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new scope and mount combo , thoughts please

darren west

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darren west

darren west

Posted
Posted

id really like to get in to doing some photography and after reading every photon counts i think I've decided on a set up 

a heq5 pro mount and a 150pds scope

any thoughts on this set up please and can anyone see any pitfalls with this

i have a un modded canon 550d

 

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Timebandit

Timebandit

Posted
Posted

Hello and welcome to SGL

I think you mean "Making every photon count" but we know what book you mean and seems to be a great book for those getting into Astro photography 

IMO the combination of the skywatcher 150pds on the eq mount seems a very sensible combination to start off on the Astro photography route. Lots of people have used this with success and had some great results on planetary and DSO. This combination is also not a budget buster and therefore a great cost effective way into Astro photography. Be warned though the route into AP can get very expensive so you may need deep pockets as your interest increases.

I hope you like the above and it helps ☺

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iapa

iapa

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, darren west said:

is the ed80 better than the 150pds and why please

thanks

 

@PeterCPC I, for one, am looking forward to the refractor vs reflector discussion. 

<sarcasm on>cool down time, collimation requirements, weight, coma, chromatic aberration etc.<sarcasm off> LOL

 

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iapa

iapa

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, darren west said:

did i say something wrong ?

 

Sorry, maybe that came across wrong.

You asked Peter about whether the ED80, a refractor, and the 150PDS, a reflector, was best.

There are constant discussions as to why a refractor be better than a reflector under any given situation, and vice versa.

There are diehard refractor users, and reflector users, who can put forward very good arguments for each case.

I was just trying to say that a further discussion as to the pros/cons would be educational. OK, it can be amusing as well. :)

I should add that Peter is one of the more knowledgeable and experienced amongst us - certainly more so than myself.

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darren west

darren west

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  • Author
Posted

the ed80 seems a lot more money and if i also need those adapters then that will make it even dearer

 

unless there is a clear advantage for me to have this one i think ill go with the 150 pds 

but please correct me if needed

thanks to all for the help 

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Craney

Craney

Posted
Posted

I always find that looking at the following web-site  encourages me to get out there and give it a go.

This is what people have achieved with a 150PDS.

https://www.astrobin.com/gear/2931/sky-watcher-150pds/

(there will be a page devoted to the 80mmED as well)

...but please be aware. Some of these pictures are the 'focal point' of years of experience,  superb locations, great technique, lots of patience....and a fair bit of software processing.

But hey-ho !!, you gotta start somewhere.....

 

Sean

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iapa

iapa

Posted
Posted

If you purchase a

  • reflector you may need to also purchase a coma corrector. With the curvature of the primary mirror come some distortion at the edges - stars will develop a 'trail'.
  • refractor you may need to purchase a field reducer, refractors can give an view where stars at the edges are out of focus.

Imaging has much greater demands on the optics than viewing does.

I would seriously suggest that you take look at some sites which will give an indication of the field of view you can expect, I tend to use 12String's http://www.12dstring.me.uk/fovcalc.php. This will give an idea of how large your target may appear in the image you take of it.

To some extent, I look at is as: longer focal lengths will give you a larger, relative, image for a specific camera. Larger aperture gives a brighter image. Many say brighter is better - you can always crop the resultant image :) 

Your preferred targets will define the optics that you select.

Unless you have a specific target in mind, there really are no hard and fast answers.

For example, I have an AVX mount that I've used with C8 SCT (with an 80mm star traveller refractor on top for guiding) as well as an 8" f5 reflector 'Newt/newtonian', as well as a CGEM-DX with everything as before. The SCT was acquired for imaging double stars primarily, the latter for galaxies such as M51, M81 and M82 (Whirlpool, Bode's nebula and 'cigar' galaxy) amongst others.

Also have a 4 month old Equinox ED80 pro that I have used on both mounts. To date ED80 has only been used to fulfil my life long ambition (well 40yrs anyway) to get a couple of photo of M32 Andromeda galaxy - the 'newt and SCT will not allow the whole M31 to begin one image.

It's an 'educated' guess based on collected advice and research, then, I'm afraid it really is suck it and see. :(

However, whatever you get, take time to take it to it's limits. You can be surprised what you can coax out of your kit with time and familiarity with it.

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PeterCPC

PeterCPC

Posted
Posted

You pays your money and you takes your choice. Both scopes are capable of good or even great results. I am a self confessed refractophile after my experiences with a flex tube dobsonian. The winning argument for me was the collimation issue. Good luck.

Peter

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iapa

iapa

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, darren west said:

new mount arrives tomorrow 

 

yippeeee

 

We will prepare for the national period of 'new mount' celebration - 10 days of total cloud cover and rain.

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