First Astrophotography Setup - Forums

Hello fellow astrophotographers!

I am excited to venture into the world of astrophotography and have been diligently researching and assembling my first setup. I have some prior experience with photography using a Nikon DSLR, but now I'm eager to upgrade to a dedicated astrophotography setup. I have carefully selected the equipment that fits my budget and imaging goals, but I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions to ensure I'm on the right track.

My Current Setup:

Telescope: ASKAR FRA300 Pro 60mm f/5 Quintuplet Flatfield APO Astrograph
Guiding: TS-Optics 100mm Mini Guiding Set
Camera: ZWO ASI 533 MC Pro Color
Control: ZWO ASIAIR PLUS (32GB) Astrophotography-Computer
Mount: Skywatcher EQM-35 PRO SynScan GoTo
Focusing: ZWO Electronic Automatic Focuser EAF Standard (5V)

Filters:
Optolong Filters L-eXtreme 2"
Baader UV/IR Cut Filter - CMOS optimized - 2"

Additional Information: I live and take photos in Bortle class 4

My Questions:

Is my current setup well-balanced for deep-sky astrophotography? Are there any compatibility concerns or issues I should be aware of? Do I need both filters?

As a beginner, I'm looking for advice on using this equipment effectively. Any tips or best practices for capturing great images with this setup?

My budget is around 4000-5000 EUR. Considering my imaging goals and budget, is there anything crucial that I might be missing or any components that I should prioritize upgrading?

The mount I've chosen, Skywatcher EQM-35 PRO, but I am concerned about its portability. Should I consider switching to something smaller and easier to transport, without compromising stability and tracking performance? I was using Star Adventurer now.

I appreciate any feedback, suggestions, or recommendations you can provide. My goal is to capture stunning deep-sky images and explore the wonders of the universe through astrophotography. Thank you all for your time and expertise!

Clear skies!

Assuming that "guiding kit" is the one with the Player One Ceres camera... that eliminates the ASIAir from contention. the ASIAir will only work with ZWO branded (and certain Nikon/Canon DSLR model) cameras. If you want to stick with the ASIAir, then I'd suggest getting the ZWO bundle that includes guide camera, scope and ASIAir: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p11252_ZWO-ASIAIR-Plus---ASI120MM-Mini---30-mm-Guide-Scope-Autoguiding-Kit.html

If you aren't bound to the ASIAir, then there are mini PC options where you can install your own software (Windows or Linux) for imaging. I use a Windows-based mini PC to control things at the scope.

That's what I was going to say; the ASIair only works with ZWO cameras.

Everything else looks fine. You should be very able get some amazing images with that equipment.

Remember to add Pixinsight to the budget, you can do anything and everything with it, and it's not that hard to learn or use, it just takes some time.

And if I were you, I would stay with the ASIair, not NINA, it is easier to use and understand.

About the mount, I would get an AM3, it is much easier to transport. With the counterweight it can hold 26lbs, without it: 16lbs. Your setup would be roughly 10 pounds, so you wouldn't need a counterweight.

Tom, I started my own astrophotography two weeks ago so I'm only just ahead of you. With that said, I am probably the last person who should be giving you advice, so take this with a pinch of salt! I also am an experienced Nikon DSLR user.

With regards to the mount, I was going to suggest going in the other direction. It looks like your equipment list will be approaching 10+ pounds in weight which is too much for the Star Adventurer (you want to stay well below the mount max weight capacity for Astrophotography). If you decide to upgrade anything in the future, such as getting a longer FL OTA, then even the EQM-35 might not be enough. Of course if you are going to be hiking with the equipment then you have no choice. I have an HEQ5 and it's heavy - but I can carry it around fairly easily. I have been surprised how quickly the weight of all of the components adds up and I also have a fairly lightweight OTA.

My guess is that with the high quality 300mm FL Telescope on your list that has a 2-speed manual focuser, you may not need the auto-focuser, and you could put that money (and weight) elsewhere. Achieving very accurate focus manually is quite easy with the ASI AIR and a Bahtinov Mask and unless you are going to be experiencing big temperature changes the focus shouldn't drift much (and you can also re-focus manually every few hours) . But I might be totally wrong on this and defer to others in this forum with decades of experience!

