Re: [APML] New Schmidt Camera image: Machholz on Saturday

["Massimo Costa" <mascosta@tiscali.it>]

It was a reply to a private mail but I think it's not a secret. This is the 
point of view of  Michael Barber of SBIG.

Sirs,
it's a thought for the future because today nothing is available like this. 
I am still a film guy but I am very, very impressed by the images from the 
new STL-11000 series. I never considered CCD before because of the small 
field, but now with these new sensors it seems not to be a problem. But, 
with a "Simak like" OTA, I have also an old and glorious Celestron 8" 
Schmidt Camera that is going out of use because of the discontinuing of best 
films. How far is in the future a large format sensor, like the STL-11000 
color ones, designed with a small obstruction to be used inside at the prime 
focus? With only a simple field flattener it could be an incredibly fast 
instrument in wich the sensor finally could really match the very high 
resolution of this kind of optics.
Just a dream?
 Massimo Costa


It will not happen soon.  The field curvature has to be corrected as the CCD 
is flat.  The camera head has to be small, and the focal distance has to be 
exact.  This camera would have to be made specifically for this Schmidt 
telesope and there is a very very small market for this.  Celestron's Faster 
11 and Faster 14 are much better candidates. These also focus at the 
secondary's f/2 location and the camera can be mounted outside the corrector 
plate.  We are already working on 2 and 4 megapixel cameras that will work 
at the Fastar focus for these scopes.

Regards,
Michael Barber
SBIG 


_______________________________________________
Astro-Photo mailing list
Astro-Photo@seds.org
http://seds.org/mailman/listinfo/astro-photo