Inexpensive Planetary/Guider cams

[Stub Mandrel]

For roughly £150 it's possible to buy a 1-shot colour 'planetary' camera that includes an ST4 guider port, various types are out there.

How much better than webcams are these for imaging bright planets?

Presumably the longer exposure settings allow you to image smaller DSOs such as M57 or M27 or smaller galaxies?

How does the ST4 guiding work I know it 'presses the buttons' on a manual handset, but are there any settings (for example to match the guiding to the mount's step size) or are they pure plug and play?

These seem cheap compare to most guide cams - how effective are they and could I expect one to improve the quality of my DSLR images?

 

<a plea - don't tell me to save up for a more expensive camera or a mono unit!>

 

[steppenwolf]

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How much better than webcams are these for imaging bright planets?

Very much better with case cooling, very fast frame rates and ease of attachment.

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Presumably the longer exposure settings allow you to image smaller DSOs such as M57 or M27 or smaller galaxies?

Yes, up to a point - noise will be an issue for exposures over 30 seconds but it is amazing what can be captured in just 30 seconds if you take lots of images and stack them but you need to be thinking of the brighter deep sky objects only or some interesting wide field vistas and time lapse videos which can be spectacular - see this video link for my first attempt!.

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How does the ST4 guiding work I know it 'presses the buttons' on a manual handset, but are there any settings (for example to match the guiding to the mount's step size) or are they pure plug and play?

The ST4 port is purely plug and play but remember that this will only work with a suitably equipped equatorial mount. As an aside, you could also use a camera like this as a guide camera without using the built in ST4 port by configuring the guide software to use 'Pulse Guiding' but again, you would need a GoTo mount to use this feature.

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how effective are they and could I expect one to improve the quality of my DSLR images?

No this type of camera will not be an improvement over your DSLR camera for deep sky imaging, however, it would make capturing lunar and planetary images much better because of the high frame rate. The smaller sensor would reduce the size of the field of view which is not an issue for the planets but you may find it limiting for images of large expanses of the lunar surface - although if this was an issue, you could produce mosaics.

 

[Stub Mandrel]

Thanks Steve,

That answers all my questions. Increased capture rate will be a godsend, the lifecam only manages 10fps.

Funnily enough I'm 3/4 of the way through making a fan-cooled housing for my Lifecam - not every practical to fit a Peltier, but I have one I could attach to the back of one of the ZWO-style cameras quite easily.

Of course I have a copy of MEPC and your post reminded me that it covers ST4! I'm making my own GOTO mount, so all I need to do is let the ST4 control up/down/left/right and it will do its own thing.

 

39 minutes ago, steppenwolf said:

No this type of camera will not be an improvement over your DSLR camera for deep sky imaging, however, it would make capturing lunar and planetary images much better because of the high frame rate. The smaller sensor would reduce the size of the field of view which is not an issue for the planets but you may find it limiting for images of large expanses of the lunar surface - although if this was an issue, you could produce mosaics.

 

Sorry :-) I meant would basic guiding make a significant improvement in my DSLR pics!

[PeterCPC]

Guiding will make a huge improvement to DSO imaging with a DSLR due to increased exposure times that are possible.

Peter

[steppenwolf]

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Sorry :-) I meant would basic guiding make a significant improvement in my DSLR pics!

Doh! Sorry, I misread this as using it instead of a DSLR camera .......

Yes, guiding would make a big difference to the quality of your DSLR images allowing you to take longer exposures without star trailing.