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Hi guys, my names mike and i live in sunny stockport.

Mikyg

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Mikyg

Mikyg

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Hi guys, my names mike and i live in sunny Stockport. I just wanted to introduce myself a little.

Ive been casually in to astronomy since i was about 11 when my dad bought me an old tasco reflector, I can't remember much about it other than it wasn't amazing but i could see the moon and jupiter and saturn sometimes so i was happy at the time. So about 2 years ago when i went out and got a Celestron 5SE, I have to say i wasn't overly impressed but the optics were by far brighter and more crystal than the old tasco. I started trying to get in to astrophotography from then, I went out and bought my self a Canon 650d slr camera and the adaptors to connect it to my eye piece. Ive bin able to get some nice shots of the moon and jupiter but as i'm still learning the pics are nothing to write home about but everyones gotta start somewhere.

So I've been using this heavy slr with my little 5SE and the weight is a little too much, if i don't touch it then its fine but if i nudge the telescope a little bit it slides off due to the weight of the camera so I've been looking in to other scopes.

Me and my dad have decided to go halves on a new scope. We bought the Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro mount with synscan go-to  and was thinking of getting the Skywatcher 300PDS OTA.

Can anybody tell me if this scope is any good or is there a better OTA we should get that will fit the NEQ6 Pro mount.

My dad wants a scope for just viewing but i am trying to get more in to the photography side so any advice would be hugely appreciated. We really want to be looking at the Deep Sky Objects now and as you can imagine my little 5 inch scope isn't amazing for that. 

Thanks in advance for any advice and i'm sure im gonna enjoy my time on here

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swag72

swag72

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Hi Mike and welcome to SGL - When you are looking at imaging DSO's, it may sound counter productive, but a smaller focal length scope will work better as many of the DSO's are quite a size!! Have you looked at a field of view calculator to seem how the scope you are after will perform with the DSO's you have in mind to image? This is a good one to try http://www.12dstring.me.uk/fovcalc.php

Perhaps you could have a separate scope for imaging, such as an 80ED refractor and the dob for visual.  There's rarely one scope that works well for both visual and imaging as they have different requirments. 

Have you got hold of the book 'Making Every Photon Count' available from the book section of the FLO site? It's an excellent read and a real bible for imagers.

Hope that helps :)

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Metalhead

Metalhead

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Hi mate and welcome, it looks like you have described my life in your intro !!!! I started with a Tasco many moons ago , gave up for 30 odd years now getting back into it big time ,,,I have even got a Canon 650D !!! just waiting for the clouds amd wind to go elsewhere and I can start usint it ....

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Zuben Elgenubi

Zuben Elgenubi

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Hi Mike, welcome to SGL  :smiley:

From what I understand the 300PDS, while delivering great visual performance, is going to be hard work when it comes to imaging. It is very large, so any wind is going to cause some movement and ruin your subs. It is also heavy - add a DSLR, a coma corrector, guide scope and guide camera and it is probably at the limit of the capabilities of even an NEQ6.

As has already been mentioned, you may find that one scope is not ideal for visual and imaging.

Good luck with the decision making - you've come to the right place for advice!

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Mikyg

Mikyg

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Gosh lots of advice very quick. Thanks for your help guys. We've got roles of fibre glass sheet so we're gonna got out and but some wood to start making an observatory in my dads back garden so that should help with any wind. Ive been offered a Skywatcher 80-T, with a bar so if u wanted u can connect bot oat's to the moun so might get that and see what thats like. Would you guys say its better to get a lighter ccd camera instead of using my SLR? 

Thanks for the warm and friendly welcome

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JamesM

JamesM

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Hi Mike and welcome to the forum. Before buying an equipment I would also agree with swag72's recommendation of getting hold of Steve Richards' book, "Making Every Photon Count" to obtain a complete overview of what technical requirements are needed for the various different types of imaging, be it widefield, solar system or deep sky imaging. Equipment best suited for imaging is not necessarily the same for observing and is why members often recommend using smaller refractors for imaging because they tend to be 'faster' in capturing the data, lighter to help secure accurate tracking and offer a wider view in order to capture objects like the Andromeda galaxy which are very large.  The above book is very comprehensive and will outline in detail precise what you need and therefore will save you money in helping you to avoid buying the wrong kit. Any discussion regarding astrophotography naturally focuses on the equipment (scope & mount) that is necessary to collect the required 'data' but it is important to remember that some of your budget should be set aside to purchase the necessary software that will enable you to tease out the finer aspects of your collected data to construct the best image. Thankfully there are plenty of free software programs on the internet that are really good but there are also one or two really great programs that will need to be bought so having a complete overview of what is involved withn imaging at the outset will ensure that you are able to get best value for your total budget. Imaging doesn't have to be expensive but nor is it cheap and as with many other interests, expectations will always need to match the available budget in order to avoid any future disappointment. :smiley:

James

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