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I don't know anything about anything, but this was shared in the thread and I have been back and forth on getting into the hobby ever since. I think it's someone who posts here's site? https://darkskies.space/starting-with-astrophotography-part-1/
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Dec 13, 2018 01:25
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Wow, that's a really beautiful picture. Thank you for sharing. Would you say the telescope contributed to that picture the most? With a 15 second exposure, does the motorized mount help with that short of a shot?
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Jan 22, 2019 01:50
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Wow, that's incredible. This thread has definitely gotten me more and more interested in astronomy and astrophotography. Been trying to do some research but it's not quite the right time for me yet. Stupid question, on your Meade 6000 Series 70mm, can you also put a... not sure of the exact term, eye piece on it and see through it? Or is it only for attaching cameras to?
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Mar 22, 2019 02:23
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Hasselblad posted:Wow. Zinjnok posted:I had thick clouds for most of totality, but they eventually thinned enough that i was able to get a few shots. This is the best of the 9 that weren't half covered. Not really happy with the amount of sharpening I had to apply to not make it look like a fuzzy mess.
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Mar 22, 2019 03:54
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Was in Moab about a month ago. Bought my first pair of binos to do some star gazing, bought a tripod to try to do a longer exposure... Nothing but clouds for 3 nights. First night was like sleeping in a tent in a hurricane, minus the rain. Hope you have better luck than I did!
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Apr 15, 2019 05:08
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So... Is there any astronomy thing I could buy, starting with nothing, for like $1,500 that I could then later upgrade instead of rip and replace if I wanted to get into astrophotography of DSOs? I have a Fuji X-T20 and a ~$200 tripod. I was thinking about getting some sort of star tracker. I have a Rokinon 12mm F2 and a Fuji 55-200mm. I have a pair of binoculars that are pretty good for star gazing. Forget the exact specs. Ones you can hand hold. Any thoughts? [edit: I guess to clarify, at that price range I assume I won't able to get something very astrophotography worthy. I think I'm asking if I could get a telescope and appropriate accessories to just use as a telescope to start and then upgrade/add things to get into astrophotography over time.] Internet Explorer fucked around with this message at 05:42 on Jul 25, 2019 |
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Jul 25, 2019 05:30
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Golden-i posted:At that price range, it sounds like you're at a similar point to where I started... This is super useful info, thank you. Edit: I should find something with an Equatorial mount and not a altazimuth mount for DSOs, right? The reason I ask is my local place is doing a sale and has stuff like this on sale that's mostly within my budget, but it's altazimuth mount. https://milehighastro.com/products/celestron-cpc-800-gps-sct Internet Explorer fucked around with this message at 20:06 on Jul 25, 2019 |
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Jul 25, 2019 19:54
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Tyrgle posted:I got a very similar setup except with the 6" telescope option for $820 on sale, and I like it pretty well. Tracking isn't perfect but I've gotten some pretty good photos. Ugh, this is what happens to me every time. I've done hours and hours of research and then I get gear decision overload. I'm wondering if it doesn't make sense to just get the Edge HD 8 with the AVX Advanced and then just upgrade the mount when the time comes. Or maybe I'll just get the Celestron C6 SCT OTA - CG5 with the AVX and just use that and if I get into the hobby more decide from there.
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Jul 25, 2019 23:37
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All good advice, thank you! I remember that refractors are better for DSOs but I guess I got my wires crossed and heard that it didn't matter as much. I'll do some more looking and see what I can find as far as refractor options go. I mentioned in my OP, forever ago already, that I will probably get a star tracker and do wide field stuff. I have a 14mm lens that is supposedly very good for astrophotography, and I've seen some pictures with the 55-200mm that I have that seemed pretty nice. Definitely going to do some of that. Thanks for all the advice, goons. Your wisdom is much appreciated!
