Ive managed to get my old telescope back, not a very big one, but enough to see the planets and the moon with, but i want to progress and start some astrophotography, ive been looking at CCD camera's but i already have a DLSR and want to actually mount my Canon to the eye peice to get some awesome shots.

 

Im a bit limited at the moment though, as just want to practice the basics on my small Newtonian before upgrading to something larger with a 8" mirror minimum and a motor mount for tracking while doing long exposures.

My set up at the moment is a 114mm (4.5inch mirror) 1000mm focal length sky watcher telescope, with a EQ1 mount. pretty basic and not the best in the world, canon EOS 300D, ive mounted the camera on the telescope, but would rather be taking photos through the telescope as aposed to on it.

 

Does anyone have a lathe that they could fabricate an adapter with? i need it to go from 1.25" tube to something i can mount the camera onto.

 

anyway here is a picture of my baby.

 

 

this was the best i could do with the DSLR of the moon, which is actually quite rubbish due to camera shake and exposure time

 

This was achieved using a samsung D900 phone camera though the eye piece

 

as you can see the difference is quite striking, if i had the correct mount, i could avoid the blur associated with the DSLR and also get rid of the glare associated with the phone due to using the eyepiece.

i can't help you mate but thought i'd say that although the last pic is taken through a phone camera, it actually really good. hope someone can help you so you can get some even better photo's to show us :thumbup1:

i can't help you mate but thought i'd say that although the last pic is taken through a phone camera, it actually really good. hope someone can help you so you can get some even better photo's to show us :thumbup1:

 

I know i was well surprised with the results of using such an old camera phone, though the samsung D900 always had an awesome camera on it so thought id give it a go.

 

Biggest problem with the EOS is its ability to judge light and there for self exposure time, i switched it to manual, but to get a decent photo of the moon, you need to remove the eyepiece from the telescope and remove the lens from the camera and use it with just the shutter and there for the CMOS sensor exposed, something id rather not be doing to often as it can damage the camera.

 

With the lens attached to the camera and the eyepiece on the scope, it has difficulty focusing on the moon and setting the correct aperture as it doesnt read the light settings from the lens, but from a sensor on the body of the camera so it thinks its pitch black and doesnt focus at all, to top it off my eyes are a bit crap at close range and i cant find my glasses, so i cant manually focus using my eyes for the camera as the pictures always come out blury if i set the focus to what i class as "chrisp" lol

 

The adapter needs to be able to mount in the eyepiece socket on the telescope and then mount the camera with out lens to it. you can buy the correct adapter, but for what it is, they are ridiculous prices lol, though if no one can help, im sure ill have to just take the plunge and buy one.

I know i was well surprised with the results of using such an old camera phone, though the samsung D900 always had an awesome camera on it so thought id give it a go. Biggest problem with the EOS is its ability to judge light and there for self exposure time, i switched it to manual, but to get a decent photo of the moon, you need to remove the eyepiece from the telescope and remove the lens from the camera and use it with just the shutter and there for the CMOS sensor exposed, something id rather not be doing to often as it can damage the camera.

 

With the lens attached to the camera and the eyepiece on the scope, it has difficulty focusing on the moon and setting the correct aperture as it doesnt read the light settings from the lens, but from a sensor on the body of the camera so it thinks its pitch black and doesnt focus at all, to top it off my eyes are a bit crap at close range and i cant find my glasses, so i cant manually focus using my eyes for the camera as the pictures always come out blury if i set the focus to what i class as "chrisp" lol

 

The adapter needs to be able to mount in the eyepiece socket on the telescope and then mount the camera with out lens to it. you can buy the correct adapter, but for what it is, they are ridiculous prices lol, though if no one can help, im sure ill have to just take the plunge and buy one.

 

that second pic is a cracker mate (check my sig out)....i would love to get a decent telescope as on clear nights i lie on my back with my binocs and see all kind of stuff the naked eye cant see:bow:....much better than doggin too:detective:

that second pic is a cracker mate (check my sig out)....i would love to get a decent telescope as on clear nights i lie on my back with my binocs and see all kind of stuff the naked eye cant see:bow:....much better than doggin too:detective:

 

Well if you need advice on what telescope to get, just drop me a PM matey, ill quite happily talk you through it, although mines a baby and its pretty much for beginners, its not one id recommend if you want to get the best out of if, you already have the best items for viewing and getting around the night sky which is a good pair of binoc's you just need a good sky map so you know where you are looking, well depending what size they are, best beginning pair of binocs is of coarse, 10x50, going larger and you will need a good tripod but will open up more of what you can see.

