Telescope & Mount recommendations

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Hey all,

I am looking to get into astro photography. Any images I have of the night sky have been taken with a standard lenses. I was hoping to buy a nice telescope and mount for €1,000 or less. What websites would you recommend? So far I have been looking on Amazon and www.optcorp.com.

I am looking at a couple of options, what are your opinions on the below?

Sky-Watcher Pro 100 ED APO (Will need to add a mount)

Sky-Watcher Pro 80 ED APO (Will need to add a mount)

SKY WATCHER EVOSTAR 120 (EQ5 SYNSCAN)

SkyWatcher Explorer-200PDS (Will need to add a mount)

SkyWatcher Explorer-200P/1000 EQ5 Telescope (Cheapest system)

I think the last two scopes might be a little too large in size but they do really appeal to me.

ZeRoY

I would probably recommend a reflector and a GOTO mount so this combi perhaps:

Sky-Watcher Pro 80 ED APO + EQ5 SYNSCAN

Wailin

ZeRoY wrote: »

I would probably recommend a reflector and a GOTO mount so this combi perhaps:

Sky-Watcher Pro 80 ED APO + EQ5 SYNSCAN

I would agree with Zeroy (think you meant refractor!). You can't go wrong with the above set up.....the 80ED will take lovely wide field images and is easier to set up and horse around over a reflector. It is also more stable on a mount and if you go for a reflector like the 200PDS you'd really need to upgrade to the bigger (and more expensive) NEQ6 mount. For planets and faint galaxies the 200PDS has the advantage but i managed to get some nice galaxy images with the 80mm. For general astrophotography, in my opinion, an 80mm APO is the best choice easily.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Thanks for the replies. I will order what you suggested.

I found them both on the same website;

http://www.opticstar.com/Run/Astronomy/Astro-Telescopes-Skywatcher.asp?p=0_10_1_3_5

http://www.opticstar.com/Run/Astronomy/Astro-Mounts-Skywatcher.asp?p=0_10_2_0_30

There's a special offer on the website too, is this set any good at all?

http://www.opticalvision.co.uk/special_offer.html

Will I need anything else to attach this telescope to the mount?

I will be using a 700D for taking pictures. It is not modified in any way, will I need to get filters or make any changes to the camera hardware?

Wailin

Zeke Warm Mud wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. I will order what you suggested.

I found them both on the same website;

http://www.opticstar.com/Run/Astronomy/Astro-Telescopes-Skywatcher.asp?p=0_10_1_3_5

http://www.opticstar.com/Run/Astronomy/Astro-Mounts-Skywatcher.asp?p=0_10_2_0_30

There's a special offer on the website too, is this set any good at all?

http://www.opticalvision.co.uk/special_offer.html

Will I need anything else to attach this telescope to the mount?

I will be using a 700D for taking pictures. It is not modified in any way, will I need to get filters or make any changes to the camera hardware?

I would contact Stephen from Ktec Telescopes first and have a chat with him, http://www.ktectelescopes.ie/. That's where I got most of my equipment. I would avoid the eyepiece set for the moment because if you get into the astrophotography seriously, they will rarely be used. Stephen is also on here as kersch, at least I think that's how it's spelt. He will put you straight on all the added stuff you will need. You will eventually need a field flattener/focal reducer, guide scope and camera etc if you really get into it. But for starters, the scope and mount will get you going. Don't forget the power pack to power the mount.

This is my equipment......same scope but with the NEQ6 mount instead.

Astrophotography set up by Wailin..., on Flickr

murphyme2010

I second Wailin.

I bought a similar setup from Stephen.
I needed a few tweaks for my particular requirements and he came over to the house and spent 2 hours adjusting things for me.

Can't speak highly enough of him.

Michael.

wrt40

Wailin wrote: »

I would contact Stephen from Ktec Telescopes first and have a chat with him, http://www.ktectelescopes.ie/. That's where I got most of my equipment. I would avoid the eyepiece set for the moment because if you get into the astrophotography seriously, they will rarely be used. Stephen is also on here as kersch, at least I think that's how it's spelt. He will put you straight on all the added stuff you will need. You will eventually need a field flattener/focal reducer, guide scope and camera etc if you really get into it. But for starters, the scope and mount will get you going. Don't forget the power pack to power the mount.

This is my equipment......same scope but with the NEQ6 mount instead.

I'm also looking to get into astrophotography. Have done a fair bit of research and I like this setup you guys have here. Unfortunately I also need to consider the practicalities, I'll obviously need to be able to store it all away and will need to drive out to low light areas to get serious pictures. Is this rig easy to assemble\disassemble and what sort of space do you need to store it away? I'm thinking in a crate under the stairs if possible. Is it light enough to carry if I need to do a short trek?

murphyme2010

The setup breaks down into components which are not too heavy.
You should be able to carry them without any trouble.

Michael.

Wailin

wrt40 wrote: »

I'm also looking to get into astrophotography. Have done a fair bit of research and I like this setup you guys have here. Unfortunately I also need to consider the practicalities, I'll obviously need to be able to store it all away and will need to drive out to low light areas to get serious pictures. Is this rig easy to assemble\disassemble and what sort of space do you need to store it away? I'm thinking in a crate under the stairs if possible. Is it light enough to carry if I need to do a short trek?

If you go with this mount (NEQ6 Pro), it is quiet heavy I have to say. I would go with the smaller HEQ5 which is lighter but still very good and will take decent load, unless your going for a heavier scope. I leave my mount assembled in the shed but it breaks down into tripod and top and can be stored but you will need a bit of space. Overall, the Skywatcher ED80 scope and NEQ6/HEQ5 combo is probably the best you can get without breaking the bank......still a bit pricey though!

Be prepared for little use with the 300+ days of cloud we get a year!