My first astro photo ED80 moon today

[hozepipe]

Hi

Well its the first clear sky for days and days, and I just received my Orion ED80 and I am extremely impressed with this scope! Took a few pics of the moon just now using my Canon Powershot A620 (though forgot to set the quality to fine!). A bit of tweaking and resizing in PS. These were on a tripod, eyepeice projection - never done any astro photography before, it's quite tricky! This is a very very fine scope I'll post a review comparing it to an ETX90 soon.

[Saso]

Excellent first pictures. Looking forward for review and new pictures.

Saso

[hozepipe]

Thanks - I kind of buggered up the image posting though - I'll try to fix it once I've figured it out....

I managed to get the images full size, but that's not what I wanted! How do you get the image thumbnail that links to the bigger image when you click?

BTW I desaturated the images, they were quite yellowish - I didn't fuss with the camera much, too excited and just wanted to take photos. Should have adjusted the white ballance and set the compression to highest quality... never mind there's always next time. Theres's also a fair bit of vignetting which I corrected a little with a gradient mask in PS, doesn't get you back the lost dynamic range though... would be better if I didn't have to use an eyepeice.

So guys how do you get photos using a digicam WITHOUT an eyepeice - or do you have to if the digicam has a fixed lens? I tried taking out the EP and just got a big glowing blob, no matter how I fouced or positioned the camera.

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Nice Pics HP, nice to see that somebody has clear skies.

Captain Chaos

[SteelRat]

Oooo... like them alot 8)

[Caz]

Considering you haven't done astrophotography before, you have certainly produced some impressive images, well done!

I tried taking out the EP and just got a big glowing blob, no matter how I fouced or positioned the camera.

You might want to try using a moon filter....

Caz

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

OOPPSS.

Missed the question earlier, or rather forgot to reply to it due to being fed.

With a fixed lens digicam you will always have to use an eyepiece. The camera will not focus otherwise.

Captain Chaos

[hozepipe]

Thanks Guys. It was thanks to the seeing I think, which was very good. I'd say:

seeing: 7/10

darkness/glow: 3-4/10

still a little misty - is that 'transparency'? If it is I'd give it 5/10.

I'm the the middle of a city so it's never very dark here, but the atmosphere was exceptionally still today - usually the edge of the moon boils but it was sharp and quite calm. I was hoping to catch saturn but never saw it over the skyglow before the clouds came in.

[hozepipe]

OOPPSS.

Missed the question earlier, or rather forgot to reply to it due to being fed.

With a fixed lens digicam you will always have to use an eyepiece. The camera will not focus otherwise.

Captain Chaos

Thanks Captain, that's that one sorted then. So if I got a dSLR I can take prime foucs photos with the scope as a lens? Wow that's going to be cool with this scope!

[geppetto]

Excellent first images 8)

Bet your pleased with your gear

[richard42]

wow very sharp!

love the detail!

[MartinB]

:shock: :shock: Superb images for anyone, as a first attempt they are incredible. Well done Mr Pipe