Lastly, and it sounds like you probably know this, you can put your Nikon DSLR and old lenses on the mount to get some great wide field photos. And ZWO makes an inexpensive Nikon lens adapter so you could use your new ZWO camera with your old lenses. (I haven't tried this myself so not sure how well it works - but the adapter gets great reviews.)

Good luck!

Neil

Telescope - Good. Your starting wide field, which is good. Many make the mistake of going with too much focal length right out of the gate and getting frustrated. You picked a nice scope, that will also be a bit more forgiving.

Guiding - As others said, you need a ZWO camera to work with the ASIAIR, ZWO's 120mm Mini will be fine. For a guide scope, get a cheap 30mm. SVBony has one one Amazon for $53USD

Camera - Great. In my opinion one of the best cameras out there right now.

Control - Good. I have the 32gb version, but had the 256 gb version been out I probably would have spent the extra $100 on that. They do have a bundle with the 32gb version, guidescope, and guide camera. It's a little more expensive than a cheaper guide scope, but it's one less transaction if you want to go that route.

Mount - Fine, but it limits room to grow. I love my EQM35, a lot of other people knock it and say it's not that good, but it works really great for me with guiding and my 60mm scope. However, I'm getting the itch to get a reflector, and so now I'm needing to buy a more beefy mount to carry it.

Messierman mentioned the ZWO AM3, with that you'd have another 6 lbs of capacity, and it would be more portable. The EQM35 is more portable than a lot of mounts, but it still weights 22 lbs, while the AM3 is smaller and only weighs like 9 lbs.

Focusing - Good, it'll work with your ASIAIR.

Filters - Two of the most popular for color cameras, you'll get great results.

A couple things you missed. Dew heaters, one for your main and one for your guide. I like my Dew-Not branded ones. I think a 4" and a 1.25" will work for a 60mm and a 30mm guide scope. Double check that though. If you want to control these with your ASIAIR you'll need this (or something like it). Then you'll need a power supply if you plan on using it somewhere away from mains power. Even somewhere with mains power, be sure you buy all the power adapters and things you need as they don't always come with everything you need.

I agree with everything said so far. I would put the ASIAIR and ZWO 120mm guide camera on top of list. I can be imaging in 15 minutes with my ASIAIR setup.

One major problem and a few tweaks I would consider.

The 100mm guider kit from TS-Optics does not come with an ASI camera and is incompatible with the ASI Air you are planning to buy. Replace that with the ASI 120 mini camera and the SVBony guide scope. That little guide scope works fantastic and is a steal.

I would highly recommend either an iOptron CEM 26 or ZWO AM3 over the EQM-35. You might be able to get the CEM 26 used and save some money. My EQM-35 works ok but that is after tearing it apart and carefully adjusting it twice. Out of the box it was a failed mess. Even after careful adjustment it is hard to balance due to not using ball bearings (just bushings) and inconsistent. It also limits your future choices greatly.

For the scope, I would consider two other options. The FRA-400 has an optional 0.7x reducer that truly make that scope a 2 in one scope. To me that flexibility is the real draw to the FRA line from ASKAR. It costs a bit more but is truly worth it. A second option for the scope is the cheaper brother of the FRA 300, The SharpStar 61EDPH-III bundle (with reducer). From TS Optics it is over 150 euro cheaper and very similar performance. The down side is it uses a reducer so you need to pay attention to spacing but I have not had any issue with my SharpStar and standard 55mm spacing adapters.

Another thought, some people have had halo issues with the L-Extreme. I opted for the wider IDAS NBZ which has never shown me a halo and may be better suited to your darker skies. But there are other options like the Antlia 5nm that seem to avoid halo issues.

Best of luck.

That looks like a really good kit you’re planning on. I second many of the above recommendations, especially about the guide camera/scope setup. I have the ZWO guide scope with the ASI120mm and I never have an issues with finding stars for guiding. Also, it’s a super lightweight and cheap setup.

As for the mount, I’ve heard mixed reviews about the EQM35. Some have great results, while others do nothing but fight it. I have an iOptron GEM28 (very similar to the CEM26) and it sometimes gives me issues, but the proformance is consistent. And the issues that I have or mainly user error. Considering that the mount is the foundation for everything else, I’d try to make sure that you get one that won’t make you want to take the whole thing and throw it in the trash after wasting 3 clear nights in a row. My first mount was an iOptron SmartEq pro. Although it was an upgrade from the Star Adventurer I was using, it had a lot of inconsistent proformance. Switching to the GEM28 solved most of that.

