Where to start...

[Gimboid]

Hello one and all

A total beginner here who is looking for a bit of advice... I'm sure my questions have been asked many times but I can assure you that I have been doing some research before posting but at the moment I am finding it all a bit hard to digest. 

I currently have a telescope although for the life of me I can't remember exactly what it is.. haven't used it much at all and it is currently packed away..  It is a Skywatcher... a 150 something on what I believe is a eq3-2 mount    that's best I got with out looking at it 😛As I said, I haven't used it a lot and when I have it's usually staring at the moon or towards Orion but I am quite happy with the minimal progress that I have made so far. Lately I have been reading about various sites including this one plus trawling through youtube and right now I am very interested in having a go at astrophotography but knowing myself as well as I do I want to start very basic and simple.. more from a cost pov tbh. Have found in the past I have ideas, spend money and find that im not as interested as I thought and it becomes a waste of money and it's something I want to try and avoid for a change.

So.. dslr, which one to start with? I know opinions vary but after a couple evenings of reading I am very much under the impression that a Canon of sorts is a safe route to take and after reading and watching various videos I have come up with an idea of a EOS 450D and a EF 50mm f1.8 II Lens both of which happen to be on WEX.. I had started of looking on Ebay/Gumtree etc but after reading a few posts on here then started looking on a few proper sites with the idea being you have a better idea of what you are buying plus a bit of warranty. 

When it comes to early results I am not expecting or even looking to be starting off with spectacular images hence why I want to start on a budget.. I figure I have more than enough to learn before worrying about buying expensive gear and progressing with what will hopefully be a new hobby but as a starter route, what do you think? Can I buy less, do I need more?  The 2 items are £126 which is in my budget but also bare in mind I don't have a clue as to what would be considered cheap/expensive for said items.

Out of curiosity...  the shutter count on a camera.. what would be considered low/high.. well, low obviously speaks for itself but what is considered high or even too high stay away if that is a thing? 

 

Any advice/help will be greatly appreciated 🙂  

[bottletopburly]

Shutter life on the canon 450d is 100.000 clicks though that’s only an estimate and may last longer than that , if you dig your scope out and see exactly what you have then you will get better advice as you’ll probably be able to attach camera to it with minimal outlay  , does the mount have motors ? Better if it does  otherwise you’ll have to use short exposures , I’m sure others will have better advice for you .

 

regards Dave 

[wimvb]

Besides the Canon, there are two investments you should make

1. A Bahtinov mask to aid in focusing

2. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/making-every-photon-count-steve-richards.html

You will also need image processing software

DSS, deep sky stacker for preprocessing and the Gimp for post processing, are both freeware. There are also several commercial packages available that offer (time limited) trial versions. 

Btw, I assume that your mount is the tracking version of the eq3. For any serious astrophotography you need to be able to track the stars movement across the night sky. 

Good luck and have fun

[wesdon1]

7 hours ago, Gimboid said:

Hello one and all

A total beginner here who is looking for a bit of advice... I'm sure my questions have been asked many times but I can assure you that I have been doing some research before posting but at the moment I am finding it all a bit hard to digest. 

I currently have a telescope although for the life of me I can't remember exactly what it is.. haven't used it much at all and it is currently packed away..  It is a Skywatcher... a 150 something on what I believe is a eq3-2 mount    that's best I got with out looking at it 😛As I said, I haven't used it a lot and when I have it's usually staring at the moon or towards Orion but I am quite happy with the minimal progress that I have made so far. Lately I have been reading about various sites including this one plus trawling through youtube and right now I am very interested in having a go at astrophotography but knowing myself as well as I do I want to start very basic and simple.. more from a cost pov tbh. Have found in the past I have ideas, spend money and find that im not as interested as I thought and it becomes a waste of money and it's something I want to try and avoid for a change.