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Jul 26, 2019 06:32
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What do you all think about something like this? Definitely in the price range and the mount seems to have a little more room for error in the weight side of things. https://milehighastro.com/products/lx85-series-80mm-apo-refractor
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Jul 26, 2019 16:08
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Alright, I think I'm going to go a bit over budget, which is completely fine, and get a Explore Scientific Carbon Fiber ED102 f/7 APO Triplet and a Celestron Advanced VX. The Asteotech stuff looks really great, and ideally I'd buy something of theirs, but the good stuff is out of stock and I'm in a bit of a time crunch. I can afford the extra spend, and the carbon fiber thingy is on sale for $300 off so it doesn't seem as stupid of a purchase.
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Jul 30, 2019 06:17
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Rolabi Wizenard posted:Are you talking about this one? Golden-i posted:Seriously, that setup sounds awesome. A refractor at F/7? Hell yes. And the AVX should be great to get started with that scope. Sweet! Glad it looks like a good choice. I went back and forth in a bunch of different options and I just couldn't find something I was happy buying for ~2k. I really wanted something portable and all the comments I've seen about the AVX not being able to carry much weight kind of sealed the deal for me. I don't want to get a much bigger mount and I'm going to have to move and store this stuff, so smaller and lighter is better. Didn't want to do 80mm because I think it will be more limiting, but I don't want to do something too large due to the added bulk and difficulty in use.
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Jul 30, 2019 19:43
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Sorry for spamming the thread with my stupid newbie poo poo, but possibly the last update for a bit. Long story short, I didn't end up with the gear I wanted (Celestron AVX, ES ED102 cf) and I while it's the safer choice, I think diving into the deep end would have worked well for me. I went to my local astro store to pick up the gear I was talking about earlier and the guy there was super helpful. He was pretty adament that I not buy that much equipment being new to the hobby, which I completely understand and appreciate. I expected that to happen and any same person would say the same thing. Signs of a good shop, definitely. The more we talked the more I figured I'd give the safe route a shot. Kinda disappointed, but oh well. Instead I got a really basic 102mm scope that came with a mount and a carrying bag, and a Star Adventurer Pro. The scope is a Meade Infinity 102mm Altazimuth Refractor. The line of thinking was to have a basic scope to look through and get used to things, something easy to carry and store. Then use the Star Adventurer Pro with my photography tripod and mirrorless + decent astro lenses I already have, using that as a way to get better at things like alignment and tracking. I'll probably give the scope to some nieces and nephews in the next year or so when I upgrade. It was only $250 and would make a decent hand me down gift for the little ones. So now my approach is going to be to basically build up what will eventually be an ancillary setup to something more serious down the road. The tripod, star tracker, and camera will always be useful for nifty pictures of the Milky Way. My next thing might be to pick up one of the AstroTech 80mm scopes that are small enough to use with the star tracker. Then after a bit, waiting patiently for a great deal, pick up a bigger scope and a proper mount. I dunno. Maybe my newbie ramblings will be helpful to someone also considering getting into the hobby.
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Jul 31, 2019 15:16
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pointsofdata posted:That all sounds very sensible, and excellent service from the guy in the shop. Have fun with your new scope! You can do a lot with a 102mm refractor. I agree. The service was excellent and was giving good advice. Seems like a great shop.
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Jul 31, 2019 17:32
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I bought the Rokinon 135mm F/2 to put on my Star Adventurer. 
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Aug 13, 2019 05:38
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Is anyone jumping on the Stellarvue SV102-Access deal? Seems like quite the buy. Normally $1,095.00, on sale for $695.00 as a close out. https://www.stellarvue.com/stellarvue-sv102-access-apo-refractor-blowout-sale-1/
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Aug 15, 2019 01:08
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That RedCat 51 looks ridiculously awesome. I wonder if they are going to make other scopes in a similar vein? Something like a RedCat 70 or 80 would be really neat. Starting to get stoked about my Labor Day plans. Going camping in a Bortle 2/3 park. Got my StarAdventurer, my Fuji XT-20, my Rokinon 12mm F/2, my Rokinon 135mm F/2... Going to be my first time doing astrophotography. I think I have a grasp on most of the concepts. Still need to pin down how to do Darks/Bias/Flats. Also, still need to pick out a target or two for the Rokinon 135mm. Going to play with Stellarium for a bit. Anybody got any random suggestions for a first timer with the gear I've got on hand?
