Putting together first AP imaging system....

[dkbender]

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to run this by the more AP experienced here.   As the Topic says, I'm putting together my first system and would like comments and guidance... (pun intended!)

Here is the system so far....

Imaging scope = Explore Scientific ED152CF apo triplet

Mount soon to be =  Astro Physics AP900 GTO on pier mount

Orion short 80mm Awesome Autoguider package piggybacked on to the ES

Nikon D7000 camera + T-Adapter

DSusb cable

DSLR Shutter remote control software

PHD software

Bahtinov Mask

and this i7 based pc laptop

Power is deep cycle car batteries + generator

I have not acquired ImagesPlus or other software yet, for processing Nikon camera data.   Not sure if these have stacking ability built in or not.

Am I going to need a field flattener for the 152??

What else am I forgetting?

TIA

[Naemeth]

Have you got a guide camera for your Orion 80mm? You will need one AFAIK.

I believe you will need a flattener (flattener and reducer would be better) for the scope, especially with a DSLR.

[dkbender]

Have you got a guide camera for your Orion 80mm? You will need one AFAIK.

I believe you will need a flattener (flattener and reducer would be better) for the scope, especially with a DSLR.

The Orion Awesome AG package comes with the guide camera.   Its the SSAG camera.

https://www.highpointscientific.com/c=ETrikO9h5q1pCXC9PGgXzVjEI/s=WWW.highpointscientific.com/product/ORI-24770/Orion-Awesome-Autoguider-Refractor-Package-24770.html

Looks like I need to get educated on the field flattener / reducer aspect.   Can anyone shed light on this please?

[dkbender]

Mods, I just realized I put this in the wrong sub-forum.   Maybe you can move it to the general Imaging discussion or to the one you think is correct.   Apologies!

[dkbender]

Have you got a guide camera for your Orion 80mm? You will need one AFAIK.

I believe you will need a flattener (flattener and reducer would be better) for the scope, especially with a DSLR.

I purchased a TS 2.5" field flattener over the weekend, along with the adapter to the 3" Feather Touch focuser.

I'll be using the D7000 and generating NEF raw files.    What would be some good software options for image processing? 

[blinky]

If you are spending that sort of money on a setup why not choose a CCD rather than a DSLR?  CCD will give much better images, a mono one would allow narrowband imaging as well.

[Naemeth]

I purchased a TS 2.5" field flattener over the weekend, along with the adapter to the 3" Feather Touch focuser.

I'll be using the D7000 and generating NEF raw files.    What would be some good software options for image processing? 

Photoshop - not sure if it accepts NEF raws though.

[knobby]

Photoshop has adobe camera raw plugins which support nef but you'd need a late version possibly cs5

[ollypenrice]

My honest opinion? Terrible shame to spend so much on optics and mount and then use a DSLR in the back. A far more modest mount and telescope with a dedicated CCD camera would give better results without any doubt whatsoever. You will occasionally see great DSLR astrophotos but they are usually taken in screamingly fast optics like the Tak Epsilon. Even more occasionally you'll see a work of DSLR genius like Anna Morris's M42, currently high on the DS imaging board. Don't bank on this as an indicator of what to expect. Genius is just that - genius.

Personally I'd scale down the mount and optics and get a great astro camera. The transformation  of amateur astrophotography doesn't come from improvements to mounts or optics, both of which have changed little in twenty years. It comes from the rise of the CCD camera.

Olly

[dkbender]

thanks folks!   I'm just getting my feet wet with the D7000, since I already own it.   I'll eventually acquire a CCD, in fact, been looking at the SBIG STF-8300M.   I need to get up the learning curve of AP first though.