Telescope advice?

[T C]

Magnification is a bit of a myth really, it's about the quality of the image at the end.

As to this scope and that, honestly try before you buy.Get to an astro event or club and try the scopes out and find out what you like.Learning to use an equatorial mount is an art form in itself
Like has already been said there is no one scope that will do everything.long focal ratio is better for planets and fast focal for DSO's Though you could use a Newtonian with a barlow.
Scout around on Stargazers and see what kit people are using to get the images you like and take it from there.

 

[pecnarf]

my evostar 80 ed ds pro is 600mm @ f/7.5 so that suitible for dso but when i what to view planet i would need to add barlow len to it, so i use my 2" 2x apo barlow so it does what i want it to do. my only disadvantage is that i don't have a good enough tripod to use it correctly as im using a camera tripod so thier no tracking which can be real problem when viewing at high mag and ap. so at some point i need to either get a eq3-2 goto or eq5 goto so that i can use my telescope to it's fullest. as for other telescope need to get the adpaters so i can hook my camera to it and learn to use it correctly as it a meade etx125pe so for planets it very good.

 

[NeilF]

my evostar 80 ed ds pro is 600mm @ f/7.5 so that suitible for dso but when i what to view planet i would need to add barlow len to it, so i use my 2" 2x apo barlow so it does what i want it to do. my only disadvantage is that i don't have a good enough tripod to use it correctly as im using a camera tripod so thier no tracking which can be real problem when viewing at high mag and ap. so at some point i need to either get a eq3-2 goto or eq5 goto so that i can use my telescope to it's fullest. as for other telescope need to get the adpaters so i can hook my camera to it and learn to use it correctly as it a meade etx125pe so for planets it very good.

Nice scope, but with a EQ5 Pro GOTO (which I'd want) it would add up to around £1000

 

[pecnarf]

just to show off what can be done with a skywatcher 80ed ds pro. here a series of shot of the moon. they could be better but im using a camera tripod.

this one was taken without the 1.4x teleconvertor on.

this one of the full moon with the 1.4x teleconvertor on. was my first attemped at stiching, so a few shot were stich together, hdr, hypersaturation

post proceessing of the full moon with the 1.4x teleconvertor this time i stich 8 different shots add some HDR tonning and hyper saturation to show the moons colour.

the rest are in my moon folder on flicker

 

[NeilF]

Nice and crisp...

Found this one done with a 300P. Not as crisp, but at least shows it can attempt to do interesting lunar imagess

 

[pecnarf]

well when i took those photos i used the main focus control then used the 10x on camera then used the fine focues control, so that i could get the sharpest and chrispest picture. it pay off using that trick.

ps i could get a closer picture but as im using a camera tripod thier no tracking so when i go to 1200mm using my 2x apo barlow len, you really see the moon move and doesn't stay in the field of view long enough to take a shot.

 

[NeilF]

^ Sorry, a 10x optical zoom to do a live view and you then focused that image?

 

[oldbag]

just to show off what can be done with a skywatcher 80ed ds pro. here a series of shot of the moon. they could be better but im using a camera tripod.

this one was taken without the 1.4x teleconvertor on.

this one of the full moon with the 1.4x teleconvertor on. was my first attemped at stiching, so a few shot were stich together, hdr, hypersaturation

post proceessing of the full moon with the 1.4x teleconvertor this time i stich 8 different shots add some HDR tonning and hyper saturation to show the moons colour.

the rest are in my moon folder on flicker

Those are awesome, I want a telescope now.

 

[pecnarf]

^ Sorry, a 10x optical zoom to do a live view and you then focused that image?

first i use the main focus on the telescope, once i got the moon in focus i then use the 10x optical zoom on my 550d (when in liveview) to get a close look of the moon so that i can use the fine focus control to focus in better than the standard focus control. doing this allow you to get a sharper/crisper picture.if you don't have fine focus control you can still use this trick to get a sharper picture you just got to be extra careful when turning the focus control knob.

ps this method of using the liveview with 10x optical zoom can be used with camera lens when using manual focus.

 

[NeilF]

first i use the main focus on the telescope, once i got the moon in focus i then use the 10x optical zoom on my 550d (when in liveview) to get a close look of the moon so that i can use the fine focus control to focus in better than the standard focus control. doing this allow you to get a sharper/crisper picture.if you don't have fine focus control you can still use this trick to get a sharper picture you just got to be extra careful when turning the focus control knob.

ps this method of using the liveview with 10x optical zoom can be used with camera lens when using manual focus.

I'll have to see if my Nikon D90's LiveView has a similar option to zoom the Liveview to focus.

Out of interested, how much of the resultant photo/image did the moon fill? ie: I assume it was a small fraction?

 

[pecnarf]

when using the 10x optical zoom you looking at craters, but without the 10x you looking at the moon and space around it you can get venus and jupiter in the frame sometimes. also please remember that i have crop these photo's so that only the moon showing.

 

[NeilF]

when using the 10x optical zoom you looking at craters, but without the 10x you looking at the moon and space around it you can get venus and jupiter in the frame sometimes. also please remember that i have crop these photo's so that only the moon showing.

Why not use a barlow to magnify more and try and improve the exposure?

 

[pecnarf]

well those last two shot of the moon were taken with a 1.4x kenko dgx pro teleconvertor so that a focal lenght of 840mm. but as i point out in an eariler post, that because i was using a camera tripod their no tracking on it. just me moving it which is ok for viewing and some ap but once i start using a 2x barlow and increase the focal lenght to 1200mm you see the moon move very quick too quick to actual take photo of it. when taking photo of moon at anything below 600mm you don't realise that the moon is moving. once you hit 600mm-840mm you see it moving but it moving so slow that you have the time to take some very short exposures, but when it 1000mm upwards their bearly anytime to take even a 1/250 of second exposure as it move out of view.

if i had the connectors i could hook my dslr to my meade etx125pe that has a 1900mm Focal Length and is goto.

 

[pecnarf]

ideally i need to get a eq3-2 or eq5 mount goto so that i can mount my apo/dslr or just dslr onit so that their tracking to take 1/250-60minute exposures at high focal lenght and keep the object in the field view. but as we seen they cost £200-£300 for eq3-2 goto & £500-£600 for eq5 goto. the bad boys of the lot the heq5 is £700 and the neq6 at £900

 

[NeilF]

ideally i need to get a eq3-2 or eq5 mount goto so that i can mount my apo/dslr or just dslr onit so that their tracking to take 1/250-60minute exposures at high focal lenght and keep the object in the field view. but as we seen they cost £200-£300 for eq3-2 goto & £500-£600 for eq5 goto. the bad boys of the lot the heq5 is £700 and the neq6 at £900

Well yes, hence my preferred 150pds costing £730 odd due to the damn EQ5 Pro mount I'd want to go under it

Thing is for that sort of money you could get an absolute monster like this - http://www.pulsar-optical.co.uk/pro...ckingsky-watcher/dobsonians/flextube-250.html

Obviously that has issues like no EQ mount, but wow!

 

[NickK]

Nothing bad about a barlow.

Here's my little 4" apo refractor with a 2x power mate pointed at the moon:

With a 3.5mm eyepiece I can get into the craters nicely (192x magnification).

 

[pecnarf]

have you though about trying eyepiece projection, as some eyepiece have the t-adpater buildin and you just got to unscrew the rubber cup then screw on you camera with adpater ring. then what you see in the eyepiece you can take photo of.