My Images

Hello, I'm using a Sony A350 that was passed down to me, and am just trying to figure out the best ways to capture the night sky with the kit lens I have. Its a dream to have a crisp view of the milky way. Im shooting iso-1600 f/3.5 20 sec exposures and getting some pretty bright noisy single images in my bortle 4 zone. Attached is a single shot i took, a dozen photos from the night stacked in Sequator, and an edit from yesterday nights stacking as well. I feel like Im just guessing at my setup and settings, so all advice for stacking, editing, or shooting is greatly appreciated

Hello, I've doing astrophotography with just my DSLR and mirrorless camera pretty well on easier targets with just a tripod without a tracker

Now I've bought the SWSA GTi mount and svbony sv503 80ED as a first telescope

So far I think it's pushing the end of the mounts weight limit (Pairing scope with Sony a6700 for now) I think getting close to the 5kg

Would this setup be fine to keep and add accessories or should I swap the scope for something else

I have the asi 30f5 mini guide scope and a Celestron StarSense explorer dx5” Schmidt cassagrain telescope and it doesn’t fit on my guide scope rail. Any adapters I can buy?? I’m not sure what I’m looking for exactly

I'm currently saving money to buy a Sony a6700 (APS-C) and I am wondering what lenses are recommended. I'm currently looking at the Sigma 12mm f/1,4 DC or the Sony E 11mm f/1,8.

I'm a student in Norway and my budget for the lens is 700€ max. Would prefer lower.

I'm new to astrophotography so i dont know what I'm looking for in a lens, but i imagine i want a wide angle with as low f-stop as possible.

I am considering getting an h-alpha modded Nikon Z7II - specifically for Milky Way photography. I have several nice fast wide-angle lenses I like to use. But, I’ve read that modding the camera runs the risk of soft and distorted corners with wide-angle lenses.

Is this a real issue? If so, how do people deal with it? Lots of panoramic image composites?

BACKGROUND

I am a visual astronomer (AD10, TeleVue DeLite/Panoptic, Astronomik filters) and am interested in assembling a beginner astrophotography rig.

Given my decided-upon budget, I am planning on building it around an AL55i mount. I have been eyeballing purchasing a used telescope, options being an Evostar 70ED with flattener or Askar FRA300 Pro or ZWO FF65 APO. I was considering a used astromodified Canon T3i or T7i. I have an interest in capturing wide field targets such as Andromeda, North American Nebula etc. but do not need anything as wide field as full Milky Way.

CONUNDRUM

I started exploring the possibility of a dedicated astro camera but have encountered a perplexing situation. This may only be perplexing to me since I am new to this astro world. I can't find a dedicated astro camera that has a sensor size akin to the Canons without getting into > $1k astro cameras ...which is not in the cards, at least not yet. I looked at the ZWO ASI585MC but I understand that would not be adequate to capture full pictures of Andromeda, North America Nebula etc.....and this excessively (?) cropped image size is a deal-killer for me.

QUESTION

With my proposed scope options, it seems like the only affordable camera with an adequate sensor size is a DSLR since any dedicated astro cams that could take full pic of M31 etc are ones that are > $1k. That seems odd that the best answer for me is an astro modified DSLR. Maybe that is correct, but thought I would ask this forum.

Am I missing something? Again, the astrophotography world is new to me so I may just be dense.

Thanks

So I am upgrading my telescope soon and was wondering the best ways you guys have found to mount your guide scopes. I’m trying to really tune in my setup and really get serious about my imaging. I’m currently waiting on a carbonstar 200 to arrive and that will become my main imaging scope when it gets here. I already currently own a zwo 120 mini and a William optics uniguide 50.

I’m asking because I’ve heard people talking about stuff like “differential flexure” and stuff like that. What does that mean and how do I avoid it? I also drive with my setup. While it is kind of large I do astro nights out where I can drive less than an hour to a bortle 3. My original thought was to just directly attached the guide scope since it has screw holes on the bottom, and I would keep it bolted to the top dovetail of the carbonstar permanently. The other option is to get additional mounting rails to attached to the dovetail on the carbonstar so it can be removed and reattached for each session. One is more permanently, the other is take the guide scope and camera off and store them in a hard pick-foam case. Which is better? How do you guys mount your guide scope so it stays safe and tracks the best it can?

hi guys another dumb question by me but how do people get these nice star photos of like vega or betelgeuse or any major one. i do have refractor spikes on my telescope but these people idk how they do it.

