£500-ish budget, which scope

[steppenwolf]

Your list doesn't include the field flattener/focal reducer.  For AP, you will need this - all refractors, with the exception of Petzval and other multi-lens (four or more elements) designs, require a field flattener to give good star shapes to the edge of the field just as all Newtonian reflectors require a coma corrector.

[Uranium235]

One thing thats seems to have been overlooked is the guidescope and camera - both of which will be an additional expense. If you get the kit 80ED, you can use the 9x50 finderscope as a guidescope (with the appropriate adaptor). But you will still need to fork out for a guide camera with an ST4 socket.... yep more expense im afraid!

And so the trip down the slippery slope begins! (only a matter of time before you start lusting after CCD cameras...lol)

 

 

[MartinFransson]

15 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

If you want to get into F ratio discussions in astrophotography you have to be up for it! Be warned. In daytime photography it is simple because aperture is the variable. More aperture is faster. Once you introduce focal reducers that simplicity vanishes. Aperture is no longer the variable and remains constant, so what does that say about exposure times? Are you sure you want to get into all this???

I'd keep it simple. You don't need aperture to do some kinds of AP. This was with 85mm.

I would go along with the advice already given. A flattened/reduced ED80 still takes some beating and the QC is good. A 130 PDS may well beat it in experienced hands. How experienced are your hands?

Olly

 

 

Ha ha, nope. I'm not going to start a battle regarding that. However, I am still going to sit here and think to myself that a 1 minute exposure from two f/5 scopes (not reduced) will have the same brightness but different FOV, no matter if they are 6" or 12"

Bottom line is I agree with you, for beginner AP it's not what matters. This was with 75mm f/4  (Canon 300mm tele lens) and a 100£ DSLR.

 

[mikeDnight]

On 18/11/2016 at 19:47, TheShape said:

What about the skywatcher 200pds? 
 

I want to look at stuff too and not JUST do Astrophotography 

Speaking as a purely visual observer, don't let the relative small aperture of the ED80 put you off, as it really is a quality scope for visual use too. The moon and planets will be razor sharp, and of course all the M objects are visible in it as well as many others. With a UHC filter many of these dso's will be enhanced visually.

Mike.

[ollypenrice]

1 hour ago, MartinFransson said:

Ha ha, nope. I'm not going to start a battle regarding that. However, I am still going to sit here and think to myself that a 1 minute exposure from two f/5 scopes (not reduced) will have the same brightness but different FOV, no matter if they are 6" or 12"

Bottom line is I agree with you, for beginner AP it's not what matters. This was with 75mm f/4  (Canon 300mm tele lens) and a 100£ DSLR.

 

Does an image have a brightness? Or is it only part of an image which does? There's the rub!

Nice deep M45. In fact I did a similar shot with a camera lens myself some time ago but  I've never had a camera with small enough pixels for lenses to work to capacity.

Olly

[MartinFransson]

2 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

Does an image have a brightness? Or is it only part of an image which does? There's the rub!

Nice deep M45. In fact I did a similar shot with a camera lens myself some time ago but  I've never had a camera with small enough pixels for lenses to work to capacity.

Olly

Fair point I was thinking of a hypothetical situation where you could aim both scopes at an "empty" bit of space. Then I´d expect the background of that image to have the same brightness.

However, I promised to not start a battle regarding this. Might post a thread of my own about it. Or not

[TheShape]

On 18/11/2016 at 19:18, MartinFransson said:

The ED80, is that the Evostar ED80? Or are the other Skywatcher ED80:s?

The latter one Martin 

http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/skywatcher-evostar-80-ed-ds-pro-optical-tube-assembly.html

[MartinFransson]

OK, now I see why it´s so recommended. That´s a good price. Here in Sweden it´s almost £700! And that´s without a reducer or flattener.