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Eikwoa Riv
I want to buy a camera kit and use it for astrophotography. My budget is around $1,000 Australian dollars for the actual camera body.
What are the best cameras, lenses and tripods you would recommend for astrophotography without using a telescope?
First I would like to start with planets, and then try nebulae.
And also, are there any specific brands that are best for this, and why?
Thanks for any advice :)
Answer
Most astrophotographers lean towards Canon DSLRs, though for serious astrophotography these need to be modified. I've recently bought a Rebel XT, which I think will do for my purposes.
Planets are too small to be photographed without a fairly powerful astronomical telescope, needing at least 2000 mm focal length. Deep sky objects can be photographed using any lens, depending on their size. Single focal lengths prefered over zooms. The Nikon 180mm is highly regarded by many astrophotographers; you can buy an adapter to use it on a Canon body.
Unless you're content with star trails, you will need some sort of powered mount in order to track the sky as the Earth rotates; you can build a simple "barn door tracker" yourself, A serious equatorial mount will cost you at least a thousand dollars.
Astrophotography is by far the most expensive and technically difficult aspect of amateur astronomy. I'd strongly recommend doing some reading before venturing any further. Terence Dickinson's books, NightWatch and Backyard Astronomer's Guide, both have good sections on astrophotography (be sure to get the latest editions for digital camera coverage), as is Michael Covington's book.
[Edit] Nobody is using 35mm astronomically nowadays; digital is the only way to go. Astrophotography is difficult enough to learn, without tying yourself to slow and obsolete technology.
Most astrophotographers lean towards Canon DSLRs, though for serious astrophotography these need to be modified. I've recently bought a Rebel XT, which I think will do for my purposes.
Planets are too small to be photographed without a fairly powerful astronomical telescope, needing at least 2000 mm focal length. Deep sky objects can be photographed using any lens, depending on their size. Single focal lengths prefered over zooms. The Nikon 180mm is highly regarded by many astrophotographers; you can buy an adapter to use it on a Canon body.
Unless you're content with star trails, you will need some sort of powered mount in order to track the sky as the Earth rotates; you can build a simple "barn door tracker" yourself, A serious equatorial mount will cost you at least a thousand dollars.
Astrophotography is by far the most expensive and technically difficult aspect of amateur astronomy. I'd strongly recommend doing some reading before venturing any further. Terence Dickinson's books, NightWatch and Backyard Astronomer's Guide, both have good sections on astrophotography (be sure to get the latest editions for digital camera coverage), as is Michael Covington's book.
[Edit] Nobody is using 35mm astronomically nowadays; digital is the only way to go. Astrophotography is difficult enough to learn, without tying yourself to slow and obsolete technology.
What are some good sites to learn about DSLR cameras ?
Kevin L
Hello I will be in the market to buy a decent quality DSLR camera. I know analog cameras but digital is a whole new and different thing to learn. Prefer to spend less than a grand but if it really makes a huge difference in picture quality then I will possibly spend more. Are any of these cheaper DSLRs worth the money ? Is Nikon or Canon making some of the better DSLR's or is it some new kids on the block. Leica sounds like its over priced for what they are ? Full frame or not ? I would also like to learn how to use a digital camera since its a completely different way of shooting pictures. My understanding is F stop, and shutter speed doesnt effect the picture the same way a analog camera does ? Many questions as you can see lol. So Im in need of some good resources to or even magazines or books that are really good.
Thank you
Kevin
I will be shooting mostly Macro, and static nature scenes. Will i need two lens's to get the right effects or is there one size lens I can pretty much do everything ? Thanks again for your help
Answer
Pop into a local library and have a read at some of the Photography books, you'll get a wide range of information about equipment and techniques.
I tend not to recommend internet websites as they can be a bit 'hit and miss' with information and sometimes difficult to confirm how accurate it actually is, a good 'photo guide' book will have all the latest websites listed.
Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony all make decent cameras, you will prefer one Brand to another, some cameras might feel too big or too small in your hands, some just don't feel right at all.
A wide angle to mid telephoto lens would be my recommendation, other people will advise something different - A 18-105mm lens with macro is a very good starting point.
It's really good advice to get familiar with your local camera retailer, don't be afraid to ask questions, this will give you a chance to 'hold' the equipment to see if its a 'good fit'
P.S. Leica is the Rolls Royce of cameras, all photographers would like to have at least one..!
Pop into a local library and have a read at some of the Photography books, you'll get a wide range of information about equipment and techniques.
I tend not to recommend internet websites as they can be a bit 'hit and miss' with information and sometimes difficult to confirm how accurate it actually is, a good 'photo guide' book will have all the latest websites listed.
Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony all make decent cameras, you will prefer one Brand to another, some cameras might feel too big or too small in your hands, some just don't feel right at all.
A wide angle to mid telephoto lens would be my recommendation, other people will advise something different - A 18-105mm lens with macro is a very good starting point.
It's really good advice to get familiar with your local camera retailer, don't be afraid to ask questions, this will give you a chance to 'hold' the equipment to see if its a 'good fit'
P.S. Leica is the Rolls Royce of cameras, all photographers would like to have at least one..!
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Title Post: What is the best camera lens for astrophotography?
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Rating: 92% based on 9788 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Yukie
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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