So.. dslr, which one to start with? I know opinions vary but after a couple evenings of reading I am very much under the impression that a Canon of sorts is a safe route to take and after reading and watching various videos I have come up with an idea of a EOS 450D and a EF 50mm f1.8 II Lens both of which happen to be on WEX.. I had started of looking on Ebay/Gumtree etc but after reading a few posts on here then started looking on a few proper sites with the idea being you have a better idea of what you are buying plus a bit of warranty. 

When it comes to early results I am not expecting or even looking to be starting off with spectacular images hence why I want to start on a budget.. I figure I have more than enough to learn before worrying about buying expensive gear and progressing with what will hopefully be a new hobby but as a starter route, what do you think? Can I buy less, do I need more?  The 2 items are £126 which is in my budget but also bare in mind I don't have a clue as to what would be considered cheap/expensive for said items.

Out of curiosity...  the shutter count on a camera.. what would be considered low/high.. well, low obviously speaks for itself but what is considered high or even too high stay away if that is a thing? 

 

Any advice/help will be greatly appreciated 🙂  

Hi Gimboid. Welcome to sgl. I would suggest before you spend lots of money on astrphotography equipment, you try spending a few nights in the garden, getting to know the stars above and trying to understand the basic layout of the night sky. I would highly recommend reading "Turn Left At Orion" for learning about the night sky. Astrophotography takes a lot of time and commitment, and also considerable cost, and i note you mentioned you are prone to losing interest in things you initially thought you would be into? If this is the case then why not do some really basic photography of night sky objects like the Moon, then maybe Jupiter etc with your mobile phones camera? That way, you will start learning about exposure times, sideral tracking issues, finding targets, etc etc etc. In a nutshell, if you really are sure you want to make this hobby go somewhere, then just go for it and spend the money, and have a great time doing it. But if you think you might not stick with it, then just do simple basic ( but still very rewarding! ) photography with a mobile phone camera, or even a cheap astro-imaging camera for around £40-£50. You will capture some great images that way, without spending big. Best wishes and please keep us all posted on how you get on my friend. 

Wes, Liverpool.

[Gimboid]

Thanks for the replies.. 

My telescope.. with the info I know and looking online..  I have a skywatcher 150PL and it's on a eq3.2 mount.

It's not a tracking mount... my intention is to add a dual-axis motor drive.. would this be the way so go or would I for any reason be better off buying a different mount?

Books.. have come across both these titles mentioned in other posts along with the same advice on this site so have already made a notes and will purchase shortly. 

Bahtinov mask.. no problem ordering one of them.. one question though, what size?  I only ask because I was looking on Rother Valley Optics and ofc there are various sizes but the is 105-150mm, 125-180mm and 150-200mm.. I'm assuming that any of these will work on mine...  can I take it that the 105-150mm would be fine for me and the only reason for the larger sizes would be considering the future as in purchasing a larger telescope. 

 

[Gimboid]

2 hours ago, wesdon1 said:

Hi Gimboid. Welcome to sgl. I would suggest before you spend lots of money on astrphotography equipment, you try spending a few nights in the garden, getting to know the stars above and trying to understand the basic layout of the night sky. I would highly recommend reading "Turn Left At Orion" for learning about the night sky. Astrophotography takes a lot of time and commitment, and also considerable cost, and i note you mentioned you are prone to losing interest in things you initially thought you would be into? If this is the case then why not do some really basic photography of night sky objects like the Moon, then maybe Jupiter etc with your mobile phones camera? That way, you will start learning about exposure times, sideral tracking issues, finding targets, etc etc etc. In a nutshell, if you really are sure you want to make this hobby go somewhere, then just go for it and spend the money, and have a great time doing it. But if you think you might not stick with it, then just do simple basic ( but still very rewarding! ) photography with a mobile phone camera, or even a cheap astro-imaging camera for around £40-£50. You will capture some great images that way, without spending big. Best wishes and please keep us all posted on how you get on my friend. 

Wes, Liverpool.

