I'm starting to look for equipment to do astrophotography and I'm asking you for advices to facilitate my research and get the best equipment possible for a budget of 1500€.
Thanks for your answers.
Thanks for your answers.
What is your best advice for beginners who want to buy equipment ?
With your budget I would recommend a camera, a Samyang 135mm lens, a tracker and a sturdy (!) tripod. The recently released Skywatcher Staradventurer GTI looks interesting but is not yet available and still has to show that it's as good as it sounds. iOptron SkyGuider and Skywatcher Staradventurer 2i both seem to have a good reputation. I would recommend a used Canon or Nikon DSLR camera, no problem if it's APS-C. In case you ever step up and want to connect your camera to some astro software, Canon will be well supported.
Don't make the mistake to go cheap with the tripod. It will have a major impact on your images. Check how much weight it supports and go for something above 15 or better 20 kg. Your camera + lens + tracker will weigh much less but tripods supporting lower weights are usually way too wobbly.
Have fun and clear skies
Wolfgang
Don't make the mistake to go cheap with the tripod. It will have a major impact on your images. Check how much weight it supports and go for something above 15 or better 20 kg. Your camera + lens + tracker will weigh much less but tripods supporting lower weights are usually way too wobbly.
Have fun and clear skies
Wolfgang
Helpful
Depends on your target and on what you already have.
If you don't have anything, 1500 euros buys you an excellent ultra wide field setup, brand new, leaving some money to spare: recent crop DSLR, Samyang 135mm f/2, StarAdventurer or equivalent tracker. Then it is only a matter of improving your skills.
Smaller targets and planets have different requirements each,but generally need more than 1500 euros if you count every little thing you might need (scope, mount, flattener, reducer, corrector, filters, spacers, adapters, cameras, guiding rig, software, computer) and buy everything new.
If you don't have anything, 1500 euros buys you an excellent ultra wide field setup, brand new, leaving some money to spare: recent crop DSLR, Samyang 135mm f/2, StarAdventurer or equivalent tracker. Then it is only a matter of improving your skills.
Smaller targets and planets have different requirements each,but generally need more than 1500 euros if you count every little thing you might need (scope, mount, flattener, reducer, corrector, filters, spacers, adapters, cameras, guiding rig, software, computer) and buy everything new.
Helpful Concise
A really good question and the internet is full of answers for this.
Don't want to repeat all personal references here, but the optic with the best cost-use-ratio might be a newton for the beginning (short FL for nebulas, longer FL for galaxies). You might think you can save money buy using a DSLR rather than a dedicated astro cam but this might be a great mistake, too.
My best advice is to spent the biggest part of your budget for a good mount (and mayby try to gain your budget for another year and go for a EQ6-R).
Just my two cents here, others may support or oppose it
Best
Mike
Don't want to repeat all personal references here, but the optic with the best cost-use-ratio might be a newton for the beginning (short FL for nebulas, longer FL for galaxies). You might think you can save money buy using a DSLR rather than a dedicated astro cam but this might be a great mistake, too.
My best advice is to spent the biggest part of your budget for a good mount (and mayby try to gain your budget for another year and go for a EQ6-R).
Just my two cents here, others may support or oppose it
Best
Mike
1. If you never looked through a telescope, start with a 8" Dobsonian first and do visual (observing with your eyeballs) for about 6-12 months first.
2. If you never looked through a telescope, start with a 8" Dobsonian first and do visual (observing with your eyeballs) for about 6-12 months first.
3. If you're ready to make photos, start with a star tracker, a cheap used DSLR and lenses first; no need to go in deeper.
4. Learn processing and if you like doing what you're doing for a few months you're ready to take the step to a "real" telescope.
5. Get a good goto-mount and start with a short focal length refractor, as these are the least fuzzy and most forgiving. If you have the money get a Petzval design (e.g. RedCat) because it doesn't need any extra parts or messing around with backfocus.
6. Go slow from there! You'll find that low light pollution and good processing skills are more important than hunting down every longer focal lengths.
2. If you never looked through a telescope, start with a 8" Dobsonian first and do visual (observing with your eyeballs) for about 6-12 months first.
3. If you're ready to make photos, start with a star tracker, a cheap used DSLR and lenses first; no need to go in deeper.
4. Learn processing and if you like doing what you're doing for a few months you're ready to take the step to a "real" telescope.
5. Get a good goto-mount and start with a short focal length refractor, as these are the least fuzzy and most forgiving. If you have the money get a Petzval design (e.g. RedCat) because it doesn't need any extra parts or messing around with backfocus.