The camera you picked is great. I have the mono version and it produces some amazing images. One thought about the filters. You have listed the 2” versions. The sensor size of the 533 is small enough to use 1.25” filters without vignetting. I’d recommend getting the smaller filters and saving the money unless you plan on getting a bigger color camera later down the line.

I wish you all the best on the next step of the hobby.

Clear skies!

I missed the filter sizes. Yes, buy the much cheaper 1.25" versions for that camera and unlock some funds for the mount or scope.

Welcome to our battle field

In general your equipment are good, Keep in mind the framing, objects types and imaging session workflow are personal preference in a way ..
So, Stick with technical advices here which are influence the imaging quality or that may caused imaging problems..

Let me tweak the gears a little to achieve better journey as a beginner.

Telescope: ASKAR FRA300 Pro 60mm f/5 Quintuplet Flatfield APO Astrograph > I would prefer ACL200 to get more objects in one frame + guiding will be more forgiving + f4 is faster than f5.
Guiding: TS-Optics 100mm Mini Guiding Set > Smaller maybe better.. like 30-50mm with ZWO ASI290MM Mini.
Camera: ZWO ASI 533 MC Pro Color > good
Control: ZWO ASIAIR PLUS (32GB) Astrophotography-Computer > I know nothing about ASIAIR as I am using Laptop with PHD2.
Mount: Skywatcher EQM-35 PRO SynScan GoTo > ZWO AM5 or AM3
Focusing: ZWO Electronic Automatic Focuser EAF Standard (5V) > I would use a bahtinov mask to minimize complexity as a start, May upgrade later..
Filters: I don't use any filter as I always travel to dark sky, So I cant advice yes or no.

More :
1- Get Pixinsight software its amazing.
2- As your camera is OSC (color camera) like mine ..Try to get away from light pollution as you can, You will get more data from your targets in short time
3- Practice your imaging sessions in your backyard as a start to see how its going, That is better than you go to dark site and have problems there

4- You will not get good images as you perform the firsts sessions .. More you practice more you will be happy with the results.
5- In addition of these 4 advices, You will put some advices by your own later as you start this wonderful hobby - I assume

Geoduck

First of all, I want to express my sincere gratitude to each and every one of you for taking the time to provide me with valuable feedback and suggestions on my astrophotography setup.

One important realization I had was that the TS-Optics 100mm Mini Guiding Set is not compatible with the ASIAIR PLUS. Thanks for pointing that out! I will be changing it to ZWO guide bundle.

While I would love to go for the ZWO AM5 mount, it exceeds my current budget for the entire setup. But I have a plan to someday upgrade to AM5.

I've decided to change my filters from 2" to 1.25" thank you for recommendation!

The only thing that I would recommend is a ZWO OAG. That way the ASI Air can control your guiding, however you would need a ZWO mini as well then. I've just found that off axis guiding is really easy and the ASI Air makes it even simpler.

You might read through this thread for great information and recommendations for parts and pieces you may not have thought of. I started this thread when I was putting together a setup from scratch back in Feb/March of this year:

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/864541-from-scratch-setup-for-deep-sky-imaging-help/?fromsearch=1

I would personally advise very strongly against the mount (eqm35pro). I was very unhapoy with my sample. So much frustration and thrown exposures, I cannot even count. For me the effectivness of the mount was <40%. And I have invested in service, upgrades, and a countless hours of time. Might be good dor a focal length up to 200-300mm but beyond that it is very difficult to work with. That is one item I regret purchasing in this hobby.

Pretty new to this myself, so I'll let others provide the advice. But wanted to share a quick story when I had the same question, but had no idea what a ZWO was or what Bortle might mean, so you are way ahead of where I was at the time.

