I am wanting to start imaging through my telescope. I will have to use short exposures though (Dobsonian mount). What is a good CCD/digital camera for beginners - good means easy to use and inexpensive (in case I don't end up wanting to keep doing it for years).
Beginner questions
Started by EricOsborn, 04/04/2012 04:12PM
Posted 04/04/2012 04:12PM
Opening Post
Posted 04/04/2012 08:49PM
#1
Experience says that if you have a digital SLR at all, you can just get a t-mount adapter and fit it to your telescope. That will enable you to get good pics of the moon and (with a solar filter) the sun.
If your DSLR can take movies, you can also take planets with your dob.
In both cases you can get (or make) adapters that will allow you to put a point and shoot camera to the eyepiece and take pictures of the sun, moon, and planets.
And whatever you use, you may have some difficulty getting the camera to focus (not enough in-travel or out-travel). However this can generally be fixed with extension tubes, collimation screws, moving the mirror, or changing the focuser.
Other than that, your Dob is not really suited to take pictures. You have to be able to track to take pictures of the stars and nebulae, and Dobs just do not do it.
If you have no camera whatsoever, I would highly recommend one of the Canon DSLR's, particularly one with LiveView. These are generally what the imagers are using nowadays. This camera will take great daytime family, etc. pictures, and can be used at night. Again, though, your astroimaging will be limited to sun, moon, and planets with a Dob. (Of course, you can also take star-trails, and starscapes, etc. with your dslr, without the dob.)
The most critical, and if done well most expensive part of an imaging setup is the mount. ANd the Dob simply does not qualify.
ALex
If your DSLR can take movies, you can also take planets with your dob.
In both cases you can get (or make) adapters that will allow you to put a point and shoot camera to the eyepiece and take pictures of the sun, moon, and planets.
And whatever you use, you may have some difficulty getting the camera to focus (not enough in-travel or out-travel). However this can generally be fixed with extension tubes, collimation screws, moving the mirror, or changing the focuser.
Other than that, your Dob is not really suited to take pictures. You have to be able to track to take pictures of the stars and nebulae, and Dobs just do not do it.
If you have no camera whatsoever, I would highly recommend one of the Canon DSLR's, particularly one with LiveView. These are generally what the imagers are using nowadays. This camera will take great daytime family, etc. pictures, and can be used at night. Again, though, your astroimaging will be limited to sun, moon, and planets with a Dob. (Of course, you can also take star-trails, and starscapes, etc. with your dslr, without the dob.)
The most critical, and if done well most expensive part of an imaging setup is the mount. ANd the Dob simply does not qualify.
ALex
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