6. Go slow from there! You'll find that low light pollution and good processing skills are more important than hunting down every longer focal lengths.
Helpful
Like dkamen says;
what's your goal?
what do you want to shoot? Nebula/planets/galaxies?
What equipment do you already have?
If you already have a DSLR and a few lenses, that's probably the best place to start.
You'd probably then be looking at wide field imaging, it is probably where you will get the most "bang for your buck"
I for example started with a 100 dollar second hand canon 1200d. and modified it for astrophotography (just takes a steady hand and some good nerves to do that), but you don't even have to modify it.
- Star Adventurer GTI looks to be a great mount, or a "normal" star adventurer for a tighter budget
- Samyang/Rokinon 135mm F2 is a great lens.
- Possibly some sort of filter to deal with light pollution. IR filter, Optolong L-Pro, many options available here.
It's a setup that will probably get recommended a good few times, for a good reason.
A setup like that will give great views on Orion, Sadr region, Rosette nebula, Rho cloud complex, widefield milky way shots, Andromeda galaxy, Pleiades and many many more.. Which is a good mix of big and bright targets that you can image.
Nebula photo's does a great video on such a setup. It's worth taking a look on that one.
what's your goal?
what do you want to shoot? Nebula/planets/galaxies?
What equipment do you already have?
If you already have a DSLR and a few lenses, that's probably the best place to start.
You'd probably then be looking at wide field imaging, it is probably where you will get the most "bang for your buck"
I for example started with a 100 dollar second hand canon 1200d. and modified it for astrophotography (just takes a steady hand and some good nerves to do that), but you don't even have to modify it.
- Star Adventurer GTI looks to be a great mount, or a "normal" star adventurer for a tighter budget
- Samyang/Rokinon 135mm F2 is a great lens.
- Possibly some sort of filter to deal with light pollution. IR filter, Optolong L-Pro, many options available here.
It's a setup that will probably get recommended a good few times, for a good reason.
A setup like that will give great views on Orion, Sadr region, Rosette nebula, Rho cloud complex, widefield milky way shots, Andromeda galaxy, Pleiades and many many more.. Which is a good mix of big and bright targets that you can image.
Nebula photo's does a great video on such a setup. It's worth taking a look on that one.
Helpful Engaging
Before you do anything, you need to decide what you want to photograph. Photographing planets requires a very different setup than nebulas or galaxies. My comments below assume you want to photograph nebulas/galaxies rather than planets.
There are so many ways to start this hobby. To give you some food for thought you could go for:
* A 6" Newtonian like the Skywatcher 150PDS which would give you a nice balance between wide-field and some galaxy work
* A computerized mount; maybe the EQ5 Pro to at least give you something that could handle this Newt and would let you do computerized gotos etc
* Definitely worth getting the Skywatcher coma corrector to go with it so that you don't get frustrated with oval stars
The above would probably cost you about EUR 1,150
You then need to decide what camera to use. I started with my old mirrorless camera that was lying around the house and had a lot of fun with that before buying a dedicated astro camera.
Assuming you get the camera sorted, then look for a guidescope and camera combo; they typically cost from around EUR 180. Without guiding I was limited to 30 second exposures. Once you start guiding you will be able to take 300 sec exposures plus.
My best advice would be to speak to a local telescope specialist; let them know what you want to photograph and what your budget constraints are and they will usually advise you pretty well. My experience is that these local guys are more worried about making sure that you are happy with the hobby because they know you will be back for more once you get into it. They also tend to live and breathe the hobby themselves.
One last thing: once you get into this, you will be adding stuff over the years and the budget will expand. My wife spent about £1,500 on my original 200PDS and HEQ5 Pro combo as a birthday present and I guess between us we have spent £4,000 in total (mono camera, filter wheel, filters, autofocuser, OAG, guide camera, software).
There are so many ways to start this hobby. To give you some food for thought you could go for:
* A 6" Newtonian like the Skywatcher 150PDS which would give you a nice balance between wide-field and some galaxy work
* A computerized mount; maybe the EQ5 Pro to at least give you something that could handle this Newt and would let you do computerized gotos etc
* Definitely worth getting the Skywatcher coma corrector to go with it so that you don't get frustrated with oval stars
The above would probably cost you about EUR 1,150
You then need to decide what camera to use. I started with my old mirrorless camera that was lying around the house and had a lot of fun with that before buying a dedicated astro camera.
Assuming you get the camera sorted, then look for a guidescope and camera combo; they typically cost from around EUR 180. Without guiding I was limited to 30 second exposures. Once you start guiding you will be able to take 300 sec exposures plus.