 

(the second number is the key as its the aperture) the more light gathering capabilities the better, when i finally get a house and get out of this bloody flat, ill be getting or making, between a 10" and 15" dobsonian, id recommend a minimum of 8" Newtonian, 4.5" is relatively small aperture and you encounter problems with viewing items like andromeda and even Jupiter, Jupiter through a 4.5inch mirrored Newtonian, just looks like a dot of light roughly 2mm in diameter with 2 fussy cloud bands on it, but you can make out the 4 major moons as pin points of light, but it holds no colour. its just a white disk of light with the cloud bands, andromeda is even worse and just looks like a fuzzy ball on the eye peice as if you have left a finger print on it and its out of focus while looking at it, a larger mirror would help there and show more detail as the light gathering capabilities are much better, also helps if you are out in the middle of no where with low light pollution.

 

Biggest issue with astronomy is cash factor, the one i currently have costs £140, the one i plan on getting, its closer to £900

Edited October 5, 201213 yr by vodkashots

Well if anyone has been about at stupid o'clock in the morning and wondered what that bright star is in the sky, its actually Jupiter, so tonight thought id have a look, well this is the best i could do with the iphone, really need to sort out this camera mount and dig out my filters as she really is bright, but anyway, this is Jupiter and her 4 largest moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto

 

Fantastic picture mate.

Fantastic picture mate.

 

thanks, i was surprised the camera picked the moons up so well considering how bright Jupiter is.

 

Think i can fabricate a DSLR mount so i can get some decent long exposure time's while having the camera stable enough to avoid camera shake. really want to get a photo of the galaxy Andromeda via the telescope as that should come out really good.

 

The other one i want to get a photo of is the nebular in Orion's belt, but ill have to wait till late November early December for that as Orion doesnt rise early enough just yet.

Just waiting for the moon to come out from behind a tree, but finally managed to fabricate a mount for the telescope using a x2 barlow lens, see what photos of the moon i can get this time

Well with my modifed camera mount, the only thing letting it down now, is me shaking the bloody telescope when taking the picture, next up remote IR shutter release. then i can set the camera to manual mode, and leave it alone and not have to worry about camera shake, see if we can get some decent hi res images but for now, this is a trial run.

 

Liking this thread Vods as I love seeing pics of outer space and the planets. Keep them comming.

Liking this thread Vods as I love seeing pics of outer space and the planets. Keep them comming.

 

aww thanks bud, thought i was talking to my self for most of it lol, well ordered a remote shutter release from amazon, not going to hold out much hope for it though as it only cost £2.50 but worth a shot at that silly price lol

 

Then its just a case of fiddling with the camera settings until i get the one that does good light vs epic picture lol

Jupiter, Pleiades cluster and taurus

 

Orion

You're inspiring me to dig out my old telescope. Never really got to grips with it , but walking the dog in the park tonight I stopped to take in the amazing star constellations that the near black sky provided. The longer you look the more tht seem to fill your vision.

We have a great observatory near us ( Clanfield) which is always booked up but highly rated.

Recent street light changes have meant less light pollution so even the garden could be used..... Just need to dig out the thermals!!!

Keep the pics coming Vods.

Looking good mate :thumbup1:

:alien:Some really nice pics there vods :thumbup: , I've got the google sky map app on my phone, I always have a go when I'm in the garden having a smoke. Been thinking about getting a telescope myself. then in the summer take a drive out to some part of the deserted country side with less light pollution.nice little way of combining my love for the zed and the stars.

 

Interesting fact I was told in school, apparently we are closer to the bottom leg of Orion, than it is to the head :smartass:

 

Also mite wana take a closer look at the Pleiades cluster, I came across this video the other day, apparently there's little green men :alien: :alien: :alien:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De93JYXohVw&feature=related

You're inspiring me to dig out my old telescope. Never really got to grips with it , but walking the dog in the park tonight I stopped to take in the amazing star constellations that the near black sky provided. The longer you look the more tht seem to fill your vision.

We have a great observatory near us ( Clanfield) which is always booked up but highly rated.

Recent street light changes have meant less light pollution so even the garden could be used..... Just need to dig out the thermals!!!

Keep the pics coming Vods.

 

Awesome, what scope have you got?

 

:alien:Some really nice pics there vods :thumbup: , I've got the google sky map app on my phone, I always have a go when I'm in the garden having a smoke. Been thinking about getting a telescope myself. then in the summer take a drive out to some part of the deserted country side with less light pollution.nice little way of combining my love for the zed and the stars.

 

Interesting fact I was told in school, apparently we are closer to the bottom leg of Orion, than it is to the head :smartass:

 

Also mite wana take a closer look at the Pleiades cluster, I came across this video the other day, apparently there's little green men :alien: :alien: :alien:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De93JYXohVw&feature=related

 

Mine is just a 4.5inch Newtonian, not very powerful, those last two images are captured on the canon 300D, on a tripod, manual focus, first photo is 15second exposure, tungsten light setting, F4.5, ISO400 using a remote shutter release.

