What results can I expect with this camera/telescope combination for astrophotography?

Question

I'm a keen photographer and currently use a Canon EOS 400D, I was wondering what sort of results I could expect if I were to use it with a telescope for astrophotography.

I was thinking about getting a Bresser Messier R90mm or R130mm
http://www.scopesnskies.com/prod/Bresser/telescope-for-astronomy/messier130.html
(link to the R130mm)

What sort of results or things would I be able to see with this telescope? and how well would they translate into a digital picture?

Answer 1

To give you a thought (or two)...
My experience with astrophotography has been a frustrating one...
At first.
I have a telescope with a large enough diameter (10", or 250mm), which I should be able to image pretty near anything I chose...
The only problem with my set- up was the engineer, and not the engine, if you know what I mean...
I was expecting WAY too much WAY too soon!
Because my photos weren't coming out as slick and clean as those I've glimpsed in the glossy pages of the astronomy magazines, I was very quickly disappointed, and almost gave up on it.
But, after talking to some friends (some of them are right here on Y!A), I came to realize that, like anything else, you don't get good at something until you work (very hard) at it.
Through perseverence, my shots are now better than ever, and each attempt brings me closer to my goal of 'perfection'.
Remember that the standard rule- of- thumb applies... The more aperture you have, the more light your instruments will gather, hence, shorter exposure times, and the less time there is for the 'engineer' to mess it up!
I wish you the very best of luck, and don't become discouraged if you first don't succeed...
Keep at it!
Keep Looking Up, and Clear Skies,
Bobby

Answer 2

Blurry, unsatisfactory pictures.

Unfortunately, astrophotography is by far the most difficult and expensive area of amateur astronomy. While you can probably get a picture or two with a setup like this, you're in for massive frustration. The telescope is not large enough, and the mount is not solid enough. It lacks the basic motor drives necessary to track astronomical objects. Most telescopes are designed for visual use only, and won't even reach focus with a DSLR.

I'd recommend you do a bit of reading before investing in equipment like this which is totally unsuitable for the purpose. The Backyard Astronomer's Guide by Dickinson and Dyer (Firefly) has an excellent section devoted to astrophotography. There is also an excellent book by Michael Covington on the subject.

Answer 3

Sir:

Astrophotography is not one of my specialties, however, I do have a telescope which is larger than your 90 or 130 mm model that you are looking at. I commend you for moving upward to a more rugged mount than those supplied with beginner scopes. However, you will not be able to photograph anything without the tracking drive motors and hand controller. The view will move and your photo will smear.

I strongly recommend that you contact a professional for guideance in mateing camera equipment to telescopes, and be prepared to make single photos over the time span of 15 or 30 minutes (required to gather enough light).

In the realm of 90 or 130 mm scopes you will see stars as pin points of light...no colors. Nebula will be blurs. Distant galaxies will be wider blotches of light than single stars.

Surface of the Moon will be quite exciting and given you track the moon's flight across the sky, some very interesting photos may result on clear nights. Experiment with various filters to perfect your technique. Plenty of light is available on Moon views (often to much) so that long, long exposures are not necessary. Many ccd cameras are available today which mate up directly with telescopes and avoid the hastle of rigging a mount for the camera.

My telescope has a focal length of 1219 mm which I am told is to long for photographic use. So you will need to be sensitive to that aspect of your purchase.

I recommend that you visit:

www.handsonoptics.com
www.cloudynights.com
www.astromart.com

as possible places where you can get info on deep sky
photography. You can spend lots of money and only wind up
with frustration...best to avoid the common pitfalls first.
From the Ad that you referenced, I assume you are a UK
resident and my site recommendations are USA sites...
However, they should direct you to good information sources with no problem.

Good luck and good "seeing"
Zah

Answer 4

If you have to ask, you're already off track.

I second the recommendation for Nightwatch, and for Michael Covington's books - both Astrophotography for the Amateur and the brand new one on DSLR astrophotography (my copy is on pre-order at amazon.com).

Make a barn door tracker and use it before spending major $$$. You will spend very little, get neat pictures, and see why the learning curve is so steep.

Answer 5

I highly recommend you go to http://www.astromart.com and sign up to join the astrophotography forum there. There's a $12 registration fee but it's well worth your money.

Answer 6

You will get some good images of the moon ..

To get anything else you will need to take long exposures .. this means you need a Motorised EQ Mount (the Bresser is an EQ type and can be motorised) ...

You will need to learn about setting up the tripod (aligning to North Polar star) since alignment accuracy will determine max. exposure before 'smearing' ... also you will need to be aware of issues such as vibration etc.

I REALLY suggest joining your local Astro Society (cost is minimal and existing members are usually only too happy to show off by helping newbies).