Widefield Imaging

[stargazerkelly]

Hi i mentioned in a previous post i would like to start astrophotography

i think i will start with just taking widefield images, maybe of distant galaxies, and lunar and maybe the milky way if possible

would sort of equipment do i need ,

im guessing a good DSLR any tips of what sort of one to get

stargazerkelly

[rowan46]

hi cant help as I dont know much about cameras but this will take it back up the page

[James4]

Hi Stargazer, Canon DSLR's dominate Astrophotography.

However, I recently switched to a Nikon DSLR and it handily beats my older Canon, especially at high ISO performance.

Either brand (as long as new) is your best bet.

[Zakalwe]

Kelly,

A decent DSLR will do the job. Canon 350d or similar. For widefield you could pick up one of the "nifty-fifty" lenses (f1.8 50mm)...they are about £80 new IIRC. A 200mm lens will give a bit more detail, but if you are using a standard photographic tripod then you will be limited to short exposures (unless you are aiming for star-trails).

Another good book to look out for is this one: Digital SLR Astrophotography (Practical Amateur Astronomy) by Michael A. Covington

It is a tad technical in places, but gives a really good grounding in all aspects of using a DSLR.

You could also mount a camera on your EQ3 mount, and use the motor to track. This will give you longer exposures.

Picking up one of the Chinese made remote shutter controls is a good idea too. They can be had for about £20 off eBay, and allow you to program a series of exposures (of any length), and then let the camera get on with it. Great if you don't want to lug a laptop out into the field, great for doing time-lapse or for shooting DSO.

Do you have a camera at the moment?