Imaging kit requirements?

[Swoop1]

As I progress in this hobby, I want to start building up a more imaging based set up.

Do astro specific cameras have on board storeage or do you capture the data to the laptop/ PC that is used to view the target?

Is a guide scope a must or is it a requirement for a particular flavour of DSO imaging?

Outside of the scope and mount, what other items are a must have requirement?

By 'must have' I do mean 'must have' in so far as I would not be able to image without it- not the 'must have' that I usually fall for because I really 'must have' that particular bit of shiny!

Thanks

Matt

[Nigella Bryant]

Best eq mount you can afford, depends also if permanent or wanting portable. Then start with a small refractor 70mm or 80mm Ed or fluorite depending on your budget. I've just started imaging with a modded Canon 1000d, second hand but you can get dedicated ccd, again depending on budget. Software can be free or cheap as APT which I use with a laptop. You can of course use a dslr camera and download onto the sd card in the camera. Lot's to think about. 

[vlaiv]

Most dedicated astro cameras don't have internal storage (hence require laptop/computer). DSLR cameras do.

"Must have" is somewhat vague term. In it's basic form, one must have - something to capture images with (any sort of camera), some sort of lens and something to put that camera on - and that is basically it.

You can take astro images with point and shoot camera on a tripod.

On the other hand, here is my list of "must have" features:

- proper mount - one that is able to carry the load, has minimal backlash / flex, and guides good

- proper scope - one that has enough corrected field to be matched with chosen camera, and has enough aperture.

- Set point temperature astro camera - one that you can perform proper calibration on.

- Guide system - unless mount can operate unguided (even then, I like the idea of guiding).

If you are anywhere serious about going into AP, or rather DSO AP - mount comes first. There is simply no question about that.

Guiding / no guiding will depend on intended targets and rest of the gear. If you shoot wide field - with short FL / large pixel setup, and you do exposures that are relatively short, then in principle you don't need to guide. Mind you, you don't need to guide even if this is not the case, but your star shapes will suffer and you'll likely discard some of subs because they are badly distorted.

Under "Must" category I would say there is definite "item" there - You must not waste any time under stars - so you want setup that works (as little fiddling as possible), and you don't want to discard any of your subs. When it comes to DSO imaging - SNR is everything, so minimize noise, maximize signal, and one of ways to maximize signal is to get enough time under stars.

We can discuss things further if you provide us with some pointers - like budget, maybe intended targets / type of images you aim for and such.

[Skipper Billy]

The first 'must have' for imaging is THIS !!!!

It will answer all your questions and reading it will expand your horizons enormously.

 

[Waldemar]

+1

[johninderby]

Just don’t buy this copy. ££££££££ 🙀🙀🙀

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Every-Photon-Count-Richards/dp/B00J5PL6JK/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Making+every+photon+count&qid=1562268919&s=gateway&sr=8-2

[Swoop1]

11 hours ago, Nigella Bryant said:

Best eq mount you can afford, depends also if permanent or wanting portable. Then start with a small refractor 70mm or 80mm Ed or fluorite depending on your budget. I've just started imaging with a modded Canon 1000d, second hand but you can get dedicated ccd, again depending on budget. Software can be free or cheap as APT which I use with a laptop. You can of course use a dslr camera and download onto the sd card in the camera. Lot's to think about. 

Thanks Nigella,

I'm currently imaging with a Sony a6300 mirrorless camera mated to my SW150P newt but as time progresses I want to develop a more dedicated set up.

[Swoop1]

10 hours ago, vlaiv said:

Most dedicated astro cameras don't have internal storage (hence require laptop/computer). DSLR cameras do.

"Must have" is somewhat vague term. In it's basic form, one must have - something to capture images with (any sort of camera), some sort of lens and something to put that camera on - and that is basically it.

You can take astro images with point and shoot camera on a tripod.

On the other hand, here is my list of "must have" features:

- proper mount - one that is able to carry the load, has minimal backlash / flex, and guides good

- proper scope - one that has enough corrected field to be matched with chosen camera, and has enough aperture.

- Set point temperature astro camera - one that you can perform proper calibration on.

- Guide system - unless mount can operate unguided (even then, I like the idea of guiding).

If you are anywhere serious about going into AP, or rather DSO AP - mount comes first. There is simply no question about that.

Guiding / no guiding will depend on intended targets and rest of the gear. If you shoot wide field - with short FL / large pixel setup, and you do exposures that are relatively short, then in principle you don't need to guide. Mind you, you don't need to guide even if this is not the case, but your star shapes will suffer and you'll likely discard some of subs because they are badly distorted.

Under "Must" category I would say there is definite "item" there - You must not waste any time under stars - so you want setup that works (as little fiddling as possible), and you don't want to discard any of your subs. When it comes to DSO imaging - SNR is everything, so minimize noise, maximize signal, and one of ways to maximize signal is to get enough time under stars.

We can discuss things further if you provide us with some pointers - like budget, maybe intended targets / type of images you aim for and such.

Thanks for your advice vlaiv. All akes sense and, to a degree, confirms my suspicions.

My budget will be limited and not available in one hit. I will probably have to build my set up over an extended period of time. My probably sequence will be mount- scope- camera- whatever comes next.

I would like to do some DSO imaging but, I live in a fairly light polluted area and my horizon has been destroyed by recent building work. My most recent acceptable images have been lunar.

[Datalord]

Vlaiv said everything I would have said. 

Only personal experience to add. I have two rigs, one long FL in a remote obsy with an obscenely expensive and fantastic mount to take long exposure with and the other in my backyard with a short FL scope on a cheaper (but still obscenely priced considering performance) mount. Particularly the short FL rig is set up to take short exposures, which is quite fun and less taxing on that pig of a mount. 

Point is, my Spain rig I use for galaxy hunting mostly. I love those. The widefield is great for nebulae, which is a different beast in postprocessing. I don't do planetary at all and my gear is wrong in all ways for that purpose. 

What do you want to shoot? What pictures get you excited?