Best Scope for a Beginner

[Sir Plug]

Hi, I've been lurking in the shadows of this section for a while now, in awe of the shots that can be achieved. I was looking to use an old scope that has been sat in my garage for a while now but don't think I can adapt it to suit this kind of photography. (It's an old Tasco 660 Luminova). Unless you guys know different?

Without spending too much (wife objects!:D), what is the best scope on a budget to fit to a Rebel XTi or willl I achieve anything useful with just the camera and a 200mm lens?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Paul ;)

[Adrena1in]

...willl I achieve anything useful with just the camera and a 200mm lens?

Some people produce amazing images at relatively wide angles like 200mm or wider. An 'L' lens can compare to a good scope any day. The key is getting a good tracking mount, and that's where the majority of your money should be spent if you want to achieve things good like a lot of the people here. (Assuming you want to photo some deep space objects that is, like nabulae and galaxies and clusters and stuff.)

[ady.space]

yes im with adrena, a good mount that tracks is a must. here is a pic i done with a 70-300mm sigma lens set at 200mm it cost £140 http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt137/adyspace/m312hrcopy-1.jpg

[VIGER]

I agree

Telescope are build for observers and not for photography. The '' Astrographs '' (type of telescope) are build for photography. Most DSO (Deep sky object) in your backyard can be capture with prime lenses.

Check for recommended lenses on the web and you will find that Canon rules!

An exoplanet was found using two 200mm Canon L lenses!

[Sir Plug]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

What can I expect to pay for a track mount? What makes are best on a wife induced budget ??

[Adrena1in]

What can I expect to pay for a track mount? What makes are best on a wife induced budget ??

An idea of how accomodating she is could help! ;)

My EQ5 with GOTOStar, (software to enable you to tell the mount to find a celestial object and the mount points the scope accordingly), takes small to medium scopes and cost about £500. Secondhand they're around half that.

My EQ6, which takes larger scopes, but doesn't have the GOTO software, was £330 secondhand. I wouldn't recommend going cheap...you'll only regret it when you get a scope and it simply won't track smoothly and accurately.

Of course, 200mm is relatively wide, and if you happen to want to often shoot even wider, then mount accuracy is less of a requirement, so you could maybe get an EQ1, EQ2 or EQ3. (Just smaller, cheaper models.)

I don't know which would be the best make...SkyWatcher are generally pretty good for entry-level kit.

[matlennon]

Im assuming most of you guys are crop cameras, where 200mm is actually 320mm on a FF?

Also say you use Teleconvertors what sort maximum apperture is acceptable for astrophotography? Say a 200/2.8 with 2x TC (400/5.6) or even 1.4x and 2x (560/7).

Also what weight do these EQ5 and EQ6 mounts hold whilst maintaining accurate tracking?

Sorry for all the questions, im very much looking to dip my feet into the water with astrophotography.

Matt

[VIGER]

I use a Kenko mount on top of a Manfrotto tripod. Fantastic mount. About the precision of a Takahashi. Since I have acquired that mount my Heq5 pro is sleeping.

I can track with it using my Canon 20d or 5D using my fisheye up to my Canon 400mm L f5,6. The Canon 100mm gives me good field so is the 200mm L. With my setup I have hundreds of targets to pick from.

For planetary I use a 900mm F7.5 SW 120ED and if I want to push it I use the Mewlon at 2450mm + Tak focal reducer ... both mounted on the HEQ5
But I can tell you right now that the 400mm will match a Takahahsi FSQ 106.

Check the web for tests. Mu humble advice start small and worl you're way up. Small sucesses lead to big ones.

And last ... get a good book!

Have fun.

[VIGER]

Ady.Space

I love your picture. Your point is well made and dead on.
Now, immagine a Canon lens!? :lol:
hope you have a sens of humour,

Cheers

[ady.space]

haha, yes i have... you need a sens of humour to sit out side all night imaging. hope soon to get 300mm f/4 canon fixed lens, just got to save some pennys. also my mount i use for tracking is a www.astrotrac.co.uk i love its ideail for cameras with lens have a look at there web site theres loads of images on there as well

[VIGER]

Since my ocation is poluted therefore need to travel this is the mount that i like to carry: http://www.sciencecenter.net/hutech/kenko/skymemo/index.htm The rest is in my signature.