 

The second photo of Orion is still the 300D on tripod, tungsten light setting, F4.5, 20second exposure ISO200.

 

If you are planning on a telescope, start off with a good pair of binoculars, 10x50 will do, get ya self a star map or even better a planisphere and learn where everything is, makes it so much better when you get a telescope if you know where to point it.

 

IF you are really keen on getting a telescope, ideally (though i was restricted with space) you want a minimum 8inch Newtonian / dobsonian, or a Refractor with a minimum of 80mm diameter objective lens. they all have their plus and minuses so best to look around and do a lot or research before you part with cash as they can be expensive and the last thing you want is paying top money for a pile of crap scope,

 

refractors are a good starting point, with a wide field of vision, easy to set up and use

 

 

Newtonian are good local and deep sky observational scopes but can be tricky to set up due to needing to be culminated (mirrors aligned properly for best and clearest view)

 

 

Dobsonians are basically Newtonian telescopes, but tend to have larger mirrors, and longer focal length, base is also usually the pivot point, they tend to be heavier and more suited to a fixed location.

 

 

Maksutov-Cassegrains

Offer the ease of use of a refractor with elements of Newtonian as they have mirrors in side a closed unit.

 

 

With any telescope though, its all about the light gathering capabilities, the larger the mirror / objective lens the better / clearer its going to be, sharpness comes down to how good the optics are.

 

Cant wait to move though, really want to get my self a dobsonian.

 

The only other thing is, make sure you get a sturdy tripod that can support the weight of the scope its self and any other accessories you plan on using. id also recommend getting a equatorial mount (as shown in the images above), rather than a azimuth, that way once its set up correctly and aligned to Polaris (north star) you can track objects in the viewing lens for a lot longer with only one control.

Edited November 11, 201213 yr by vodkashots

This mornings waning crescent moon. best i could do with a tree in the way lol

 

The big Dipper / plough, part of the Ursa Major constellation, the big dipper is the rear end / tail of the formation of stars that are the great bear.

Here`s Jupiter,Mars and Saturn taken on my telescope taken early this year! , I know they look small, but they don`t get much bigger than this!! Even the biggest observatories struggle to see this far away :) Taken on a Skywatcher 200mm using modded webcam ;) I will root my other images out I have 100`s!!! these are very low res and early days of setting up!!! I have some stunning ones, especially of the moon!! :) also..these pics don't do the telescope justice!!! the planets just look so awesome through the eye-piece!!!

 

 

 

Edited November 11, 201213 yr by daZvert

DazVert they look quality, im well into the Brian Cox thing and have all his DVDs etc.. Up until recently I had a celestron 130eq but sold it due to moving not realising that where i live now has less light pollution then previous.

 

Need to invest in a new one me thinks.

DazVert they look quality, im well into the Brian Cox thing and have all his DVDs etc.. Up until recently I had a celestron 130eq but sold it due to moving not realising that where i live now has less light pollution then previous.

 

Need to invest in a new one me thinks.

 

Thanks Dude, Most of my good ones are on my lap-top which is linked to the scope, I will get some off it later, I just love perving!!! Sorry ... I mean looking at the sky :) ... another good tool is sky safari pro!! its an android app , with star maps, and loads of info, perfect for star gazing!!,

Thanks Dude, Most of my good ones are on my lap-top which is linked to the scope, I will get some off it later, I just love perving!!! Sorry ... I mean looking at the sky :) ... another good tool is sky safari pro!! its an android app , with star maps, and loads of info, perfect for star gazing!!,

 

When I had my scope i had an app on my iphone, in fact ive just looked and still have it. Its called night sky and is brilliant at telling you where everything is at that time in the night sky. It even shows what on the southern hemosphere.

I know absolutely nothing about telescopes and such, but the pics are amazing !

 

Keep snapping away troops, I love pics !

 

Alan......

I think you put the wrong pic up Daz... I can see Uranus... :clown:

 

I borrowed my dads telescope when he was on holiday once, couldnt work out how to use it though lol.

I think you put the wrong pic up Daz... I can see Uranus... :clown:

 

I borrowed my dads telescope when he was on holiday once, couldnt work out how to use it though lol.

 

Yeh!!!! I was pulling a Moony!!!! :D

Daz those pictures are awesome, and yes i know what you mean about looking through the eyepiece in awe, although they are not Hubble grade images, its the feeling you get that you are actually seeing it your self rather than looking at a picture in a book, it brings it home just how small we are in the scheme of things.

 

The app i use is called Skywalk on the ipad. its awesome as it gives you the times of what planets rise, altitude and also you can do a live view where you hold the pad up and using the location services it shows you what your looking at.

 

This is tonight's viewing times of what rises

 

Edited November 11, 201213 yr by vodkashots