Astrophotography

[Fallingup]

In particular, Moon photos. This is the best I could get with my Canon 7d mk2 and 300 lense (with a bit of developing). But I would like to get much closer and sharper pictures so fancy getting a telescope that I can fix the camera to. I can't afford too much so would be looking for something around the £500 mark. Can anyone recomend something in this region. Have thought about 2x converters but decent ones are over £200 so think I would probably be better getting a telescope instead. Any thoughts? I'm quite new to this game so please don't get too technical if possible!

[droopsnoot]

Have a read through this thread, I bookmarked it ages ago but can't remember whether there's anything specifically moon-related in it: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Monty Python]

Personally, I wouldn't bother - the weight of an SLR is too much for most mounts to cope with. If you want to do astrophotography, then you're only real option is a proper CCD camera.

[Fallingup]

@droopsnoot Thanks for the link. Very useful info in there.

@Monty Python I had never heard of CCD camera's. Might be the way forward though will probably have to blow my budget. Still need a telescope
though And as you say. It will probably need a tracking drive.

Edited by Fallingup on Friday 27th October 19:14

[Monty Python]

Fallingup said:

@droopsnoot Thanks for the link. Very useful info in there.

@Monty Python I had never heard of CCD camera's. Might be the way forward though will probably have to blow my budget. Still need a telescope
though

There are lots of CCD cameras specifically designed for astrophotography - here are a few for starters:

https://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/ccd-...

[Fallingup]

@Monty Python

Thank you Sir!

[jmorgan]

Scopes and cameras are interesting. I bought a telescope and already had a camera (350D at the time) but the reason was not to take shots, but it was inevitable you would wonder how they went together. However the amount of time at the eyepiece for me, it was hard to justify the expense of a reasonable CCD though it is certainly on santa's list when I can. Maybe when I retire.

I have had better results with my 7D than the 350 I had however the scope and mount can take it (just) for the moon. Balancing is a faff when you take one off to re insert the eye piece. Shaking in the wind, then forgetting shutter lockup and so on.

Problem will be how deep are your pockets and what type of mount and telescope you want before you consider bolting a camera to it. Mine comes with a very solid tripod, in todays money around 500 but with no goto on it. Get a cheap one that will not be as good as it should and it could put you off. Poor optics, shaken legs and al that.

[Fallingup]

Yes, I hear what you say. Had a quick look at some telescopes and some are designed with a solid base that is designed to sit on a flat surface like a table or car bonnet so should be more stable than a tripod albeit not as versatile. And I havn't found one with a tracking drive yet but still looking. I guess that will be required as the more the moon is magnified, the faster it moves. But I'm still not sure if that's necessary yet. You're right about costs though. Anything I get interested seems to be expensive!

[jmorgan]

Sure there is a telescope thread kicking around.

[Monty Python]

Something like this would be a good place to start:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Meade-ETX80-Observer-te...

[Fallingup]

Monty Python said:

Something like this would be a good place to start:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Meade-ETX80-Observer-te...

Thanks for that.

[Smollet]

This is a subject I’ve been looking at recently.
I’m probably going to plump for this.
https://www.tringastro.co.uk/celestron-nexstar-4se...

I took this picture with my Canon 6D and my Sigma 150-600c at max extension.
I did up the violet slightly in LR.

[jmorgan]

7D on a Skywatcher 200. And I am still learning.

The process I use is to remove the lens from the camera and use an adapter to mate the body to the eyepiece. The scope is the lens. Get the focus right and its superb. Get it wrong and its not so bad...... but bugs the hell out of me.

Second shot is with a barlow in the setup on the camera adapter and slightly out of focus. Remember, no lens so you can have a crude set of cogs to rely on to get it right on some focusers. Clouds came over beforee I could refine the focus.

And no, the scope was not balanced correctly. I ended up making it comfortable in a rush, probably why the camera is upside down. It was for the partial eclipse 2015.


More Moon by Jeff, on Flickr

Apple Photos Document by Jeff, on Flickr

P1060855 by Jeff, on Flickr

[Fallingup]

Excellent pictures folks.

@jmorgan Does your telescope have a drive on it to lock onto and track objects? Or is that not necessary for moon pictures.

[jmorgan]

Fallingup said:

Excellent pictures folks.

@jmorgan Does your telescope have a drive on it to lock onto and track objects? Or is that not necessary for moon pictures.

Not yet..... (for the drive)

We bought a scope that can have it added at a later date. It kept the initial purchase price down so more was spent on a good light bucket and sturdy legs, the reason for a CCD will also need a drive for this particular scope so my cost of adding a CCD will be more (though the moon is an easy muse not needing a motor as such). The other one in the link above already has it and adding a CCD will be cheaper (I think).

The moon moves and it will need constant tracking. Better qualify that some, the Earth and the Moon move so time at the eye piece on a manual scope is always the scope getting adjusted to follow the moon. Once the legs and mount are aligned correctly then there is only one axis to adjust. On this scope it uses an equatorial mount.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equatorial_mount
http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/astronomy-how-se...

I did take many months before I bought, I had to consider my main use, main location etc. Take into account all the other telescope types, advantages and disadvantages.
http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/buying-your-firs...
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-equipment...

But the end result is a good un, and I can add to it. The biggest draw back is time at the eye piece, at the moment I get a little bit due to work and weather. That has put me off upgrading the parts to make life easier.

[DIW35]

I've used my Celestron a couple of times for astrophotography.

[GroundEffect]

Waxing Moon by Scott Thomson, on Flickr

Took this last night. My first moon shot with the D7500 + Nikkor 80-400G. Great combo.

[Fallingup]

jmorgan said:

Not yet..... (for the drive)

We bought a scope that can have it added at a later date. It kept the initial purchase price down so more was spent on a good light bucket and sturdy legs, the reason for a CCD will also need a drive for this particular scope so my cost of adding a CCD will be more (though the moon is an easy muse not needing a motor as such). The other one in the link above already has it and adding a CCD will be cheaper (I think).

The moon moves and it will need constant tracking. Better qualify that some, the Earth and the Moon move so time at the eye piece on a manual scope is always the scope getting adjusted to follow the moon. Once the legs and mount are aligned correctly then there is only one axis to adjust. On this scope it uses an equatorial mount.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equatorial_mount
http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/astronomy-how-se...

I did take many months before I bought, I had to consider my main use, main location etc. Take into account all the other telescope types, advantages and disadvantages.
http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/buying-your-firs...
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-equipment...

But the end result is a good un, and I can add to it. The biggest draw back is time at the eye piece, at the moment I get a little bit due to work and weather. That has put me off upgrading the parts to make life easier.

Thanks for taking the time to post that. Very useful info. Cheers.

[Fallingup]

GroundEffect said:

Waxing Moon by Scott Thomson, on Flickr

Took this last night. My first moon shot with the D7500 + Nikkor 80-400G. Great combo.

That's brilliant. I take it that it was just camera and lense. No telescope involved.

[GroundEffect]

Fallingup said:

GroundEffect said:

Waxing Moon by Scott Thomson, on Flickr

Took this last night. My first moon shot with the D7500 + Nikkor 80-400G. Great combo.

That's brilliant. I take it that it was just camera and lense. No telescope involved.

Yep, just the lens. Had to crop obviously...

I found the best technique for getting sharp moon shots:

1) Tripod
2) Live-view shooting which allows:
a) zoom in on your subject on the screen
b) doesn't shake the camera when the mirror rises
3) Release delay or remote
4) a fast shutter speed - I shot at F10 with ISO1000 to allow a shutter fast enough to keep it sharp