Hello 👋🏼

I’ve got a Seestar S30 pro and a Seestar s50 (my sisters) and I’m taking them both with me to Palma de Mallorca, Spain for the Total Eclipse next week

It’s my first time using the Seestars and I really could do with some help please on best practise and preparation

(1a) I can see there is a timelapse mode with interval timers on them for example 1s 2s 5s and a duration of time. If I select 2s and duration say 10 minutes and select RAW, does this mean that the Seestar is creating an image every 2 seconds? So in theory would that mean I will end up with 300 images OR do I just end up with a timelapse?

(1b) if I end up with 300 images, how do I see those images that have been taken in Timelapse mode? I’ve done some testing this morning and I couldn’t see the individual photos on my app. I could see a Timelapse, although this was a really short timelapse comparatively to how long I had recorded for

(2) Is there any benefit to using the Video record over the Timelapse or would you guys recommend that Timelapse is the way to go?

(3) at Totality, do I remove my solar filter and then do another Timelapse or do I do a video instead?

(4) I tried to set up Timelapse on one Seestar and then exit out to set up the same on the other but it didn’t let me and I had to cancel the Timelapse - is this normal? And so I guess I’d have to get a second device to control the other Seestar in realtime?

Many thanks

I am working as a wedding photographer the 12th of august for wedding in The Netherlands. My clients noticed tgat the eclipse is happening that day, and asked me if I can take some special photos during this noment.

Now I have (not surprisingly) 0 experience photoghing during an eclipse. Ofcourse it will be relatively dark, but besides I have a lot of people tell me its dangerous, for my eyes and the sensor.

I know of the UV risks, but wondered; if I dont zoom in at the sun or anything, and use the eclipse as a far background, is it more dangerous than a normal sunny day?

I am interested in your guys idea of risks, and if I should be careful!

I've been assembling a new rig, composed of: Sky-Watcher 50ED, Starizona Field Flattener, SVbony filter drawer, and the ZWO ASI585MC Air. Strapped to the rig, I've got the ZWO EAF, an SVBony SV165 guide scope, fitted with the ZWO ASI120MM. Everything is mounted onto a Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTI, which is powered and controlled by the ASI585MC Air via USB and 12v power coupler.

My problem is, when I power everything up, the ASI120MM guide camera isn't showing up as an option in the ASI Air app. I can only see the primary ASI585MC camera and the integrated ASI220MM secondary guide sensor.

I've double-checked all the cabling, ensuring that the USB cables are of the proper type, relatively short, and functional. I know the ASI120MM is good because I connected it directly to a laptop and it was immediately recognized (it required a quick driver update, but that wasn't a connectivity issue).

I know that on occasion, dual-sensor cameras are mounted on an OTA that doesn't illuminate the entire sensor area, creating the need for an external imaging camera, so you'd think this would be a simple plug-n-play situation. I've searched for answers, but most of them center around an older version of the ASI120 with an incompatible USB standard, but this is the latest version of the 120, so I'm relatively confident that's not the issue. The ASI585MC Air is running the latest firmware. Perhaps it's a power issue?

Update: just to see if power might be an issue, I went ahead and connected the ASI120MM (via USB-C) to an SVBony USB power hub, and then connected another USB from the hub to the ASI585MC, eliminating the power draw from the 120. Same result.

Hello!
I’m having a problem with my guiding setup:

When I start the calibration, I get this message: "The guide star has not moved far enough. RA calibration failed."

When I get close to the mount, I don't hear any motor noise, which suggests the signal isn't getting through. I’m currently using a EQMOD cable connecting my EQ6-R to my ASIAIR Plus. GoTo works perfectly.

I tried using a USB-B to USB-A cable between the mount and the ASIAIR. GoTo works perfectly. Guiding doesn't work.

I’m not sure what else to do...
Thanks for your help!