Hi Wes.. to give you a bit more detail of what I have been doing and what I am thinking... I had a smaller scope before this one which I had used even less and when I looked to upgrade I had considered going for a goto mount.. without taking any advice I decided not to go with a goto figuring that using a normal mount would put me in a position that I would have to learn the sky straight from the off and that has been my primary goal since plus, although the obvious goal is to look at something in the sky be it a planet, dso etc etc the idea of the challenge of finding what it is I want to look at also very much interests me and although I haven't got very far as of yet, that is where I am right now. 

Idea behind the items I suggested..  I want something that I can use with the telescope but also want to use stand alone, thought I could shove the camera on top of the scope or buy a second tripod.. have been watching videos on youtube.. different folk taking some long exposure shots of say the milkyway etc so that's an interest too.  I have taken a few photos of the moon using my phone..  I didn't even have a mount to hold camera in place but was quite pleased with the results of a first attempt and it is that which initially sparked my interest in astrophotography.  I don't mind spending 2-300 quid to have a crack...  I don't spend money on much else in life nowadays lol    I just don't want to spending silly money quite yet. Was planning on buying a tracking motor then thought if i bought a couple items like I mentioned or similar then that would keep me within budget but wasn't sure if my selections where ideal or not.

[wimvb]

6 hours ago, Gimboid said:

Thanks for the replies.. 

My telescope.. with the info I know and looking online..  I have a skywatcher 150PL and it's on a eq3.2 mount.

It's not a tracking mount... my intention is to add a dual-axis motor drive.. would this be the way so go or would I for any reason be better off buying a different mount?

Books.. have come across both these titles mentioned in other posts along with the same advice on this site so have already made a notes and will purchase shortly. 

Bahtinov mask.. no problem ordering one of them.. one question though, what size?  I only ask because I was looking on Rother Valley Optics and ofc there are various sizes but the is 105-150mm, 125-180mm and 150-200mm.. I'm assuming that any of these will work on mine...  can I take it that the 105-150mm would be fine for me and the only reason for the larger sizes would be considering the future as in purchasing a larger telescope. 

 

I hate to bring you the bad news, but your telescope and mount are not suited for AP, imo. The 150PL is not an imaging scope and may not reach focus with a dslr. The 150P-DS is the imaging version of this scope. It has both a shorter focal length and a shorter tube (for its focal length). Furthermore, your mount does not have the capacity to carry this long scope with a camera. 

If I were you, I'd enjoy this combo for visual use and save up for (and read up on) a combination of mount and scope better suited for AP. A budget mount that performs quite well is the SkyWatcher heq5. Pair this with either a refractor (ed80) or a reflector (150P-DS) and you have a setup that should bring you a lot of imaging pleasure. If lack of funds is an obstacle, consider buying second hand. Or upgrade the mount with motors and invest in a shorter focal length scope (up to about the ed80). 

A Bahtinov mask must be large enough to cover the aperture of the scope. 

 

[cletrac1922]

Hi Buddy

For AP you definitely need a tracking mount

I have a ED80 on EQ5pro mount, as at the time was several months wait to get the HEQ5 mount which I wanted from my astronomy shop

With respect to cameras, I am also venturing into AP, and done a lot of research, and have a Canon 600D, and looking at getting a ZWO ASI290MC

With ZWO CMOS cameras, there is no having to change lens like with a DSLR camera

Attached pic taken at recent solar field day with my club

The scope in background is a ED80 on HEQ5 mount, with a Canon 650D fitted

Gives you an idea between the EQ5 pro mount I have, and the HEQ5 respect to size and weight

Hope been of assistance

John

 

[Gimboid]

Thanks for all the comments.. I have been taking notes as well as doing a tad more reading about. I understand my telescope is not best suited for what I would like to do but it will be a while before I can think of buying any replacement and right now I am quite keen on playing around with a dslr so here's my thinking... as and when I will use the scope I have as it was intended but fancy buying a dslr to use on it's own to try and get some nice shots of the night sky while learning how to use it properly along with any associated software/programs etc I have been watching a few videos online, the one chap was photographing the the milkyway using just a dslr and 50mm lens and I think for now that is where I would like to start as far as astrophotography goes and I will carry on using my scope for what it was intended or order to learn and then down the line I will look to change my current scope/mount for something more suitable. 

