Celestron Neximage 5

[slim80]

Looking to take the next step and purchase the Celestron Neximage 5.From what ive read it seem's like a great place to start for a novice like me in astrophotography and at under £200 is in my budget.Would this be a wise investment?

Cheers

Rob

[Cornelius Varley]

Don't be swayed by the 5mp resolution. For planetary imaging you will need a higher frame rate than can be achieved at 5mp. (you need to set the resolution at 640x480 to get a decent frame rate)  Something like the zwo 120 might be a better option http://www.365astronomy.com/ZWO-ASI120MC-Colour-1-3-CMOS-USB2.0-Camera-with-Autoguider-Port.html

[ronin]

Cannot say anything from direct experience but they have never caught on and there must be a reason for that.

Exactly what/why is not clear.

The nearest I can compare is to is the 5 cylinder engine.

It was described as smoother then a 4 and more economic then a 6.

The reality is it was looked on as rougher then a 6 and less economic then a 4.

I guess that instead of "sitting nicely" between a webcam and a full blown ccd asto camera it more "falls" between a webcam and a ccd astro camera.

[slim80]

Thanks Peter ill check the zwo120.Thanks for the advice Ronin

[Scorpius]

This mostly depends on what you plan to use it for. It looks like the Meade ETX90PE is a relatively fast scope with a 1250mm focal length so if you bump the FL up to 2500mm (with a 2x Barlow) you’d be in the neighborhood of a good FL for planetary imaging. In this case, the Neximage 5 would seem like a good fit for your OTA however, if your goal is DSO’s - the Neximage 5 would probably not yield good results - no matter which scope you use. The reason it’s so good for planetary is the exact same reason it’s not very good for DSO’s. Most planets are quite bright and have a small angular field (apparent size) therefore, the Neximage 5 (marketed as a solar system camera) is designed to capture great detail in these small, bright objects but large, dim ones (like many nebula and galaxies) are typically beyond its reach.

Basically, what you’re paying for in an astro-imaging camera is the sensor and the larger it is –the more the camera will cost. The exception is DSLR’s since you get a much larger chip for the money. However, there are trade-offs such as limited sensitivity to certain wavelengths of light and weight can become an issue depending on your mount’s capacity. While modifications are available for DSLR’s - to compensate for sensitivity issues - my understanding is a DSLR will never match a dedicated astro-photography camera in terms of sensitivity. Also, DSLR’s are color cameras which have embedded color filters over the photosites (bayer matrix) so a monochrome setup used in conjunction with color filters isn’t an option. A bayer matrix also serves to reduce a camera’s overall sensitivity (CCD’s as well as DSLR’s) however, DSLR’s are far less expensive than color CCD’s having an equally sized chip.

So if you want to start out with planetary imaging - just to get your feet wet  - the Neximage 5 would seem like a good fit for your scope. However, if your ultimate goal is to photograph DSO’s you should either plan on purchasing another camera at that point or explore some other options which better accommodate both types of photography. In general – and notwithstanding planetary imaging – you should purchase a camera with the largest sensor you can afford as this will provide the most flexibility as you continue to “grow your kit”. The choice between a dedicated CCD and DSLR is up to the individual and is often based on how much money you’re willing to spend...

Best of luck whatever you decide and clear skies!  

[JamesF]

The Neximage 5 seems to have a very small pixel size.  I'm guessing that many people use it binned for planetary imaging, though perhaps the native pixel size suits solar and lunar imaging.  There's also the Neximage Burst, which is very similar to the ASI120.

I have to admit looking at the range that I'm not sure how Celestron intend to differentiate between the Neximage, Neximage 5 and Neximage Burst cameras unless they're intended to do the same sort of thing at different price points.

