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Dobsonian 150p photography


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Hi guys I'm new to stargazers lounge. So here's my story. After 3 months worth of reading I purchased a Skywatcher dobsonian 150p for a starter telescope for my girlfriend for chistmas. I had a £200 budget. I think I've chosen well? Anyway, my question's are. Will a canon 1100 camera work with this? Should have checked first :(. Also, should I be looking to upgrade the scope or anything to make planets or nebulas clearer? As you can tell I am a total beginner. Thank you for reading. 

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Hi Kieran,

 

I don't see a reason why canon 1100 shouldn't work with it. You would need an adopter for the camera to attach it to the scope ( not sure you already have it). You don't need to upgrade the scope to have a better view of Moon, Jupitor, Mars, Staurn and Venus but probably would need a high quality and high power eyepiece. For deepsky object I don't think you can do much with 5 inch (in terms if clarity)

 

cheers!

AJ

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Nice scope to look at the sky with, but not the right scope to photograph the sky with, OK not the right mount to photograph the sky with, is more accurate.

There is unfortunately a difference between viewing and photographing. Some cross over but it means picking items that enable both. As in you pick the mount and then the scope.

To take images of the sky really requires an equitorial mount that is motor driven, many find a full goto better as the motors are often more accurate and the mount will aim the scope at the desired target quicker (saves time). If you have read of people using a 150P it is likely to the the 150PDS scope and the scope will be on an equitorial mount. Astrophotography is an area unto itself. The problem is that people use a scope and a mount, they are usually different scopes and mounts. That bit of information is often lost.

Anyway I would suggest that astrophotography is left out of it all for some time. Again it is not quite the same as "photography". You take say 20 images of something, each image being say an exposure of 40 seconds long and then you stack the 20 images on top of one another to build up the final result. The catch being that during all this the object is moving across the sky.

So as mentioned likely the better idea is to leave the photography side out of it all for now and just observe the objects up there and become familiar with it all. That willl take a reasonable time. After that consider delving into the astroimaging aspect.

You do have the option of getting rings for the scope bit and a seperate equitorial mount, but that adds to the cost. Also the scope would likely need a small alteration to move the mirror up the tube - you need to "push" the focal plane out a bit. Many do it quite successfully successfully, but again get familiar with the scope for a while.

Here is a ste for Astro Clubs: http://www.astronomyclubs.co.uk/

Not many in Oxen (3), would have expected more.

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Hi ronin and Aj thank you for the replies. Getting used to using the telescope will be the first as you rightly say. Trying to run before we can walk comes to mind. Thanks for the advice, it hasn't fallen on deaf ears. I will let use know how we get on for the first time of trying the scope. Again thank you. 

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Hi and welcome to the SGL. You have a fine beginners scope that will serve you well for many years. You will get great views of the Moon and planets, when they are available. Also you will be able to see many deep sky objects and split double stars. Your camera will let you take shots of the Moon and planets but as has been pointed out you can not automatically track objects and thus can not take long exposures. The main thing is to have fun while learning how to use your new scope.

Edited by laudropb
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  • 5 years later...

Hi, 

I you really get interested in photography, you can always put the Dobson on an equatorial platform..... This will allow you to track the movement of planets and some stronger DSO. This guy has put his 8 inch Dob on an eq platform. https://stargazerslounge.com/profile/68662-tiago-ferreira/ 

Watch some of his videos - they are aimed at beginners. 

 

Good luck!

 

Mike

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I have the same scope, and have attached a canon SLR to it without any bother.  The issue, as Ronin said, is tracking. 

The sky "rotates" around us (we spin within it) so taking long-exposure pictures requires tracking, otherwise you get star trails.  

You'd need to buy a canon->1.25in adaptor.  What this will actually be is a canon->M42 adapter, and an M42->1.25in adaptor, but you can buy them together.  You can then (assuming yours is the heritage and has the extendable/collapsible tubes) rather than move the mirror, you can collapse the tube down until the image comes in focus on the camera's screen.  You'll need to pick bright objects for this though and it can be incredibly tricky with the focuser.  Also worth pointing out this will put weight on the scope in ways it wasn't designed, probably knocking collimation off, and maybe causing damage. 

It really is a scope for visual astronomy, I only really take quick photos to show my wife what I've been looking at (she's interested, but not enough to sit outside in the cold).

I suspect I may want to get into AP at some point, but I'd be looking at a tracking mount for my camera first I expect.

 

Edited by DhamR
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