>From race cars to stars......
You can do meaningful astrophoto with very humble equipment. Once again,
location is the key. You need *dark*, and that is much harder to come by
than you might think. Light pollution is your enemy and it is nearly
everywhere. Find a dark site first.
As for how-to's, Michael Covington has a terrific book on astrophotography -
get it and read it twice. Then build up in steps. Do some wide field shots
with a 50mm or 90-100mm lens on a tripod. The Oly f/2 macros are quite good
for this type of imaging. Learn films and exposures for your sky.
Everyone's milage varies. Do a search on the web for plans to build a
device called a barn door. This simple device will allow exposures up to
10-15 minutes when used with short lenses. As focal length and exposure
time increase, so does the need for guiding - the art and science of moving
the camera at exactly the same rate as the earth's rotation. Fast films (>=
ISO 400) and fast optics (<f/6) help keep exposures shorter. Hypering film
to boost speed and improve reciprocity characteristics are way beyond the
realm of a beginner. Most of the best astro shooters out there use
refractors, not Schmidt-Cassigrain designs. The SCT's primary mirror tends
to move around over extended periods causing all sorts of unwanted effects.
Finally, join the Astro Photographers Mailing List (APML) and listen a lot.
It is a very friendly group, much like this one and there is a lot of
knowledge and experience there.
Good luck in your pursuit of the stars,
John P
______________________________________
there is no "never" - just long periods of "not yet".
there is no "always" - just long periods of "so far"
Peter S. Halpern <phalpern@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>I am thinking of getting into astrophotography. Can I do anyting of any
>substance right off of the camera, or do I need to go full bore with a 8"
>telescope, autoglider, etc.
>
>Would a 800-1000mm Zoom mirror f8-f12 be sufficient or will it not capture
>anything very well?
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