Best camera for imaging? under £400

[cobra84]

Hi i've had my scope (skywatcher 150p) now since febuary this year and loving the views but really would love to start the astrophotography bit to it and capture what i see.

would anyone recommend a camera under £400 for astrophotography and best place maybe?

Thanks in advance

[Scott]

Hi Cobra, A bit more information about your set-up is needed please. What mount do you have? is it driven? what are you thinking of imaging? planets and deep space are two very different animals. post these details and I'm sure you'll get loads of us willing to help you spend your money

[cobra84]

Hi auspom, ive got an EQ-3 mount and have bought a Duel axis motor for it aswell. well i would of liked to of photographed both really,

[Tinker1947]

If its a DSLR then then this guys is good has loads of customers on here, i  went for the 600D Astro modd body only very pleased with it and the service provided....

http://cheapastrophotography.vpweb.co.uk/

[Scott]

Hi Cobra, A bit more information about your set-up is needed please. What mount do you have? is it driven? what are you thinking of imaging? planets and deep space are two very different animals. post these details and I'm sure you'll get loads of us willing to help you spend your money

Ok, so you've got the right type of mount (eq) with motors so deep space and planetary are both an option. For deep space, I would suggest a dslr and personally, I'd go for a canon as there is a lot more software support although I hear other brands are wising up. canon 1100d can be picked up at a pretty good price atm as they've just brought out there latest model (1200d). It's what I use and I'm very happy with it. Please remember that many of the images you will see on the forums are taken with equiptment which cost many times more than yours and with exposure times far longer than you will be capable of but if you keep your expectations realistic and your exposure times sub 60 sec (maybe less) and shoot for the brighter dso's you will get results to put a huge smile on your face. also a book called making every photon count is kinda like the imagers bible and will help you no end. I'll leave planetary imaging for those who know

[cobra84]

Ok, so you've got the right type of mount (eq) with motors so deep space and planetary are both an option. For deep space, I would suggest a dslr and personally, I'd go for a canon as there is a lot more software support although I hear other brands are wising up. canon 1100d can be picked up at a pretty good price atm as they've just brought out there latest model (1200d). It's what I use and I'm very happy with it. Please remember that many of the images you will see on the forums are taken with equiptment which cost many times more than yours and with exposure times far longer than you will be capable of but if you keep your expectations realistic and your exposure times sub 60 sec (maybe less) and shoot for the brighter dso's you will get results to put a huge smile on your face. also a book called making every photon count is kinda like the imagers bible and will help you no end. I'll leave planetary imaging for those who know

Ok cheers for that. no im not expecting amazing results like most photos on here with me being new to astonomy and not having £1000's worth of equipment or scope, but its a good starting point and if i enjoy it more an more i'll be upgrading to upgrade my viewing experience

[ronin]

A DSLR is one option and the Canon is the one to consider.

Alternatively there is the ASI 120 cameras by ZWO.

One of these has the option to do planetary and Deep Sky. You take a movie or set the software for long exposure.

Additionally they are a lot less weight then a DSLR, which as you have a 150P on an EQ3-2 may be worth considering.

One of the ZWO camaers will require a laptop.

[FunkyKoval35]

Ok, so you've got the right type of mount (eq) with motors so deep space and planetary are both an option.

I disagree. With SW 150/750p + camera + guiding(in the future) cobra84 needs at least HEQ5 mount.

Ok cheers for that. no im not expecting amazing results like most photos on here with me being new to astonomy and not having £1000's worth of equipment or scope, but its a good starting point and if i enjoy it more an more i'll be upgrading to upgrade my viewing experience

Hi cobra84. In my opinion You need better mount to start astrophotography. Buying camera for £400 and puting it, together with 150p telescope, on EQ-3 mount is.... wasting of money.

I believe much better solution is: sell EQ-3, buy used HEQ5 - on U.K. Astronomy Buy & Sell you can get it for £400, and buy used Canon 350D - I bought mine for £30 on eBay.

With this setup You will achieve much better results, and it will be good start point to upgrade Your setup in the future - if You stay with EQ-3 now, you will not have any option to upgrade Your setup with this mount in the future.

[Scott]

I disagree. With SW 150/750p + camera + guiding(in the future) cobra84 needs at least HEQ5 mount.

Hi cobra84. In my opinion You need better mount to start astrophotography. Buying camera for £400 and puting it, together with 150p telescope, on EQ-3 mount is.... wasting of money.

I believe much better solution is: sell EQ-3, buy used HEQ5 - on U.K. Astronomy Buy & Sell you can get it for £400, and buy used Canon 350D - I bought mine for £30 on eBay.

With this setup You will achieve much better results, and it will be good start point to upgrade Your setup in the future - if You stay with EQ-3 now, you will not have any option to upgrade Your setup with this mount in the future.

If you read my post AGAIN you will see I've said he has the right TYPE of mount....I also said that he will be restricted to short subs which Would obviously negate guiding. Not everyone wants to go out and spend thousands just to see if they like imaging. I also pointed out that he should be prepared to achieve results below those of people using more expensive equiptment which he understands. I stand by my comments as I'm sure those already imaging with this set-up will agree.

