There is an alternative. You can use $200,000 worth of professional equipment now for very modest rental fees - search for robotic telescopes on Google. The better ones have online free courses in image processing, and writing instructions for your intended target is easy. See my post on the Double Cluster, taken with iTelescope kit.Thanks Rob! I have the necessary adapters to attach a camera to a 90mm Meade scope but I doubt that the scope will track with the added weight of a camera. I suspect I'd get a better single shot image. Part of me would like to do astro photography but going down the gear rat hole and s/w learning cycle might take the rest of my life.
Thanks for your reply Geoff! I did a considerable amount of research about a year ago and I think it scared me away...There is an alternative.
Thanks Detlef! I'll likely shoot the moon again after adding the MC-20 to my ever-growing pile of glass. It will be added for birds (not moon shots).Yes, impressive. Very good.
Thanks Jez!Incredible detail for handheld!
Oh I don't know, those NASA guys did OK with their film Hasselblads.Only digital could do this!
Gary, apologies for the late reply, nearly non-stop travelling for 7 of the last 10 days. Understood - it can be daunting to tackle the software but if you use robotic scopes they geneally have video guides. Or if you use your current camera and photo tripod with short exposures, stacking images is easy ("deep sky stacker" free and simple), and rewarding.Thanks for your reply Geoff! I did a considerable amount of research about a year ago and I think it scared me away...
It comes down to a combination of: cost of new gear, learning curve for new gear and s/w as well as the probability that my lazy old self likely would never haul myself from my Bortle class 7 location outside Portland to a class 2 site and then babysit the number of exposures needed for good integration.
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