A 300mm would not be to heavy?

[MintMark]

Im assuming most of you guys are crop cameras, where 200mm is actually 320mm on a FF?

Also say you use Teleconvertors what sort maximum apperture is acceptable for astrophotography? Say a 200/2.8 with 2x TC (400/5.6) or even 1.4x and 2x (560/7).

Also what weight do these EQ5 and EQ6 mounts hold whilst maintaining accurate tracking?

Sorry for all the questions, im very much looking to dip my feet into the water with astrophotography.

Matt

OK, I'll try and answer your questions. Once you have a tracking mount, that takes some of the pressure off aperture. Most lenses work best stopped down a bit, so I find myself between f3 and f4 with a f2 and f2.8 lenses. You just lengthen the exposure to compensate for the smaller aperture. And do it again if you want to reduce the ISO. If you're using a telephoto lens then you'll usually have an even smaller aperture.

Downsides to lengthening the exposure include pushing the accuracy limit of your mount and more chance of planes, satellites and kicking the tripod spoiling a shot (with more time lost).

EQ5 and EQ6 are for medium and large telescopes. There are heavy duty versions of each too (HEQ5 and HEQ6). Celestron do a CG5 which is (I believe) the same as an EQ5. They do heavier duty mounts too (CGEM and up). The smaller trackers like Astrotrac and Kenko skymemo are really only capable of holding cameras and lenses, although astrotrac sell sturdier supports that allow it to work with telescopes.

Most of this is from reading and researching forums. I bought an astrotrac. It works very well. The only other thing I'd like it to do is make clouds vanish :)

[VIGER]

The smaller trackers like Astrotrac and Kenko skymemo are really only capable of holding cameras and lenses, although astrotrac sell sturdier supports that allow it to work with telescopes.


What it the mount capacity of the astrotrac ? I never heard of anyone putting a telescope on it and if so perhapps a 66mm!????

The kenko will drive my Canon 40mm F5,6 lens and a Caon 5 d with a grip install on it. Also on mounts I suggest looking a the periodic errors of the mount mentioned and none will trak good unless they are autoguided thus adding complexity and work. The hobby is now turning into work :lol: My HEQ5 pro will do 3 minutes unguided with a light load, add more load and that figure goes down ... who said that astrophotography was simple? :eek:

[MintMark]

The astrotrac says it can take 15kg. The problem is the photo tripod setup they sell it with can only take 5kg (the Manfrotto geared head). If you use their new pier and wedge then you get the 15kg capacity.

I actually found it hard to find load and tracking error information for the mounts. Mostly all I could find was anecdotal comparisons ("this is better than that").

You're right about it turning into work... smaller mounts are definitely easier to handle.

[Sir Plug]

As a newbie, I've put most of what you've said through a google translater...:D.

Thanks for all the advice, so far. I'm now starting to get an idea of what's involved and what half of the stuff means that you've mentioned.......

[VIGER]

I'm now starting to get an idea of what's involved and what half of the stuff means that you've mentioned.......

Get a good book on the subject. Google results on '' astrophotography and Canon 400mm and 200mm '' and so on you will see that good results can be obtained with reasonalbe equipement.

With a base mount like the astrotrak or the Kenko and good lenses there are more targets and pictures out there to do than good clear nights available during the next 5 years! At least that's true for Canada lol!

[matlennon]

These EQ mounts, do they have electronic tracking motors, or are they hand operated? From what i can gather online, they sell as hand operated with the option for adding electric motors.

[Adrena1in]

These EQ mounts, do they have electronic tracking motors, or are they hand operated? From what i can gather online, they sell as hand operated with the option for adding electric motors.

Depends which you buy really. I started with the most basic SkyWatcher EQ1, which was very light, dirt cheap and hand-operated with the option of adding a motor drive, which I did, but just a motor drive for the main RA axis. Cost me effectively about £60 and would've been suitable for wide-angle imaging with a camera lens. I don't think my EQ5 or EQ6 come in hand-operated mode...as far as I know they're motor-driven only