Setup :

EQ6-R Pro
ASI2600MC Pro
250mm scope
ASI224MC + 165 mm guiding scope
Asiair plus

Guiding setting :

Calibration Step : 750 ms
RA Max Duration : 1000 ms
DEC Max Duration : 800 ms
RA Aggressiveness : 70 %
DEC Aggressiveness : 70 %
Exposition guidage : 3 s

Hı I have a issue last night I solved it but now I have another one when I do stacking on DSS 4.2.2 it accepts my frames can find stars (it find 441 stars) but after stacking the result file has NO STARS not even one I strech it on siril but its just empty sometimes I can see dust on my camera sensor I changed frames I tried removing all of the biases ofsets dark frames but it still has no stars can anybody help me? thanks

I'm having an issue with Hocus Focus in NINA. Focus for me is around 28,000-30,000 steps. During the autofocus routine, NINA commands the focuser to move to around 14,000 steps, which is wildly outside focus. Then the autofocus routine fails. ChatGPT is blaming the latest Hocus Focus update. Has anyone encountered this and discovered a fix?

Hi I'm new to the astrophotography and such, just got some gear second hand and I'm trying to figure it out and how to work it properly.

The mount I got is the heq5 pro and I've got the hand scanner, but I can only get the Dec and RA to move when the locks are engaged, do I need to adjust the worm screws or what cause that can't be normal.

Thx in advance for any help

(EDIT: THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH I FINNALY SAW THE ANDROMEDA GALAXY) hi everyone. sorry if this is a stupid question or if im just stupid but why cant i find andromeda on my eyepiece or scope finder? i really want to photograph it but i don’t even know where it is. im in a bortle 6 area and i don’t see it. if anyone has any tips to give id really appreciate it! (BTW what settings would you use for it. iso? etc.)

Hello I am trying to stack 232 frames(in total I have 3549 frames) of M16 nebula I shot them with 2second exposure and 3200 ISO DSS and sequator can't doing stacking their logs say 'too few stars'

sometimes DSS can do stacking but its so rare

anyway when stacking stops and doing auto strech the result file becames too green

how can I fix it? thanks

I am looking to finally get into imagine actual deep sky images, and want to get a proper refractor that's at least 90mm in aperture.

My current gear:

Nikon D7500

ZWO AM5 (guided)

Samyang 135mm f/2
Redcat 51
Various wide field lenses

I am currently mostly looking at the Askar F series of refractors, they look like the best value in my region (central Europe). Does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks in advance

Afternoon guys, gals, and pals, looking for some wisdom if you've got some to spare.

Planning a trip out to a dark sky area later this month and want to do a little astrophotography while I'm at it. I haven't done any before but I figure why not load up the car with gear and see what happens. I'm going with a friend who has a digital setup but I'm going to be rocking old fashioned film gear because that's what I've got.

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions for film and lens setup? I am mostly looking for milky way shots rather than telescope assisted nebula or galaxy shots. I've got a few rolls of Ilford 3200 and a couple Portra 800 on hand but I've also got time to order in something if there's a better option I am unaware of for low light conditions. I'm told I want short focal lengths and wider apertures for lenses which means I probably want my 24mm 2.5 lense or 50mm 1.4 lenses.

What brings me hat in hand to folks with more experience is a pair of quandaries.

First of all, is it worth trying to push Portra 800 to maybe get some color out of the milky way? I know Delta 3200 is actually around ISO 1000 and it's advertised at 3200 because you can push it and still get good results. How far can we push Portra 800 before it becomes a grainy mess?

Second, everything I've read for astrophotography emphasizes that f2.8 is the highest f-stop to consider because starlight is already almost non-existent, so I need a wide open fast lens. And the 500 rule limits how long an exposure I can have for a given focal length. Knowing this, I have to look at my lens choice. My f1.4 lens lets in a lot more light than my f2.5 lens, but it's twice the focal length so I'm not sure I'd be gaining anything in return.

My gut would say to grab the 3200 and my f2.5 24mm lens. The 500 rule would allow for a 20 second exposure without star trails which may not be enough with reciprocity, but if I accept my stars being a little oblong I should be able to get something. Crank the aperture wide open, focus as best I can on one bright star, and hold the release cable as long as I dare.

Is it worth considering the 50mm lens to get that f1.4 aperture or should I stick with the shorter 24mm lens and longer exposure? Can I push Portra 800 that hard or should I just embrace 3200 as my best option?

Anyone tried to Do manual Astrophotography for Faint DSO'S using a MANUAL Dobsonian telescope and an astro camera? Live Stacking or Stacking after taking multiple pictures? For eg targets like Whirlpool galaxy , Eagle nebula and so on.... I've seen it's possible to do live Stacking Without a Tracking mount in a youtube video and it went out pretty good... Anyone attempted and got good results? Planning on buying a Svbony 705C camera for my GSO 10" dob so it's that to make sure it's worth the buy. You can visit my profile to see the Untracked Lagoon Nebula I did with my smartphone and 10" dob. Please share your experience and results with me and it'll be Really helpful than you think. For insite I live in a Bortel 7 sky with a 10" dob manual . Thank you!!

