This, this is why I started the hobby. You show that you don't need a $10,000 setup to get great images. I started with the same tracker, but with a small scope. I loved it. Thank you for inspiring not only me, but everyone wanting to start this hobby. 1 year later, i'm taking photos i've dreamed of taking, and it's only getting better.
I’m starting with a similar setup. But with a bunch of random equipment I gathered up. Cheap manfrotto tripod, panasonic g7 with the 100-300 lens, and this tracker. It gets good images but focusing doesn’t work well just trying to get the stars small
You want to know about inspiration check out astro biscuit. That guy does everything fun and after every video you are always smiling. I do agree you too btw.. just saying Check out this guy haha
I can tell from your words that you are a dedicated amateur astronomer. I started out back in 1974 with a Celestron 8” scope and off-axis guider. Sat behind the eyepiece for hours keeping that star in the center of the crosshairs. This was before all the fancy technology we have today. Spent 2 weeks on the back side of Mt Hopkins (where the Multi Mirror Telescope was), taking photos of the Milky Way, comparing Kodachrome and Agfa color slides. Photographed the Lagoon and Trifid nebulas. Hell, this was before personal computers so my composite of the entire Milky Way had to be printed into individual 8 x 10 color glossy’s, cut just ever so and mounted on cardboard with heated wax paper. These were the days that I walked 3 miles to kindergarten uphill both ways. Unless the milkman gave me a ride that is. I think the first HP and TI calculators came out about then. I was at Santa Monica College in my astronomy professor’s office when he got a call from a thrift shop in town. Some ladies husband passed away and he had a brand new in box C8 telescope with all the fixings, including a 3” off axis solar filter. I listened to his side of the conversation and knew the store. I drove there immediately in my 1961 VW Microbus. Walked into the thrift store, introduced myself, saying I was going to be an astronomer and I was in Jerry Waxman’s office when they called. I offered them $300 for everything. After careful consideration, they accepted my offer and I’ve had that scope ever since. My professor was both happy for me and my quick action, but also a bit unhappy that he didn’t get the scope. We became fast friends. So yea, I did this the hard way. But I really wish I had the fancy stuff you kids have today. I’m a lens designer. Moved from astronomy and physics to optical science. Designed the Spitzer Space Telescope and the camera aboard the Cassini craft, and other optical instruments for interplanetary exploration at JPL. I’ve designed a three mirror anastigmat telescope with three conical mirrors. No central obscuration. It has zero spherical, coma, astigmatism and a flat field. At F/4.5 and a 3 x 1.5 degree field of view, it’s better than 1/10wave rms over the entire field. This is my next telescope I plan to build. Thanks for the great video. Paul
Brand new aspiring astrophotographer here: I love your videos - they help me keep in mind what I want in a setup and what to look for in my research. Thank you for being so informative. Wish you the clearest of skies!
I got this exact setup except I'm still on a kit telephoto lens and a more affordable tripod. It's been a joy to use so far! And as much as I agree with Trevor that the scope and Radian tripod make life a lot easier, personally I'd recommend staying with the kit stuff until your capturing and processing techniques have advanced to the point that your optics become your main limiting factor. It saves you a few hundred now and by the time you've got some experience you might be able to make a more informed decision on your next glass :)
After comparing the price, I ordered a skywatcher AZ GTI goto mount instead of the star adventurer. The prices are almost the same. But the az gti with a little hack is also a equatorial goto mount which is much more powerful and can do everything the star adventurer can do. All the extra invest is a M12 threaded rod as counter weight for the az gti. The worm gears of star adventuerer and az gti are very similar. star adventuerer looks to have a slight sturdier gears and bearings, but the spring loading mechanism of AZ GTI is much better. Plus the az gti has two sets of gears for the same money, and the eq hack is actually directly supported by the synscan android app.
Just popped in to say thanks Man 👍 I’m practicing with a $200 Canon T3i, came with kit 18-55, I picked up a Takumar 70-200 off Kijiji for $40 Canadian, practiced a while with a tripod and 1-2 second exposures, just added a star tracker, I enjoy progressing this way. I’ve been tempted to slap the plastic down and grab a redcat, am5, cooled Astro cam, but I feel I would be skipping over the best part. Anyway Dude, thanks, you’re a great teacher 👍
Been using the SWSA2i for about 8 months with my telephoto kit lenses and it is still very enjoyable (even with high f- ratios, lol). This video is great for those wanting to get into it! Like you said, get the basics down. It's very encouraging.
Trevor, this video was perfect! It sets a realistic roadmap for just about anyone from beginner to intermediate skill levels. Fundamentals are key and this setup will help you learn and hone your polar alignment skills. There is no cheap easy button to get into the hobby but this is as close as it will get. I like this approach more than the “cheap dslr nebula” video. Personally, I like my skyguider but they are all good. Thanks and clear skys!
Good video Trevor. This is pretty close to what I started out with a few months ago. Instead of the scope, I used my 100-400mm Canon lens, which was great! (I've since switched to a Sky Watcher 72mm ED Pro...nice little scope) One word on the Star Adventurer and polar alignment. The external illuminater that is included in the kit is frustratingly dim, at least mine is. It was very difficult to see the lines properly. Not to mention, I've dropped it about a hundred times. I found a guy on Ebay who 3D prints a little glow in the dark cap that drops right in place. You can just leave it there all night, or until you disassemble the tracker. The mounting bar holds it in place. Hit that with a flashlight for about 20 seconds and it works like magic. I highly recommend it, as it really helped me out. Cheers
I am new to the hobby. I bought a William Optics GT 71 and I am waiting….about 6 months now…. for a Celestron 8 Edge HD. There is a lot to learn but for me it is fun and very interesting. And you and several other astrophotographers have made it easier for us beginners by sharing your knowledge, enthusiasm, and photographs of the dark sky to keep us excited. Thank you all for your help. I am interested in astrophotography. One thing I don’t understand is how do you take photographs with a DSLR or dedicated camera when you are not using an eyepiece? I guess I thought the tube brings in the light but the eyepiece creates the magnification. Thanks for your help and I look forward to your future videos.
