Re: [APML] First Question

[Ray Butler <ray.butler@nuigalway.ie>]

Hi John,

Sounds like you have fine accessories and a great DSLR camera. Not too 
sure about the telescope though - whenever a telescope which includes an 
unreasonably high magnification in its name ("X 675" in your case), it 
is generally not a promise of top quality optics, a smooth wide rigid 
focuser, or a sturdy mounting. But it should be good enough for snapping 
the moon and Sun (when your solar filter arrives).

For deep sky photography, your best bet would be to concentrate on 
wide-field shots where you piggyback the DSLR with a regular Canon EOS 
lens on top of the telescope, and use the telescope to monitor the 
tracking of the camera. You haven't said whether your telescope is 
motorised or even whether it is equatorially mounted at all, but if not, 
those things can be overcome for widefield imaging with a little bit of 
manual creativity.

Check out the DSLR astrophotography forums for the most relevant 
camera-specific advice. Although you are most welcome and you will find 
loads of good authoritative stuff here on APML (telescopes, lenses, 
mountings, drives, filters, dew-removal kits, computer 
processing...everything that is in common, nomatter what type of 
camera/sensor you use), we are still mostly film dinosaurs (!) on this list.

Ray "...and will happily remain dinosaurs until affordable DSLR sensors 
approach Medium Format dimensions" Butler
[Buddy "Yeah, that'll be the day" Holly]
[well who knows]

Herbold, John W. wrote:

>Ok, here is my first question as a Astrophotography newbie.  What kind of
>photographs can I expect to get out of my current setup.  Am I missing
>something simple?
>
>Telescope: Bushnell NorthStar 4.5-inch X 675 reflecting
>Eyepiece: Celestron Eyepiece and Filter Kit - 1.25 Inch
>Zhumell Laser Collimator
>Zhumell T-Ring - Canon EOS 
>Zhumell Universal T-Adapter
>Camera: Canon EOS Rebel XT (8MP)
>Orion Solar Filter (On backorder)
>
>I have taken a few shots of Venus and Jupiter, but they are low in my sky so
>the pictures were faint and blurry. I am trying to play and learn this
>"stacking" technique.  I have not had time yet to play with any tracking
>features of the scope, as the scope would slide back to horizontal when I
>mounted the camera, so I had the wife sew a weight pouch for the aft end.  
>
>
>Thanks,
>
>John 
>
>
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-- 
Dr. Ray Butler
Lecturer, Physics Department & Computational Astrophysics Laboratory,
National University of Ireland - Galway, 
University Road, Galway, Ireland. 
Web: www.nuigalway.ie/physics/ 	Email: ray.butler-AT-nuigalway.ie 
Tel: +353-91-493788 		FAX: +353-91-494584

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