James

[slim80]

Just want it for planetary and lunar photogaraphy scorpius as a starting point then as i learn the basics and im confident in doing planetary subjects ill look at replacing my whole setup for some DSO's

[Scorpius]

Just want it for planetary and lunar photogaraphy scorpius as a starting point then as i learn the basics and im confident in doing planetary subjects ill look at replacing my whole setup for some DSO's

Hi Slim,

If planetary & lunar photography is your goal I can highly recommend the Neximage 5 and that’s based on personal experience with this camera.  http://www.celestron.com/browse-shop/astronomy/astroimaging-cameras/neximage-5-solar-system-imager-(5mp)  However, just keep in mind it won’t be suitable for deep sky photography except for a few of the brightest DSO’s but even those won’t fit in the camera’s FOV. If you decide to go this route, keep in mind there’s still a learning curve and for planetary - good seeing and proper collimation of your optics are two of the most important factors. You may also want to invest in a one or more barlows so you can capture the highest level of detail when the seeing permits.

Regarding lunar, the entire moon won’t fit into the camera’s FOV but you can create mosaics by stitching together multiple images to get the entire lunar disc. Here’s one I created from multiple images taken with the Neximage 5. I got a little carried away with wavelets in this photo (image is over sharpened) but this illustrates that a mosaic of the moon is possible with the Neximage 5.

Also, here are three of my best planetary images - all taken with the Neximage 5 attached to my 8” SCT. Some were taken with barlows attached and some were captured at native focal length.

As I’m sure you know – you’ll be creating your images from .avi video’s and then stacking the best individual frames to create a single image using a program such as Registax (free download). Follow this link for an example of an .avi video taken with the Neximage 5. This is the video from which the image of Jupiter above was created.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUfRG2h5nLg

I personally believe the Neximage 5 is a great planetary webcam for the price and a good way to get your feet wet in astrophotography so good luck and be sure to post some of your images in this sub-forum once you get familiar with the process of solar system imaging...

Good Luck and clear skies!

Regards,

Scorpius

[slim80]

Great advice scorpius thankyou

[Astrosurf]

Lovely images Scorpius! 

Do note, Rob, that Scorpius's scope has a focal length of over 2 metres (correct me if I'm wrong!) and a larger aperture than yours, so you won't be able to achieve his images with your little scope, but you'll still be able to get some nice images. Just a lot smaller!

[Scorpius]

Lovely images Scorpius! 

Do note, Rob, that Scorpius's scope has a focal length of over 2 metres (correct me if I'm wrong!) and a larger aperture than yours, so you won't be able to achieve his images with your little scope, but you'll still be able to get some nice images. Just a lot smaller!

Hi Astrosurf and thanks for providing this clarification as I’m new to the hobby and don’t want to mislead Slim into purchasing a camera he won’t be happy with. You’re on the money regarding the FL of my OTA which is 2032 mm (over 2 meters) and this seems a lot for a scope only 17 inches (.4 meters) in length but it’s the bouncing back and forth of light inside the tube that creates the longer FL.

I looked up his scope before responding and if I was looking at the right one - the Meade listed in his sig has a FL of 1250 mm. This is why I mentioned the possibility of a 2x (or more) Barlow which would bring it up to 2,500 mm and that’s a little longer than my 8” SCT. I’ve heard some folks actually push the FL as high as 5,000 mm for planetary imaging but have read this requires one of those “magical nights” of excellent seeing and near perfect collimation to be effective. When I was just starting out – I was fortunate enough to get one of those nights and that’s when I captured that pic of Saturn using a 2x Barlow with my old Alt/Az mount fitted with a homemade wedge. That combination put my scope at 4,064 mm which would likely be too much on a night of average seeing.

The Meade that Slim has is an ETX90PE Maksutov-Cassegrain which primarily differs from a Schmidt-Cassegrain in the design of its corrector plate. However, both designs bounce light back & forth within the tube creating a much longer FL than would normally be expected based on its physical length. Regarding the size of a particular object in the frame - my understanding was this is primarily a function of the OTA’s FL and size of the imaging sensor. I had thought a smaller aperture would certainly affect a scope’s ability to gather light but was not aware this would also affect the size of an object in the frame. This “dimness factor” due to aperture would be exacerbated by the use of barlows but perhaps the exposure and gain could be increased to compensate.