I moved from Oregon to Arizona in October of last year. The household goods in the Uhaul included a 90mm Astromaster that had been stored in Oregon and before I found a home for it I ended up taking a picture of Saturn through it using my cell phone. Thought that was pretty cool and kept trying for a couple of weeks to get more. That lead me to wonder, what would I need for and decent set up, and I didn't have any idea where to start. I looked on line and there was a store about 8 miles from the new house that sold telescopes so I figured they could probably tell me enough to get started in the right direction anyway, so I drove down there. A guy greeted me when I walked in and told him I was just looking for some info because I knew nothing but I did want to eventually take some real pictures. He briefly told me the differences between the few odd scopes that were set up in the store and then picture after picture he said his customers had taken. I almost didn't believe him because they were awesome pics. He then went into the specifics of what type of system I should consider that would be best, a scope that could serve as 3 scopes if I bought some attachment he was really excited to tell me about. Enough so, I had to ask him, "what is your affiliation with this thing?" He said, "You mean the HyperStar? I invented it."

I had never heard of it, or the name of the store; but yeah, hoping I could learn enough to get started in Astrophotography, had unknowingly walked in and asked Dean, the owner of Starizona if he might be able to give me some pointers. The first person I ever asked anything about the hobby……After an hour or so of listening to Dean, I left empty handed, but I knew exactly what direction I was headed. For Christmas I ended up buying myself and EdgeHD 800,and added components slowly as I learned each one. Today, it is the complete system Dean explained that first day, and didn't let me buy anything I didn't need. Hope you enjoyed that crazy little story. Cheers!

So after hearing so much troubles you guys are having / had with EQM 35 PRO, what about EQ5 Pro? It's in similar budget range as EQM 35.

Leah Deckard Hallett:
You might read through this thread for great information and recommendations for parts and pieces you may not have thought of. I started this thread when I was putting together a setup from scratch back in Feb/March of this year:

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/864541-from-scratch-setup-for-deep-sky-imaging-help/?fromsearch=1

Thanks will definitely check it out!

I am not sure if you already have the 533 or if it's on your list; it is the camera that I bought and it's a nice camera. That being said, within 6 months I was wishing that I had stepped up to the 2600 right off the bat. Yes, it is twice the cost, but that's still better than what I am going to end up spending which will be 3Xs the cost. Just a suggestion, as the only thing preventing me from buying a 2600 yet, is that the 533 still does everything I have needed a cooled camera to do. I just had to learn how to do Mosaics for wider and/or rectangular FOV when I want them. But I will own one before the end of the year knowing me.

If you think you'll end up buying a camera with a bigger sensor eventually like in my case, while it is good advice to save a few bucks now, you might stick with your original plan of 2" filters, as the smaller ones aren't that much cheaper. I got talked into buying the 2" originally as I would need them for the Hyperstar a couple months later, and I think they were only $50-60 more.

The EQM-35 is actually an upgraded EQ5. The real upgrade is the HEQ5 which has roller bearings and a higher weight capacity. Your best deals are going to be in the used market. HEQ5, any EQ6 model (especially the EQ6R), Orion Atlas, iOptron CEM26 or GEM 28. I'm sorry it's not better news. The number one mistake made in this hobby is not buying a good mount, me included. If you are going to buy an EQM-35, buy it used and cheap. I'd sell you mine cheap (already tuned and sorted) but I doubt you live close to me. Then when you are sure you're going to hang around, pass it on for cheap and buy the mount you want.

Joe Linington:
The number one mistake made in this hobby is not buying a good mount.

I don't know if Joe will fully agree with me or not, but to emphasize his point, I have discovered that 2 of the main keys to producing the frame worthy images we expect out of our investment in time and money we spend are Guiding and how long it takes you to properly calibrate and integrate your images using WBPP in PixInsight, which is WAY easier than it appears by the 4 hours of videos you think you need to watch just to stack an image. Anyone who buys PI should eventually watch them as Adam masterfully explains the what, why and how, but the How could be explained in 5 minutes.

Dustin Gazz:
Joe Linington:
The number one mistake made in this hobby is not buying a good mount.

I don't know if Joe will fully agree with me or not, but to emphasize his point, I have discovered that 2 of the main keys to producing the frame worthy images we expect out of our investment in time and money we spend are Guiding and how long it takes you to properly calibrate and integrate your images using WBPP in PixInsight, which is WAY easier than it appears by the 4 hours of videos you think you need to watch just to stack an image. Anyone who buys PI should eventually watch them as Adam masterfully explains the what, why and how, but the How could be explained in 5 minutes.