My best advice would be to speak to a local telescope specialist; let them know what you want to photograph and what your budget constraints are and they will usually advise you pretty well. My experience is that these local guys are more worried about making sure that you are happy with the hobby because they know you will be back for more once you get into it. They also tend to live and breathe the hobby themselves.
One last thing: once you get into this, you will be adding stuff over the years and the budget will expand. My wife spent about £1,500 on my original 200PDS and HEQ5 Pro combo as a birthday present and I guess between us we have spent £4,000 in total (mono camera, filter wheel, filters, autofocuser, OAG, guide camera, software).
Helpful Supportive
I have one piece of advice: if you're considering a 533 tiny square sensor please stop what you're doing and get a mirrorless, or second hand camera, anything that would let you have wide frames. Once you fall for the 533 you'll end up with facebook pictures and they don't even look good on facebook to be honest. It's a crime against aesthetics.
Yes I am passionate about it, I used to own that camera and it was a mistake.
Yes I am passionate about it, I used to own that camera and it was a mistake.
Thanks for your answers.
I know right now that I should clarify what I want to photograph first. Your advices will help to find a material which matches with my objectives.
I know right now that I should clarify what I want to photograph first. Your advices will help to find a material which matches with my objectives.
Astrophotography is a rather "complex" hobby, so defining your goals is probably a good idea. Joining a local astroclub, assuming there is such a thing in your area, is another good next step. That way you get in touch with people that are already "in the hobby" and you can check out some of their kit, get a feel for how things are done etc.
It's very easy to spend a ton of money and then be left dissapointed and poorer ;) Ebay is full of "barely used" telescopes for that very reason.
That said, if 1500€ is your hard cap, you are probably looking at one of two options:
1) wide-field setup (100-200mm lens, star tracker, existing or used DSLR, auto-guider).
Pros: Cheapest option, not too technically demanding during operation
Cons: Not a lot of magnification, so limited use…(but that is totally fine in the beginning)
2) 80mm refractor, EQ5 mount (or similar), with aforementioned DSLR and auto-guider. Not sure that will fit in the 1500€, but maybe ebay will be your friend here.
Pros: A very typical entry level kit, opens up a few more options compared to the widefield setup, and still somewhat forgiving during operation
Cons: More expensive, a bit more complex
In any case, see where one of these options gets you. You might find that the actual process of astrophotography is not your thing. It can be frustrating at times, to fight equipment, the weather, your neighbor with the lightshow in his garden, or your own lazyness ;) However, once you manage to get a nice image, it is super rewarding!
Best of luck
It's very easy to spend a ton of money and then be left dissapointed and poorer ;) Ebay is full of "barely used" telescopes for that very reason.
That said, if 1500€ is your hard cap, you are probably looking at one of two options:
1) wide-field setup (100-200mm lens, star tracker, existing or used DSLR, auto-guider).
Pros: Cheapest option, not too technically demanding during operation
Cons: Not a lot of magnification, so limited use…(but that is totally fine in the beginning)
2) 80mm refractor, EQ5 mount (or similar), with aforementioned DSLR and auto-guider. Not sure that will fit in the 1500€, but maybe ebay will be your friend here.
Pros: A very typical entry level kit, opens up a few more options compared to the widefield setup, and still somewhat forgiving during operation
Cons: More expensive, a bit more complex
In any case, see where one of these options gets you. You might find that the actual process of astrophotography is not your thing. It can be frustrating at times, to fight equipment, the weather, your neighbor with the lightshow in his garden, or your own lazyness ;) However, once you manage to get a nice image, it is super rewarding!
Best of luck
Helpful Respectful Engaging Supportive
Have a lot of patience and don't buy anything straight away! Go to online retailers and just put things in a wish list. Go back to the wish list once every two weeks to see if what you included is really what you need.
While you are thinking about what hardware to get, focus on image processing. Sample files are readily available for you to practice on. There is a section here on Astrobin where people have kindly made available their FITS files. Pixinsight is a great piece of software to get, and should be your first purchase.
Regarding hardware. Short focal length refractor (400mm) is a good starting point. William Optics 81mm Doublet APO is a good choice.
The mount you get is crucially, the Skywatcher EQ6 pro has got excellent reviews and has a payload capacity of 20kg (future proofing your set up). Save up some more money and buy a decent set up and don't go to try cheaper options (you'll end up paying more) .
Clear Skies.
GW
While you are thinking about what hardware to get, focus on image processing. Sample files are readily available for you to practice on. There is a section here on Astrobin where people have kindly made available their FITS files. Pixinsight is a great piece of software to get, and should be your first purchase.
