Re: [APML] Astrophotography 2004 - Price Shock Horror

[RBissinger@aol.com]

I too was at the RTMC and felt that the emphasis was more on the "latest and greatest" toys; considering that the event was formerly known as the Riverside *Telescope Makers* Conference, there were precious few homemade instruments.

I also think we can lose sight of how technology evolves.  At one point, hypered film and cooled cameras were required equipment for the best astrophotos, along with having to hand-build an 18" newtonian with a home made mount.  I remember bemoaning the fact that I couldn't afford either the investment or the time required to make the equipment.  

Flash forward a dozen years and we've got the 14" and 20" RC's in Arizona with the full frame CCD cameras costing $10,000.  Folks are also starting to use the first generation of consumer-priced digital SLR's to take some impressive photos with 8" GOTO SCT's costing less than $2,000.  The 18" newts are still being used, but the migration is away from film to CCD and digital SLR's.  The images all these folks take are often superior to the hypered film/cooled camera images, and in the case of the Gendlers, Hallas's, Crisps, and Graftons (and many others), often approach and exceed those taken from professional observatories.  And, those cooled cameras and hypered film are all fairly cheap now, if anyone wants them.

Since technology is accelerating, flash forward maybe 6 or 8 years from now.  What then of today's full frame CCD's?  Obsolete, of course, and dirt cheap, but still useful, just like an ST-4 today.  Those 20" RC's will still be used, just like the old 18" newts.  A consumer digital SLR costing less than $750 will likely yield the same results as today's $10,000 CCD camera.  The images taken today will still be attractive but not comparable to what amateurs will be doing then.

Like Vonnegut wrote, and so it goes.  As prices for equipment continue to fall, all amateurs can continue to ride that wave to upgrade and increase their capabilities.  Today's impossibly expensive technology is tomorrow's standard fare.  Those of us with modest budgets advance our capabilities as time goes on, but we just can't be on the cutting edge in what is now a technology-driven market.  But we all can continue to do great work with what we have.


> Chris Schur wrote:
> 
> > 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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