Hello, I am very new to the world of a more in depth sense of astrophotography. I’m looking to dive a bit deeper with my setup and start getting some better images and explore different means of obtaining these images with new to me technology. I am currently using a Canon R5mk2 camera with a ef lens 14-35mm f2.8. I also have a Skywatcher Star Adventurer GTI mount and a lap top. I have read that with this setup I am basically set, but I don’t really know where to begin with this setup. Most of the videos and posts I’ve read seem old, but I don’t know if that means they’re outdated in terms of the context. My laptop will be arriving soon, and I am eager to get out there and start tinkering around. I’ve done all of my shoots from a tripod and in 30sec intervals as the images become blurry with longer exposure times. I’m hoping with this Skywatcher mount I’ll get more refined images and longer exposure shots. Looking forward to being apart of this community and glad I found. Thank you for reading.
Beginner astrophotography setup advice with Canon R5mk2 and Skywatcher mount
You’ll need a copy of NINA to run everything and Green Swamp Server to interface with the mount. You’ll also need the ASCOM drivers for your DLSR. You’ll be controlling everything from the laptop, no hand controller needed.
You will need to learn how to polar align the mount, wether you look through the polar scope visually or use software it will still need to be adjusted manually. Also if you use the built in polar scope you need to align the recticle to the RA axis which is explaned in the star adventurer manual.
To be fair mate if you have cut your teeth using a tripod and short exposures, just tracking at sidereal rate unguided with a half decent polar alignment you are going to be able to get 1-2 min exposures at your stated focal length without star trails.
This is only my opinion of course but id save the laptop/GOTO for later when you get a longer f/ratio and start guiding. Untill then enjoy because this is when you get bit, and theres no going back…..
Once your laptop arrive, you can connect it all up in daylight, at least to make sure everything is plugged in ok.
As tony said above you will want free Nina software to control it all, and installed astap and s database to platesolve.
You will want to learn about polar alignment and active Ninas 3 point polar alignment plugin.
Id advise watching some YouTube videos on Nina and 3ppa, setting it up etc.
Then once you've taken some subs, you can learn how to stack and post process them :)
I really appreciate your contributions to my overwhelming take on this style of photography. I hope I’m not making a mountain out of a mole hill here with it all, but I am really keen to set sail on this adventure. I’ll likely be getting out next weekend with everything, getting in the mountains and away from the city lights. If I have any pictures worth sharing I will absolutely be doing so. Until then it looks like I’ve got some homework to get after. Thank you all again for your bits of knowledge.
Good luck and have fun!
WildMtns · Jul 16, 2026, 02:22 AM
I really appreciate your contributions to my overwhelming take on this style of photography. I hope I’m not making a mountain out of a mole hill here with it all, but I am really keen to set sail on this adventure. I’ll likely be getting out next weekend with everything, getting in the mountains and away from the city lights. If I have any pictures worth sharing I will absolutely be doing so. Until then it looks like I’ve got some homework to get after. Thank you all again for your bits of knowledge.
You might want to consider a night or two in your back yard before traveling into the wilds.
You don't want to arrive, set up and find you need a bit of software, or a usb cable or something.
People have gotten some amazing images from even bottle 9.
How long will your laptop battery stay alive running all that software? Do you have a battery that will run your laptop for extended periods? When I was running a laptop set up, I typically got 2 hours out of the battery and could not find a battery that would run it for longer than that without spending enough money to buy a new Astro camera. There are people that have deep well battery set ups that are more complicated than I want to deal with that will last quite some time. The ASIAir really made a difference in the length of time I could image using battery power alone. If you don’t want to be stuck with ZWO, there are other systems out there, including Raspberry Pi setups that run N.I.N.A. and all the other software.
TiffsAndAstro · Jul 16, 2026, 08:13 PM
WildMtns · Jul 16, 2026, 02:22 AM
I really appreciate your contributions to my overwhelming take on this style of photography. I hope I’m not making a mountain out of a mole hill here with it all, but I am really keen to set sail on this adventure. I’ll likely be getting out next weekend with everything, getting in the mountains and away from the city lights. If I have any pictures worth sharing I will absolutely be doing so. Until then it looks like I’ve got some homework to get after. Thank you all again for your bits of knowledge.
You might want to consider a night or two in your back yard before traveling into the wilds.
You don't want to arrive, set up and find you need a bit of software, or a usb cable or something.
People have gotten some amazing images from even bottle 9.
That is a great idea, and makes a bunch of sense. You’re right I don’t to get out there only to discover I need this or that to get things going. I’ve actually taken some pretty nice photos from my backyard. I really wish I could upload some pictures, but I think my images are too big to share at this time, something I’ll have to figure out.
Baronvonsmoogle · Jul 17, 2026, 01:22 AM
How long will your laptop battery stay alive running all that software? Do you have a battery that will run your laptop for extended periods? When I was running a laptop set up, I typically got 2 hours out of the battery and could not find a battery that would run it for longer than that without spending enough money to buy a new Astro camera. There are people that have deep well battery set ups that are more complicated than I want to deal with that will last quite some time. The ASIAir really made a difference in the length of time I could image using battery power alone. If you don’t want to be stuck with ZWO, there are other systems out there, including Raspberry Pi setups that run N.I.N.A. and all the other software.
I feel like I’ll be setup for a good while with my setup. I’ve got a battery pack (bluetti AC180) that charges off solar and lasts for about 17-20 hours after fully charged, and if used continuously. I can certainly appreciate your concern for not being able to run all the gear for an extended amount of time. Like @TiffsAndAstro said, using this setup in the backyard will give me more realistic idea of setup time, and addressing any hiccups along the way. I’ll also be able to monitor battery consumption too. You guys are great, this information, the ideas, and concerns are wonderful aspects to ensure a more smooth first night out.
Well, I wanted to update you guys. I was hoping to get out this evening just in the backyard to give a go at the drivers and software that I downloaded, but a bit of rain, and high winds have made this attempt null. I will however be sharing any reports, questions, and photos of my successes on my maiden outing. Thank you again for your support.