Skywatcher Star Adventurer

[Davey-T]

The canon 60Da and 300mm lens is just over 1.5kg so well under weight, also used the ST80 and a Sigma 600mm mirror lens bit slow at f/8 so OK for bright stuff like the Moon.

Dave

Moon with 600mm Sigma mirror lens and SW SAdventurer

[Vik12]

It is either Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm lens or Canon EOS 1200D Digital SLR with 18-55mm lens

[Davey-T]

It is either Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm lens or Canon EOS 1200D Digital SLR with 18-55mm lens

No problem carrying those, could carry both at once.

Dave

[Scott]

Vikram,

Firstly let me apologise for my part in this thread being side tracked, It should not have happened and for that I am truelly sorry.

Now, the star adventurer... If your intentions are to only use a camera and camera lens or perhaps a quite small 'scope, then from what I have seen, it is a brilliant little mount. Add a sturdy tripod and you're set to go. Although I use an astrotrac, I know people that use the star adventurer and the results speak for them selves. 

[Tinker1947]

You would do better with a Prime lens something between 50mm and 300mm with a fast F-number, i bought a Canon 100mm F2, stopping it down to F2.8 makes for a really sharp focus, this does allow for faster shutter speeds although my last attempt the SA managed 3 minute subs with sharp stars so likely 5 minutes might have worked....

http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-canon-ef-100mm-f2-usm-lens/p12817

Draco 14 ( I Think) 180 seconds.....

[Vik12]

Tinker1947 Have you tsken any dso pics with your mount?  If so,  Please may I see?

[Davey-T]

Depends on your definition of DSOs, and your expectations if you mean some of the big nebulas like the North American and Pelican, Heart and soul, M31 and some Star clusters then a small scope and DSLR on the SW SA will get you some nice images.

Have a look at CCD calculator to see what you can expect from various setups, also a neat FOV calculator on FLO.

Dave

[Tinker1947]

Tinker1947 Have you tsken any dso pics with your mount?  If so,  Please may I see?

As Dave has said your get good wide field stuff, but M51 type DSO's are best suited to a dedicated scope 

Some thing like this is a 10 minute image with a SCT C11

[Vik12]

I am talking about just the mount not a scope - Small budget

[Tinker1947]

i have only used a 100mm lens so DSO's would only come out very small....no images yet....

[Davey-T]

Using SW SA and 300mm camera lens you can achieve this sort of image, but bear in mind that a new Canon 300mm lens is over £1000.00.

If you have Stellarium you can input camera and lens / scope sizes and see what you can capture.

If you want to take images of smaller fainter DSOs which means long exposures then you need at least a HEQ5 mount which is around £750.00.

The SW SA is a very capable bit of equipment but it is not a do all astro imaging mount.

Dave

[Vik12]

Please reply soon!