Are Atik cameras of a good quality?

[Zakalwe]

DSO work with a SCT is difficult. Even with a 6.3 focal reducer you are using a focal length of 1300mm. Not impossible, but demanding, especially for a beginner.

[choochoo_baloo]

My planned upgrade scope and mount are: Celstron 8" SCT (with the f6.3 rescuer for Deep sky) and Celestron Advanced VX mount. Also looking at the Orion auto guiding package.

Would this kit do justice to the mentioned Atik cameras for both deep sky and planetary?

[GuillermoBarrancos]

My planned upgrade scope and mount are: Celstron 8" SCT (with the f6.3 rescuer for Deep sky) and Celestron Advanced VX mount. Also looking at the Orion auto guiding package.

Would this kit do justice to the mentioned Atik cameras for both deep sky and planetary?

Did you read my post (post #22). I actually spend quite some time writing all that down for you.

[riklaunim]

My planned upgrade scope and mount are: Celstron 8" SCT (with the f6.3 rescuer for Deep sky) and Celestron Advanced VX mount. Also looking at the Orion auto guiding package.

Would this kit do justice to the mentioned Atik cameras for both deep sky and planetary?

I would not take the orion guide camera, but AS120MM instead. The  you would have good planetary camera and guider. The old orion guider camera is not a good planetary camera. The 50 guide scopes can be bought separately too without Orion logo an cheaper.

Guiding C8 with a small guidescope may work, but DS imaging in general will be bit hard. You definitely need a Bahtinov mask to focus precisely, you will also quite likely need a motocryford focuser for fine focusing without using the knob (for planets, partially for DS). Plus for DS imaging things like CLS/UHC filter to cut out the light pollution. For mono cameras also RGB filter set and a filter wheel

[choochoo_baloo]

Did you read my post (post #22). I actually spend quite some time writing all that down for you.

 Yes sorry, just read it: very helpful.

Thanks to all for the help received so far.

[choochoo_baloo]

Have decided to pusue deep sky. In line with the advice; I am confident in this Skywatcher Equinox 80 Pro;

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/equinox/skywatcher-equinox-80-apo-pro-ota.html

Will this definitely be an apochromatic triplet objective - sorry if noobie question! Do others agree this would provide a good quality long term 'scope?

[swag72]

The Equinox isn't a triplet, it's an ED apochromatic refractor.

[GuillermoBarrancos]

Have decided to pusue deep sky. In line with the advice; I am confident in this Skywatcher Equinox 80 Pro;

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/equinox/skywatcher-equinox-80-apo-pro-ota.html

Will this definitely be an apochromatic triplet objective - sorry if noobie question! Do others agree this would provide a good quality long term 'scope?

It's an Apochromatic Fluorite Doublet.

A very fine scope! Very popular imaging scope.

The new version has a faster focal ratio than the Evostar ED Pro.

So that would be an excellent choice.

[riklaunim]

Have decided to pusue deep sky. In line with the advice; I am confident in this Skywatcher Equinox 80 Pro;

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/equinox/skywatcher-equinox-80-apo-pro-ota.html

Will this definitely be an apochromatic triplet objective - sorry if noobie question! Do others agree this would provide a good quality long term 'scope?

Add a field flattener and you are ready to go. You cal also check SkyWatcher alternatives among ED and APO refractors. There are some in few shops like Teleskop Express, some also at Altair Astro or Ian King.

For planets I use C14, but for DS imaging - very small APO

[Zakalwe]

Have decided to pusue deep sky. In line with the advice; I am confident in this Skywatcher Equinox 80 Pro;

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/equinox/skywatcher-equinox-80-apo-pro-ota.html

Will this definitely be an apochromatic triplet objective - sorry if noobie question! Do others agree this would provide a good quality long term 'scope?

I am very pleased with mine.

Marry it up with the Skywatcher field flattener if you are using a big sensor

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/reducersflatteners/skywatcher-field-flattener.html

Or with a TRF2009 to bring it to f5.

[choochoo_baloo]

The Equinox isn't a triplet, it's an ED apochromatic refractor.

Oh woops! I thought that triplets were a superior design? To be honest I do not understand how the apochromatic type can be further subdivided into ED and triplet? Does it mean that ED's do not bring all wave lengths to the same focal point, whereas triplets achieve perfect unification?

[Helen]

Triplet has 3 lenses, doublet 2.  The accepted wisdom is that a good doublet (like the Equinox) is better than a poor triplet.  The top end triplets (much more expensive than doublets) should have better colour correction.  The Skywatcher doublets (ED80, Equinox etc) are though a bargain - excellent optics at a reasonable price.  The results speak for themselves.  You won't get better unless you pay a great deal more.  Go for it!

Helen

[choochoo_baloo]

Triplet has 3 lenses, doublet 2. The accepted wisdom is that a good doublet (like the Equinox) is better than a poor triplet. The top end triplets (much more expensive than doublets) should have better colour correction. The Skywatcher doublets (ED80, Equinox etc) are though a bargain - excellent optics at a reasonable price. The results speak for themselves. You won't get better unless you pay a great deal more. Go for it!

Helen

Thanks Helen, so will I notice any chromatic aberration with the Equinox model I mentioned?

[GuillermoBarrancos]

Thanks Helen, so will I notice any chromatic aberration with the Equinox model I mentioned?

Only when you push the magnification way beyond the limit of the scope, you might notice it a little when really looking for it.

