ccd imagers...which one?

[northcanadian]

Hello:

I would like to see what advice SGL members could share regarding newbie entry level ccd imagers. Which ones are good, easy to use and reasonably priced?

Thank you again!

[Whippy]

I guess it depends on what you call resonably priced! You can spend what you want to spend so what's your budget?

Tony..

[northcanadian]

I would have allocated about $800.00 Canadian for a ccd camera...thanks

[Whippy]

I know it's a bit more expensive but I think this is good for the money: StarShoot Pro V1.0 Urban Imaging Package - Telescope.com . Problem is, over here in the UK camera companies like FLI and SBIG don't enjoy a high profile while you guys aren't that aware of companies like Atik and Starlight Xpress. From what I can see, there's two quite different markets either side of the Atlantic.

HTH anyway

Tony..

[Petervde]

Efton Science in Toronto is a dealer for Atik. Take a look at EfstonScience - Your Telescopes & Astronomy SuperStore for Everything in Astronomy and Nature Optics. Shop online at www.telescopes.ca or visit our Toronto, Ontario store to shop everything in telescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, tripods, mounts,

I have been using the wonderful Atik 16HR for a couple of years now and it's a superb ccd camera. The Atik 16IC is its smaller sibling.

Have you considered buying a (modified) DLSR camera?

Peter

[northcanadian]

Thanks for the input...

Petervde...I checked out the Atiks as you so kindly suggested.

I notice the Atik 16IC comes as a colour and non colour camera. Which would you recommend? Would the colour one be good for planetary...without using filters, etc.?

I do have an unmodded Pentax K20DSLR, and have had some good success with lunar prime focus and eyepiece projection shots. Scope is Celestron 9.25SCT.

Thanks again!

[Petervde]

Hi Northcanadian,

For planetary work without the use of colour filters I would not recommend a 'classic' ccd camera but e.g. an Imaging Source DBK camera. The 640x480 version sports an impressive 60 images/second without compression. It sells in a usb- and firewire-version.

The Atik 16IC would give a very small field in combination with your 9.25SCT and I would only recommend it for deepsky work.

Peter