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Greetings from Worcestershire

pwalsh61

By pwalsh61
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pwalsh61

pwalsh61

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I'm a relative newcomer to Astronomy and am interested in astrophotography in some shape or form (as, it seems, are a lot of people these days!).

I've recently joined an Astronomical Society (Redditch) and can thoroughly recommend any other "newbies" do the same. It's easy to get swamped by the information available on line with regards to equipment and a chat we a local astronomer and seeing some kit in action is worth many hours of web research!

I recently purchased a Canon EOS 1000D and am familiarisng myself with its capabilities (and mine!) and have been experimenting with simple shots of the stars. I hope to get a scope in time for the next star party but, as with everything these days, my choices are likely to be limited by budget.

Paul

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glowjet

glowjet

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Hi Paul,

A very warm welcome to SGL, there are some very experienced members who practice the dark art of Astrophotography on the forum, just remember the only daft question is the one you don`t ask, enjoy the forum.

John.

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david o

david o

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Hi Paul,

A warm welcome to the forum :D

Might be worthwhile grabbing yourself a copy of Making Every Photon Count by steppenwolf (here on SGL), aka Steve Richards. It'll guide you through imaging from the start, covering everything from kit to techniques and helping you choose the right equipment/tools, whilst avoiding costly mistakes.

There's also plenty of skilled imagers here that'll be willing to field your questions on any part of the dark art.

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JamesM

JamesM

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Hi Paul, :D

A warm welcome to the forum. I echo your comments in part. I absolutely agree with you on getting your eye in on some kit (especially before you buy). It's not that there is bad kit out there, most of it from the more familiar producers is pretty good with them offering a wide range of scopes that fall within the reach of most budgets (sometimes at a tiny push! :)) It's whether at the end of the day the desired scope fulfills the expectations of what you want to see. Star Parties in my opinion are ultimately the best platforms for this because there you will find a wide range of kit, of different sizes with different apertures, configured in different ways by astronomers who are more than welcome to give you their take on what they think works or what doesn't.

Societies on the other hand I'm not so sure. It seems there are some who are very good, who do get 'out there' and have regular observation evenings which are conducted in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, and I'm so pleased Paul that you have joined one of those who DO astronomy. My own experience informs me differently in that they can, at worst, greet new people with a degree of indifference that borders on rudeness (...don't get me started :))

Again, a big welcome to the forum Paul and I look forward to hearing about your next purchase!

Clear skies :D

James

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pwalsh61

pwalsh61

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Thanks for all your welcomes folks. I understand what James means about societies as they can sometimes become rather "cliquey" or marred by petty politics/personality clashes. Fortunately that isn't the case with the Redditch AS where I've been made most welcome from day 1 and people have been happy to pass on advice.

Here's an example: At the star party in April I was trying out my new DSLR. I've not owned any form of SLR before having simply used "point and click" cameras and I was talking to one of the other members who suggested I get a skylight filter for the lens to protect it. Such a simple piece of advice and something I'd never have thought of in a million years but invaluable all the same when you consider cost of replacing filter: £12, cost of replacing lens: £100+

Paul

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pwalsh61

pwalsh61

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Might be worthwhile grabbing yourself a copy of Making Every Photon Count by steppenwolf (here on SGL), aka Steve Richards. It'll guide you through imaging from the start, covering everything from kit to techniques and helping you choose the right equipment/tools, whilst avoiding costly mistakes.

Thanks for the advice! I've since ordered and received said book and am gradually working my way through it. Excellent book so far and I shall be recommending it to other AS members who may be starting out like me. :)

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