Without an eye piece, the telescope becomes just like a lens. Where you would see a focal length on the lens, you would see a focal length on the telescope. The f-stop on the lens is now the f-stop of the telescope. There is no such thing as magnification without the eyepiece, just field of view: which i believe is 2*arctan(aperture/(2*focal length).
By its very nature astrophotography is always going to be more expensive than visual. However if you already own some camera gear, all you would really need is the Star tracking mount. Even if your camera and lens is not the best in the world, as long as you have a solid tripod and tracker, that's the biggest part of the battle won.
@@falxonPSNthat’s the thing when someone talks about prices like that they obviously can’t afford the gear and a solid tripod is expensive for someone like dominik and me also, oh and having also a tracker dude… if we can’t even afford a good tripod costing like 200€ is already a lot for us now imagine a tracker… even if we saved up that all that money, we don’t see ourselves spending it on those things because it probably took months to save it and by the time you saved it you’ll need it for whatever emergency that pops up or you think, its not worth it unless you got a few thousands on the side and spending a couple thousand for astrophotography that we really want isn’t a problem
I'm at a crossroad, i am currently wanting to get into astrophotography but at the same time i also want to visually explore the sky, I'm guessing but unsure if i should invest in a nextstar 8 SE so i can view the sky and all it's wonders and then invest in a kit like in this video afterwards, or do i invest in this kit first? I'm guessing visually exploring the sky with a decent rig will get me hooked all that much more before jumping into a kit like this, i've seen the planets years back on a friends scope and it blew my mind, it's just one of them hobbies i always put off until now, any advice appreciated.
I live in a bortel 3 class and started this hobby a year ago. I modified my eos t3i just a week ago and the pictures are incredible . I started in this hobby only because of astrobackyard
Im actually going to try my luck with my pixel 6 pro "astrophotography" mode tonight. Just so I can get some basics down before I go deep into actual rigs. I'm super excited from peoples pictures already. You should do a video on some cell phone star shots. See how you feel about them. Thanks for all the info brother!
@@adammadi9109 I got a couple shots on my IG. Same as my name on here. Was about as good as I was gonna get last night. The clouds wouldn't stop moving so fast! 😅. I tagged astro in it as well. Very fun experience though. Can't wait for a clear night now! If you go check it out, just know it was completely pitch black around me. That's not light pollution around me. The pixel is just able to turn darkness to light somehow lol
OK so my question is, do I get the TPO scope in this video or the Rokinon 135mm f/2? I have all the other gear and now want an "dedicated" astro lens/scope. Which would be the best choice?
3:27 LOVED this moment! Great video. Quite helpful! I would be interested in seeing what can be done with $2500-5000 which is the range I'm planning to spend on my equipment.
Basic setup will be the same. But every bit can then be a little more dedicated to astro photography. And guiding could be added. Like a - go-to mount. size/price depending on the weight capacity that you want.. like a skywatcher EQ5, probably 800-1000 bucks. - Dedicated cooled astronomy camera, ZWO ASI 533MC or 294MC, 900-1000 bucks. - Run it through your computer, or ZWO ASIAIR Plus, 299 bucks - A simple guiding setup, a ZWO ASI 120MM + a 50mm small guide scope is enough for more cases. 250-ish bucks - Better/dedicated filter, Optolong L-Extreme /Optolong L-Pro - 250-ish bucks And then a scope.. maybe a William optics redcat 51 for wide field. - 800-900 bucks But a good mount will open up the weight capacity for bigger scopes too, like the redcat 71 - 1700 bucks. Or many other different scopes. totalling about 4000-4500 obviously you can spend more in any of these areas. - going Monochrome and using narrowband filters, cameras tend to be more expensive + 3 filters - going for a larger sensor camera, ZWO 2600 for example, 2000 bucks. - going for a bigger mount, Skywatcher EQ6 for example, 1600 bucks.
Good video Trevor. It gives people hope and inspiration which is a very good thing!! Doing it on a reasonable budget is key to getting more folk involved in this.
Trevor your videos have come a long way. I love your old stuff and the newer ones have a great polish. I've been doing astrophotography for 3 short years (your fault BTW) and I'm still a beginner.....
Recently i captured lagoon nebula using my android phone .It is the biggest achievement of my life and I never forget that moment. As soon as i saw my final image ,it brings the biggest smile 😁
Keep in mind that whatever lens or scope you put on a crop sensor, you have to factor in the magnification ratio - like 1.5 or 1.6x. So that 120mm lens actually performs closer to 190mm - unless the lens is specifically designed for crop sensor cameras. For the most part, use the camera you already have - chances are most folks looking at astro are already into photography. EQ mount isn’t needed for wide field - at least at first. So if you are doing astro-landscapes / milky-way shots - then the rule of 500/300 (crops) will be sufficient. EQ mount just means longer exposures without star trails.
I am about to start working on my beginner setup once we move to our new farmland. We will have a bortle 2 sky! I am so excited to move out of the city and to pick up this hobby that I have been eyeing for a while!
