Astrotrac tt320

Barberskum wrote:

Seanie.
I spent the better part of half a day in a camera store in Limerick
trying out every combo you can think of to mount the AT.
I would suggest if you are going to buy one to try it out
on your setup first and then if needs be buy the other gear.
However.
At this stage unless you own a Manfrotto 055XDB or better
you will need a new tripod.
I would recommend the Manfrotto 055XDB.
Also for mounting the AT onto the tripod you can 'get away'
with something like the Giottos MH5001 3-Way head
(a cheaper and better alternative to the equivalent Manfrotto 3-way head)
BUT
It will make Polar aligning more frustrating
and to be honest if you are going to buy an AT then
you really need to go the whole hog and buy the
Manfrotto 410 Geared Head also.
Don't forget about a good Ball head as well.
There is no point spending a grand or more on the
rest if the ball head is cheap.
It could possibly be the most important bit of kit
to get right.
Again, Manfrotto do a good basic one with a
'quick release' system.

Oh and a 'Seagull' viewfinder comes in hella handy too.

That's becoming quite expensive Frank.

How much in total would the "proper" setup cost, including the Astrotrac?

Basically from the ground up you need:

Tripod / Geared Head / Astrotrac & Polar Scope / Ball Head / Camera (or ota)

This is the setup I have and would recommend.

Manfrotto 055XDB Tripod E197.
Manfrotto 410 Geared Head E189.
Astrotrac & Polar Scope E630.
Camera Ball Head E50.?
Seagull View Finder E20.?

So you are looking at around a grand.
Then there are the lenses & small accessories to think of etc.

Wow, you sure know how to put a sour note on something once so positive... That's making me think twice about it now. As what you descrbed is what I would have to get, minus the camera gear itself.

Seanie.

wow, thats an awfully pricy setup. guess your paying for the portability. is the engineering in the astrotrac even worth half the asking price? im guessing ( hoping more like) that something else will come on the market to challenge the astrotrac. the price is crazy really and needs some competition to bring it down.

Seanie, I have 055XPROB manfrotto tripod and i garantee that even if you never get an astrotrac you wont regret getting the tripod for regular photography. Also, the geared head is worth the extra cash. i have the standard 804RC2 manfrotto head, which is fine, but when trying to aim the camera presicely, the position of the camera changes ever so slightly when you tighten the handles, which makes macro work and i would guess accurate astronomical work , difficult.

Fintan,
I was wondering about the Manfrotto anyway, thanks for your input. Tell me, as someone who doesn't know anything about it (and it might seem like a dumb question in this case), can a motor be attached to it to drive it? Is it that kind of a mount, or just a really good camera tripod?

Seanie.

Just a really good camera tripod.

It makes the cheap ones in camera shops looks like pieces of matchwood. They are just really well designed and built like a tank. Expensive, but designed to last a lifetime. Worth it in the long run if you plan to stay in the game for any length of time.

I don't know if you have seen my tripod when you have called over, but it is a Manfrotto too. A slightly lighter version of the one Frank is talking about but still a light year better than most of the "average" camera shop tripods.