Regarding hardware. Short focal length refractor (400mm) is a good starting point. William Optics 81mm Doublet APO is a good choice.
The mount you get is crucially, the Skywatcher EQ6 pro has got excellent reviews and has a payload capacity of 20kg (future proofing your set up). Save up some more money and buy a decent set up and don't go to try cheaper options (you'll end up paying more) .
Clear Skies.
GW
Helpful
I will say what I was told, and i have repeated so many times. The most important bit of kit, is the mount. If you have a good mount, you can make do with less than stellar optics, and grow into them. This hobby can be costly, or very inexpensive, it all depends on what you want to do.
The one thing I have learned, not one bit of kit is perfect for everything.
The one thing I have learned, not one bit of kit is perfect for everything.
Helpful Concise
Few pointers out of experience
1] Each target DSO, Planetary, Widefield etc. demands dedicated set of camera, telescopes so first chose what is your requirement and then select equipment
2] Mount is the single most important for long term purchase, solid mount can handle multiple types of telescopes and versatile imaging possible, poor quality or cheaper mounts should NEVER be bought even if it is discounted rate or resale.
3] Mono vs Color cameras both have their own usage and learning curve in terms of image acquisition and processing
4] Regardless of how expensive your equipment the sky you going to image from plays vital role. If you live in area with severe light pollution, poor weather conditions most of the year then it will be tough time for you to have long term setup
5] Ultimate aim for any Astrophotographer is to have their own remote observatory setup in dark sky location from where even the medium grade equipment can do wonderful results.
6] Large equipment also needs harder efforts for learning and getting everything right, so if you are totally novice I recommend to start with basic setup use for at least a year and then decide to upgrade.
1] Each target DSO, Planetary, Widefield etc. demands dedicated set of camera, telescopes so first chose what is your requirement and then select equipment
2] Mount is the single most important for long term purchase, solid mount can handle multiple types of telescopes and versatile imaging possible, poor quality or cheaper mounts should NEVER be bought even if it is discounted rate or resale.
3] Mono vs Color cameras both have their own usage and learning curve in terms of image acquisition and processing
4] Regardless of how expensive your equipment the sky you going to image from plays vital role. If you live in area with severe light pollution, poor weather conditions most of the year then it will be tough time for you to have long term setup
5] Ultimate aim for any Astrophotographer is to have their own remote observatory setup in dark sky location from where even the medium grade equipment can do wonderful results.
6] Large equipment also needs harder efforts for learning and getting everything right, so if you are totally novice I recommend to start with basic setup use for at least a year and then decide to upgrade.
Helpful
Abhijit Juvekar:
Few pointers out of experience
4] Regardless of how expensive your equipment the sky you going to image from plays vital role. If you live in area with severe light pollution, poor weather conditions most of the year then it will be tough time for you to have long term setup
Filters can and do help and matter. Yes, the best one can cost a fair amount. The results speak for themself. Take a look at the Quad Filter.
i found the star tracker thing frustrating tbh,I quicly went goto and that made a big difference 4me.I would say don't rule out a goto mount. You can still learn the sky with one. you just have a electro mechanical friend pointing stuu out 4u 
good luck.
good luck.
i found the star tracker thing frustrating tbh,I quicly went goto and that made a big difference 4me.I would say don't rule out a goto mount. You can still learn the sky with one. you just have a electro mechanical friend pointing stuu out 4u
good luck.
That was one of the reasons why I pointed to the StarAdventurer GTI which comes with a goto functionality. Having said so, a cheap goto mount can be quite frustrating too. I started with the Skywatcher AZ GTI and the pointing accuracy of my sample was quite disappointing. Even with a goto mount you better start a session prepared to know where to find your target. Considering the budget constraints I assume there is not much of a choice. I hope Skywatcher learned something from the AZ GTI and did a better job with the StarAdventurer GTI. This remains to be seen ...
Clear skies
Wolfgang
Helpful Insightful Respectful Engaging
Google for a local amature astronomy club, join and participate in star parties and meetings. There, you can try out 1st hand all different kinds of telescopes, lenses, mounts, and astronomy computer systems, both expensive and lower cost equipment.
Ask lots of questions. Most all members will be more than happy to share there experinces and equipment with you. Try before you buy.
Along the way, you will make great new friends who will share your interests and enthusiasm.
Good luck
Ask lots of questions. Most all members will be more than happy to share there experinces and equipment with you. Try before you buy.
Along the way, you will make great new friends who will share your interests and enthusiasm.
Good luck
Helpful Concise Supportive
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