Roo Phillips said:
I have both a Digital Rebel XTi and a Celestron CPC 11". I want to start doing astrophotography but I don't know what (specific) accessories I need and how to set it up. Any suggestions??
Roo
Well, you'll need...
1. A remote shutter release for your camera (Canon). This will allow you to hold the shutter open in manual mode for as long as you wish.
2. A T adapter for the camera (Orion). This goes on the lens mount in place of a lens and allows you to screw various camera adapters onto your camera.
3. Prime focus adapter (SCT model). This allows you to attach camera to scope (Orion).
4. Reducer for scope. An f/6.3 is suitable for a DSLR, but still leaves you with a lot of focal length.
5. Wedge. If you're going to do exposures longer than 30 seconds, you will need a big, sturdy wedge that will allow you to setup the scope in EQ mode. Celestron's heavy duty wedge is useable, but not really heavy duty enough...
6. Guide scope and guide camera. At these focal lengths, you won't be able to expose long unguided, so some kind of a guide camera (Meade DSI, Orion Starshoot guider) will be needed. So will a guidescope and mounting rings. I use an Orion Short Tube 80 for this purpose.
7. The above will require a laptop. So you might as well get some software to run the camera too. My fave is Stark Labs' Nebulosity.
B-U-T...
7. In the BEGINNING, THOUGH, just get a piggyback camera mount that will allow you to attach camera to scope and allow it to shoot the sky through its lens. You'll need #1 to do longer exposures, too, of course. Experiment with this before you try the HARDER prime focus imaging game. :-)
8. Image processing software. Photoshop is optimum, but something like Paint Shop Pro is very useable and a lot cheaper.
