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Starting astrophotography with TMB "LOMO" 80/480

APM TMB 80/480 Canon EOS 6D Losmandy G11 Beginner Buying Advice
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Skygazer avatar
Skygazer avatar
Hi,

For many years, I've owned a TMB "LOMO" 80/480 apo telescope along with a G11 Gemini 1 mount. I've been trying to figure out how to start using my TMB telescope and what accessories I need to buy, as well as finding the best combinations. I also have a Canon 6D (non-modified) and I'm interested in learning how to capture images with this setup. However, I'm considering purchasing a dedicated astrophotography camera. I'm not sure which one to choose, so I hope someone can provide some guidance. As I'm just starting to learn, could you recommend any good books or resources to help me learn astrophotography?

Thank you very much for your assistance!

Regards, Benjamin
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Lynn K avatar
Lynn K avatar
Books I would recommend.  "The Astrophotography Manual" by Chris Woodhouse. Published 2017, and new software & equipment has come out since then, but basic acquisition and processing hasn't changed. 

Another is "The Deep-Sky Imaging Primer" Also published 2017. This book jumps into technical jargon quickly, but till good to have.

I've been imaging over 18 years, and learned from out dated books by now.  I bough the two above  books a couple of yeas ago, and fine reading them, even at this point in time, beneficial at feeling in technical details that I never fully understood in depth. 

One issue you may incounter with your 80mm scope is focus travel. These scopes were often designed to use with a 2" diagonal or even a bino-viewer.  You may need a extention tube to come to focus with your DSLR.

Lynn  K.
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Skygazer avatar
Skygazer avatar
Hi Lynn!Thank you very much! I will search for the books you recommended.It's true that I can't achieve focus with my Canon 6D. I will ask a vendor what extension tube I need.I have searched here on AstroBin, but it's hard to find any users who use this scope.My goal is to learn as much as I can and later buy a Takahashi FS60 CB and eventually a TSA-120, two scopes that I find very appealing. Many years ago, I had a Takahashi FS78 (for visual use only), and it was an amazing scope.

//Benjamin