Astral photography and telescope
Oct 18, 2019 20:54:24 #
Pam
Have you tried removing the diagonal and doing what Sonny mentioned. Hold the camera up to the opening and gradually move the camera out/away to determine the proper distance.
The 55mm reference is to the sensor of the camera. Getting started is frustrating, but don’t give up and you should be able to use the DSLR.
I’m sure
Have you tried removing the diagonal and doing what Sonny mentioned. Hold the camera up to the opening and gradually move the camera out/away to determine the proper distance.
The 55mm reference is to the sensor of the camera. Getting started is frustrating, but don’t give up and you should be able to use the DSLR.
I’m sure
Oct 18, 2019 22:01:05 #
Pbrico
Loc: Wisconsin
I just got a one inch extension and I’ll try it tomorrow. Will see what comes up. Might have to get some different sizes.
Oct 18, 2019 22:03:51 #
Pbrico
Loc: Wisconsin
I did try Sonny’s suggestions and it didn’t really work. I’ve been trying different things and nothing has been 100%. But I’m going to try this in day light and see what I can do. Keep a log of what works and what isn’t working.
Oct 19, 2019 11:45:51 #
Hi Pam, Nice to meet you!
Nothing will be 100% until everything is mechanically sound. The loose camera is only to get an idea of which way you might need to go.
Have you tried to focus on a daytime object?
I decided when fighting this same beast myself to try terrestrial objects. There is a steel power-line tower about a mile from my back yard. I used it for aiming and adjusting, and pretty soon I could count the threads on the bolts holding it together.
That is the beauty in a refractor, too. It doesn't need dark to work. In fact, they work quite well in Daylight, too.
So don't give up, and don't get frustrated with it. It's there, you'll find it.
As far as getting a true Astro Camera for your telescope, that would be the best avenue to take for this type of Photography (Astrophotography). It eliminates many of the trappings built into a DSLR which is designed around Earthly photography. DSLR's are really great cameras, and have very wide ranges of adaption going from one extreme to the other from Macro to Telephoto.
But true Astro Cameras have all those specialties removed, and instead use digital programming to do the adjustments.
Where a DSLR is designed for Daylight and Artificial lighting, an Astro Camera is designed for very minimal light. And for gathering very minute photons to build a picture with.
But, you will quickly become mired down in Which One?
I know, I went into this stuff with the telescope being a lens for my DSLR. And it can be. But I quickly decided I did not want to "burn out" my camera's sensor by asking it to do things it wasn't necessarily meant to do. Like long time exposures.
Make sense?
Plus, the mechanical trappings of a DSLR tend to induce vibrations which can blur an astral attempt. I found the act of moving anywhere near the mount and telescope during the time a camera was imaging a long exposure would leave artifacts in the taken image. It was extremely frustrating as I came to realize how to do this type of imaging.
As to what Astro Camera to look into, that would be predicated on What you are after in the night skies.
My interest was in Nebulae. So I looked into how others were managing to do that type of imaging.
I made several mistakes starting out. My biggest was trusting in names I knew from childhood. My first Astro Camera turned out to be nearly total junk. But I struggled along with it for about 3 years.
Then a great Friend offered to loan me his Infinity color Astro Camera. I declined for a while, afraid of damaging it, or it getting lost in the mail. But gentle persuasion and assurance, and the possibility of him selling it to me I was convinced and it was shipped to me. The rest is history, the very first night, the very first images were stunning.
After all of the complete frustrations of my DSLR, and of my Orion G3 camera, the Infinity delivered beautiful images right out of the box.
So the right camera can make an entire Universe of difference.
My Friend sold me the Infinity, and it is the reason I can get the images I can.
You have the right telescope. I don't recall what mount you have, Orion? A guide scope and camera, and an astro camera and you will have the tools to pursue this sport.
First, what is it you want to capture?
It may not feel like it, but you are actually making progress by leaps and bounds.
Nothing will be 100% until everything is mechanically sound. The loose camera is only to get an idea of which way you might need to go.
Have you tried to focus on a daytime object?
I decided when fighting this same beast myself to try terrestrial objects. There is a steel power-line tower about a mile from my back yard. I used it for aiming and adjusting, and pretty soon I could count the threads on the bolts holding it together.
That is the beauty in a refractor, too. It doesn't need dark to work. In fact, they work quite well in Daylight, too.
So don't give up, and don't get frustrated with it. It's there, you'll find it.
As far as getting a true Astro Camera for your telescope, that would be the best avenue to take for this type of Photography (Astrophotography). It eliminates many of the trappings built into a DSLR which is designed around Earthly photography. DSLR's are really great cameras, and have very wide ranges of adaption going from one extreme to the other from Macro to Telephoto.
But true Astro Cameras have all those specialties removed, and instead use digital programming to do the adjustments.
Where a DSLR is designed for Daylight and Artificial lighting, an Astro Camera is designed for very minimal light. And for gathering very minute photons to build a picture with.
But, you will quickly become mired down in Which One?
I know, I went into this stuff with the telescope being a lens for my DSLR. And it can be. But I quickly decided I did not want to "burn out" my camera's sensor by asking it to do things it wasn't necessarily meant to do. Like long time exposures.
Make sense?
Plus, the mechanical trappings of a DSLR tend to induce vibrations which can blur an astral attempt. I found the act of moving anywhere near the mount and telescope during the time a camera was imaging a long exposure would leave artifacts in the taken image. It was extremely frustrating as I came to realize how to do this type of imaging.
As to what Astro Camera to look into, that would be predicated on What you are after in the night skies.
My interest was in Nebulae. So I looked into how others were managing to do that type of imaging.
I made several mistakes starting out. My biggest was trusting in names I knew from childhood. My first Astro Camera turned out to be nearly total junk. But I struggled along with it for about 3 years.
Then a great Friend offered to loan me his Infinity color Astro Camera. I declined for a while, afraid of damaging it, or it getting lost in the mail. But gentle persuasion and assurance, and the possibility of him selling it to me I was convinced and it was shipped to me. The rest is history, the very first night, the very first images were stunning.
After all of the complete frustrations of my DSLR, and of my Orion G3 camera, the Infinity delivered beautiful images right out of the box.
So the right camera can make an entire Universe of difference.
My Friend sold me the Infinity, and it is the reason I can get the images I can.
You have the right telescope. I don't recall what mount you have, Orion? A guide scope and camera, and an astro camera and you will have the tools to pursue this sport.
First, what is it you want to capture?
It may not feel like it, but you are actually making progress by leaps and bounds.
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