Looking for a good budget telescope

[Malio94]

Hi there,

I'm a first time telescope buyer, whos looking for a good budget telescope. I'm mainly purchasing it for astrophotography, so I need it to function well with my Canon DSLR (T5I/700D.) From what I've heard the best bang for buck telescopes are reflectors, as they give you a lot of aperture for very little money. My only concern is that I've heard that connecting a DSLR to them causes focusing issues. Supposably a 2x Barlow Lens will allow you to get the camera into focus, but it also doubles the magnification, making it impossible to photograph larger objects in the night sky (andromeda.) One telescope I had my eye on was the "Celestron 130EQ" (with motor drive) it has an aperture of 130mm and focal length of 650mm. I'm willing to spend $300-$400 for all the bells and whistles. So what do you guys think? Would the 130EQ be a good choice for me, or are there better options out there?

Thanks, Malcolm

[Owmuchonomy]

Hi. This is a major discussion topic if you really want to concentrate on astro photography so I'll be honest and say you need to decide what you really want to photograph. For example for most deep sky objects you would use prime focus (no intervening lenses). For solar system then you can use eyepiece projection and this is where a Barlow is useful. You mention the Andromeda galaxy. To capture this you need a focal length of 300mm (see my profile pic taken with a 300mm F4 lens). The most important piece of your equipment for imaging most deep sky objects is your mount. After thinking about this you then look at an appropriate scope. You may be quite surprised as to the budget munching capabilities of AP as a hobby. Have a look at this site regarding objects to photograph and the field of view required.

http://www.12dstring.me.uk/fovcalc.php

Chris

[Schorhr]

Hello Malcom,

the cheap sets are usualy too weak for astro photography.

You could consider a Barndoor mount, easily built out of scraps and/or Hardware Store components, and use a 30 or up to 300mm lens.

Stunning pictures possible under dark skies, little to No cost, and easier then starting with 600mm focal length or more.

Many nebula, some galaxies and Star clusters can be photographed like that.

The cheap Sets usualy come with a eq2, that's barely sufficient for the telescope alone. A NEQ3 would be the Minimum for a 5" reflector, if you are aiming for astrophotography consider eq5-eq6, which could also carry a Bit bigger scope later.

[lensman57]

Hi there,

I'm a first time telescope buyer, whos looking for a good budget telescope. I'm mainly purchasing it for astrophotography, so I need it to function well with my Canon DSLR (T5I/700D.) From what I've heard the best bang for buck telescopes are reflectors, as they give you a lot of aperture for very little money. My only concern is that I've heard that connecting a DSLR to them causes focusing issues. Supposably a 2x Barlow Lens will allow you to get the camera into focus, but it also doubles the magnification, making it impossible to photograph larger objects in the night sky (andromeda.) One telescope I had my eye on was the "Celestron 130EQ" (with motor drive) it has an aperture of 130mm and focal length of 650mm. I'm willing to spend $300-$400 for all the bells and whistles. So what do you guys think? Would the 130EQ be a good choice for me, or are there better options out there?

Thanks, Malcolm

I think that you may have missed it but m37 was selling his William Optics GT81 Apo triplet for a very good price, it was in the classified section early this afternoon. failing that a barebone SW ED80 from FLO cost £350.00 or £450.00 for the full package. this is what most folks start with, there is also the WO zs 71 for £370.00 and then the list gets very expensive.

A.G

[Malio94]

Hi. This is a major discussion topic if you really want to concentrate on astro photography so I'll be honest and say you need to decide what you really want to photograph. For example for most deep sky objects you would use prime focus (no intervening lenses). For solar system then you can use eyepiece projection and this is where a Barlow is useful. You mention the Andromeda galaxy. To capture this you need a focal length of 300mm (see my profile pic taken with a 300mm F4 lens). The most important piece of your equipment for imaging most deep sky objects is your mount. After thinking about this you then look at an appropriate scope. You may be quite surprised as to the budget munching capabilities of AP as a hobby. Have a look at this site regarding objects to photograph and the field of view required.

http://www.12dstring.me.uk/fovcalc.php

Chris

Hi Chris

Thanks for the quick response. I was wondering what focal length you would need to fit all of andromeda into the frame, so thanks for clearing that up for me. Would it be fairly straight forward to attach a DSLR to an equitorial mount? Because If so I could just use a 200mm or 300mm lens whenever I want to photograph something like andromeda.