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Aug 20, 2019 05:56
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hannibal posted:Sure. Quick writeup here, everything bears double checking and some is just my opinion so I welcome others to jump in if they feel differently. Thanks for taking the time to post this. Definitely along the lines of what I was thinking. Going to play around with the exposure and ISO, maybe I can do that at home before we head out. Thanks for the dumbed down explanation of calibration frames. I won't worry about those too much unless everything else goes swimmingly. I am definitely going to start with the 12mm lens as I know that will be most forgiving. I am excited about trying out the 135mm, though. We'll see! DesperateDan posted:Pair of modest binoculars (I use some 8x40mm) for checking out wider areas of sky without having to train and adjust a scope Oh! I forgot to mention, I do have something near an 8x40mm set of binoculars. Don't have them in front of me, but very close to that. Excited about those! I also have a "Meade Instruments 209006 Infinity 102 AZ Refractor Telescope" to do some visual stuff through. Going to be 4 of us out looking at stars, all newbies.' I'm most excited about the astrophotography. I'll definitely enjoy the visual stuff, but I have been trying to learn about astrophotography for a while and this will be my first time. Internet Explorer fucked around with this message at 04:52 on Aug 23, 2019 |
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Aug 23, 2019 04:48
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Y'all post some really awesome stuff. I love that Andromeda image. Got back from our camping trip. First time doing astrophotography! Really first time doing astronomy. It was a big success. Really happy with what I've got so far. Did two different shoots of the Milky Way and then set of shots of what I believe is the North American Nebula and another of Andromeda. I was shocked I could see Andromeda in my binoculars. Super neat. Anyways, now I need to figure out stacking and post processing. In the meantime, here's my very first astro shot with 0 post-processing as a thank you to this thread for helping inspire me to get into this hobby.  
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Sep 2, 2019 01:14
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That's really neat!
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Sep 4, 2019 13:50
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AstroBackyard has been helpful to watch for me. They're generally easy, short videos and they help put things in context.
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Sep 23, 2019 20:23
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Heard great things about that scope. Good luck!
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Sep 24, 2019 00:25
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Wow, that looks really awesome.
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Dec 17, 2019 01:38
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Taking pictures of planets is very different than taking pictures of galaxies / nebula which is very different than taking ultra-wide shots of the stars in the sky (and the Milky Way.) I'm not very up to speed on planet stuff, but for "deep space objects" (DSOs) like galaxies / nebula, Astro Backyard probably isn't a bad place to get started. https://astrobackyard.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn3npsPixgoi_xLdCg9J-LQ https://www.cloudynights.com/ is the main (english speaking?) astrophotography forum. Can learn a good bit there. [Edit: Two others that come to mind are Peter Zelinka's YT channel and Chuck's Astrophotography YT channel.] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt1iKYekebRPGVGmlCYN44A https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCllh0nUmlREEvoskaq9b3A Internet Explorer fucked around with this message at 23:54 on Oct 21, 2020 |
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Oct 21, 2020 23:52
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Here are my latest terrible photos. My problem has been that the only time I can do astrophotography is when I go camping, and usually by then I'm trying to squeeze it in with everything else and I'm exhausted. Going to try to plan on doing it a little more seriously soon. Also, I have just started on post processing stuff. Fuji XT-20 with a Star Adventurer Rokinon 135mm F2.0 Rokinon 12mm F2.0  
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Oct 22, 2020 18:15
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Yooper posted:Those are some good looking shots dude. Those Rokinon's look good. They are nice lenses for sure. Really great bang for the buck.
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Oct 22, 2020 20:00
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Awesome. Just awesome.
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Oct 22, 2020 22:49
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PerniciousKnid posted:Is there a recommended Android app for finding things in the sky? Stellarium
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Oct 27, 2020 01:21
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Wow, that's really great for that lens. Camera must be doing work and your post processing skills must be quite good.
