Re: need learning aids for astrophoto
Hi Dick,
I tend to agree with most of the advice you've been getting, BUT I want to say that it is not so difficult to get images with a 10" Meade LX200 and a stock DSLR (mine was the Nikon D90) as that is exactly how I started out. Of course the route that I
followed is not recommended, but the first thing I did (that is within a few days) after taking early retirement in 2012 was purchased a pre-owned 10" Meade LX200, at which point visual observing, not photography was my main ambition. However, it didn't take
long (about 3 months) for me to try attaching my Nikon camera, then a guide scope + guide camera, focal reducer, etc, etc.. For sure the LX200 mount had terrible tracking and PE, so yielded poor shape stars, but I was excited and pretty pleased to get some
reasonable DSO images, plus I learnt a lot on the way. For planetary and lunar imaging where accurate tracking is less of an issue the 10" Meade performed extremely well.
All of that said, it is FAR easier to get better results with a smaller refractor, even piggy backed on the Meade and of course I ended up parting with the LX200 in favour of a pre-owned Astro-Physics AP1200 mount, which is an absolute joy to use, but
these are rare items to find, certainly in the UK where I'm located.
Good luck and above all have fun.
Geof
From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Cheng-Yang Tan via groups.io <cytan299@...>
Sent: 05 May 2020 01:04 To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> Subject: Re: [ap-gto] need learning aids for astrophoto Hi Dick,
I'm not sure that an old 10" LX200 OTA is the correct scope to start with for astrophotography. Its focal length is too long for a beginner even with a focal reducer. It also has mirror flop which means guiding should be done with an off-axis
guider.
I'd consider a nice f/6 100 mm to 130 mm refractor. AP sells top of the line refractors -- but getting one new will require a long wait.
IMO, I'd really recommend buying cheaper equipment to see whether you like astrophotography first before sinking in more than $10k to $20k and then discovering you don't really like it.
cytan
On Monday, May 4, 2020, 06:39:19 PM CDT, fastqx . <fastqx@...> wrote:
thanks, charles, for the advice. i'm a "re"-new watcher, so i appreciate all new comments.
dick fast
atlin
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