I'm at nothing with a 350D and a Skylux - my options?

5) Purchase an SPC900NC camera and apply the SC4 modification to improve its sensor to use for better DSO photography.

I would not steer you this path ... a webcam is NOT suitable for DSO work and irrespective of the fact that it can be modified for extended exposures and/or cooled etc. The 350D would be a better tool for such work.

True, but I think my angle for this is first, it has been the most mentioned amateur camera for my level, and second, its affordability.

I suspect the recommendations are based on target as opposed to level and where people are suggesting the best tool for a given target or area. I sincerely believe the transition and learning curve will be easier when using the proper camera than would be the case otherwise. For the latter, you will probably spend more time on workarounds and problems rather than being productive and actually learning.

To spend hundreds on a 'proper' CCD camera would mean giving up the few free nights I get with the wife in a month as it is!

You have confused me here. As an aside, get the wife addicted to astronomy.

Seanie,

My advice is to use the tools you have got for what they are intended and as Anthony rightly pointed out don't try force a round peg in a square hole. Your 350D is a great camera with which you can do lots of things. Wide field constellation shots (with the lens) or attach it to your ED80 for closer DSO work. Forget about Saturn and the planets for the moment. Your existing mount should be fine for mounting your camera and lens and taking tracked constellation portraits. However I fear when you go to use the ED80 you are going to find that your mount is just not up to it.

So go get those constellation shots, go get those pics of Moon halos and planetary alignments etc. WHat WILL happen is you will develop a preference for one area of photography and you will then meander in that direction. When that happens just go with it and let it happen.

One other reason for modding your webcam would be autoguiding (when you get that far). Once you attach the 350D to the ED80 and go beyond the Moon you WILL need to autoguide. Apart from the initial experimentation, get it out of your head that 30 second unguided shots make for a great photo. They make average photos. With due respect to others on the internet. There is quite enough 'average' shots around the net. If 'average' is anyones ambition, I suggest sticking to visual work.

Hi Seanie and all, I've read this post with great interest, and yes Seanie, you are expieriencing the same frustration I am with this type of imaging, it's driving me crazy!

I love widefield astroimaging as you all know, and I've decided to expand a little into deepsky imaging over the last year or so. So I went off and got my CG5 goto mount with the C80ED refractor, coupled with my canon dslr, I thought it would'nt be too bad

Upgrade the mount to either a Celestron CG5-GT or higher

Go higher in my opinion, I've had ther CG5 for nearly two years now and it's simply not up to the job in my opinion. It's driving me nuts !!!! :twisted:

To reflect what all the guys have said, GET A VERY GOOD MOUNT!! I learned the hard way in thinking that the CG5 was the way to go, not so. I have a great camera, a great APO scope, but the mount is seriously leaving me down, I have wasted many nights trying for decent images with this scope, so much so that I have'nt used it since october last, but I'm going to give it a go again now that the warmer night should be here soon.

So keep persisting, I guess everybody must go through the pain barrier on this one to get those super images at last !!

Keith..

Thanks again guys, I love getting the feedback and advice your giving.

Keith, you sound like me in approximately 6 months time, equipment-wise. What kind of problems areyou having with your CG5-GT? Notwithstanding human error and frustration, what is it that bothers you?

Seanie.

What kind of problems areyou having with your CG5-GT? Notwithstanding human error and frustration, what is it that bothers you?

I'm also interested in the answer to this. My first 'real' mount was a CG5. My experience was quite good. The main 'issue', if you call it an issue, was that a mount of that class has a limited carrying capacity. I was way overloading it and yet it still performed pretty well. I still have mine and use ot for field trips etc. I plan to keep it for some time to come.

What kind of problems areyou having with your CG5-GT?

I guess it boils down to the mechanical quality of the gears Seanie, I think whats called the 'periodic error' is just too large, I initially thought that it was a mistake of mine in some part for getting shots of even one minute unguided with star trailing, I even very carefully took apart the gears over the course of an entire weekend and replaced the grease with a much higher quality grease, and put all the bits and pieces back together again after downloading detailed instructions from the net.

Some nights it would take me the best part of an hour just to set up, there is a bubble level on the mount, then you must be polar aligned, the portable powertank that serves as the battery must be fully charged etc....still no joy at all, it's barely capable of 30 seconds without trailing :evil:

So in my opinion, unless something escapes me, apart from autoguiding, I would certainly go for something better.

Keith..