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Nov 3, 2020 07:46
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Harry Potter on Ice posted:I wake up early to take care of farm animals and the stars have been spectacular, is there any time of stargazing flow that has zero set up? I dont have a lot of free time but I do have 10 minutes when it's dark. Do binocs fit this or is it pretty expensive to get into that? Binocs would be a great solution here
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Nov 21, 2020 18:12
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I think a star tracker is worth getting since you already have everything else you need to get started. Plus, it's a lot more portable than even the lightest mounts and tripods. If you decide to go all-in and buy a dedicated astrophotography camera, scope, and tripod/mount, then you can still use your star tracker setup at the same time. That's pretty much the path I am taking. The only thing you'll really be missing is stuff like go-to, plate solving, full auto-guiding, etc. I'm still very new but I feel like it's good to learn without those things at first. Just my thoughts. I'd certainly wait for someone more experienced to chime in.
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Dec 5, 2020 18:13
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To that end, I am trying to figure out what I want to do for my next steps. I have a Vanguard VEO 2 265CB tripod, a Star Adventurer, a Fuji XT-20, a Rokinon 135mm F2., a Rokinon 12mm F2.0. I've done some shooting with those and I'd like to continue to use them, but I'd also like to put together something a little more serious. I'll be traveling with it for the foreseeable future and I don't have a whole ton of storage space, so I was trying to keep it pretty small. I have been looking at the iOptron SmartEQ Pro+, which seems to get mixed reviews depending on who you ask. It only has a payload weight of 11 lbs, so I am trying to keep it under 6 lbs if I can. What do you all think? iOptron SmartEQ Pro+ ZWO ASI071MC Pro Color ZWO ASIAIR Pro Atik Off-Axis Guider For the scope, here's what I've been considering: ASTRO-TECH AT72EDII (4.8 lbs), with Astro-Tech ATRF72 0.8X reducer/field flattener RedCat 51(2.9 lbs) Raptor 61 (4 lbs) (I know this is overpriced) I'm also hearing about a RedCat 71 coming out soon, but no weight specs as of yet. I probably won't be actually pulling the trigger for a few months. Cost isn't something I'm super sensitive to, but I'd really like to get a nice setup that is portable and easy to use.
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Dec 5, 2020 21:54
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Yooper posted:Santa is bringing me the Raptor (I hope) so I'll comment on that once it's in hand. Yeah, was planning on using the 120MM. Thanks for the reminder on that one! I figured I'd try OAG to keep it smaller / simple / etc. I don't mind messing with tech stuff, but I already have enough of a learning curve so I'd rather go with something pre-built at this point. Definitely interested in hearing about your experiences with the Raptor. It looks real nice for sure.
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Dec 6, 2020 03:02
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You are totally right, thank you. I remember reading a bit about pixel size and was on the right track but either got sidetracked or forgot which camera I jotted down when I was building this iteration of the list. Thanks for the heads up on the guide camera. I'll definitely get the 290m. And for the OAG backstop concerns. I could do a guiding scope if I have trouble with the OAG, it just seemed like it would be nice to have on less scope to carry around. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Super helpful. Internet Explorer fucked around with this message at 20:19 on Dec 6, 2020 |
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Dec 6, 2020 08:46
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simble posted:And, while I'm posting, I figure I'll share the last few shots I've gotten so far this fall: These look really great. Thanks for sharing!
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Dec 7, 2020 04:25
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Do it, do it, do it. We might be moving so my scope plans might change. Still Bortle 8 or so but we'll have a rooftop with clear lines of sight that I can set up a bigger scope on more permanently. Excited to see if I can do that instead of the super portable scope. Internet Explorer fucked around with this message at 22:40 on Dec 24, 2020 |
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Dec 24, 2020 16:17
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Just gotta go to the middle of the Everglades and then get carried away by mosquitos.
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Jan 11, 2021 01:54
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I don't know the answer to your question, but that's a really great photo!
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Jan 15, 2021 01:04
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Crankit posted:What are good telescopes for astrophotography? I have a DSLR and I'd like to try some pics of space, but I know very little about it. You can get surprisingly far with a star tracker and a decent lens. The latest Astrobackyard shows off a lot about this. https://youtu.be/WoSnR7TVAOA
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Feb 28, 2021 08:11
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lol that is a great picture
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Jun 12, 2021 05:30
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