Basic AP setup help

[Kenboy]

Hello all!

I'm setting up a Star adventurer mount with a Canon 550d DSLR + 50mm F1.8 STM prime lens 

Any tips and advice on how I can start AP with this setup would be appreciated. 

What other basic equipment would I need? 

Shall I get standard shutter release cable or one with an intervalometer? 

Also how long do my exposure shots need to be, and how many of them? 

thx! 

 

 

[Robindonne]

To keep the budget available for other stuff i would dive into a second hand stellermate/asiair for around €100,-   It helps me a lot With controlling the mount and camera.   Its your app-controlled intervalometer, mount control etc.  It helps me a lot.  Power it up and spend the night sitting behind your desk, or like i often do, from my hammock.  serious!

but im also still learning all the basics etc.  these relative modern devices will do almost everything for you.  Plan a session with 30x4 min shots or 200x1 minute shots, in 3 taps on your screen.  Watch the preview and even the stacked images while youre swinging horizontal with your coffee next to you.  Sometimes  put two mounts outside.  One for visual while my dslr is clicking the memorycard full.   I cant tell how fun it is when you have to manual control the shutter or dont know what youve been imaging till your finished, because ive never been through that stadium.  All i know is that automating stuff keeps me more interested in this hobby.  I hope
 

 

Edited June 15, 2020 by Robindonne

[Kyle Allen]

An intervalometer is a useful tool as it allows you to program a series of exposures, which it will then take automatically. If you haven’t already got a tripod or a ball head you will need those. 

You won’t know how long your exposures need to be until you try it as it depends on how much light pollution there is in your area. One way to get a reasonably good exposure length is to preview the image you have just taken and look at the histogram. Aim to get the peak of the histogram about a third of the way from the left hand edge by adjusting the exposure length. 

The more images you stack, the better as it will smooth out the noise and allow you to stretch the image more aggressively and pull out fainter detail. 

Have fun with your new set up! You should be able to get some nice shots of the Summer Milky Way - the constellation Cygnus is full of big bright nebulae that should show up well with a wide lens like the one you have 😀

[RobST]

10 hours ago, Kenboy said:

Hello all!

I'm setting up a Star adventurer mount with a Canon 550d DSLR + 50mm F1.8 STM prime lens 

Any tips and advice on how I can start AP with this setup would be appreciated. 

What other basic equipment would I need? 

Shall I get standard shutter release cable or one with an intervalometer? 

Also how long do my exposure shots need to be, and how many of them? 

thx! 

 

 

I have the exact same setup at the moment but 400d, on a terrible mount, i got a neewer intervelometer from amazon, its great for the kit i have, i did 50x 2s subs then recentered the mount and got about 400 light subs in total and got this photo of andromeda, to be honest i was so chuffed i could even see it 😁

[david_taurus83]

Just get an intervalometer and your away. 50mm is pretty wide field so you should be able to get some nice shots of Cygnus in a few weeks once we're past solstice and it rises higher. Try 60s exposures first at around F4. Wide open with that lens makes the edges distorted but if your not bothered 1.8 will make it pretty fast!

[Kenboy]

14 hours ago, Kyle Allen said:

An intervalometer is a useful tool as it allows you to program a series of exposures, which it will then take automatically. If you haven’t already got a tripod or a ball head you will need those. 

You won’t know how long your exposures need to be until you try it as it depends on how much light pollution there is in your area. One way to get a reasonably good exposure length is to preview the image you have just taken and look at the histogram. Aim to get the peak of the histogram about a third of the way from the left hand edge by adjusting the exposure length. 

The more images you stack, the better as it will smooth out the noise and allow you to stretch the image more aggressively and pull out fainter detail. 

Have fun with your new set up! You should be able to get some nice shots of the Summer Milky Way - the constellation Cygnus is full of big bright nebulae that should show up well with a wide lens like the one you have 😀

Do I need a tripod or ball head? Or can I just connect the DSLR to the L-bracket dovetail (that's provided in the pro pack)? 

Also if I get an intervalometer, do I also need shutter release cables? 

(sorry I'm waiting on the item delivery - so nothing is with me currently) 

[Kenboy]

Thanks for the replies ! 

Plan is to get some wide field shots and get used to a DLSR - then later on buy a small refractor telescope

[Kyle Allen]

You could connect the camera straight to the Dovetail L-Bracket but this is normally used for longer lenses. A wide 50mm lens might be easier to aim with a ball head and you could frame a foreground object with it if you wanted to. If you get an intervalometer you won’t need a shutter release cable. 😀

Edited June 17, 2020 by Kyle Allen