Could you please be a bit more specific? I could find Scoptronics DSLR adapters for Meade & Clestron scopes, but what I'm looking for is some sort of body plate that screws on to the camera body and then attaches to the Equatorial Mount. Say, something similar to an Arca-Swiss type body plate that attaches to a ball head on a tripod.
I also have a small Bogen ball head on the bottom mount; one cool thing about the Kenko is that I can attach two cameras. In this photo, I have small brass counterweight on the bottom ball head.
p.2 #3 · Will Anyone Use the 7D for Astrophotography?
mdbassman wrote:
I used my Losmandy G-11(sold) along with my 20D, 5D, 1DMKII, 1DsMKII, now my 50D and 1DsMK3 with my ScopeTronix Digital camera adapter system to mount to Tak tsc225, FS102 and Meade LX200 10" f6.3. I do recommend, if you can find, the 20DA that was made especially for astrophotography. Check B&S. I may be picking up one soon. Overall, I believe it produces a superior image per buck. They are still osed by NASA and Hubble Space lab in Balto.
All with amazing success. You cant go wrong with a Losmandy mount! Also be AWARE that most massed produced mounts(Meade, Celestron-except for the CG series which is Losmandy) and "goto" scopes use plastic gears. Upgrade to metal where possible. Losmandy uses all metal gears and bearings.
Dan...Show more →
This is a matter of perspective. I have owned and used some of the best mounts you can buy. The Losmandy mounts are the lowest-level decent mounts you can buy, just barely above the quality of the Meade, Celestron, Orion and other low-end stuff you can buy (although I should note that Meade and Celestron both do make some higher-end mounts).
I personally have found the Kenko Skymemo to be far superior to the Losmandy mounts. It has far less periodic error. I regularly take shots up to 10 minutes in duration at 300mm with less than one pixel of drift. The Losmandy mounts cannot match that. Given the price of the Kenko is actually less than a Losmandy, to me there is no comparison if you want a small mount for photography.
p.2 #4 · Will Anyone Use the 7D for Astrophotography?
For interest to those who don't have a tracking mount, this is what can be done. All shots below untracked/unguided, mounted simply on a tripod, multiple exposures stacked with DeepSkyStacker:
Southern Cross, 40D, 35mm f/2.2, 20 sec ISO? http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2416/2518568034_acfa118046_o.jpg
p.2 #5 · Will Anyone Use the 7D for Astrophotography?
This is a little off-topic, but Russell Croman probably doesn't use a 7D or any of the afforementioned mounts to achieve stunning images like this one:
p.2 #6 · Will Anyone Use the 7D for Astrophotography?
cameron12x wrote:
This is a little off-topic, but Russell Croman probably doesn't use a 7D or any of the afforementioned mounts to achieve stunning images like this one:
But I think we can still do some great work with the 7D and lesser equipment.
Yeah, definitely. Russ' set up is about $65,000 in just the equipment, never mind the software, his land with the dome on it in New Mexico, etc. I used to have a setup a bit like that and did some similar work, but it got to be too complicated. I really enjoy my simplified approach using a DSLR. I did use an unmodified 40D for a while, but too many of the nebula just don't come out right, so I got the relatively cheap Hutech-modified Rebel XSi.
p.2 #8 · Will Anyone Use the 7D for Astrophotography?
Wow! Great shots here everybody I am really interested in expanding further into astrophotography, jhapeman where did you have your xsi conversion done? I have a IR converted xti from lifepixel. I assume your conversion is just full spectrum, no?
p.2 #9 · Will Anyone Use the 7D for Astrophotography?
vontom wrote:
For interest to those who don't have a tracking mount, this is what can be done. All shots below untracked/unguided, mounted simply on a tripod, multiple exposures stacked with DeepSkyStacker:
Southern Cross, 40D, 35mm f/2.2, 20 sec ISO
I think tracking is only really necessary for very long exposures and longer lenses. When I took photographs of the sky with my fisheye, there really weren't any trails at all. Trails were minimal at 50mm. Though, you still have to align the images you take later on.
dancam wrote:
Wow! Great shots here everybody I am really interested in expanding further into astrophotography, jhapeman where did you have your xsi conversion done? I have a IR converted xti from lifepixel. I assume your conversion is just full spectrum, no?
There's a clear filter that lets in all wavelengths of light and there's another filter that extends the EM cutoff to allow the aforementioned Hydrogen Alpha light to be recorded. More info: http://www.sciencecenter.net/hutech/canon/index.htm
p.2 #11 · Will Anyone Use the 7D for Astrophotography?
So which mount would be best , the Kenko or astrotrac? The astrotrac says it has a load capacity of 15kg, which would seem to be better as you would be able to use larger lenses with it?
p.2 #12 · Will Anyone Use the 7D for Astrophotography?
cameron12x wrote:
I should have placed the actual image in my last post of Russ' version of the Eagle Nebula. His website is here.
