A good imaging scope and camera.

[MBJ]

I'm about to go down the serious imaging route after around 10 years of visual astronomy, I have quite a good idea of what's required and how to image. 

I'm ok with the equipment I've got at the minute regarding guide cameras, guidescopes and software, I have a good mount in the az-Eq6 gt with plenty of payload capacity. 

I currently own a 150 esprit and a meade 10 inch sct. 

 

I'm looking for the best imaging scope and camera I can get for my money which is around £1800.

I have been looking at the esprit 80 or 100 with field flattener for the scope but not sure about which camera, mono or colour? , mainly for deep sky nebula and galaxy's. I know filters come into the equation and can add these at a later date. 

Mick. 

[carastro]

I'd definitely go for a cooled camera, and if you are talking about adding filters later, I'd go for a mono camera as this gives far more detail and has the option of doing narrowband.  This will of course start up a debate.

Practice your craft using Mono to start with and then add colour later.  It's a complex learning curve so starting simple and working up is a good way to go.  

I am afraid I have only ever used a CCD camera which I love and would not change, but for budget and speed the CMOS cameras are much used these days.  So I am not going to recommend a CMOS camera as I have no experience of them, but if you want to go CCD the Atik460EX which I use takes some beating. 

You may well want to add a luminance or Ha filter while you are waiting to get the filterwheel and filters.

Make sure to check on one of the following websites for FOV of cameras and scopes so you know what each will give you:

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

http://www.12dstring.me.uk/fovcalc.php

Carole