![]() I’ve used an AC adapter, but also purchased a Celestron Power Tank for portability. Some scopes have internal battery compartments, while the one I picked requires external power. PowerĪny telescope mount with tracking or goto capabilities is going to need power. Alternatively, here are instructions on how to make your own. You can buy a Bahtinov mask for about $20, which I think it totally worth it. What I found is that LiveView will get me close, but the mask takes care of that last mm or so of adjustment for perfect focus. When you get that middle spike dead center between the X, you know your focus is bang-on. This is a really simple focusing mask you just place over the objective of the telescope while pointing at a bright star, and it shows you a set of three diffraction spikes, two of which form an X, the middle of which shifts position with the focus. Recommended Accessories FocusingĪ final small but notable addition would be a Bahtinov Mask. If you are looking at getting a new DSLR with astrophotography in mine, see the post The Best DSLR Cameras for Astrophotography. Honestly, if you have a DSLR, you can use it for astrophotography. I’ve since upgraded to both a Canon T6s, and a Canon 7D Mark II. I started out with a refurbished Canon T3i. If you have questions, please leave a comment below, or contact me and I’ll be happy to try to help. If you already have a camera and a telescope, the investment may be well under $100 for a few simple adapters. You can definitely spend less, or a heck of a lot more. To date, I’ve spent around $5,000 including the cameras, telescopes and mounts (yes, all of those are plural), and all the other little accessories. In cases where there are newer alternatives available to the equipment I have, I’ve listed those alternatives as well. This page is a mostly complete list of the astronomy and photography equipment that I use for the astrophotography posted in the Gallery. OK, twist my arm, and I might upgrade to an 8″ RC optical tube at some point. ![]() Regardless of the brand label, these are very good imaging scopes! The Orion scopes quite handily include dual-finder scope shoes, so you can use one for an auto guider and the other for a visual finder. Each retailer seems to offer a slightly different package, but the same scope and focuser. These appear to be identical to those offered by Astro-Tech, which are also branded elsewhere as GSO. Orion Telescopes has recently begun offering the same Ritchey-Chrétien scopes in 3 sizes: 6″ RC, 8″ RC, and 10″ RC. I’m convinced that the 6″ Ritchey-Chrétien is the bargain of the decade for astrophotography. Astro-Tech is the cheapest at $400, but they are frequently wait-listed. I’ve also found that a pair of those 27-gallon plastic tubs work great with some foam lining for transporting the mount in one box and the telescope in the other. It’s about the right balance for me of portability and capability. However, I also think this is about the heaviest setup I’m likely to get. This is a bulky carload of a setup, but I have used it pretty regularly at the Denver Astronomical Society’s Dark Sky Site that’s about a 70 minute drive away from me. Orion Magnificent Mini AutoGuider Package.Astro-Tech 6″ f/9 1370mm Ritchey-Chrétien Astrograph.This is what I use for planets, deep space objects with a small angular size, and the occasional lunar image. This is pretty similar to the setup I started with 3 years ago, but I’ve managed to upgrade every single major component over that time. Some imagers prefer to use more advanced software such as PixInsight, but if you already own a DSLR, chances are you are comfortable in Photoshop.Deep Sky Imaging Setup: The cardboard box makes a good dew cover and light shield for the laptop, which controls and camera and auto-guider. These applications allow you to set the number of exposures you would like to take, and all other settings needed when capturing your DSO.įor image processing, I suggest using Adobe Photoshop CC. To automate your imaging session (to a degree), image capturing software such as Backyard EOS and Astro Photography Tool are excellent choices when using a Canon DSLR. ![]() This will do a great job of creating contrast in images of nebulae and galaxies from the city.Ģ5" T Adapter and T-Ring for Canon Cameras Software for Capturing and Processing For an unmodified DSLR camera such as the Canon EOS Rebel series, I recommend the SkyTech CLS filter. This completes the connection for prime-focus astrophotography, and is absolutely necessary for deep sky imaging.įilters can help reduce the amount of light pollution captured in your images. These can be purchased on Amazon quite affordably. The camera attaches to the telescope via a T-Ring adapter.
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