This is my absolute favourite mount, has put some of my bigger stuff to shame, and it’s much less of a hassle. just watch out for the weird link between settings that could drive you mad! If your wondering why it stops tracking after a few shots, the app links to normal non Wi-Fi modes so it will use those settings. There also a bit of room for improvement, I wish the red light for polar alignment was internal like my eq6 and I think the AA battery cover is a little loose fitting, I’m considering removing it entirely and replacing with a cable storage box for the camera shutter cable.
There are lots of Star Adventurer 2i videos on YT. They all seem to cover the same ground. There are some things I still don't understand because no one seems to cover them. Maybe you can help? Polar aligning the the SA 2i I understand. Now the polar scope is pointed at Polaris. It has to stay like that. What if the thing you want to photograph is behind you? I assume you don't rotate the tracker as it stays pointed at Polaris right? I get it that for a video the set up looks better pointed up straight and inline with the mount but that won't line up and photograph objects behind you especially with that green L bracket on the mount. So how is that done? Everyone seems to gloss over focus too. Is a Bahtinov mask useful? An absolute must? Do you have to focus with a punched in live view? Is the viewfinder a better way? Do you have to be at a higher ISO to focus? Do you reduce ISO after focus to reduce noise ratio? Once you have sharp focus on a star is that focus setting usable regardless of where you point the camera or do you have to refocus on every target? Any answers you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
My usual astrophoto kit consists of old Canon EOS450D, cheap tripod and a laptop with Siril. I usualy take 20-30 photos than stack them together in Siril. No star tracker is needed. The only thing that disappoint me is camera, I definitely need a newer one. But to be honest, I've never thought of astrophoto until two years ago I tried it. So, yesterday I bought old Newtonian telescope made in USSR for restoration and I paid for it about 50$. Mirrors are in perfect condition and properly adjusted. Now I need a mount (going to buy it from NPZ factory), and a tripod. I think this will be below 1k $ kit)
I have learned an enormous amount from your videos! Thank you for what you do, you make this hobby to a beginner like me seem not such an enormous task.
Hi Trevor - where would you recommend buying this equipment in Canada? I am considering getting into the hobby after watching your awesome videos! Thanks for the inspiration!
I really want to thank you for this video!! I hope you make another one like this in a few years when I'll actually have some time to seriously consider this. Thanks again!
Hey Trevor I just purchased the star tracker you recommended. However, it looks like the TPO telescope isn't being sold anymore. Do you have any other telescope suggestions for a similar setup to what is shown in this video?
Hey Trevor, I’ve been seeing the Rokinon/samyang 135mm has been a recommended lens as well with the f/2 ratio. I just wanted to get a better understanding of what made you gravitate towards the TPO, Unsure of which one I would like to purchase!
the tripod featured in this video is no longer made/available. could you please update with what you're currently using and/or indicate the best replacement? thanks
Really informative. Exactly what I was looking for on information for a beginner set-up with a DSLR. $1800 minus the camera is still expensive so will still need to look into this more before forking out for a set-up. Thanks again. Andrew
Orion Spaceprobe 130st ($280) Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi ($680) ZWO asi294mc ($698) Total ($1658 + lots of tax) Positive experience? Everything breaks down, nothing works, fingers freeze, drop small things in deep grass. Love it!
Nice. I've been curious about the TPO 180, would like to see some more projects with this lens. For the truly budget conscious, there are a few ways to save a few more $... The Orion Compact Astro Tracker is cheaper and doesn't require an equatorial base, Dec mount, or intervalometer. A mid-range 85-135mm camera lens (for $200) might be better to start with than the telescope. Also, you don't need a carbon fiber tripod. Also, get (or make) a bahtinov mask for focusing. Note: To get the results at the end of the video, you're going to have to learn some image processing tricks, as well.
Trevor I loved the video. My wife bought me the same set up in the video for Father’s Day. I have a Nikon d3100. I live in Round Rock Texas under B7 skies. I can get decent pictures of the night sky but for the life of me I cannot get any nebulae or even residual Milky way to show up. Stars and space only. The last session I did I set the shot up in between Deneb and Sadr. With the TPO 180 I thought for sure I would see something anything. I ended up with the same results. Do you have any tips or thoughts for me?
Wonderful video and you got me into this addictive hobby only a year or so ago, if only we had a pole star down here in the Southern hemisphere then the polar aligned in a minute wouldn’t be such a dream 😂😂😂😂
Hey Trevor! - I really liked the positive message at the start of this one man 🙏 As always, loved the video! It looks like that little setup would be a brilliant start and not overwhelming for a beginner, great job dude! 👍👍 Clear skies!
I use a vintage 400mm and it works surprisingly well. Just watch out for chromatic aberration and reflections because old glass can vary in quality greatly. Some are very sharp but others have bad vignetting and bad looking stars. I would give it a shot though. My telelentar 400mm is better than my canon 75-300mm.
@@hudsonr.218 I got old soviet lense for photorifle, Tair 3. In daylight its extremely sharp, in low light or low key its performance could be better, but with a tracker i assume it will be fine as long as the tracker and tripod can handle that weight.
@@LamzaksLV Yeah, weight constraints are the only real problem with these super light trackers. 1.5kg is a tad heavy but is within the realm of possibility for the tracker shown in the video. Wish I could show you some of my photos I've taken but RUclips automatically flags comments with links in them. Best of luck and clear skies :)
Thank you for your most enjoyable and helpful videos. I didn’t get the reason why this particular telescope/lens would be better than a typical camera lens. Could you clarify?
