G'day to all you budding astrophotographers!
I would like to vigorously encourage any and all who are thinking of giving astrophotography a crack. Sure, it's nice to have thousands of dollars worth of precision equipment, but let me reassure you, you don't even need a telescope!
All it takes is some pretty basic equipment, combined with a little bit of tricksy know-how. It really is that simple.
Be prepared though, if you get into this thing, you will get hooked, you will get aperture fever and your wallet will get thinner!
Below are a few examples of what can be achieved with basic to advanced techniques in advancing order.
DSLR, wide lens 16mm, tripod, 10 second timer delay, 30 second exposure, brake lights, levels and curves adjust in photoshop.
DSLR, wide lens 35mm, telescope mount that tracks star motion, 10 second timer delay, four minute exposure, levels and curves adjust in photoshop.
DSLR, lens 70mm, telescope mount that tracks star motion, 10 second timer delay, 7 x five minute exposures, stacked in deep sky stacker, levels and curves adjust in photoshop.
DSLR, lens 400mm, tripod, 10 second timer delay, 1/100 second exposure, levels and curves adjust in photoshop.
DSLR, 120mm telescope, solar filter, telescope mount that tracks star motion, 10 second timer delay, 8 x 1/200 second exposures, stacked in Maxim DL Essentials, levels and curves adjust in photoshop.
Dedicated CCD astro camera, imaging scope 120mm, tracking scope 80mm with guide camera, telescope mount that tracks star motion, PC to run it all, five hours worth of 20 minute exposures, stacked in Maxim DL Essentials, levels and curves adjust in photoshop.
Dedicated CCD astro camera, imaging scope 120mm, tracking scope 80mm with guide camera, telescope mount that tracks star motion, PC to run it all, four hours worth of 20 minute exposures, stacked in Maxim DL Essentials, levels and curves adjust in photoshop.
That's not all folks, there is so much you can do, the sky isn't even the limit!
Cheers and blessings!!
Baz.
P.S. Mods, would this make an OK sticky to help the new guys starting out?
