Basic kit for imaging?

[Blackheart]

Hi guys

Just wondering if you could advise me on the basic kit I would need to begin imaging DSOs...

scope

mount

camera

I know that something like an EQ6 would be ideal, but could I get away with something lighter. I'm not trying to compete with Mr Szymanek. I'm just wondering what's the minimum setup that would give some half decent reuslts.

Cheers

BH

[Revs]

You should get away with a HEQ5 as long as the scope isn't too heavy, but the EQ6 would be better. A DSLR would be the cheapest camera, something like a 1000D body only is about £300. You'd need the adapters and bits to mount the camera, a set of filters and of course the 'scope itself. Someone else should be able to advise you there.

EDIT Cost wise you'll be looking £2k plus

[red dwalf]

look for second hand,

heq5 pro synscan mount around £500

scope, a 80mm refractor might be best £300-£400 although i seen great shots with smaller lenses

camera, 1000d great but there`s also purpose cameras, mono with filters, from £200 to what ever you want to pay.

of course planets are alot cheaper, a £30 webcam that tophouse is selling, great camera and for the price a bargain

[themos]

For long exposures and value for money you can't beat a Canon EOS 1000D (refurbished from ebay store canon_uk1), last one I saw went for £281.35.

Add £150 to have it modified for those H-alpha emission nebulae.

Add £350 for an 80mm semi-APO ED doublet with 600mm focal length or so.

Add £150-£200 for a H-alpha filter.

There's second hand EQ5 mount for £200 with ra/dec motors on astrobuysell right now.

Add £100 for adaptors and general gubbins. Have I missed much?

[simon84]

I started out with an 80mm Apo which are readily available second hand. Nothing wrong with something a bit smaller and the IKI 70mm Apo can be had brand spanking for under £250

Mount wise I'd go big straight away. If you start with an 80mm scope, one day you will want to go bigger. I did and only in a matter of months.

Camera, again you cant knock the 1000D, I've got two of them and I love em to bits, I just bought my second one from Tesco.com brand new with a free £50 Canon bag and free delivery for £286, only £5 dearer than a refurb from ebay but you dont get the kit lens, but then you dont really need it if its for astro.

Or you can go for a beginners ccd, either the QHY6 or the Atik16ic, relatively small sensors but will get you going down the road of cooled ccd imaging but then both cameras can be utilised as a guiding option when your done imaging with it. Those options are about £300 to £350 new, you can go one shot colour or mono, obviously if you go mono you will end up needing a filter wheel and filters to make a colour image. They wont set the world alight with their image quality but they are great to learn with.

A decent light pollution filter is a good start if you dont have great skies, either the CLS CCD from astronomik or the IDAS P2, but to be honest a cheap skywatcher LP filter will get you going.

You will need a field flattener/focal reducer using a canon on an 80mm apo or you will end up cropping a fair bit of detail to get rid of warp speed effects.

So if you went new for everything your looking at £1500 for a mount, scope and camera.

When it comes to camera choice really consider the fov you will get from it with certain scopes. Download CCDCalc and have a play around with some of the combinations because whilst a 1000D is a nice cheap camera that will get you nice images the fov is huge and wont get you those lovely large images you can get of objects with a ccd camera which has a small fov in comparison.

HTH.

[Blackheart]

Thanks again for your help guys. And thanks also for pointing me in the direction of 'astrobuysell'. What a gold-mine of a site !

BH