Need a little help with equipment.

I'm really thinking about getting a used Celestron CG-5GT as a mount for just my camera initially, with eventually getting a used orange tubed C-8 or C-10 as a scope. I know that I will need a ball head for the camera, but I also know that I need a dovetail. That's the catch. What exactly am I needing to attach the ball head to the mount? All the equipment that I lugged around in college came pre-assembled, so to speak, so this is a new learning curve, for sure! Most likely, the ball head I'm looking at is a Manfrotto by Bogen Imaging.

As for Celestron and the CG-5... Good mount, or not?

where does the ball head come into it. The scope attaches to the dovetail slot on the top of the mount and then your camera will attach to the back of the scope with a T-Ring. If you just want to put a lens on your camera and attach that to the mount buy a short length of dovetail and a camera threaded screw. Your dealer should be able to sort for you. Dont put a ball head on, yoou have all the adjustment you need on the mount.

The CG mount gets very good reviews as does the C8/c10.

Good to know! Yet another little bit of money that I can spend elsewhere! LOL

And the mount is now going to be headed my way in the next few days! Whoo-hoo!!!!

I have found that when doing piggyback work from my C-8, a ballhead mounted on the telescope is invaluable for aiming the camera anywhere in the sky, once the scope is polar aligned and is tracking well. I would always rather aim the camera and lens than moving the scope and mount in any way, thus insuring rigidity and integrity of the alignment.

Good idea that I'll have to keep in mind when I get a scope!!

skipper34 wrote in post #7558065
I have found that when doing piggyback work from my C-8, a ballhead mounted on the telescope is invaluable for aiming the camera anywhere in the sky, once the scope is polar aligned and is tracking well. I would always rather aim the camera and lens than moving the scope and mount in any way, thus insuring rigidity and integrity of the alignment.

If the scope is aligned, and tracking well, you should be able to move it anywhere in the sky and thus the camera as well and have no problems. By moving the camera independantly, seems to me it would have to be touched, which risks misalignment more ....