[ronin]

I think that you may have missed it but m37 was selling his William Optics GT81 Apo triplet for a very good price, it was in the classified section early this afternoon. failing that a barebone SW ED80 from FLO cost £350.00 or £450.00 for the full package. this is what most folks start with, there is also the WO zs 71 for £370.00 and then the list gets very expensive.

A.G

The OP is in British Columbia, Canada's West Coast and has 2 posts.

A reflector is the biggest aperture per £ or $ but that is generally when they are usually on a dobsonian mount. These are manual and Alt/Az design. So in the simplest term no use for astrophhotography.

If you intend to go imaging then you will need an equitorial mount with at least dual motors and preferably a goto system.

The mount needs to be stable and solid, the scope can be fairly small.

A large reflector needs a big mount, they weigh a lot, the focal length is long and they move in any breeze. None of which is a plus when imaging.

If you are in Vancouver visit Canadian Telescopes in Burnaby, also check if the observatory in Vanier Pk is open.

Are there any RASC groups around you ?

[Malio94]

If you are in Vancouver visit Canadian Telescopes in Burnaby, also check if the observatory in Vanier Pk is open.

Are there any RASC groups around you ?

Hi there, I actually live in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. So burnaby would be a pain, but I just checked and there's at least on astronomy club on vancouver island. Also where I live light pollution is fairly minimal, which is one of the reasons I'm thinking about getting into astrophotography.

[Owmuchonomy]

Hi Chris

Thanks for the quick response. I was wondering what focal length you would need to fit all of andromeda into the frame, so thanks for clearing that up for me. Would it be fairly straight forward to attach a DSLR to an equitorial mount? Because If so I could just use a 200mm or 300mm lens whenever I want to photograph something like andromeda.

Yes, that would be possible and very sensible. That's exactly how I built up my knowledge of AP. Have you tried the link I posted; it's very useful. The Andromeda galaxy is roughly 3 deg across or 6 full moons.

[Malio94]

Yes, that would be possible and very sensible. That's exactly how I built up my knowledge of AP. Have you tried the link I posted; it's very useful. The Andromeda galaxy is roughly 3 deg across or 6 full moons.

Yeah I tried a couple things out with it. It seems fairly useful for finding out what focal length you would have with a specific setup. But I can't seem to find anywhere where I can see what FOV I would need, to view a specific object.

Thanks for everyones help btw, I really appreciate it.

[Malio94]

Ok nevermind I was just being dumb. For some reason I never noticed the image changing size as I adjusted settings. Now it's a lot more useful lol.

[Alien 13]

Hi Chris

Thanks for the quick response. I was wondering what focal length you would need to fit all of andromeda into the frame, so thanks for clearing that up for me. Would it be fairly straight forward to attach a DSLR to an equitorial mount? Because If so I could just use a 200mm or 300mm lens whenever I want to photograph something like andromeda.

I found Andromeda fits nicely with a 135mm lens or my scope at 330mm anything much bigger than this and you have to start squeezing it across the diagonal of the frame and to me it then looses its impact.

Alan

[syoudM42]

Hi, I'm a newbie and just bought a 6 " Newtonian on a eq3-2 mount. I've viewed Jupiter and its moons and Mars. Jupiter could see the red bands clearly. One thing I've learnt already is eq mount is essential to track objects. Even better if you get it motorised, because in one minute it will disappear from your eyepiece. The other quotes are correct, reflectors give the most bucks. I bought off ebay. I've got a sky watcher 150p parabolic. So far no problems. If you really want to get in to astrophotography then the 150p with dual speed crayford focuser is a must. Its upgradable to fit a motor drive focuser and you can fit single or dual motor drives for the RA and declination. I Have found that slight movements create vibrations and alter your viewing pleasure. That's why motor drives are good. Also if you want to use your DSLR get a remote shutter release so you don't have to touch the camera. Its a steep learning curve though, but stick with it. Good luck with your choice.

[steppenwolf]

For deep sky astro-photography, the most important component is the mount which should be equatorial, substantial and capable of tracking accurately. Combine this with your camera and a good telephoto lens and you will be off to a great start.

Astro-photography can be an expensive pursuit so approach it slowly, concentrating on the equipment that you already have but mount it well.