Reviews of the Equinox range of refractors were very positive about it's color correction.

On very bright objects you might notice a slight blue bloat, but with good processing skills this can be controlled really well.

There are plenty of very seasoned astrophotographers out there using the Equinox 80ED Pro and/or 120ED Pro as their main imaging scope and you can't tell the difference in their final processed images.

Here is an example image taken with the Equinox 120 (Image of the Day on Astrobin):

http://www.astrobin.com/full/78161/0/

And here another example taken with the Equinox 80:

http://www.astrobin.com/full/29782/0/

Plenty more images to be found on Astrobin.

[choochoo_baloo]

Another question to all:

I would like to try and go down the mono route. So have looked for a similarly priced mono, and wanted some opinions on the Atik 314L Plus, for DSO imaging. 

Does it matter (i.e. nudging the telescope) to image quality whether one uses a motorised or manual filter wheel? Or is the former just for convenience? Which RGB filter and filter wheel set would others recommend (is a colour filter much of a muchness or does that make an obvious difference to the results?)

Considering the Equinox 80 ED, I do intend using a Bahtinov mask. Could someone briefly outline my options for motor operated focusing - do I literally need just a compatible motor and controller, or should I replace the whole focusing mechanism?

Considering the QHY5L-II as a guide camera, what guide telescope should I try to use with it?

Thanks all.

[DaveS]

The bog-standard guide 'scope is the Skywatcher ST80, about £90 from FLO, who are also doing a nifty CNC machined dovetail to fit a standard Vixen saddle. Whip the lenses out of the freebie Barlow and use it as an extension so the QHY5 will find focus.

As for filters, the Baader sets are generally reckoned to give good value and are parfocal. I don't know about motorised focusers as I don't use one. You may well get away without if you use a Baader set.

[riklaunim]

Another question to all:

I would like to try and go down the mono route. So have looked for a similarly priced mono, and wanted some opinions on the Atik 314L Plus, for DSO imaging. 

Does it matter (i.e. nudging the telescope) to image quality whether one uses a motorised or manual filter wheel? Or is the former just for convenience? Which RGB filter and filter wheel set would others recommend (is a colour filter much of a muchness or does that make an obvious difference to the results?)

Considering the Equinox 80 ED, I do intend using a Bahtinov mask. Could someone briefly outline my options for motor operated focusing - do I literally need just a compatible motor and controller, or should I replace the whole focusing mechanism?

Considering the QHY5L-II as a guide camera, what guide telescope should I try to use with it?

Thanks all.

For manual control you can use not motorized filter wheel. For refractor you can also skip motofocus. Just focus with the Bahtinov mask on the star/object and lock the focuser. As for RGB filters most of them will be good (Astronomi, Baader sets). Plus for example Astronomik CLS to cut the light pollution.

For a guide scope you can use a mini 50 finder-guide scope or bigger achro refractors (although to save weight the 50 guidescope is better). There will be no problem with focusing QHY5L-II and alike.

[GuillermoBarrancos]

Another question to all:

I would like to try and go down the mono route. So have looked for a similarly priced mono, and wanted some opinions on the Atik 314L Plus, for DSO imaging. 

Does it matter (i.e. nudging the telescope) to image quality whether one uses a motorised or manual filter wheel? Or is the former just for convenience? Which RGB filter and filter wheel set would others recommend (is a colour filter much of a muchness or does that make an obvious difference to the results?)

Considering the Equinox 80 ED, I do intend using a Bahtinov mask. Could someone briefly outline my options for motor operated focusing - do I literally need just a compatible motor and controller, or should I replace the whole focusing mechanism?

Considering the QHY5L-II as a guide camera, what guide telescope should I try to use with it?

Thanks all.

The Atik 314L+ is an excellent mono camera to start out With!  It has a bit of small FOV, but when you get the hang of imaging you can make some mosaics.

Check on Astrobin and search on Atik 314L+ and you will see the excellent images this camera can produce when you get the hang of it all down the road.

You can get a good deal at both FLO and Ian King Imaging currently with the Atik 314L+ with Electric filterwheel and Baader LRGB filters.

Tho, If you want to keep the costs down now, you can just start making mono (luminance) images for now and buy filters one by one. Like starting with a good Ha filter for Narrowband.

That's the beauty with imaging. When you get the color filters later on and start capturing color or narrowband data, you can then combine it with your luminance data you took earlier of the same target.

There is no difference between a manual filter Wheel and a motorized fitler Wheel. It's indeed pure convenience.

When it comes to motorized focussing. There are a lot of options available from third parties, like this one:

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p978_Orion-AccuFocus-for-Skywatcher-Dual-Speed-Crayford-Focuser.html

Which you can then Connect to Your PC with this:

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p5322_Poseidon-USB-Adapter-for-TS--Skywatcher---Orion-focus-motors.html

Tho again! This is all for convenience. You can perfectly focus manually with a good bahtinov mask!

When it comes to guiding. I have the QHY5L-IIc and use it with this guide Scope from TS. Perfect fit:

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p4064_TS-50mm-straight-viewfinder-and-mini-guiding-telescope-with-bracket-and-1-25--focu.html

[choochoo_baloo]

Thank you all for the help, I do appreciate it. Lots of excellnt advice.

Can someone tell me whether it's possible to save this entire thread as a file onto my hard disk for reference in future should it ever get taken off of the forum etc?