Canon DSLR to HEQ5 Pro

[Robculm]

Hi. I'm looking for a little advice please.

As you can see from my previous posts, I'm usually imaging with my canon EOS800D through a 200PDS, but I fancy having a go at some wide angle milky way shots this year.

Can anyone suggest / post me a link to a simple mounting bracket I can mount the EOS800D directly to my HEQ5 Pro mount please.

After a little research, I'm contemplating the Samyang SY14M-C (14mm F2.8 Ultra Wide Fixed Angle lens), again, thoughts on that would be appreciated (although I wouldn't want to spend more than the price of this one!).

Finally, my understanding is that for such wide angle shots I can get away without guiding, but I wonder can I set this up through my ZWO ASI Air? Or I need to revert to the HEQ5 pro hand controller & run the camera independently (i.e. revert to my old intervalometer etc)?

Many thanks,

Rob

[Rustang]

Where would you be shooting the Milkyway from!? If a back garden somewhere in a town I maybe wouldn't bother but if your looking to head out to darker skies on the coast or somewhere then I would pick up a Star Adventurer then you just need your camera and intervalometer and your good for 1-2 min exposures, maybe a little longer. If you want to lug your HEQ5 pro about and have a power pack for it then same thing really but I would definitely recommend finding dark skies for the milkyway.

Edited January 7, 2023 by Rustang

[Elp]

I normally mount a DSLR cheese plate onto a vixen dovetail bar, then mount a DSLR directly to the cheese plate.

The Samyang 14mm ED is a nice piece of glass, but note it is very curved. You'd need approx a 120 field of view free of stray light otherwise your subs will get affected by light pollution, as a result I have never been able to use it from the backyard. I have a custom dew shield to cut out unwanted light but it kind of defeats the purpose.

Your camera should be compatible with the asiair, check their website depending on which asiair you have.

[alacant]

22 hours ago, Robculm said:

simple mounting bracket I can mount the EOS800D directly to my HEQ5 Pro mount

Hi

Don't overthink it!

A 1/4 unc bolt to hold the camera and a choice of Vixen or Losmandy. If at some stage you need portrait, a sturdy steel bracket.

The 800d works fine with the asiair pro. We'd recommend a usb cable to connect: it's a mini-usb at the camera end. (note: Not tested with the older plastic asi verson.)

Looking forward to seeing your mw results.

Cheers and HTH

                              

Edited January 8, 2023 by alacant

[Robculm]

Thanks all for your comments - Much appreciated 🙂

Rustang, I hear what you're saying and although I have reasonably dark 'backyard' (~Bortle 3), there are plenty of obstacles, so far from ideal for widefield, but at this stage I'm just dabbling. I'm very close to Dartmoor here, so that's a possible option if it goes well! Thanks for highlighting the Star Adventurer mounts, I wasn't aware of these. I certainly wouldn't want to be lugging the HEQ5 any distance! Also just to mention, your profile image is absolutely stunning 👍.

Elp, thanks for your comments, that's a very good point regarding the lens, I think I need to research this a little more & probably go for something low cost from ebay to start with. I bought the camera as body only as to date it's always used with my scope, so don't even have a kit lens!

Alacant, good to hear from you 🙂 .  I have the original vixen bars from my PDS200 (you remember I switched over to the Losmandy) so that's perfect, I can use that to get started. I think I'm just confusing myself regarding the ASI. I use it with with this camera on the PDS200, was just overlooking that in this set up, the camera lens will be the 'telescope', so in theory it should be no different! 😆

[AstroMuni]

On 07/01/2023 at 21:47, Robculm said:

Can anyone suggest / post me a link to a simple mounting bracket I can mount the EOS800D directly to my HEQ5 Pro mount please.

Could you not attach it to the UNC bolt thats there on the tube ring for the OTA?