Re: [APML] O.T.: Alternatives to Film and CCD

["Jim Vineyard" <deepskyphotos@hotmail.com>]

Hello Hap,
  Not to step in on Michael's original question.  Which I'd say no, there 
are no alternatives to film, or a full astro-dedicated CCD, to be 
bought/made (other than maybe the little "Totally Autostar Proprietary" 
Meade "Deep Sky Imager" or a useless still-film-based pinhole camera!) other 
than the DSLR.  But I also think there will be useable astro-films around 
for quite some time yet.

  But Hap, I've been looking at most of your DSLR images over the last 
several months and have been wondering if there is a known technical reason 
why you chose to go with the "Meade 0.63x Focal Reducer/Corrector" over say 
the "Tele Vue 0.8x Reducer/Corrector" for use with your Orion ED80?  Did you 
just have the Meade unit on hand, is it just the cost differential for equal 
performance, or is it superior in some way to the Tele Vue for use with the 
ED80 and a Canon DSLR?  I was surprised to see the Meade unit noted, and 
clearly very useable.

  The main reasons I haven't snapped up a Canon DSLR is the constant and 
fast-paced innovation in digital cameras in general i.e. I don't want an 
obsolete model in a year or so as I have in a digital point & shoot.  And 
also I'm a little put off by not being able to go really deep with a DSLR. 
I may wait, for the what is it, the SBIG Model ST-402 due to start shipping 
anytime soon.

  But anyway, is there a real advantage to the Meade 0.63x over the Tele Vue 
model with the ED80 that you know of?

Thanks for any info,

Jim Vineyard
www.deepskyphotos.com



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Hap Griffin" <lgriffin@sc.rr.com>
To: "Michael Barlow" <mikeba@rochester.rr.com>; "Discussion of Film 
Astrophotography" <astro-photo@seds.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 26, 2004 10:11 AM
Subject: Re: [APML] Alternative to Film and CCD


>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Michael Barlow" <mikeba@rochester.rr.com>
> To: <Astro-Photo@seds.org>
> Sent: Sunday, December 26, 2004 12:53 PM
> Subject: [APML] Alternative to Film and CCD
>
>
> >     I'd hate to go top a CCD camera only because _I ain't got no clue 
> > with
> > computer graphics_.   Since Film Photography is dieing I'm wondering 
> > what
> > else is available commercially or can be made?  An example would be,
> > grabbing a piece of plate glass and some chemicals for astrophotography,
> or
> > some other do-it-yourself contraption.  Other then a CCD, Manual 
> > drawings,
> > or Film, is there something else that we can capture images on to?
> > Michael A. Barlow
> >
>
> Take a look at the new Digital SLR cameras by Canon and Nikon.  The Canon
> Digital Rebel for well under $1000 is giving superb results.  There are
> Yahoo groups for digital astrophotgraphy and the Canon cameras 
> specifically.
> Also look into ImagesPlus (www.mlunsold.com) and DSLRFocus
> (www.dslrfocus.com) to see what kinds of tools are available for use with
> these cameras.
>
> I used to be a die-hard film astrophotographer, but I shoot exclusively 
> now
> with a Canon Digital Rebel modified to remove its IR filter and will never
> go back.
>
> You can see a few of my shots at www.machunter.org/hapspics.html.
>
> Hap Griffin
> www.hapg.org/Imaging_Infinity.html
>
> _______________________________________________
> Astro-Photo mailing list
> Astro-Photo@seds.org
> http://seds.org/mailman/listinfo/astro-photo
> 
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