Beginners equipment - Forums

Topic starter

Dec 3, 2017

Hi astrobin folks and users!

Started to find info about telescopes and photographing the sky and I foud these forums. Thought "what the hell, I ask!", and here I am to ask some beginners questions from you.

I like to photo moon and night sky. My camera gear is ok (so no need to talk about that) for larger scale photos, but now I want to go for details. I'm looking for info about astro/telescopes. What I've read, it seems like that astroscope with right camera mount is a an option. Good camera teleobjects costs fortune, and I'm really looking for some budget scope (lets assume price tag between 0-500€?) So what I need? Filters, tripod, scope, mount, what else? And I'm really not going to 1k+ price tags now. Just trying to found, will I get hooked on this hobby, or is this just a thing that will pass away later.

Thank you.

Gilbert Ikezaki

Dec 4, 2017

In astrophotography EUR500 is a tight budget. You really should be telling us what camera and lenses you already have. Also name some things you would like to take pictures of.

Frank Schmitz

Dec 5, 2017

Hi, yes depends on what you want to do. If you already have a good cam and some nice lenses the best ways to stay within the budget would be to buy a small tracking mound like the Staradventurer and start with wide field imaging. If you want to have a telescope a somehow capable mount for tracking will already cost around between 700 and 1200 Euros (like an Exos2 or an Heq5). Then on top you will a somehow capable scope like a 6" newtonian for imaging which will be around 300-400 Euros and a Coma Corrector (between 90 and 250 Euros). That would get you started.

I went down a similar route … first got a small Pluto 114/500 on EQ-1 mount and tried the manual tracking motor but got so frustrated that I quickly upgraded to the Heq5 … it sounds very unsexy when you are just starting Astrophotography but the mount is probably the most important thing you will buy.

Best Frank

Helpful

dDevil

Topic starter

Dec 5, 2017

Frank Schmitz:
Hi, yes depends on what you want to do. If you already have a good cam and some nice lenses the best ways to stay within the budget would be to buy a small tracking mound like the Staradventurer and start with wide field imaging. If you want to have a telescope a somehow capable mount for tracking will already cost around between 700 and 1200 Euros (like an Exos2 or an Heq5). Then on top you will a somehow capable scope like a 6" newtonian for imaging which will be around 300-400 Euros and a Coma Corrector (between 90 and 250 Euros). That would get you started.I went down a similar route ... first got a small Pluto 114/500 on EQ-1 mount and tried the manual tracking motor but got so frustrated that I quickly upgraded to the Heq5 ... it sounds very unsexy when you are just starting Astrophotography but the mount is probably the most important thing you will buy.

Best Frank

I kinda know the pain with the mount. Same thing was with tripod, you didn't understrand the purpose and need of it before you
tried a good one.

I think the way to start with the sky for me is some capable scope and corrector with that. That's seems to be
cheapest way to try if I'm into this or not. That tracking mount system
is all new for me. I know what I'm studying and seeking from web for next 24 hrs.

Thank you for your help.

Frank Schmitz

Dec 5, 2017

Let me know your findings I am happy to help!

Stuartlindsay

Dec 5, 2017

im in the same boat as in i had an extremely tight budget..
i did a good bit of research and the cheapest set up i could make up whilst still being very capable consists of..

second hand manfrotto headless tripod (£32)

sky watcher star adventurer tracking mount (£300) this is a very small mount only capable of taking dslr and lens or a SMALL scope

William Optics Zenithstar61 Apo Refractor (£400) this is an absolute gem of a little scope and keeps the price of the mount down as its light, my star adventurer tracks fine with it, works out at 360mm focal lenghth

cheap intervalometer (£12)

thats my bare minimum to get nebulae or galaxy pictures, cant think if ive left any little bits out but adds up to £744 plus your camera, stilll not cheap but a well provem set up without going into the thousands

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