Re: [APML] Astrophotography 2004 - Price Shock Horror

["Robert Reeves" <reeves10@swbell.net>]

> 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.

Hi Chris,

Good Grief!  This from someone who uses a Schmidt camera and has a
great observatory in the boonies?  That cost bucks too!  I remember when I
bought my Schmidt camera three decades ago when I was making little more
than minimum wage.  That ripped me a new one!  You think astrophotography
is expensive, try flying.  Thats history for me now too.  My satisfaction is
watching my sister toss money at her 36-foot oceangoing yacht, then I don't
feel so bad about spending a few bucks to make my 10D work a little
better on my 30-year old Celestron.

What the heck, we have as much fun as we can afford to, then retire to
watch old Star Trek reruns.  If you can't have fun playing with the toys
you have, perhaps one should look for another hobby.  There is always
someone who will have a better this or that, better skies, more trips to
great locations.... whatever.  Do the very best with what you have and
let the chips fall where they may.  Don't worry about what the guy
with the ST-10 and Paramount mount is doing.  He has his own worries
and they may be worse than yours!  After all, his wife is about to clean
his drawers in divorce court for spending that kind of cash <g>.

Personally, I'm not so much worried about the cost of other equipment.
I would just like to have some skies that allow me to use the equipment I
already have.  The last good clear sky weekend I had was in November
and that was zapped by an aurora :-(  (in south texas no less!).

Robert Reeves                +29.484   98.440
reeves10@swbell.net      San Antonio, Texas  USA
www.robertreeves.com


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