Thanks for this video - I've been on the fence about a Frankenstein rig or the Stellina, as I'm 100% new to the hobby, but this video was perfect for me
I have a question I just bought a used Williams optics Megrez 110mm ED APO. f/5.95 2 element air spaced ED glass, with a Astromanla 50mm guide scope on a Orion Atlas EQ-G equatorial mount skyscan go to, I got it used with a bunch of adapters and 6 decent eye pieces all on a home made mount with pneumatic 6” tires with ball bearings. Iam 74 on a limited budget do you have any suggestion on astrophotography for this set up. I would send pictures but I don’t know how. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you Ed. That’s not me in the picture my grand kids did that.
Talking about small "astrograph", can the Askar FMA 135 be a good choice for large field of view ? Can it be compared to the great Rokinon/Samyang 135mm F/2 ? Thanks and clear sky !
I have a 8"Dob, and planning to have my 1st Goto EQ mount, something that will enable me to do some starting Apo or my Canon Telephoto. I have shortlisted iOptron CEM26 as my First mount, however i am confused if I wait longer and then go for a CEM70.
Trevor. Awesome videos. I live in a border 8-9 area and there's no way I can take 3 minute exposures without washing everything out and while I've got some decent photos in the light polluted hell of Houston, my question is how would you address that like pollution scenario? About the max I can get at exposure time wise is about 30 seconds unless I stop the lens way down. How would you address a location like that, considering it takes 2 hours in any direction to get out of the light pollution dome?
Question. I’m using this drive for the upcoming eclipse. I’m wondering if I should put my fluid head between the drive and camera. This drives only in RA and it has a small adjustment in Dec. So how do you point your camera to anywhere you want? Paul
Trevor, awesome video. I have the Star Adventurer 2i with the Sharpstar 61. I have a hard time getting proper polar alignment. I was fine when using my Pentax 150mm f3.5 (up to 2 minute exposures) but with the 275mm focal length of my telescope I am lucky to get 30s exposures. I have purchased a Polemaster so hopefully that will get me back to 2 minutes. If I had it all to do again I would get the iOptron Skyguider Pro with iPolar. When I was choosing my first telescope I considered the TPO180 and the Redcat 51 as well.
I have an odd question. What is the red headlamp that you use? The one I have is a dual white/red, but the red is SO much dimmer than the white light. I'm trying to find a red headlamp that is alot brighter.
Unfortunately the bundle for this isn't available again until June through OPT, spent a week trying to talk with them about it or if they could do a different tracker before getting an answer. 100% starting this hobby because of you and your videos Trevor, the pieces I did ordered will be here next week and then I can start getting it all setup and running.
This, this is why I started the hobby. You show that you don't need a $10,000 setup to get great images. I started with the same tracker, but with a small scope. I loved it. Thank you for inspiring not only me, but everyone wanting to start this hobby. 1 year later, i'm taking photos i've dreamed of taking, and it's only getting better.
Subscribed, nice channel brotha!
@@theamateur8562 thank you!
I’m starting with a similar setup. But with a bunch of random equipment I gathered up. Cheap manfrotto tripod, panasonic g7 with the 100-300 lens, and this tracker. It gets good images but focusing doesn’t work well just trying to get the stars small
Man this guy, so inspiring i swear. Got me and thousands of others into this crazy hobby
I know right?
He inspired me and gave me something that i love and will have to do!
You want to know about inspiration check out astro biscuit. That guy does everything fun and after every video you are always smiling. I do agree you too btw.. just saying Check out this guy haha
I'm one of them getting a cem26 mount and gonna mount my ole 4.5 starblaster tele and tackle orion!
@@Anyonewhos oh, don't worry my friend friend i am way ahead of you
literally same! now i have the startracker, canon 2000D/RT7 and my lovely lenses, just need a clear night now!
I can tell from your words that you are a dedicated amateur astronomer.
I started out back in 1974 with a Celestron 8” scope and off-axis guider. Sat behind the eyepiece for hours keeping that star in the center of the crosshairs. This was before all the fancy technology we have today.
Spent 2 weeks on the back side of Mt Hopkins (where the Multi Mirror Telescope was), taking photos of the Milky Way, comparing Kodachrome and Agfa color slides. Photographed the Lagoon and Trifid nebulas. Hell, this was before personal computers so my composite of the entire Milky Way had to be printed into individual 8 x 10 color glossy’s, cut just ever so and mounted on cardboard with heated wax paper. These were the days that I walked 3 miles to kindergarten uphill both ways. Unless the milkman gave me a ride that is. I think the first HP and TI calculators came out about then.
I was at Santa Monica College in my astronomy professor’s office when he got a call from a thrift shop in town. Some ladies husband passed away and he had a brand new in box C8 telescope with all the fixings, including a 3” off axis solar filter. I listened to his side of the conversation and knew the store. I drove there immediately in my 1961 VW Microbus. Walked into the thrift store, introduced myself, saying I was going to be an astronomer and I was in Jerry Waxman’s office when they called. I offered them $300 for everything. After careful consideration, they accepted my offer and I’ve had that scope ever since. My professor was both happy for me and my quick action, but also a bit unhappy that he didn’t get the scope. We became fast friends.
So yea, I did this the hard way. But I really wish I had the fancy stuff you kids have today.
I’m a lens designer. Moved from astronomy and physics to optical science. Designed the Spitzer Space Telescope and the camera aboard the Cassini craft, and other optical instruments for interplanetary exploration at JPL.
