Can I use my Digicam or buy webcam?

[hozepipe]

Hi Guys

So I'd like to try some astro photography but don't know what I need. I have a pretty decent 6MP digi cam. a Canon A620 that will do 15 sec exposures at iso 50, and take PAL res video, though that's quite noisy.

What do I need to do to use this with my scopes (and ETX90 and an ED80 (not yet arrived) on an HEQ5)?

Would I be better off buying a webcam and modding it?

I'd like to just try things out if I can with the least outlay see if I get on with astro photography, however all the different adaptors and T- rings and other stuff I read about mean nothing to me - I have no idea if they are applicable to my digicam

Help and advice appreciated.

[geppetto]

I would get a cheap clamp to fit your Canon to the eyepiece and take some

afocal images with that.

Also treat yourself to a Philips Toucam webcam (make sure it's the CCD one not the CMOS one)

and an adaptor to fit it to the focuser.

Your then good to go at the moon and planets.

Get the Toucam modded for long exposure and the sky's the limit.

If your very wealthy then get a proper CCD astro cam from the outset 8)

[hozepipe]

I would get a cheap clamp to fit your Canon to the eyepiece and take some

afocal images with that.

Also treat yourself to a Philips Toucam webcam (make sure it's the CCD one not the CMOS one)

and an adaptor to fit it to the focuser.

Your then good to go at the moon and planets.

Get the Toucam modded for long exposure and the sky's the limit.

If your very wealthy then get a proper CCD astro cam from the outset 8)

I need to buy a webcam anyway as it turns out so I guess I'll get a Toucam - however they don't seem to make them any more, and there are a load of different versions. Do you know the model numbers of the good ones?

What about Philips's latest line of webcams are these any good for astro imaging?

[geppetto]

Check on here mate

http://home.zonnet.nl/m.m.j.meijer/D_I_Y/spc900nc.htm

[hozepipe]

That looks a bit scary!

[geppetto]

That looks a bit scary

It is a bit but that mod is for the long exposure.

For moon and planets, all you need is a nose piece adapter to fit the camera to your focuser.

Top and bottom of it is, if your getting a webcam, get that one

[hozepipe]

OK, thanks I will

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Am I reading this right Phil? That Toucam mod. doesn't need track cutting and suchlike microsurgery, just the connections between the two boards?

Captain Chaos

[geppetto]

Looks like it CC

Could be a real winner 8)

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Great! More blinking expense, now I have to get one of those as well. Bah humbug!

Great link Phil, that could be the next big thing for modding webcams.

Captain Chaos