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Hi from the Swedish southeastern Baltic coast ...

larsmn

By larsmn
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larsmn

larsmn

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As indicated, lives at the shores of the Baltic sea, south eastern Sweden, in a small coastal town. Am since a year back observing from a balcony on a reasonable dark backyard and is mostly doing astro photography, due to having poor night vision. My set-up is not perfect for photo, having a Sky-Watcher Az GOTO + a 5"/127mm, f12.4 Maksutov, a Bresser 900/70 mm, f12.9 APO and a Tokina 400 mm SD, f8 setting, tele lens, but I try to do with this. Camera; a Sony Nex-5R with two apps, one allowing remote trigger via Wifi and one setting up a series of exposures, a time laps app. Normally I take some 60-150 pictures of an object.

Due to practical reasons, forcing to move the equipment in/out over some stairs each time, portability is of an essence. Also, only having a 120 deg view field to the south, up to 50 deg above the the horizon and 180 deg E-W above that, Polaris out of sight, with the portability issue, a GEM photo mount for longer photo exposures do not work. My Sky-Watcher Az GOTO is trimmed, so any object, except in zenit, if I use the right stars to correlate the computer, I normally use 30 sec exposures as standard. The one tube normally producing a number of less aligned photos, is the Mak. Normally some 50% of the shots has some motion disturbance, but if due to mount or to camera shaking after exposure, is not established. The 900 mm APO and the 400 mm works great.

Reason being here, is to find out ways to improve my pictures, improve nebula shots, info about better mounts that suits me, photo techniques and other tips. I have collected some of my photos on http://astronomy.jux.com. A warning ! I also do have some photo advises there for fresh astro newbies, sticking my neck out. I know from my astro club, many of you oldies doesn't agree with my findings, but as my photos shows, the methods I found do work much better for me. Also, I take up some experiences I wish I hadn't and hope others to avoid.

Being a newbie is complicated in this hobby, where the shops press for high magnifications scopes, like the Maks' and complex mounts, like the GEMs', used one or two times, then get standing in a corner as a interior decor. I know, for I had some workmates trying to off-load their 750/150 mm Newtons on EQ2-3 stands to me, "you doing astronomy, doesn't you need a bigger telescope?". "Sorry, I do have a bigger one, a 1500 mm".

Amateur astronomy is changing with the new generations of lightweight DSLR cameras, like the Nex-5. It will attract new users, which like me and my workmates, is looking for simpler, lighter and easier mounts and tubes. For which a EQ5-HEQ8 mount and similar never will be an option. Unfortunately, the manufactures haven't followed suit, maybe one reason for Meade folding.

Cheers

Lars

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