You are partially correct. I am not of the "Get PI Now" camp. Although I understand their points and they are good ones, I find a simpler, faster process is going to keep many people interested longer. There are also more important places to spend that money in the beginning like a mount. If the choice is a better mount or a PI license, get the mount. I like DSS for those first few images. Super simple and it spits something out fast. Then Siril and/or APP are simpler, more reliable and faster ways to stack fantastic images. Siril has many of the editing tools needed to make great images and is supplemented by lots of external open source apps plus the newest version can integrate with StarNet 2. Affinity or GIMP can add the last few steps. ASTAP is slow but it can make a beautiful stack on hardware that won't even run Siril or PI.

I have all (most) of the software (as I am sure many of us eventually do) and I still regularly use Siril, APP, Affinity and GraXpert along with PI and the RC Astro X suite.

It's a debated topic and you can decide which way to start. My budget strongly encouraged me to use Siril and Affinity until I moved to mono imaging. That's when PI really showed it's strengths, but the others each have strengths too that keep them in regular use in my workflow.

I would offer a cautionary word against the EQM35 mount. My experience of this mount was awful. It might be good enough for your proposed set-up, but it will severely limit your capacity to grow. I purchased an EQM35, which did not work properly with payload consistent of a 200mm camera lens and ZWO camera (around 5kg in total). I was informed by the retailer that mechanical tweaks were neccessary to get the gears functioning properly. [Also confirmed by discussions elsewhere on the internet] After many frustrating nights of trying to fix, I gave up. It may be that I got a "rogue" one, but in my experience the EQM35 is a pile of junk. Nothing against SkyWatcher mounts, I love my EQ5 and EQ6R-Pro, the latter having served my well for over 3 years of my AP journey.

When I started out, I was advised "get the best mount you can afford". I still think think is good advice. And, in my experience, the EQM35 is certainly not that mount.

CS Brian

Joe Linington:
It's a debated topic and you can decide which way to start. My budget strongly encouraged me to use Siril and Affinity until I moved to mono imaging. That's when PI really showed it's strengths, but the others each have strengths too that keep them in regular use in my workflow.

Absolutely an individual preference, but I would disagree that PI takes longer regarding the time I have to sit at the computer. Some people have an artistic and or creative flair that they enjoy expressing in their image processing. I don't have an ounce of either and am not sure how far down the fascinating rabbit hole of AP I would have gone if I had been regulated to using PhotoShop or any other program that required my input for brightness levels and hues, and curve adjustment after curve adjustment. Finding a program like PI that does almost all of that for me was a godsend. The calibration process takes longer, but after choosing which lights I want in my stack and saving them in the folder with their flats and darks, 4-5 mouse clicks later I walk away and let it do its thing. Once stacked, what use to take me at least an hour, often close to 2 in PS, I can do in 15 to 20 minutes tops on basic Nebula or Galaxy shots. I created this image a couple months ago just as as an example of what PI can produce using just a few processes at default settings. The histogram transform was the only process that required input from me where I had to adjust 1 slider to determine a stretch level I wanted; the rest involved selecting the Process and clicking the execute button. I think I spent another 10 minutes using additional processes to end up with the image I ultimately posted, but the image at this point was all PI, I just caught the photons.

I have been doing DSO since I started this hobby, and had been waiting for the planets to come back so I could learn that aspect. what I have learned over the last month shooting at f20, is that now I can't wait for Saturn and Jupiter to get to opposition so I can get the best shot of each for the wall and be done with them. I have a lot of respect for those Planet guys and the incredible images they create, which involves mastering photo processing skills and applying them to the images one had the most luck getting with a telescope. What I enjoy about Astrophotography is the process of consistently capturing quality images with my equipment; and I don't know how I could determine if I was becoming a better Astro-photographer if I was content deleting 80-90% of the photos I took. But I am content knowing that I just would never be able to learn how to be a great photo processor. Some do Lucky Imaging with their telescopes, I do Lucky Processing pushing buttons in PixInsight.

Dustin Gazz:
Some do Lucky Imaging with their telescopes, I do Lucky Processing pushing buttons in PixInsight.

I like it, quote of the day.