Which Camera!

[astrotyke]

Hi Guys, 

Im sure this question has been asked a thousand times so apologies if it has.

Im wanting to get into imaging a bit more than I do now, i currently have an oldish microsoft x1000 (i think) webcam, which ive used a few times for imaging the moon and also Jupiter, but Jupiter wasnt that good as I have to turn the contrast right down as I think the camera isnt very good.  But id like to get a better camera, for astro use, but also for general use too with the family, holidays etc etc so I think a DSLR would give me that next step up

My budget i think is going to be around the 500 quid mark, and ive had a little look round on the net at the weekend at DSLRs, seen things like the Cannon 750 which seems ok. Which makes should I consider? And are those compact camera systems any good for astro use?

Sorry for all the questions

I currently dont have a dslr so im not tied in to any system as regards lenses. 

Thanks in advance

Chris

[riklaunim]

DSLR isn't optimal for planetary imaging either. So you have to pick or DSLR for general and entry level DS imaging.

[astrotyke]

hmm good point, i guess in my head im not sure what i want it for lol. I only have a celestron evolution 6inch scope,and its on a Alt az mount at the momment, so I guess that wont be suitable  for longer DSO imaging, unless I get a wedge for it.

Ive enjoyed imaging the planets and the moon so far with my webcam, so maybe its a CCD im looking for?  

What is the main reason that dslrs are not suited to imaging the planets?

[riklaunim]

CCDs are pretty much dead for planetary imaging Modern CMOS took over. You have ASI120/QHY5L-II/GPCAM/Touptek cameras on the cheaper level and the best cameras like ASI224MC among color and ASI178/QHYIIIL-178/290/some Point Grey cameras for mono.

[wxsatuser]

DSLR s don't have one to one pixel ratio that high res planetary imaging requires, they get close but
all movie modes interpolate the sensor so detail is lost.
Two DSLRs do have true one to one, Canon 60D and 550D, these have movie crop mode which is ideal for planets.

Try Juan at Cheapastrophotography.

He has a selection of secondhand modified DSLRs that you can use for both types of imaging and still
use the camera for daylight as well.

http://cheapastrophotography.vpweb.co.uk/Available-Cameras.html

[PeterCPC]

The other problem with DSLRs for planetary work is that they have big chips so the image scale will be smaller than a CMOS camera with a smaller chip. You can do planetary with a DSLR but you will need a high power Barlow/Powermate. I took this image recently with my 550d and my C9.25 with a 5X powermate and will give you some idea about image scale.

Peter

[astrotyke]

thanks for that guys so far, deffiantly given me more of a head ache  but seriously, maybe i need to think about what to expect from using a dslr camera with my scope. I might have a look at trying another memebers camera from WADAS and see what sort of things I can do with it before purchasing.

Or I could buy both.....

[ngwillym]

Quote " Or I could buy both..... "

 

Slippery slope

[astrotyke]

haha yea, and i think im just at the top of it peering over the edge

[astrotyke]

You know what, having had a look at the position of the planets for the next few years, i think i might just get an DLSR, use it for some deep sky objects etc etc and ive been offered to loan a monochrome astro cam for shots of the moon.

Theres Saturn and Mars coming up, but there very low,  theres not much after jupiter has gone this year, so i think thats the way im going to go

 

 

[StuartJPP]

My QHY5L-II-M camera has a pixel size of 3.75μm whereas my Canon 650D has a pixel size of 4.3μm so there isn't a massive difference. The main difference I see is the frame rate. I can get a max of 30fps using liveview over USB on the 650D but with the QHY5 camera I can get 200fps if I select just the region of interest (ROI). To be honest I haven't used the QHY5 for planetary yet but I don't expect much of a difference to be honest.

However something like the QHY5P-II with its 2.2μm pixels will make a difference but it is a one trick pony. If I had only one choice it would be a DSLR. As you say, if planet season was upon us I'd consider a proper planetary camera but it isn't going to be great for a while yet.

This image was captured using USB Liveview with a Canon 7D and a Canon 500mm lens along with a 1.4x and a 2xTC (1400mm FL), stacked with Registax 5:

Xmas Jupiter with Great Red Spot + Io, Europa and Ganymede by Stuart, on Flickr

[astrotyke]

that looks alright Stuart, dare i ask how much roughly a 500mm lens cost? its a shame the planets are going to be so poor for the next few years. ive just borrowed a mono planetry camera now as it just doesnt seem worth investing in a good cmos camera due to the low altitude of the few planets that will be visible in the next couple of years.

[StuartJPP]

My lens cost me nothing as i already owned it...or perhaps 1/2 as much as a newish one since I use it for both astro and birding

What I am trying to demonstrate is that you will be able to get decent images of Jupiter with a high megapixel crop DSLR on a fairly simple scope. Plus you can use the DSLR for other things as well...my focal length is only 1400mm, shorter than most SCT scopes.

I.e. unless you get a dedicated small pixel planetary camera there won't be a massive difference between it and a DSLR.

[astrotyke]

On 30/03/2016 at 04:05, wxsatuser said:

DSLR s don't have one to one pixel ratio that high res planetary imaging requires, they get close but
all movie modes interpolate the sensor so detail is lost.
Two DSLRs do have true one to one, Canon 60D and 550D, these have movie crop mode which is ideal for planets.

Try Juan at Cheapastrophotography.

He has a selection of secondhand modified DSLRs that you can use for both types of imaging and still
use the camera for daylight as well.

http://cheapastrophotography.vpweb.co.uk/Available-Cameras.html

Hi there. Do you know how the cameras perform  in every day use? Does it affect the colours etc

[wxsatuser]

Correctly modded they should be ok for daylight as well, look at the Baader modded ones.