Lunar imaging with SW 200PDS and a TV Powermate

[Spaced Out]

Hi All

I have a Skywatcher 200PDS telescope (+ the 130PDS) and I would like to try some lunar imaging with a DSLR. I’ve read that Tele Vue Powermates are popular for this purpose and I’m wondering if it is worth investing in one ? Would it get me in that much closer ? At the moment I can’t even get the moon to fill the frame, I’d like to get some closer shots of craters if possible, is that unrealistic with my gear ? If it is possible then which magnification would be the most useful to get ?

Thanks  

[Owmuchonomy]

The favoured technique for Lunar (and planetary) imaging is to use fast frame rate video and then stack the best frames using stacking software.  There are dedicated cameras for this purpose.  Your DSLRs have much larger sensors hence the issue you have with the image not filling the sensor.  Some DSLRs have a crop sensor video mode (my 600D did) which helps with these issues.  It reduces the area of sensor used thus increasing the image scale of your target and also cuts the file size considerably to aid in fast capture and stacking.  This is probably your first port of call followed by pixel scale matching with a powermate or similar.  Aim for a f/ ratio of 4 to 5x your pixel size.  Checkout the planetary imaging section on this forum for hints and tips.

Edited December 26, 2019 by Owmuchonomy

[johninderby]

Don’t forget the Explore Scientific and Opticstar versions of the Powermates. Most can’t tell the difference in using them.