CONSIDERATIONS PRIOR TO PURCHASING A TELESCOPE

[ASTRONOMO]

I have returned to Astronomy after being away for a long time.  Years ago there were few telescopes to choose from... today, there are many, so that makes my decision process more complex. I plan to settle on a Reflector Telescope in the 150mm aperture range maybe a bit larger. We plan to couple our Nikon D3 DSLR to the scope... so, things must be strong and sturdy. I am looking for people who have a similar configuration and can provide me with some details and information. I'm certain that when one figures in the Nikon D3 into the equation most low to mid range scopes will not manage that kind of load. So its always good to find those who have gone before and have success.  We hope we can locate some folks here who have achieved success when coupling a large heavy camera to a Scope.  Any tips, suggestions or information are always welcome.

Ciao,

Don

[ronin]

Difficult.

The one here would be: The SkyWatcher EXPLORER-150PDS on the EQ5 goto mount.

The difficulty is that Skywatcher are not sold in the US and what the corresponding offerings from Celestron (maybe Orion as well) are I do not know.

The PDS has the 2 speed focuser and I think it also enables the camera sensor to reach the scope focal plane. Be careful when they say "Allows a DSLR to be attached." that is only half of it, the camera has to be attached AND the sensor has to reach the focal plane. So saying you can attach a camera doesn't mean you can image, without further modification.

With the scope and camera you may want heavier then the EQ5 mount, or your equivalent of the EQ5. Again not sure what this corresponds to for you. If you go above 150mm then you will realistically need something bigger.

You will need a remote timer for the camera, Amazon.

You may also need to ask about using a Nikon for AP, have heard something concerning their noise reduction that may cause a minor hiccup.

No idea what the IR filter characteristic are in one so that could affect the Ha aspects.

[malc-c]

Difficult.

The one here would be: The SkyWatcher EXPLORER-150PDS on the EQ5 goto mount.

The difficulty is that Skywatcher are not sold in the US and what the corresponding offerings from Celestron (maybe Orion as well) are I do not know.

If you are attaching a camera to the scope then I would suggest the HEQ5 rather than the EQ5.  Yes the  150PDS on an EQ5 is sturdy, but the HEQ5 offers better resolution for imaging, and is future proof should the OP upgrade to a 200P or large refractor.

Having said that, if Skywatcher are not sold in the US then the nearest equivalent is the 6" VX6 on the new VX mount ( http://www.celestron.uk.com/productinfo.php/telescopes/advanced_series/advanced_vx_6_n/3684 ) but I have no idea on the camera connectivity, so further investigation would be required

[Moonshane]

I am not an imager but broadly, it's possible with enough money and effort, to achieve good results with any equipment.

the key component of imaging will be the mount and the bulk of your budget should be spent on that for the highest ease of use and best results in the long term.

for imaging a lot of people use a small refractor on a large mount but there are other ways.

if you want a dual scope for visual and imaging, think about this too as often the requirements are opposite for these two activities.

many imagers start by attaching their camera to the mount they buy to start on wide field imaging to perfect their imaging and processing techniques. this might also be a good way to start.

[swag72]

Generally there is not a one size fits all for visual and imaging. I'll leave the visual out of it as what I know about that could be written on a cigarette paper in very large letters!!

Imaging wise, people of ten start out with a shortish focal length refractor, such as an ED80. This puts minimum stress on a mount due to its focal length and is about as easy as you can get in this game. No collimation for example and pretty forgiving in general. Mount wise, the general consensus for imaging is that an HEQ5 is the minimum. Apologies for this being in UK speak and not US speak, but I don't know what the equivalent is. The HEQ5 has decent tracking motors (the 2 most expensive models anyway!) and also has a guide port so that you can use it for guiding later on. If you are serious about AP you WILL want to be doing this.

If you are using a DSLR with a refractor, you may want to throw in a focal reducer pretty early on. It will speed up the scope and give you a flat field. With DSLR size chips, the corners can look pretty ropey.

Hope that helps.