field work use as wide an apeture as you can (shorter focal ratio) and ISO800 or 1600. Try the same exposure times on both and you will quickly see the difference.