Astromodded DSLR or astro camera

[KP82]

31 minutes ago, StuartT said:

this looks very interesting! It sure talks the talk. Anyone else have experience of this camera?

good review here https://astrobackyard.com/altair-hypercam-183c-review/

This is just the fan cooled version I believe rather than the TEC set point cooling version.

If I were going to spend substantial amount of cash on a proper astro camera for DSO imaging, I'd strech a bit more and go for TEC cooled version. The 183C (the same sensor as ASI183MC I believe) has smaller pixel size, so you will end up oversampling if you try to image with your SCT unless you use binning. If you want an OSC, 294MC, 071MC or 2600MC would be a better choice IMHO.

[StuartT]

thanks again everyone for your time and expertise.

Full disclosure - I can tend to get terribly tempted by the notion of buying a load of fancy stuff in the hope of that alone delivering great results, rather than going more slowly and carefully and properly learning the craft step by step and then evaluating what I genuinely need and could make proper use of. I have poor impulse control, basically 🤣

On balance, I think I need to do a good amount of acutal astrophotography using the gear I've already got (incl focal reducer on the way). Then re-evaluate. 

[MKHACHFE]

On 03/05/2021 at 11:41, KP82 said:

I went for astro-modded DSLR when I started out 2 years ago. I had an old 600D lying around which probably wouldn't fetch much if I tried to sell it on ebay, so I decided to send it to astronomiser for the mod. The 18MP APS-C sized chip is very versatile for a wide range of focal length.

However if I didn't already have the 600D, I'd probably opt for a 294MC pro (or 2600MC pro if I start out now). The QE and noise advantage are quite substantial especially for someone like myself who usually go for shorter integrations (6 or less hours) due to time limits. The lack of time is also why I wouldn't bother with mono.

That's quite a large difference in price from a 600d to a 294MC. 😃

Even though I'm still a relative newbie to AP, I would not recommend anyone start out by forking over almost a grand on an camera.

To the op, I would recommend getting it modified. You will get more more your money and improve your images and skills until an expensive dedicated astro cam is your next step up.

I started just over a year ago with the cheapest DSLR canon sell, it doesn't even have an integrated intervalometer (or an input for one), but I've learned tons and gotten images 100times better than I ever expected to get.

I'm planning on getting it modded next week. Can't wait.

Good luck with whatever route you choose.

Cheers

[KP82]

15 hours ago, MKHACHFE said:

That's quite a large difference in price from a 600d to a 294MC. 😃

Even though I'm still a relative newbie to AP, I would not recommend anyone start out by forking over almost a grand on an camera.

The cost of the ZWO cameras have gone up after the recent price increase. The 294MC Pro was only about £850 before the rise and the Altair version was even cheaper. The price gap between a decent modded DSLR and the 294MC wasn't as big as it is now. Hence why I said I'd go for the astro camera if I didn't have a used 600D lying around.

[Coriorda]

The other consideration is in terms of simplicity, an Astro cam will require a laptop, plus additional power. Might be a consideration if you are having to travel to your imaging site