£500 imaging scope

[Portech7]

Hi All

After some recommendations or suggestions. 

I currently image with a 6" F5 reflector and using an Astro mod'd DSLR. 

Looking at options to upgrade and stuck between 8" Reflectors (few options out there) or  ED refractors (understand they won't be huge or much bigger than 80mm for this budget). 

I know there's a myriad of scopes out there and understand there is likely longer than usual lead times currently. 

So really I just want some user/owner suggestions for any scopes in this budget for deep sky imaging. 

Also, not adverse to used either. 

Thanks all

 

Edited February 26, 2021 by Portech7
Adding info

[rl]

If you're going to drop 500 quid then a few more details might help. What do you expect to improve by changing the scope? What other accessories are you using and can they be carried over to your new scope? For example, are you using a coma corrector and off-axis guider? These would go with a bigger Newt, but will the mount then be adequate? Personally I don't see a massive gain in going to a 8" f/5 Newt, or possibly even an 8"f/4. Would you be better off improving the camera or the guiding?

An ED refractor in this price range will have a shorter focal length and larger field (and no diffraction spikes) so is better suited to a different class of objects. But you will also need the matching flattener and may need to change your guiding arrangements. 

Would a better mount allow longer exposures with your existing scope?

Specific recommendations if changing the scope really is the way forward; I've owned a ZS61 which is just about in budget secondhand with the flattener and is fairly undemanding on your mount, and gives good results, and makes a useful travel scope . If you are lucky you might get a secondhand TS65Q which has the flattener built in and makes a really good solid well-built dedicated imaging scope. I paid #380 for mine on ABS. Some of the early ones had pinched optics in cold weather but the issue is easily fixed, and it works visually only with a 1.25" diagonal. As to Newts. I'm using a CT8 f/4.5 which is a beautiful scope but secondhand ones are rare as rocking horse manure and tend to come in at #600 plus. But a "wanted" ad on ABS costs nothing...

 

 

[Clarkey]

As rl states above a bit more detail of what you are looking to image and your kit would help. For around £500 personally I would go down the small refractor route. I image with an Evostar ED80 which has been really good for the money. With hindsight, if I was to change anything I would probably want to have a slightly wider field of view for some of the larger nebulae. You can easily crop a larger image. The other option you have is to buy a camera lens such as the Samyang 135mm everyone seems to use these days. I think keep an eye of ABS and something will probably turn up.

[newbie alert]

For less than £500 For a frac I'd have a look at the  skywatcher ed80 , punches above it's price tag,  you won't go too far wrong with that.. native @600mm

Or if you prefer a reflector,  I'm sure that the  pds130, 150 or 200mm Newtonian are well under that and even the f4 Quattro is only £50 over budget 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-quattro-f4-imaging-newtonian.html

[ollypenrice]

Currently you shoot at F5 and a focal length of  750mm. F5 is good. Any faster and you'll almost certainly spend a lot of time struggling to get it all to work. So is there something about 750mm that doesn't please you? Is it too long or too short? To my mind it's a slightly 'in between' focal length, a bit short for galaxies and a bit long for nebulae. (I used to feel this about a 1000mm FL a few years ago when pixels were larger, but small pixels have made a metre a good galaxy FL nowadays.) 

If you want shorter, then the small modern refractors are excellent, as is the ultra-short Samyang 135 lens, which is also fast without being a hassle.

Or are you not happy with the image quality of the present scope?

Olly

[Portech7]

Hi all

Appreciate the comments. 

My issue is that I really do love my 6" Newt but with DSLR, guide scope with camera etc on its a pain to balance. 

Once nicely balanced it's fantastic but it is a pain to get it just right. 

I've pretty much just eliminated the 8" Newts now as they'd be the same as my 6". So a short refractor might be the way to go. 

I have a Celestron Omni XLT 120mm which I use for planetary imaging but anything towards deep sky and the purple halo is horrendous. 

I was thinking of something shorter really and that is easier to manage. 

I have an AZ/EQ5-GT mount which I absolutely love, so I want to get some thing that is shorter, easier to balance and when set up is less than 10kg for imaging as my mounts payload limit is 15kg.

I have seen a used William Optics ZenithStar 70 ED F/6 Doublet refractor for under £300 which is tempting. 

Hope this helps. 

Edited February 28, 2021 by Portech7
Adding info