New to Astrophotography gear suggestions

[BrianKang]

Hi. I need some advice in buying my first gear for this hobby. I have 500usd to work with and plan to observe deep sky objects. I also have a d850 camera, so i was thinking i could try some astrophotography too. From my brief research, i should look for a Newtonian telescope and an equatorial mount. Is there something i am missing (what do i need to attach my camera to the telescope?) and is 500usd enough or should i save up a little more for better gear? If anyone has recommendations for gear(links would be great), please let me know as i have no idea what i should be looking for and where i should buy them. Thanks.

[Kyle Allen]

For astrophotography, have a look at the Skywatcher Star Adventurer mount. It is designed for use with wide field or medium focal length camera lenses. There are plenty of large deep sky objects that look great when imaged with a wide field set up and it will be far more forgiving of tracking errors or polar misalignment. 

It’s not really suitable for observing though. Without spending a fortune, you will struggle to get something that can do both observing and imaging well. Aperture is key for visual observing but this means extra size and weight so you need a more stable mount. Most of your money will be spent on the mount for imaging.

For observing deep sky objects, you can’t beat a Dobsonian telescope for the price. You may be able to get a six or eight inch aperture Dobsonian and a Star Adventuer within your budget.