I’ve designed a three mirror anastigmat telescope with three conical mirrors. No central obscuration. It has zero spherical, coma, astigmatism and a flat field. At F/4.5 and a 3 x 1.5 degree field of view, it’s better than 1/10wave rms over the entire field. This is my next telescope I plan to build.
Thanks for the great video.
Paul
Brand new aspiring astrophotographer here: I love your videos - they help me keep in mind what I want in a setup and what to look for in my research. Thank you for being so informative. Wish you the clearest of skies!
I just got my first star tracker this week (same one as in this video). I'm using it for the first time tonight!!! Thanks for everything Trevor!
same here!!
@@neodanks454 nice! Good luck!
The deeper you look into the cosmos the harder it is to look back.
good luck!
Beginner example with an actual beginner camera. Absolute king. This channel rocks.
I got this exact setup except I'm still on a kit telephoto lens and a more affordable tripod. It's been a joy to use so far! And as much as I agree with Trevor that the scope and Radian tripod make life a lot easier, personally I'd recommend staying with the kit stuff until your capturing and processing techniques have advanced to the point that your optics become your main limiting factor. It saves you a few hundred now and by the time you've got some experience you might be able to make a more informed decision on your next glass :)
Just going to put it simple Trevor- you’re amazing. Thank you for everything.
The skywatcher star adventurer and the radian tripod are such a good combo. I bought both as per your recommendation
After comparing the price, I ordered a skywatcher AZ GTI goto mount instead of the star adventurer. The prices are almost the same. But the az gti with a little hack is also a equatorial goto mount which is much more powerful and can do everything the star adventurer can do. All the extra invest is a M12 threaded rod as counter weight for the az gti.
The worm gears of star adventuerer and az gti are very similar. star adventuerer looks to have a slight sturdier gears and bearings, but the spring loading mechanism of AZ GTI is much better. Plus the az gti has two sets of gears for the same money, and the eq hack is actually directly supported by the synscan android app.
Just popped in to say thanks Man 👍 I’m practicing with a $200 Canon T3i, came with kit 18-55, I picked up a Takumar 70-200 off Kijiji for $40 Canadian, practiced a while with a tripod and 1-2 second exposures, just added a star tracker, I enjoy progressing this way. I’ve been tempted to slap the plastic down and grab a redcat, am5, cooled Astro cam, but I feel I would be skipping over the best part. Anyway Dude, thanks, you’re a great teacher 👍
Been using the SWSA2i for about 8 months with my telephoto kit lenses and it is still very enjoyable (even with high f- ratios, lol). This video is great for those wanting to get into it! Like you said, get the basics down. It's very encouraging.
Trevor, this video was perfect! It sets a realistic roadmap for just about anyone from beginner to intermediate skill levels. Fundamentals are key and this setup will help you learn and hone your polar alignment skills. There is no cheap easy button to get into the hobby but this is as close as it will get. I like this approach more than the “cheap dslr nebula” video. Personally, I like my skyguider but they are all good. Thanks and clear skys!
Would the samyang/rokinon 135mm f2 be a better buy as its on offer at the moment roughly same price as the TPO bigger aparture and faster.
Good video Trevor.
This is pretty close to what I started out with a few months ago. Instead of the scope, I used my 100-400mm Canon lens, which was great! (I've since switched to a Sky Watcher 72mm ED Pro...nice little scope)
One word on the Star Adventurer and polar alignment. The external illuminater that is included in the kit is frustratingly dim, at least mine is. It was very difficult to see the lines properly. Not to mention, I've dropped it about a hundred times.
I found a guy on Ebay who 3D prints a little glow in the dark cap that drops right in place. You can just leave it there all night, or until you disassemble the tracker. The mounting bar holds it in place.
Hit that with a flashlight for about 20 seconds and it works like magic. I highly recommend it, as it really helped me out.
Cheers
I am new to the hobby. I bought a William Optics GT 71 and I am waiting….about 6 months now…. for a Celestron 8 Edge HD. There is a lot to learn but for me it is fun and very interesting. And you and several other astrophotographers have made it easier for us beginners by sharing your knowledge, enthusiasm, and photographs of the dark sky to keep us excited. Thank you all for your help. I am interested in astrophotography. One thing I don’t understand is how do you take photographs with a DSLR or dedicated camera when you are not using an eyepiece? I guess I thought the tube brings in the light but the eyepiece creates the magnification. Thanks for your help and I look forward to your future videos.
Without an eye piece, the telescope becomes just like a lens. Where you would see a focal length on the lens, you would see a focal length on the telescope. The f-stop on the lens is now the f-stop of the telescope. There is no such thing as magnification without the eyepiece, just field of view: which i believe is 2*arctan(aperture/(2*focal length).
I think I'll just stay with visual astronomy looking at those prices 😃
By its very nature astrophotography is always going to be more expensive than visual. However if you already own some camera gear, all you would really need is the Star tracking mount. Even if your camera and lens is not the best in the world, as long as you have a solid tripod and tracker, that's the biggest part of the battle won.
But astrophotography Should Cost cheaper still Than 10k
It is cheaper than 10k to do good(!) Astrophotography, what's your point exactly? @@cpdudeyt
@@falxonPSNthat’s the thing when someone talks about prices like that they obviously can’t afford the gear and a solid tripod is expensive for someone like dominik and me also, oh and having also a tracker dude… if we can’t even afford a good tripod costing like 200€ is already a lot for us now imagine a tracker… even if we saved up that all that money, we don’t see ourselves spending it on those things because it probably took months to save it and by the time you saved it you’ll need it for whatever emergency that pops up or you think, its not worth it unless you got a few thousands on the side and spending a couple thousand for astrophotography that we really want isn’t a problem
I'm at a crossroad, i am currently wanting to get into astrophotography but at the same time i also want to visually explore the sky, I'm guessing but unsure if i should invest in a nextstar 8 SE so i can view the sky and all it's wonders and then invest in a kit like in this video afterwards, or do i invest in this kit first?