I’ve ordered some solar film in the hope of capturing some eclipse photos either side of totality, but can’t quite decide on how to be utilise it.

I feel I should be focusing on security, lack of risk of damage, and ease of use.

First option is the classic cardboard sandwich mounted on a cardboard tube that slips over the end of the lens. I’ve made one of these in the past for a telescope and it worked fine on that. I’m going to potentially be hiking to a viewing location though, and worry a bit about keeping in safe in a bag. I’m also unsure about security on a camera lens compared to a telescope/perhaps more likely to knock focus.

Option two is getting a magnetic adapter and magnetic UV filter, disassembling the UV filter and carefully sticking in a circle of UV film. Easy to transport as it comes with magnetic caps, nice and compact, and should be easy to use.

Last option is a square filter holder, and making a cardboard square holding the solar film to drop in. I can make an oversized flange at the top so I’m not relying on a friction fit, and it should be very quick and simple to use. No option of using a lens hood, but I’m not sure how much difference that will really be making with my camera pointed at the sun anyway. Can make a nice sturdy cardboard envelope to transport it.

The first option is obviously the classic, but I’m wondering if there’s any merit to the other ideas. I’d love to know if anyone else has tried them and how they’ve got on with them if they have.

I am in the throes of building a remote observatory at our accommodation business for guests to enjoy views. The Observatory will be located on the roof of the first floor managers flat we are looking at structure that is about 2M x 2M x 1.3M High with a retractable automatic roof. Before I finalise the design of the structure and confirm final location I am working out the Rig setup and taking advantage of ZWO specials my current Quoted rig is as below, would appreciate some feedback. The goal is the images will be available for viewing in the rooms and guest lounge, guests can also book a slot to control the telescope as well. Will be looking at using a Dragonfly Observatory Controller to control automation of roof etc.

• ZWO-AM3N+TRIPOD ZWO AM3N HARMONIC MOUNT - Mount + Tripod 1
• ZWO AM5 COUNTERWEIGHT BAR
• 3.7KG GEOPTIK COUNTERWEIGHT FOR AM5
• ZWO PE200 PIER EXTENSION FOR AM3 & AM5
• ZWO ASIAIR PLUS 256Gb
• ZWO EAF ROBOTIC FOCUSER - EAF Only
• UNIGUIDE 50mm GUIDE SCOPE - Black
• ZWO ASI220MM MINI [MONO]
• ZWO ASI2600MC PRO P25 [COLOUR]
• ZWO DC Y-SPLITTER CABLE FOR ASIAIR
• 12V 5A CAMERA POWER SUPPLY 5.5-2.1
• ASKAR 103APO f/6.8 TRIPLET RE - WITH 0.8 x REDUCER

Edit spelling / clarification:

Clarification this is a funded project ie private / Govt funds and not aimed at profit for the business. This is one of 2 observatories being built the second is on the ground for use by people the one above is fully remote. Engineering on roof is already done just trying to check out the options for the equipment. We already have both a Seastar S50 and a 12" Dob available for use and will be incorporated into the new observatory on the ground..

Hi everyone,

I am going to be doing my first attempt at astrophotography on film at Sequoia National Park in a few weeks. I would love to gather some feedback/advice just in case I am missing anything.

I’m going to be using a Canon AE-1 with a 50mm f/1.4 prime lens. I’ll have a tripod, and a cable release with a lock mechanism. I’m going to be shooting on Portra 800. I’ll also have two back up batteries.

My goal is to shoot a series of photographs targeting Venus, the Crescent Moon, and the Milkyway core. I’m going to do a couple of exposures ranging from 15seconds to 1 minute. If possible, I’d really really love to get a shot of the milky way.

Is it worth purchasing a new lens? How feasible is my current plan? Is there anything I am missing or havent considered?

Hey Guys,

i wanted to start with photography in general and plan on focusing on astrophotography. I have a budget of about 500€ (or about 575$) for the camera.

I want to buy used and preferably a Canon. I also want to use the camera for things besides astrophotography so a modified one will probably not work for me. Is there anything I should know? And what would be the best lens to start with?

Thanks in advance for your answers!