Really disappointing shots - help being looked for

I've been trying to start some astrophotography and results have been very poor. I'm using a 350D and 1.25" adaptor and a Telescope House lens adaptor extension on my Orion 200mm f4.5 newt on a LXD75 goto.

Nothing is decent, so I tried shooting the moon as it's brightness allows good exposure and focus. Here are my best results...

farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/2967029168_ebe5b9b310_o.jpg
farm4.static.flickr.com/3242/2967029166_c631bbb8f0_o.jpg
farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/2967029158_1788248faa_o.jpg

I can't seem to get focus when I directly couple, even though I removed all the focuser spacers - I seem to need to get another few mm closer to get focus. I then tried to shoot with a lens in the adaptor, and got the above pictures.

By eye, everything is fabulously clear, but I can't get a good photo. The 3 shots above are all taken at different shutter speeds to see if it was camera shake - it isn't (I get the same blurring in the viewfinder anyway).

I guess I'm missing something obvious - can anyone advise or help???

Hi There

Dont be too hard on yourself theyre quite good for first images. Heres a few things to try ........

Have you Collimated your scope, check your users manual.

Connect your camera to a laptop and download the images as you take it using the canon software that comes with the cam & check the image on the computer screen. Then tweak the focus and retake. It can be that tedious sometimes.

Wait for a night with good seeing eg little star twinkling, maybe a bit of a haze out and a great big H pressure sitting over the country (watch for the weather forecasts).

Wait till the Moon is high in the sky.

Hope this helps

Dave Gradwell

Just to be sure you're doing what I think you're doing,
You put the camera up to the eyepeice and look through the camera while focusing the scope, do you wear glasses??, if so you must wear them while focusing like this.
I hope this helps.

How do you activate the camera...by hand with a delay or by remote? By hand even with a delay could introduce camera and scope shake and also possibly change focus position.
The only other thought is that you do not have enough back focus with the set up and an extension may be required.

It looks like it's either collimation or camera shake to me.

Hi,
Can I ask what exposures did you use ?