Re: [APML] Astrophotography 2004 - Price Shock Horror

[Brian larmay <power_windows4789@yahoo.com>]

Hi Chris, how did your time lapse camera adapter deal
fair over there?

Anyways, i completely understand....
When I came into the hobby...it was just barely doable
for me on a tight budget to get into widefield
including telephotos.
Now, I cant even sell my equipment to compensate the
cost of a ccd setup.
As soon as film dies, Im afraid astrophotgraphy will
die off for me for quite awhile until prices drop low
enough.
Fortunatley, astrophotography and you guys have taught
me ALOT about photography in general and I have other
photo interests now that i do ok at.
I can always storm chase and do weather phenomena
photography with a digi...hey its cloudy most of the
time anyways.

The biggest frustration is that a newb cant just jump
into this hobby without a good chunk of cash now.

But then again.....film is not dead yet.

Brian



> Hi all,
> 
> The all too depressing financial reality set in for
> me
> this weekend at the RTMC from the current trends I
> am
> seeing in the amateur skyshooters options.  A decade
> ago, you could take a home made mounting, a less
> than
> a hundred dollar 35m SLR, and a 3 buk roll of film
> and
> with a lot of care and patience, get stunning images
> that could rank up there with the best
> astrophotograhers, and get those images published in
> the magazines.  
> Now all of that has changed.  Exept for mine, all of
> the talks this year were centered on digital or CCD
> imageing.  Must-have gear includes the $4000 to
> $8000
> ccd cameras, a new $12K mount because that mount
> that
> worked so well with film isnt good enough anymore,
> and
> of course a complete digital darkroom wtih the
> software alone costing more than the 35mm SLR was.  
> Dont get me wrong, I do like to see the hobby
> advancing, but to now the playing field is no longer
> level - highly skilled astrophotographers can no
> longer compete on the world playing field without
> being very well to do financially as well.  This was
> painfully apparent when most of the old time
> friends,
> which were the best of the best film photographers
> only what seems a short while ago simply can no
> longer
> afford a fraction of the gear needed to show off
> thier
> SKILLS.  
> 
> The trend that seems to be geling is that most
> imagers
> of today must be both competent in both making money
> as well as have the rudiments of sky shooting
> skills. 
> 
> I love change, but is this really fair? 
> 
> Any comments ?
> 
> 
> 	
> 		
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