New to astrophotography... [Archive] - Canon Digital Photography Forums

smithers102

27th of January 2009 (Tue), 09:09

Hey folks, I'm new to astrophotography and have been reading a lot, but I cant seem to figure out what telescope i want. I wish to take pictures by using a t-mount and the telescope as my lens as I don't have a decent lense just yet (recently bought a Rebel XSI kit). I want to take pictures mostly of deep sky objects. I was wondering if anyone could give me some ideas for a reasonably priced telescope and tracking mount that can produce some stunning photos given the right camera settings.

Thanks for the help in advance!

Nighthound

27th of January 2009 (Tue), 19:35

As much of your budget as possible should be directed toward a solid German equatorial mount. I would set that figure at about $1,000 to $1400. If you could locate a good used mount you could stretch those dollars a bit further. The Orion Atlas is a solid mount and a good option but brand new with GoTo(computer driven w/data base) will eat up about $1,600. The Celestron CG-5 is about half that cost but is not as highly regarded right out of the box. You might check Cloudy Nights classifieds as well as Astromart to see what used units are available out there. Be cautious and check the sellers references before buying anything.

As far as telescope I'd suggest you start at around 80mm with a nice ED flourite model. Here are some samples:
http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=1-599-2-83-995-8146
http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=1-599-2-83-995-9721
http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=1-599-2-83-995-11654
http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=1-599-2-83-995-9643

As I mentioned earlier you'll want to try and reserve some budget for other items like camera attachment hardware, dew control, power supply, etc. You can use some of the free stacking software available on line. Deep Sky Stacker is popular.

Please note that I do not own any of the forementioned gear. I have some hands on experience with a couple of the telescopes mentioned but all else goes under recommendation through friends that have used the gear. It would be helpful to do some research on the gear I mentioned and check the forums like Cloudy Nights for other users. When you've done your homework then hopefully you can make a decision that you'll feel comfortable with. Good luck and don't hesitate to ask about products or the process of astrophotography, we're here to help.