I'm guessing visually exploring the sky with a decent rig will get me hooked all that much more before jumping into a kit like this, i've seen the planets years back on a friends scope and it blew my mind, it's just one of them hobbies i always put off until now, any advice appreciated.
I'm loving this channel. I'm trying to learn all I can, because I live in a Bortles Class 2 sky and I can be at a Class 1 within an hr.
The superb pictures with great music always get me at the end.
I live in a bortel 3 class and started this hobby a year ago. I modified my eos t3i just a week ago and the pictures are incredible . I started in this hobby only because of astrobackyard
I'm curious which mod you decided on? I have the t3i also and am wondering. Thanks!
Im actually going to try my luck with my pixel 6 pro "astrophotography" mode tonight. Just so I can get some basics down before I go deep into actual rigs. I'm super excited from peoples pictures already. You should do a video on some cell phone star shots. See how you feel about them. Thanks for all the info brother!
Keep us posted!
@@adammadi9109 Will do! Clouds are starting to roll away now. Pretty windy out. Should be good around 11pm EST. Super excited!!
@@adammadi9109 I got a couple shots on my IG. Same as my name on here. Was about as good as I was gonna get last night. The clouds wouldn't stop moving so fast! 😅. I tagged astro in it as well. Very fun experience though. Can't wait for a clear night now!
If you go check it out, just know it was completely pitch black around me. That's not light pollution around me. The pixel is just able to turn darkness to light somehow lol
OK so my question is, do I get the TPO scope in this video or the Rokinon 135mm f/2? I have all the other gear and now want an "dedicated" astro lens/scope. Which would be the best choice?
3:27 LOVED this moment! Great video. Quite helpful!
I would be interested in seeing what can be done with $2500-5000 which is the range I'm planning to spend on my equipment.
Basic setup will be the same. But every bit can then be a little more dedicated to astro photography.
And guiding could be added.
Like a
- go-to mount. size/price depending on the weight capacity that you want.. like a skywatcher EQ5, probably 800-1000 bucks.
- Dedicated cooled astronomy camera, ZWO ASI 533MC or 294MC, 900-1000 bucks.
- Run it through your computer, or ZWO ASIAIR Plus, 299 bucks
- A simple guiding setup, a ZWO ASI 120MM + a 50mm small guide scope is enough for more cases. 250-ish bucks
- Better/dedicated filter, Optolong L-Extreme /Optolong L-Pro - 250-ish bucks
And then a scope.. maybe a William optics redcat 51 for wide field. - 800-900 bucks
But a good mount will open up the weight capacity for bigger scopes too, like the redcat 71 - 1700 bucks.
Or many other different scopes.
totalling about 4000-4500
obviously you can spend more in any of these areas.
- going Monochrome and using narrowband filters, cameras tend to be more expensive + 3 filters
- going for a larger sensor camera, ZWO 2600 for example, 2000 bucks.
- going for a bigger mount, Skywatcher EQ6 for example, 1600 bucks.
@@PilotPhteven Thanks so much!
Good video Trevor. It gives people hope and inspiration which is a very good thing!! Doing it on a reasonable budget is key to getting more folk involved in this.
Trevor your videos have come a long way. I love your old stuff and the newer ones have a great polish. I've been doing astrophotography for 3 short years (your fault BTW) and I'm still a beginner.....
Is the andromeda Galaxy a good target with this setup? I can only imagine so since it’s so huge
Recently i captured lagoon nebula using my android phone .It is the biggest achievement of my life and I never forget that moment.
As soon as i saw my final image ,it brings the biggest smile 😁
Keep in mind that whatever lens or scope you put on a crop sensor, you have to factor in the magnification ratio - like 1.5 or 1.6x. So that 120mm lens actually performs closer to 190mm - unless the lens is specifically designed for crop sensor cameras.
For the most part, use the camera you already have - chances are most folks looking at astro are already into photography. EQ mount isn’t needed for wide field - at least at first. So if you are doing astro-landscapes / milky-way shots - then the rule of 500/300 (crops) will be sufficient. EQ mount just means longer exposures without star trails.
I am about to start working on my beginner setup once we move to our new farmland. We will have a bortle 2 sky! I am so excited to move out of the city and to pick up this hobby that I have been eyeing for a while!
Thank you Trevor
Awesome video, great information Trevor! Thank you for everything you do! Clear skies
Very professional in teaching the hobby. Thank you
This is my absolute favourite mount, has put some of my bigger stuff to shame, and it’s much less of a hassle. just watch out for the weird link between settings that could drive you mad! If your wondering why it stops tracking after a few shots, the app links to normal non Wi-Fi modes so it will use those settings. There also a bit of room for improvement, I wish the red light for polar alignment was internal like my eq6 and I think the AA battery cover is a little loose fitting, I’m considering removing it entirely and replacing with a cable storage box for the camera shutter cable.
Question: had you seen something else in space like ufo or something flying?