Does this sound like a reasonable idea and if so baring in mind I am on a budget the items I previously mentioned, would they be suitable or is there something I can buy which would be more suitable or if it is possible cheaper.

Cheers 🙂 

[wimvb]

If you invest in the sw eq3 upgrade kit, you can have a very nice tracking mount for a dslr with a lens. With a moderate telephoto lens you can get widefield images of the Andromeda galaxy as well as the moon. You can then also start looking into guiding, something you'll eventually need anyway. Go for the goto upgrade kit with synscan if that's an option moneywise. 

[wesdon1]

I would say, after reading your comments Gimboid, that you would be best off buying a second hand telephoto lense for your dslr, and taking astro images with that for now. Your 150 'scope will be fine for visual, but in theory you could use it for asto-photgraphy, but some people say it's not possible? I respectfully disagree with them! lol. You will just have to find a way to get focus with dslr attatched to focuser on 'scope. But thats for another day, i reckon. As a side note, you may be able to buy tracking motors for eq3-2 mount and mount dslr fitted with long lense and do some tracked long exposures, say 30-60 seconds each. You couyld also do tracked, long exposures with the 150 when you have the tracking motors fitted. Either way best of luck my friend, and please keep us posted on how you get on.

Wes, Liverpool.

[Gimboid]

14 hours ago, wimvb said:

If you invest in the sw eq3 upgrade kit, you can have a very nice tracking mount for a dslr with a lens. With a moderate telephoto lens you can get widefield images of the Andromeda galaxy as well as the moon. You can then also start looking into guiding, something you'll eventually need anyway. Go for the goto upgrade kit with synscan if that's an option moneywise. 

 

7 hours ago, wesdon1 said:

I would say, after reading your comments Gimboid, that you would be best off buying a second hand telephoto lense for your dslr, and taking astro images with that for now. Your 150 'scope will be fine for visual, but in theory you could use it for asto-photgraphy, but some people say it's not possible? I respectfully disagree with them! lol. You will just have to find a way to get focus with dslr attatched to focuser on 'scope. But thats for another day, i reckon. As a side note, you may be able to buy tracking motors for eq3-2 mount and mount dslr fitted with long lense and do some tracked long exposures, say 30-60 seconds each. You couyld also do tracked, long exposures with the 150 when you have the tracking motors fitted. Either way best of luck my friend, and please keep us posted on how you get on.

Wes, Liverpool.

Thanks both.. this is getting interesting 🙂  Going for a synscan upgrade isn't an option right now.. budget won't allow it lol  But.. I can buy a tracking motor for the mount and that would leave me able to afford a secondhand dslr and telephoto lens. So I think first port of call would be to pick a dslr.. Have read many comment/posts which often recommend various models of canon 450d, 500d, 550d etc and they all seem to be within my starting budget and the impression I get is there wouldn't be a great deal of difference from a novices pov. As for a which telephoto lens to buy...  any suggestions would be appreciated.

[upahill]

My 2 cents - dont shy away from eBay/ secondhand. PayPal buyer protection is pretty good and will cover you against receiving anything not as described. My first (and current) camera was a Canon 1200D - picked it up as a faulty unit on eBay for a cheeky offer of £80 (2 years ago) - its only fault was being unable to write to the SD card, which didnt bother me as it hooks up to the PC for downloading.

I would strap a canon and the cheapest telephoto lens I could get to the mount and just have a play - you wont be able to do long exposure until you can track, but you'll get there if you get the bug. I have taken some great moon shots in the past with £15 car boot manual lenses with adapters.

If you get the bug I would not upgrade the EQ3-2 to motorised but rather save a little for an EQ5/6.

EQ5 mounts regularly go on eBay for £250-£350 - EQ6 for around £600 its a lot less hassle to save for an EQ5/6 than to try and diy mod something (depends how handy you are), if you really want to get into the imaging side of things though - "put the money where the mount is". Its probably the piece of gear that will stick with you the longest and be the most responsible for getting good long exposures. You can progress to using an upgraded mount and your dslr/lens setup straight away without the need for a telescope and get some really good widefield shots whilst you decide on your best choice of telescope. Plus you can put your existing telescope onto it for visual use too.