At this point I’ll abstain from offering further advice and would defer to more experienced imagers such as yourself to explain how aperture affects the size of an object in the frame. However, I still believe the Neximage 5 is an excellent planetary webcam for the price which doesn't get the credit it deserves from many folks not familiar with the camera… 

[Astrosurf]

At this point I’ll abstain from offering further advice and would defer to more experienced imagers such as yourself to explain how aperture affects the size of an object in the frame. However, I still believe the Neximage 5 is an excellent planetary webcam for the price which doesn't get the credit it deserves from many folks not familiar with the camera… 

No, please do!

[Lawrence Saville]

Just bought one myself. Waiting for it to wing its way across the Pond to Blighty.

Want to dabble with imaging but also looking to 'gaze' via laptop rather than just eyepiece so my family can join in.

Seems a fairly low cost entry to both needs so looking forward to getting stuck in.

Lawrence

[slim80]

A wealth of knowledge on here from the pro's very greatful for all the advice on the neximage 5.Im sure ill be asking lots of questions once i get one.Lawence let me know how you get on with your's

[knobby]

@scorpius your Saturn is probably the best I've seen using this camera ! Really nice job, well done

[Benno]

Hi slim,

Some great advice here from some very experienced members, although I can't comment on some of the recommendations, as I an still quite new to this hobby, I can comment on the neximage 5 as I use this camera myself.

As a first AVI type imaging camera I find it to be a very capable little piece of kit (as can be seen by the results shown by Sorpius, my efforts are not quite in that league at the moment), it may not be as sensitive as a CCD as I believe the neximage 5 is a cmos sensor, but having said that the difference between the sensor types is not as great as it used to be. But for plantery imaging it is more than capable.

I have not tried to capture deep space objects with the neximage 5 as I would always use my DSLR for this type of imaging.

But we all have to start somewhere and imaging the planets is a great place to start and to learn and for this I found the neximage 5 a good purchase. It is supplied with Registax (although this can be downloaded for free), so that your AVI files can be processed, and it is supplied with Icap capture software, but again there are other capture applications that can be acquired free of charge.

But which ever capture device / method you decide to use the main thing is enjoy it.

Regards,

Benno.

[Lawrence Saville]

My Neximage 5 arrived some days back now but not really had too much opportunity to use it and, I have to admit, it is proving quite awkward to get working successfully in fact I am Failing Dismally to image at the moment

Kit in use is;

Meade DS-70 with Autostar and motorised Alt-Az (Just to get kicked off and because the stand is motorised and I have it now 'ASCOM' connected to the PC and Cartes Du Ciel  - to try tracking later)

Obviously (I think?!) there will be a focusing difference between my eyeball and the device but I was getting sooooo frustrated that I could see clearly but then be unable to get anything!! via the imager

The s/w settings have an effect and between them and the 'where is the focus?!' it was deeply vexxing to say the least........

Would have been handy to have had a decent Moon to play with but not that lucky at this time.

Finally got so fed up that I did a daylight test on a far off telegraph pole just to prove the imager actually works.... So, some sanity preserved and I know it basically works.

Personally not that impressed with the iCap s/w but will stick with it until I understand enough to be able to select another - better - product.

Think I now have a basic setting for iCap  stored that, hopefully, will just leave me with the focusing problem. 

If that fails I will switch to the Sky-Watcher 250P and see if that makes a difference. Only not done so thus far as the Meade can be chucked around with ease and has the motor drives for (more easily) keeping stuff in FOV of the spotting scope.

Now waiting for some clear sky so I can get back out and test. Here's hoping for some cloudless night soon and some luck in focusing the imager!

Lawrence

[Lawrence Saville]

Things are looking better - literally.

Managed to get a bit of Moon the other evening - much easier with a bigger target!

Realised the alignment of the spotting scope and tube is key as the field of view is much, much tighter. In fact I have been struggling with fine adjust on the DS-70 so I will migrate to my Sky-Watcher 250 as it has better manual adjustment on the spotter and on the tube itself for tracking. Been frustrated by quite cloudy skies so opportunities to play have been limited.

Here's hoping for clear skies tonight and being able to post 'my first image'

L