There are lots of Star Adventurer 2i videos on YT. They all seem to cover the same ground. There are some things I still don't understand because no one seems to cover them. Maybe you can help? Polar aligning the the SA 2i I understand. Now the polar scope is pointed at Polaris. It has to stay like that. What if the thing you want to photograph is behind you? I assume you don't rotate the tracker as it stays pointed at Polaris right? I get it that for a video the set up looks better pointed up straight and inline with the mount but that won't line up and photograph objects behind you especially with that green L bracket on the mount. So how is that done? Everyone seems to gloss over focus too. Is a Bahtinov mask useful? An absolute must? Do you have to focus with a punched in live view? Is the viewfinder a better way? Do you have to be at a higher ISO to focus? Do you reduce ISO after focus to reduce noise ratio? Once you have sharp focus on a star is that focus setting usable regardless of where you point the camera or do you have to refocus on every target? Any answers you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Awesome! The image of Pleiades is beautiful and your talent for processing images is superb! Dr B from Manitoba, Canada 🇨🇦
My usual astrophoto kit consists of old Canon EOS450D, cheap tripod and a laptop with Siril. I usualy take 20-30 photos than stack them together in Siril. No star tracker is needed.
The only thing that disappoint me is camera, I definitely need a newer one. But to be honest, I've never thought of astrophoto until two years ago I tried it.
So, yesterday I bought old Newtonian telescope made in USSR for restoration and I paid for it about 50$. Mirrors are in perfect condition and properly adjusted. Now I need a mount (going to buy it from NPZ factory), and a tripod. I think this will be below 1k $ kit)
I have learned an enormous amount from your videos! Thank you for what you do, you make this hobby to a beginner like me seem not such an enormous task.
Thanks for uploading this video because I wanted a complete set up under limited budget😇
Thank you thank you thank you…this is what I have been waiting for
Hi Trevor - where would you recommend buying this equipment in Canada? I am considering getting into the hobby after watching your awesome videos! Thanks for the inspiration!
I really want to thank you for this video!!
I hope you make another one like this in a few years when I'll actually have some time to seriously consider this.
Thanks again!
Hey Trevor I just purchased the star tracker you recommended. However, it looks like the TPO telescope isn't being sold anymore. Do you have any other telescope suggestions for a similar setup to what is shown in this video?
try open astro tacker cheper have goto and you can add guider
Great wok Trevor, as always bro 👏🏻🔥
Hey Trevor, I’ve been seeing the Rokinon/samyang 135mm has been a recommended lens as well with the f/2 ratio. I just wanted to get a better understanding of what made you gravitate towards the TPO,
Unsure of which one I would like to purchase!
I'm at the same point. Any thoughts would be appreciated..
the tripod featured in this video is no longer made/available. could you please update with what you're currently using and/or indicate the best replacement? thanks
Really informative. Exactly what I was looking for on information for a beginner set-up with a DSLR. $1800 minus the camera is still expensive so will still need to look into this more before forking out for a set-up. Thanks again. Andrew
The mount seems exclusively to the Canon mount?
Orion Spaceprobe 130st ($280)
Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi ($680)
ZWO asi294mc ($698)
Total ($1658 + lots of tax)
Positive experience? Everything breaks down, nothing works, fingers freeze, drop small things in deep grass. Love it!
I'm trying to decide between the 2i or the GTi. Should I stay away from the GTi?
Great video. My frustration with Astrophotography is living south of the equator, polar alignment is a pain and time consuming.
This video basically confirmed my thoughts! Just need the tracker!
Ive just started my astrophotography journey and I live in bortel 2 sky's with bortel 1 10 minutes up the road,thanks for sharing this video 👍
I swear that this man so much inspired me
Nice. I've been curious about the TPO 180, would like to see some more projects with this lens. For the truly budget conscious, there are a few ways to save a few more $... The Orion Compact Astro Tracker is cheaper and doesn't require an equatorial base, Dec mount, or intervalometer. A mid-range 85-135mm camera lens (for $200) might be better to start with than the telescope. Also, you don't need a carbon fiber tripod. Also, get (or make) a bahtinov mask for focusing.
Note: To get the results at the end of the video, you're going to have to learn some image processing tricks, as well.
Trevor I loved the video. My wife bought me the same set up in the video for Father’s Day. I have a Nikon d3100. I live in Round Rock Texas under B7 skies. I can get decent pictures of the night sky but for the life of me I cannot get any nebulae or even residual Milky way to show up. Stars and space only. The last session I did I set the shot up in between Deneb and Sadr. With the TPO 180 I thought for sure I would see something anything. I ended up with the same results. Do you have any tips or thoughts for me?
Thank you for a great video. I've done the M45 with similar setup. I used a Canon 70-200 with 1.4x extender. This works just great with the SA
Wonderful video and you got me into this addictive hobby only a year or so ago, if only we had a pole star down here in the Southern hemisphere then the polar aligned in a minute wouldn’t be such a dream 😂😂😂😂
Hey Trevor! - I really liked the positive message at the start of this one man 🙏
As always, loved the video! It looks like that little setup would be a brilliant start and not overwhelming for a beginner, great job dude! 👍👍
Clear skies!
TPO 180mm telescope or rokinon 135mm lens? I would like the extra focal length but would the rokinon get better results with its wider aperture?
Inspirational. I need a good tripod anyway. So I’ll take notes and start my journey
I have a Nikon D7000. Is there a similar setup with a Nikon?
Could I substitute the camera with a Canon 6D ?
For us your the best Trevor 💗
Can I use this Star Tracker to capture the upcoming eclipse on April 8, 2024???
Instead of telescope can i use vintage 300mm lense that weights around 1.5kg?
I use a vintage 400mm and it works surprisingly well. Just watch out for chromatic aberration and reflections because old glass can vary in quality greatly. Some are very sharp but others have bad vignetting and bad looking stars. I would give it a shot though. My telelentar 400mm is better than my canon 75-300mm.
@@hudsonr.218 I got old soviet lense for photorifle, Tair 3. In daylight its extremely sharp, in low light or low key its performance could be better, but with a tracker i assume it will be fine as long as the tracker and tripod can handle that weight.
@@LamzaksLV Yeah, weight constraints are the only real problem with these super light trackers. 1.5kg is a tad heavy but is within the realm of possibility for the tracker shown in the video. Wish I could show you some of my photos I've taken but RUclips automatically flags comments with links in them. Best of luck and clear skies :)
Hey, I'm your new subscriber....🤗
You are amazing, I saw your all videos....I love it....❤❤
From :India 🇮🇳
Any Nikon compatible version of this kit?
Thank you for your most enjoyable and helpful videos. I didn’t get the reason why this particular telescope/lens would be better than a typical camera lens. Could you clarify?
Hi Trevor, i wanted to ask if I also can use a Canon 2000D?
Thanks for this video - I've been on the fence about a Frankenstein rig or the Stellina, as I'm 100% new to the hobby, but this video was perfect for me
I have a question I just bought a used Williams optics Megrez 110mm ED APO. f/5.95 2 element air spaced ED glass, with a Astromanla 50mm guide scope on a Orion Atlas EQ-G equatorial mount skyscan go to, I got it used with a bunch of adapters and 6 decent eye pieces all on a home made mount with pneumatic 6” tires with ball bearings. Iam 74 on a limited budget do you have any suggestion on astrophotography for this set up. I would send pictures but I don’t know how. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you Ed. That’s not me in the picture my grand kids did that.
Talking about small "astrograph", can the Askar FMA 135 be a good choice for large field of view ? Can it be compared to the great Rokinon/Samyang 135mm F/2 ? Thanks and clear sky !
will the tpo180 go onto a nikon d40x??
I have a 8"Dob, and planning to have my 1st Goto EQ mount, something that will enable me to do some starting Apo or my Canon Telephoto.
I have shortlisted iOptron CEM26 as my First mount, however i am confused if I wait longer and then go for a CEM70.
I wish I saw this guy first after spending so much money on heaps of gear. Nice video. Ambitious or not it’s great information
Trevor. Awesome videos. I live in a border 8-9 area and there's no way I can take 3 minute exposures without washing everything out and while I've got some decent photos in the light polluted hell of Houston, my question is how would you address that like pollution scenario? About the max I can get at exposure time wise is about 30 seconds unless I stop the lens way down. How would you address a location like that, considering it takes 2 hours in any direction to get out of the light pollution dome?
Question. I’m using this drive for the upcoming eclipse. I’m wondering if I should put my fluid head between the drive and camera.
This drives only in RA and it has a small adjustment in Dec. So how do you point your camera to anywhere you want?
Paul
Hello, I HAVE a 7III camera can i use it for DEEP SKY Object please ? Thanks
Trevor, awesome video. I have the Star Adventurer 2i with the Sharpstar 61. I have a hard time getting proper polar alignment. I was fine when using my Pentax 150mm f3.5 (up to 2 minute exposures) but with the 275mm focal length of my telescope I am lucky to get 30s exposures. I have purchased a Polemaster so hopefully that will get me back to 2 minutes. If I had it all to do again I would get the iOptron Skyguider Pro with iPolar. When I was choosing my first telescope I considered the TPO180 and the Redcat 51 as well.
I always re-align my Star Adventurer when its loaded and balanced, as youre right, with the weight it does seem to pull the rig out of alignment.
What about for beginners in Plantery Astrophotography Whats the best camera for that?
Thank you !!! I am now inspired!!!
Which headlamp do you use? You mentioned it in a past video. As always thanks.
Thanks for all your awesome videos. How abt Canon eos 90d? Will it suie for astrophotograhy beginners?
I have an odd question. What is the red headlamp that you use? The one I have is a dual white/red, but the red is SO much dimmer than the white light. I'm trying to find a red headlamp that is alot brighter.
Unfortunately the bundle for this isn't available again until June through OPT, spent a week trying to talk with them about it or if they could do a different tracker before getting an answer. 100% starting this hobby because of you and your videos Trevor, the pieces I did ordered will be here next week and then I can start getting it all setup and running.
Could you also take photos of the moon with this setup or is this only deep sky?
Thanks alot for this information, I was about to purchase ioptron sky-guider pro set for my dslr for the very first time
incredible result I am amazed to see this excellent video 😮😁
where did you get that jacket? are there matching pants? Im getting older and colder :) Thank you for all your efforts Trevor
Canon: 6d mark ii OR 5d mark iii.....OR Nikon: D7500 or D750
Which will be good for astrophotography? Please help to make a purchase decision.
Would something like this be capable of doing galaxies? Or is it worth it to spend a hair more for a higher focal length
Is there any issue using certain light pollution filters on reflection nebulae like the one in this video?
My usual spot here in scotland is bortle 2 haha guess i dont need a filter for there! but my back garden is 3/4
Nice job
I am a beginner...Can I start this with Iphone 13 Pro, also Do I need any knowledge about astronomy or galaxy before dive into this
Thank you for the great videos! Just wondering if you could state a substitute for the lens as they are out of stock everywhere?
"Somewhere between purple and green. You know what I mean." Oh we do Trevor we do! Great video!
Would a Canon T3i work?