If I was starting again from scratch with just a camera I might look into mounts like the star adventure - £130-£220 second hand. A lightweight setup for widefield and just cameras / small scopes. Whilst these are less expensive and much more portable they wont help further down the line if you decide to go bigger with the scope, so a used EQ5 Synscan would still be preferable to me.

Check out some of the simpler setups people on YouTube use to get an idea of the results. Some of my favs include AstroBackyard and Galactic Hunter. Both used DSLRs early on with great results.

 

 

 

 

[Gimboid]

1 hour ago, upahill said:

My 2 cents - dont shy away from eBay/ secondhand. PayPal buyer protection is pretty good and will cover you against receiving anything not as described. My first (and current) camera was a Canon 1200D - picked it up as a faulty unit on eBay for a cheeky offer of £80 (2 years ago) - its only fault was being unable to write to the SD card, which didnt bother me as it hooks up to the PC for downloading.

I would strap a canon and the cheapest telephoto lens I could get to the mount and just have a play - you wont be able to do long exposure until you can track, but you'll get there if you get the bug. I have taken some great moon shots in the past with £15 car boot manual lenses with adapters.

If you get the bug I would not upgrade the EQ3-2 to motorised but rather save a little for an EQ5/6.

EQ5 mounts regularly go on eBay for £250-£350 - EQ6 for around £600 its a lot less hassle to save for an EQ5/6 than to try and diy mod something (depends how handy you are), if you really want to get into the imaging side of things though - "put the money where the mount is". Its probably the piece of gear that will stick with you the longest and be the most responsible for getting good long exposures. You can progress to using an upgraded mount and your dslr/lens setup straight away without the need for a telescope and get some really good widefield shots whilst you decide on your best choice of telescope. Plus you can put your existing telescope onto it for visual use too.

If I was starting again from scratch with just a camera I might look into mounts like the star adventure - £130-£220 second hand. A lightweight setup for widefield and just cameras / small scopes. Whilst these are less expensive and much more portable they wont help further down the line if you decide to go bigger with the scope, so a used EQ5 Synscan would still be preferable to me.

Check out some of the simpler setups people on YouTube use to get an idea of the results. Some of my favs include AstroBackyard and Galactic Hunter. Both used DSLRs early on with great results.

 

 

 

 

thank you for you input...  Ebay.. use it all the time as a buyer and seller so don't mind looking for a deal on there. My thoughts regarding fitting a tracking motor, I have seen a few come and go on ebay at quite reasonable prices so was thinking it would be a cheap option to get going.  I am very interested in pursuing my new interest but as I mentioned in my earlier comments I have in the past on occasion lost interest quickly in various things I have started, that and money being tight at the moment means I was just looking for the cheapest options to generally test the water. Modding the mount, fitting drives etc  that me completely in my comfort zone. Over the years have built all sorts.. my computers, rebuilt cars, motorbikes(this my other main hobby) so doing a bit of diy like this doesn't phase me at all. Figured if I modded the mount I have for now I can switch it's use between the telescope and dslr meaning I can progress at my leisure in both fields and then will just save some money to buy a few more suitable items down the line. I have been watching a few youtube videos to get some ideas but i'm just not sure where to start as far as a lens goes.. From one video I watched I was thinking about getting a 50mm and going with your advice of just grab something cheap and get going I was looking at this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YONGNUO-YN-EF-50mm-f-1-8-AF-Lens-1-1-8-Standard-Prime-Lens-Auto-Focus-Canon-Z6Q6/202698010310?epid=9032302734&hash=item2f31be2ec6:g:mX8AAOSwfUZc9it5

Or would it be better to go for something with a longer focal length maybe? If it was useful and worth it I could probably buy both within my budget.. there seems to be plenty of cheap longer focal length lens on ebay. Right now I feel it's all about just having a go.. Below is one of the first photos I took.. this was straight after buying my current scope. No idea what i'm doing, no phone holder.. no polar alignment and so on... there are so many wonderful photos all over the net, on this site and ones like it.. photos that I think are amazing but looking at my little moon.. to me that's amazing because I took it which is why I don't have my sights set high at the moment.. im sure there will be plenty of progress and times of feeling a sense of achievement to come before I need to worry about getting serious with my gear plus ofc it also allows to to make sure that I am starting something I want to stick with.