Yea, Russ is the best out there IMO...he's my hero
For perspective, though, he's using about $60k scope, $20k mount and $10k camera (plus whatever the observatory costs) plopped in a remote observatory in the dark, clear skies of New Mexico. It's really about a perfect set-up and he uses it masterfully. That image is 11 hours worth of exposures in one of the darkest, clearest locations in the US...impressive!
For DSLR imaging, the key is to get the fastest, sharpest optics possible so you can get the sky background noise well above the read noise with as little thermal noise/shortest exposure possible (the sky background "bump" being about about 1/4 of the histogram on the left).
I've found the following lenses great for astro imaging:
Canon 300 f4 (non IS)
Canon 400 f5.6
Sigma 150 f2.8 macro (fantastic optics)
Canon 100 f2.8 Macro
All have low CA and abberations (which really shows on pinpoint light sources against dark background), and most perform best stopped down 1/3 stop at least.
I'm not familiar with the smaller tracking mounts, but for a wide lens, they should work fine. I've always used a pretty high quality mount...it saves a TON of frustration.
BTW, I think the 7D will be great for Astro work. It looks like they really got the pattern noise under control, which is BY FAR the hardest to deal with when stacking images. The random noise can be counteracted by sheer number of exposures, but banding just looks worse and worse. Here's to hoping!
p.2 #13 · Will Anyone Use the 7D for Astrophotography?
scott f wrote:
So which mount would be best , the Kenko or astrotrac? The astrotrac says it has a load capacity of 15kg, which would seem to be better as you would be able to use larger lenses with it?
+1 does anyone have more info on mounts or a link?
p.2 #14 · Will Anyone Use the 7D for Astrophotography?
rsg_1 wrote:
Could you please be a bit more specific? I could find Scoptronics DSLR adapters for Meade & Clestron scopes, but what I'm looking for is some sort of body plate that screws on to the camera body and then attaches to the Equatorial Mount. Say, something similar to an Arca-Swiss type body plate that attaches to a ball head on a tripod.
Thanks in advance.
Then you are looking for a plate correct? Not connecting camera to an existing telesope?
I do NOT use my dslrs on my mount alone. I use in coordination with all my scopes. As stated above, a RRS plate can be adapted to the camera and mount. With Pbase down, my astrophotos cannot be seen with the 20D, 5D and 1DsMK2. I use the ScopeTronix MAXDSLRII adapter to mount dslr to scope for guiding..
Dan
p.2 #15 · Will Anyone Use the 7D for Astrophotography?
Rick Krejci wrote:
I've found the following lenses great for astro imaging:
Canon 300 f4 (non IS)
Canon 400 f5.6
Sigma 150 f2.8 macro (fantastic optics)
Canon 100 f2.8 Macro
I'll add the 200f2.8L (Mk I or II) which I use and a lot of other astrophotographers as well. I stop it to f3.2 but a lot of people use it wide open. I like the sharper stars when stopping down a bit.
p.2 #16 · Will Anyone Use the 7D for Astrophotography?
scott f wrote:
So which mount would be best , the Kenko or astrotrac? The astrotrac says it has a load capacity of 15kg, which would seem to be better as you would be able to use larger lenses with it?
The mount itself is not the limiting factor but the photographic head or other device that you need to use between the tripod and Astrotrac mount. Very few of them have that high a load limit and even fewer have the ability to make smooth movements without any backlash also when fully loaded. You need this adjustment for polar alignment.
Kenko has an optional tripod that includes adjustments for polar alignment. Unfortunately it does not work above 50 degrees of latitude, so I have designed and implemented my own device for the purpose. Before that I used a photographic three-way head but it was not really usable for the purpose even though the load requirements were high enough. There was just too much backlash after tightening the head, making the polar alignment a hit-and-miss operation.
p.2 #19 · Will Anyone Use the 7D for Astrophotography?
mdbassman wrote:
Then you are looking for a plate correct? Not connecting camera to an existing telesope?
I do NOT use my dslrs on my mount alone. I use in coordination with all my scopes. As stated above, a RRS plate can be adapted to the camera and mount. With Pbase down, my astrophotos cannot be seen with the 20D, 5D and 1DsMK2. I use the ScopeTronix MAXDSLRII adapter to mount dslr to scope for guiding..
Dan
Correct.
I have an LX-90, which I rarely use since I'm more into photography, since it can possibly pay. I'd like to get rid of the LX-90 and get some sort of telescope mount and attach my camera to it. The LX-90 is just too heavy.
p.2 #20 · Will Anyone Use the 7D for Astrophotography?
Try the Losmandy Universal plate. Mounts to any drive and loads of mounting holes for your camera or other devices. Dovetail not need if your mount bolts to plate.
Dan
?
I am really interested in expanding further into astrophotography, jhapeman where did you have your xsi conversion done? I have a IR converted xti from lifepixel. I assume your conversion is just full spectrum, no?
(with links to details). All with tracking mount and telescopes: