I have a Skywatcher-127 telescope and would like to take some deep space images e.g. globular clusters etc. I have had recommendations about what webcam to use for planetary photography but not deep space as such. Is a webcam the way to go here too? What do people recommend?
Answer
What you want to do is head over to cloudynights.com, get an account, and start reading FAQs.
A webcam isn't going to cut for DSO (deep space objects) but a decent DSLR will. However, without removing the infrared filter from your DSLR you'll not get the deep reds that you're used to seeing in other astrophotography photos. (See Happ Griffin's page for more info, he does the mods but so do others and you can also do it yourself. Note, once you've done it you can't go back.)
You're also going to want a decent mount for the telescope, I'm not sure what you're mounted on, but a Celestron CG-5 class is about the bare minimum you'll want. The CG-5 can give great images but it can also be difficult to setup correct. If you buy one used, make sure you have upgradable firmware, which so you can get the awesome polar alignment code.
Then you'll need stacking software... Once you get all your gear together you'll be able to turn out shots like this:
That was taken with a Canon 40D with the infrared filter removed, attached to a Burgess 1278 refractor mounted on a Celestron ASGT mount. It is a stack of 9 exposure, each 2 minutes long. There was significant post processing.
Astrophotography is a lot of fun but it is also a lot of work, you're heading down a wonderful path that is full of joy and full of curses and can really empty your pocketbook. Keep your goals simple and you'll be fine.
No comments:
Post a Comment