Which to upgrade- lens or guiding?

[catburglar]

I've recently started imaging with a Star Adventurer and EOS1300D with the kit lenses 18-55mm and 70-300mm. The kit lenses give lots of aberrations when wide open so I'm typically imaging at F6 -F7.5. I can get 1-2minutes subs at 2-300mm FL.

Should I upgrade to a sharper / faster lens e.g. 70-200mm L F2.8 which will get the same data less than half the time, or should I add a guiding setup, so that I can get longer subs, and it'll be useful if/when I try to image at longer FL?

 

[Alien 13]

I would go for the lens option, something like the Samyang 135 mm f/2 would be hard/impossible to beat and it runs fine wide open.

Alan

[happy-kat]

If you also use the camera during the day I'm liking the canon pancake 40mm at f4 stars are good shape. Second hand get for about £70.

[michaelmorris]

If your budget is limited Canon's 50mm f1.8 II lens (the nifty-fifty) is no slouch at f2.8.  However I see this has now been replaced with a model called the STM.

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/canon-ef-50mm-f18-stm-lens-1572990/

One well respected reviewer has given the new lens the thumbs up

https://www.lonelyspeck.com/canon-ef-50mm-f1-8-stm-astrophotography-review/

If your budget can stretch to £400 Alien 13's recommendation of the Samyang 135mm f2 will take some beating.  If you have a more generous budget (£700) Canon's 200mm f2.8 L series lens comes highly recommended by many very good astrophotographers.

I hope this helps.  

 

 

[Alien 13]

I have the 50mm STM lens and its a huge improvement on the old Nifty fifty, the 40mm pankake which is also an STM variety I think and as mentioned by happy kat is also very good.

Alan

[catburglar]

Looks like it'll be a new lens then.

I'd looked at the Canon L series 200mm,  the F2.8 would be great, but it's a bit out of my price range. Had looked also at the F4, but I think I might take a look at the samyang at F2.

I'm a bit surprised there's no votes for the autoguiding.

[michaelmorris]

2 hours ago, catburglar said:

I'm a bit surprised there's no votes for the autoguiding.

I don't have any experience of auto guiding with the Star Adventurer, but if you are getting the polar alignment good enough to get 2 min subs at greater than 200mm I would start off improving the amount of light you are collecting by going for a faster, shorter focal length lens first.    You should be able to get 3-5 min subs with the 135mm and be able to get >5 min subs with the 50mm lens.  Both lenses being very fast, you'll also collect photons far more efficiently.

IMHO, once you have reached the limit of what a fast lens can offer, I think that is the point at which to try autoguiding.

[catburglar]

Samyang 135mm F2 incoming