[FunkyKoval35]

If you read my post AGAIN you will see I've said he has the right TYPE of mount....I also said that he will be restricted to short subs which Would obviously negate guiding.

Yes, I have read Your post, and I disagreed with Your first sentence only - maybe You should read my post again?  

Anyway, two months ago I was in the similar situation as cobra is. I`v asked people what to buy. My budget was £500 - £600. And believe me, I am very grateful to those people who have advised me to buy better mount(HEQ5 - instead EQ-3)  and cheaper camera(Canon 350D - instead 1100D).

Not everyone wants to go out and spend thousands just to see if they like imaging. I also pointed out that he should be prepared to achieve results below those of people using more expensive equiptment which he understands. I stand by my comments as I'm sure those already imaging with this set-up will agree.

I do not understand. So, spending £400 for camera is less expensive than spending £400 on better mount?

In my previous post I tried to give advice based on my experience. I understand that astronomy, and astrophotography is a very expensive hobby, but I think Cobra can spend his budget much better than buying 1100D camera. Even If he will not like astrophotography he will stay with better mount for visual observations - if he will buy better camera now, and he will not like imaging then what?

Anyway, it is Cobra decision.

Clear skies!

[Scott]

Yes, I have read Your post, and I disagreed with Your first sentence only - maybe You should read my post again?

Anyway, two months ago I was in the similar situation as cobra is. I`v asked people what to buy. My budget was £500 - £600. And believe me, I am very grateful to those people who have advised me to buy better mount(HEQ5 - instead EQ-3)  and cheaper camera(Canon 350D - instead 1100D).

I do not understand. So, spending £400 for camera is less expensive than spending £400 on better mount?

In my previous post I tried to give advice based on my experience. I understand that astronomy, and astrophotography is a very expensive hobby, but I think Cobra can spend his budget much better than buying 1100D camera. Even If he will not like astrophotography he will stay with better mount for visual observations - if he will buy better camera now, and he will not like imaging then what?

Anyway, it is Cobra decision.

Clear skies!

not sure how you can disagree that an eq mount is the correct one but thats your decision. I advised on the camera because that is what he asked about.

but as you say it's his choice

just wondering though...what's a clear sky

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Sounds like your expectations are quite realistic. This thread might give you some idea of what is possible with a DSLR and EQ3-2. With only 20 second subs the author managed to capture a nice Ring Nebula, and that's with a 150pl. Your 150p a faster scope and better suited to DSO imaging (although perhaps not on the Ring, which is a small target). With a shorter focal length it should be a bit more forgiving of tracking errors in the mount, making it easier to take longer subs. However, I have heard the EQ3-2 is very sensitive to balance, so I don't know how difficult it would be to use in practise.

A DSLR can also be used for planetary imaging, although it isn't the best tool for the job due to the low frame rate. APT and Backyard EOS both have a planetary imaging mode if you have a laptop available. Another option with a DSLR is to attach it directly to the mount and take widefield images.

One final advantage of a DSLR is that it gives you a good camera for conventional photography.

[PeterCPC]

To give you some idea what a DSLR can do I have attached an image of Jupiter that I took with a Canon 550d on a CPC800 scope. It shows the GRS and Ganymede in transit.

Peter

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Very nice indeed. Did you use software control of the camera to capture that or just the video mode on the camera?

[PeterCPC]

I always use BYE, it makes it so much easier.

Peter

[Knight of Clear Skies]

I've only had one go at planetary with a DSLR, using my Canon 1100D and APT (liveview & 5x zoom). This is my first Mars:

What kind of frame rate were you getting please? I only managed 13fps, but I don't know where the bottleneck was (camera? laptop? USB?). I don't know if APT has a region of interest feature, and whether that might help.

I had a go at Jupiter the same night as well, but it's nowhere near as good as yours. I was still pleased to get it, but my great red spot is a colourless blob.

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Actually, checking my image again it's not the great red spot, it's another big storm on the other side of one of the major cloud bands. 

[PeterCPC]

I've only had one go at planetary with a DSLR, using my Canon 1100D and APT (liveview & 5x zoom). This is my first Mars:

What kind of frame rate were you getting please? I only managed 13fps, but I don't know where the bottleneck was (camera? laptop? USB?). I don't know if APT has a region of interest feature, and whether that might help.

I had a go at Jupiter the same night as well, but it's nowhere near as good as yours. I was still pleased to get it, but my great red spot is a colourless blob.

The frame rate in BYE was about 22fps. I think that Jupiter is not so easy now as it was earlier in the year. That's a great capture of Mars - better than anything I have managed.

Peter

[Yoddha]

I've only had one go at planetary with a DSLR, using my Canon 1100D and APT (liveview & 5x zoom). This is my first Mars:

What kind of frame rate were you getting please? I only managed 13fps, but I don't know where the bottleneck was (camera? laptop? USB?). I don't know if APT has a region of interest feature, and whether that might help.

I had a go at Jupiter the same night as well, but it's nowhere near as good as yours. I was still pleased to get it, but my great red spot is a colourless blob.

The bottle neck is the USB and the laptop. When you frame and prepare everything, just make the APT's window as much small as possible. This will rise the FPS

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Thanks for the tip, I'll give that a go next time.