Edited November 1, 2019 by Gimboid

[Gimboid]

Wouldn't mind an opinion on this.. was looking around ebay then popped onto wex for a nose and spotted this.. I could be wrong but it seemed a reasonable price to me.. I know the description suggests it's well worn around the body but it doesn't look bad.. if the screen is anything like a phone screen then dont see any reason why I wouldn't be able to polish any light marks out 6000 shutter count and ofc still comes with a 1 year warranty. 

 

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/canon-eos-450d-body-used-1721229/

[noah4x4]

If buying a DSLR take a look at a used or nearly new one  in the 'Camera Jungle' on-line store. Camera Jungle is owned by Jessops and often you can cheaply pick up a perfectly good  UNUSED camera that has simply been superseded by a new model. My bargain Nikon D5200 was delivered  in original OEM sealed packaging. 

However, I echo all that has been said about your mount. You will struggle with a DSLR. A dedicated astro camera will be a tad easier. 

 

 

[wesdon1]

11 hours ago, Gimboid said:

 

Thanks both.. this is getting interesting 🙂  Going for a synscan upgrade isn't an option right now.. budget won't allow it lol  But.. I can buy a tracking motor for the mount and that would leave me able to afford a secondhand dslr and telephoto lens. So I think first port of call would be to pick a dslr.. Have read many comment/posts which often recommend various models of canon 450d, 500d, 550d etc and they all seem to be within my starting budget and the impression I get is there wouldn't be a great deal of difference from a novices pov. As for a which telephoto lens to buy...  any suggestions would be appreciated.

One piece of advice i would give you about which dslr to buy is definitely buy second hand! You will get a vastly reduced price than retail and much much more camera for your money! I can't stress this strongly enough! You can get an amazing bargain on ebay, through paypal payments to protect you, and as long as you buy from a reputable ebay member, you will get an excellent, feature rich high quality camera for a greatly reduced price over new retail price. You should also buy second hand lenses as there's some awesome bargains to be had. Clear Skies my friend!

Wes.

[rickwayne]

One thing that you'll hear recommended in almost every one of these threads is to buy one of the good books on the subject. Making Every Photon Count is a forum favorite; since I'm a deep-sky guy, I'm all about The Deep-Sky Astrophotography Imaging Primer.

We all have holes in our knowledge but these books are really good at helping one discover that they don't know what they don't know! For example, many folks want to buy kit they can use for planets as well as galaxies and nebulae but planetary and deep-sky are so different, about the only point of commonality is that they both involve swearing at cameras in the dark.

Best of luck, and joy in the journey!

Edited November 4, 2019 by rickwayne
Got title of book wrong. Stupid, since I own and love it.

[Gimboid]

Although I am sure there will be plenty more questions in th future I have one more for now.....  Having decided to keep things as simple as possible for the sake of just dipping my toe into AP not to mention being skint at the mo I have set my mind on a cheap canon camera and just a 18-55 lens to start with.. I'm looking at either a 450d or 1100d currently  the 450d being £57 and then I buy a lens for £40(these being the cheapest I can find right now) or I can pick up locally what looks a good condition 1100d with a 18-55 lens and a few filters for £80.. I have read plenty of posts asking about comparisons between the 2 cameras but then I have been reading a lot about all sorts lately so finding it hard to digest it all so just want to check, am I right in thinking that either camera will be fine for what I want? Cheers.

