Which camera

[Mdc]

I have had my scope,  an 8 Inch celestron for years and I have a celestron neximage camera which I had previously used for photography with the scope.... All was well and then I stopped star gazing years back. 

 

Recently I got the telescope out again but have found my camera is obsolete,  it simply will not function with windows modern versions,  having spoken to celestron this issue cannot be resolved so I need a new camera. 

 

Primarily I image planets and the moon but have tried with limited success to image more distant objects.  The world of cameras has moved on and to be honest I do not know if I need the £10 cameras on ebay or the £250 ones on amazon,  or which features I should place a value on.  Any advice would be very welcome,  I do not want to overspend on this but also would like a decent functional option. 

 

I do have a digital dslr camera also, and I see you can buy adaptors for these to fit on fb e scope,  is this a better and cheaper option? 

[Stu1smartcookie]

Firstly , welcome back to stargazing

Cameras are a minefield as there are so many , but the zwo planetary cameras usually get a good write up . Take a look on the FLO website . There are more budget options around these days including a planetary cam from SVBony ... check out "Small Optics" you tube chanel as he has reiviewd it . To go "deep sky " opens up a host of cams that get very expensive very quickly , so much so that maybe your DSLR is a more attractive proposition , for now , maybe ?

I will be interested in the option you choose as i have just bought a similar scope . Personally i have a DSLR and a ZWO 120mini , but have yet to try them out with the new scope . 

Stu 

 

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

It is possible to image planets with a DSLR if it has a 1:1 uncompressed crop video option. However, I would always go for a proper planetary camera. I have used several ZWO cameras for planets, in particular the ASI120MC, ASI224MC and the ASI183MC. The latter also allows imaging large sections of lunar surface, and can be used for DSOs as well (although the cooled version is better for that.

Jupiter with the C8 and ASI224MC

Saturn in bad seeing (ASI183MC using small ROI + C8)

Large chunk of moon (ASI183MC + C8)

Leo Triplet in Meade SN6 6" F/5 Schmidt-Newton + ASI183MC

 

[Mdc]

Thank you Stu,  I will have a look at these and let you know where I end up,  really helpful. 

[sorrimen]

Check out first light optics as they have a summer sale going for zwo asi cameras right now. Michael noted some good options, namely the 224. It’s marginally more expensive than the 120-S with the current sale but is significantly better, and reigned supreme as the best planetary camera for years. I have another post with my untracked results, which can give you an insight into what this camera can do even with the most basic of set ups. DSO imaging is more complicated and you’ll need to plan more carefully around image scale depending on what you want to shoot. 

Note that you may also want to consider image scale for planetary too. Cameras work at an ideal f/ratio depending on their pixel size, and it is 3x-5x the pixel size (seeing dependent). F/ratio dependent, you may find that another camera fits your scope better, depending on whether you will use a barlow or not. A bit of a rabbit hole, but worth looking into if you’re really trying to maximise results. Don’t worry too much unless you’re one to obsess over squeezing every last % of your set up, like I am.

tldr; can’t go wrong with the asi224 right now with the sale. Consider image scale for DSO, and f/ratio for planetary if you are not in a rush. 

[AstroMuni]

1 hour ago, Mdc said:

I do have a digital dslr camera also, and I see you can buy adaptors for these to fit on fb e scope,  is this a better and cheaper option? 

Welcome back. My advice, just go with what you have and know for now! Once you find that you have outgrown the capabilities of your camera look at purchasing the best that your funds will allow. I started with an ASI224mc as I didnt have a DSLR and used it for a couple of years. Its worked quite well and taught me a lot about AP. Good luck.

[Adam J]

The ASI224mc is a good starting place as people have stated above. 

Adam 

[happy-kat]

I have a neximage 5 and it works with Windows 10 I've used it with sharpcap to image the Moon. What number is your neximage?

[johnturley]

1 hour ago, Adam J said:

The ASI224mc is a good starting place as people have stated above. 

Adam 

I was a bit torn between the ASI 224 and the ASI 462, I asked FLO's advice, and they recommended the 462, but for planetary photography through my Esprit 150, it transpires that the cheaper 224 may actually have been the better choice. If you go by (as some people recommend) that the optimum focal ratio should be 3 x the camera pixel size, then this gives 2.9 um x 3 = about f9 for the 462, and 3.75um x 3 = about f12 for the 224, which equates to effective focal lengths of about 1350 and 1800 mm, roughly achieved by 1.5 x, and 2 x Barlows respectively.

The former in particular however gives an image size that is far too small with this telescope.

John 

 

 

Edited August 22, 2022 by johnturley

[Cosmic Geoff]

1 hour ago, Mdc said:

IRecently I got the telescope out again but have found my camera is obsolete,  it simply will not function with windows modern versions,  having spoken to celestron this issue cannot be resolved so I need a new camera. 

 

I have the basic Neximage 'Solar System Imager.'  I have not tried using it with Windows 10 as I replaced it with an ASI120MC within weeks. On reading your post I plugged the Neximage into my Win10 imaging laptop and fired up Sharpcap4.  I did not download any drivers for it.

No complaints from the software and I got a camera window. The unfocused camera clearly responds to light so it ought to image.

BTW the ASI120MC is a very adequate planetary camera but the ASI224MC is faster and more versatile and the ASI462 has smaller pixels and high infrared sensitivity.

I have not tried using a DSLR on planets but you might find it a pain to use compared with a dedicated planetary camera.  And check the pixel size...

Edited August 22, 2022 by Cosmic Geoff