Newbie! £1000 budget...

[Nev166]

Hi all!

Im looking at getting my first set up which will be used solely for Astrophotography. 
I’ll be looking at photographing from my garden in a suburban town in Hertfordshire UK.

My current goal is to get an image of the andromeda galaxy.

My current equipment is purely for wildlife photography so I have:

Canon 7D mkii; canon 70-200 f2.8; sigma 150-600 f4-5.6

I am in the process of buying a modified 600d for the Astrophotography.

I know I’ll  need a mount with tracking so was looking at the HEQ5. Also a scope! I did see a bundle with the HEQ5 and 200dps Here but unsure how much additional equipment I’d need to make it useable, and how portable it would be?

Other than that I’m basically in the dark, and would appreciate any advice on scopes, mounts, or anything useful!

Thanks for any advice

Chris

[Davey-T]

Hi Chris and welcome to SGL.

The HEQ5 is a good start and new will eat most of your budget but they come up second hand regularly on Astro Buy and Sell  UK and the usual auction sites, also on this forum in the for sale bit.

No reason not to start out with a 200PDS although a refactor is easier to set up for starting imaging, you could also capture plenty of stuff using just camera lenses and practice the processing side which is at least half the battle.

You can capture directly to the camera card for starters then APT is a good bit of software to capture your DSLR images and once you get the hang of that then controlling the mount from laptop using something called EQMOD which gives you lots of control of stuff.

What you will need eventually for longer exposures is some sort of guide scope and camera for it, then you can start throwing money into the astro' imaging bottomless pit 😂

Dave

[Nev166]

Thanks for the reply.

I might just get the HEQ5 then and add other stuff as I go / when I can afford to 🙈

 

[Davey-T]

If you're getting a brand new HEQ5 it's worth getting a belt modded one.

Dave

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-mounts/sky-watcher-heq5-pro-with-rowan-belt-mod-upgrade.html

 

[bottletopburly]

If your thinking of getting the 200PDS(not light ) for Astrophotography then you probably be better getting an Eq6 or choosing a 150pds to go on the Eq5  weight wise the Eq6 takes a heavier payload ,the Eq5 will be on the limit , others may confirm this , I started out with a 200p on an Eq5 now have it on a Eq6( quite heavy though) maybe if your looking for a portable set up then heq5 and a small refractor  , as you already have a 7D (m31 with a 7D off Flickr ) 

why not concentrate funds on the  mount and use 7D with lens  and maybe a guide camera  good  place to look for used equipment https://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php £1000 doesn’t go far in this hobby 😂 decisions decisions 🤔

[TerryMcK]

I agree with bottletopburly that the 200pds is approaching the upper limit of the HEQ5 for Astrophotography- I know mine is but still doable when the wind is light (the 200pds is a big boat sail especially with a dew shield on). I tend to use my 200 primarily for planets and lunar.
There can be further disadvantages to what initially appears to cheaper way into AP using a reflector which you have to cost in

• the constant need to collimate a reflector - a decent laser collimator is a great addition but again adds cost.
• Then you have to add a coma corrector to make the stars at the edge of the field appear round

You are making the best start with the HEQ5 and I too recommend the Rowan belt upgrade. A smaller refractor up to 100mm will be well supported by the HEQ5 and is best for taking wider field DSO pictures which show objects in context. Nothing better than seeing a nebula or group of galaxies in one frame. 

The Rowan will give the ability of maybe achieving unguided subs of around 2 minutes with smaller aperture scopes at which point you will need want a guide scope/camera to get longer duration subs. Be warned though once the bug bites Astrophotography is not cheap  

[Raph-in-the-sky]

Just found this.

https://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=159241

It might of interest.

[ollypenrice]

I agree with Davey-T. I would put your cash into an HEQ5 and use your present lenses for the moment. I would also kit out the mount with an autoguider. Opinion on the need for this in a first step is divided but I'm inflexible on the matter: tot up your existing investment and then ask yourself whether it is really worth clobbering the quality of your results by not guiding? When I started I took Ian King's advice and did a lot of things that beginners are usually advised not to do from the 'off.'  I guided from night one, went straight into CCD and straight into mono. I'm not advising CCD or mono - you have the camera side covered - but if I were you I would start guiding straight away. It is the life blood of astrophotography and is not difficult.

I have never doubted the wisdom of Ian's advice and continue to repeat it.

Olly

Edited March 4, 2020 by ollypenrice

[carastro]

I would not advise a 200PDS on an HEQ5 (the HEQ5 is excellent), but as a beginner you'd be better off with a smaller scope.  

a) Less demanding on the beginner.

b) Less demanding on guiding.

c) the 200PDS will give a smaller FOV (field of view), you won't get the whole of Andromeda galaxy in the FOV.

See the following calculations with your camera and various telescopes worked out on this site:

http://www.blackwaterskies.co.uk/imaging-toolbox/

Your canon and SW 200PDS

Your camera and 130PDS (cropped and rotated)

Your camera and a Refractor such as the Skywatcher ED80 Much recommended for new imagers and is a good all rounder.  Also cropped and rotated.

 

I also agree with above the 200PDS is really too big for an HEQ5.

Carole 

Edited March 4, 2020 by carastro

[david_taurus83]

ED80 with field flattener or 70mm f6 of the various short refractors are perfect for beginners and that size mount. Guiding is also essential unless you by a £10k mount!

[cuivenion]

I haven't used it because its a relatively new mount on the block. But what about the Sky-Watcher EQM-35 Pro? About half the budget leaving room for room for a small refractor + flattener or a Skywatcher 130pds + coma corrector and some sort of budget guiding set up. Obviously it only has a small 7kg imaging payload but as long as you stay within it, could it be a viable option for a beginner?

[cuivenion]

EQ35m Pro = £555

Skywatcher Evostar 72ED refractor = £269

OVL field flattener = £72

Leaves just over a £100 to sort out a guide camera and scope, so it will still go over budget but it keeps it in the ball park at least. It just depends if that mount is up to the job or not.

[dannybgoode]

The mount is everything in astrophotography. If I were you I wouldn’t be looking at anything less than an AZ EQ6GT and at this stage world blow the whole £1k on a secondhand one of those. Really like mine - proper bit if kit it is. 
 

That way you’re set for pretty much any scope at all. It guides well, is very robust and will see you through your whole journey unless you get really serious. 
 

The scope can wait or keep your eye out for a nice 750mm focal length 150P which I find to be an excellent compromise between the 130 and 200. 

[cuivenion]

I would agree that the mount is the most important part. You can get very good results with a good mount and an inexpensive scope. I would say go for best mount he can afford while still being able to afford guiding equipment.

[spillage]

I would say a second hand neq6 or heq5 (£650)

If you want a  scope  then the ed80 is just a great beginners refractor, but bang for buck the 130pds (£180) is well worth a look (I think it has the longest running thread here), pair it with a comma corrector (skywatcher do a x0.9 giving a bigger fov £130).

A second hand st80 (£50) and mono cam (£100) for guiding.

But be warned, there is always that bit of kit that you will want to buy!!!!