[upahill]

4 minutes ago, Gimboid said:

Although I am sure there will be plenty more questions in th future I have one more for now.....  Having decided to keep things as simple as possible for the sake of just dipping my toe into AP not to mention being skint at the mo I have set my mind on a cheap canon camera and just a 18-55 lens to start with.. I'm looking at either a 450d or 1100d currently  the 450d being £57 and then I buy a lens for £40(these being the cheapest I can find right now) or I can pick up locally what looks a good condition 1100d with a 18-55 lens and a few filters for £80.. I have read plenty of posts asking about comparisons between the 2 cameras but then I have been reading a lot about all sorts lately so finding it hard to digest it all so just want to check, am I right in thinking that either camera will be fine for what I want? Cheers.

Im not a camera expert so take what I say with a pinch of salt, but from what I can tell the 1100d has a better ISO range, uses DIGIC 4 instead of DIGIC3 with better noise reduction and faster processing. It's also 3 years newer. Both have the same size and resolution sensors. The 1100 would be the one I would go for. Plenty of people using the 1100d for astro so its a fairly safe bet.

 

[upahill]

Forgot to mention keep an eye on some of the Facebook astro sale groups too - there is someone selling an EQ5 with motor kit for £170 - doubt thats the GOTO model, but a boost in payload capacity and tracking facility. The one i usually look at is Secondhand Astronomy Equipment UK

 

[Gimboid]

On 03/11/2019 at 21:08, upahill said:

Im not a camera expert so take what I say with a pinch of salt, but from what I can tell the 1100d has a better ISO range, uses DIGIC 4 instead of DIGIC3 with better noise reduction and faster processing. It's also 3 years newer. Both have the same size and resolution sensors. The 1100 would be the one I would go for. Plenty of people using the 1100d for astro so its a fairly safe bet.

 

The differences you mentioned, I had noted them when making comparisons....  the only other obvious difference was the 1100 has a smaller screen but seeing as I have never owned a camera like this before I couldn't see that bothering me lol

3 hours ago, upahill said:

Forgot to mention keep an eye on some of the Facebook astro sale groups too - there is someone selling an EQ5 with motor kit for £170 - doubt thats the GOTO model, but a boost in payload capacity and tracking facility. The one i usually look at is Secondhand Astronomy Equipment UK

 

I always have facebook up on my computer so will keep an eye out.. I use facebook a lot for groups im in to do with motorcycles plus buy/sell bikes parts.. always check the marketplace too.. only started looking on there a few months ago but find it great, loads of stuff for sale and some good bargains to be found. My regular routine every day morn and late evening is ebay, gumtree and the market place so from now I won't just be looking for bike stuff lol Oh and just requested to join Secondhand Astronomy Equipment UK sao will keep an eye on there too.

Thanks for the pointers 

[upahill]

No problem, as for screen size - I do all the aquisition from a laptop, actually wish my camera didnt have a screen, never used it.

[JamesF]

3 minutes ago, upahill said:

No problem, as for screen size - I do all the aquisition from a laptop, actually wish my camera didnt have a screen, never used it.

I think it's useful just for confirming settings are correct when you start, but in the main I agree.  Other than that initial check I don't think I've ever used the screen on my 450D when I've been imaging.

James

[Gimboid]

Damn it...  I nearly forgot.   Picked up a camera tonight.   I had been tempted to go for a cheap 450d on WEX until a 1100d turned up local.. guy wanted £100.. offered him £80 as in that's all I can afford right now (which was true when I messaged him last night and then today ebay is going off.. sold some bits 🙂 ) anyways.. he said he would take it so popped down early evening today.. camera, canon 18- 55 lens, ring flash and some additional lenses that fit in front of the main lens.. camera had been used for close up work. Camera looked a bit dusty/grubby on the outside.. don't think it had been stored in a proper bag for a while. Anyways... bought it, came home and cleaned it... besides the slightest of a mark on the screen which I have polished out even further it looks immaculate...  not even a finger print on it, no wear on the grip, no lettering worn off.. it's fab and and top of that it has a 7000 shutter count so i'm chuffed to beans 😁