My Patreon: www.patreon.com/cuivlazygeek My Merch Store: cuiv.myspreadshop.com/ ---------------------------------------------- The New & Lazy Smart Telescopes! ---------------------------------------------- Dwarf III (tiny and cheap): bit.ly/3SyChXu Seestar S50 (cheap): bit.ly/49mQhLJ (Agena) or tinyurl.com/43r5pd6y (ZWO) Vaonis Vespera II (high end): bit.ly/4e0haaA Celestron Origin (psychopathic): bit.ly/3XDMxC2 ---------------------------------------------- The Oldie - Camera + lens ---------------------------------------------- Rokinon 135mm: amzn.to/4cZmKIU Canon 200mm f2.8 amzn.to/3Xn1fMB Lukomatico Universal Bahtinov mask: www.etsy.com/listing/1762622415/universal-fit-telescope-bahtinov-focus Sample cheap DSLR: amzn.to/4efZzLy Review of that DSLR for astro: ruclips.net/video/ZWp209tqd8o/видео.html Star Adventurer 2i: amzn.to/4dVUqsb or bit.ly/3TmKBLK Move Shoot Move Tracker: bit.ly/47ih8s9 StarAdventurer GTi GoTo Mount: bit.ly/3UKLpLJ Control center if you go for GoTo: bit.ly/3OiGlv5 or tinyurl.com/2526tajc ---------------------------------------------- The Classic with a Twist Quintessential Beginner Rig ---------------------------------------------- UMi 17 Lite Mount: www.proxisky.com/ ZWO AM3 Mount: tinyurl.com/mtyctrzb (ZWO) or bit.ly/3QVCEMf (Agena) ZWO ASI2600MC Air smart camera: tinyurl.com/tr2r3esn (ZWO) or bit.ly/3SV04Co (Agena,) or bit.ly/3SZARXx (HPS) RedCat51: bit.ly/48hyuVx (Agena) or bit.ly/48pTWXW (HPS) NEW Minicat 51: bit.ly/3MFFP8s (Agena) or bit.ly/3XjPdDE (HPS) The cheaper camera/control center/guiding combo: ZWO ASI585 MC Pro Camera: bit.ly/3Iwo6y8 (Agena) or bit.ly/4cp1Ofn (High Point Scientific) or tinyurl.com/yc2386cd (ZWO) ASIAIR Mini: bit.ly/3OiGlv5 or tinyurl.com/2526tajc ZWO GuideScope: bit.ly/4dUlyYM ASI20MM Mini guide camera: bit.ly/4cZ2xCX ---------------------------------------------- The Criminally Insane Buy Once Cry Once?? ---------------------------------------------- ZWO AM5N Mount: bit.ly/3W3TWKe or tinyurl.com/4pj56en7 Apertura CarbonStar telescope with coma corrector: bit.ly/3W7ZFiA ZWO ASI2600MC Air smart camera: tinyurl.com/tr2r3esn (ZWO) or bit.ly/3SV04Co (Agena,) or bit.ly/3SZARXx (HPS) Or with computer control: ZWO ASI2600MC Duo: bit.ly/3M8IkPS (Agena) or bit.ly/3Jti7KQ (HPS) or tinyurl.com/54nkj5n8 (ZWO) AstroPC Pro: tinyurl.com/4rshehnf Mele Quieter 4C: amzn.to/4d4kjEW ---------------------------------------------- Light Pollution Filters ---------------------------------------------- Askar C1 & C2: bit.ly/48VZGZQ SVBony SV220: amzn.to/3vqwWdI or direct from SVBony: bit.ly/3vTpMPu (if you buy more than $200 from there, use code Cuiv20 for $20 off) ---------------------------------------------- Tutorials and Reviews ---------------------------------------------- 80% of Astrophotography Basics in 20 Minutes: ruclips.net/video/2zHvT_XHRl8/видео.html DSLR + Tripod Polaris Flare: ruclips.net/video/H9AuuTJ44Ik/видео.html DSLR + Tripod Andromeda Galaxy: ruclips.net/video/pXcRKoxTPVg/видео.html DSLR + Tripod Orion Nebula: ruclips.net/video/iuMZG-SyDCU/видео.html ZWO ASI2600MC Air Review: ruclips.net/video/5GJAQKdwHEc/видео.html UMi 17 Lite review: ruclips.net/video/mba7OUQdQgQ/видео.html ZWO AM5N Review: ruclips.net/video/eQyyqVjw_2g/видео.html CarbonStar 150 Review: ruclips.net/video/jNaubZIulKg/видео.html ZWO 2600MC Duo Review: ruclips.net/video/KPSS8ChEZiA/видео.html ZWO ASI585MC Pro Review: ruclips.net/video/zibS7JyKdw8/видео.html Seestar S50 Review: ruclips.net/video/Nt29_kHV1Fg/видео.html Amazon affiliate: amzn.to/49XTx01 Agena affiliate: bit.ly/3Om0hNG High Point Scientific affiliate: bit.ly/3lReu8R First Light Optics affiliate: tinyurl.com/yxd2jkr2 All-Star Telescope affiliate: bit.ly/3SCgVbV Astroshop eu Affiliate: tinyurl.com/2vafkax8
This is a heck of a video mate, what a detailed break-down & explanation of available options!! :-) Thanks so much for the mention of my masks by the way!! :-D That was really kind of you! Clear skies!
For me the real gamechanger was NINA as it helped speed up my start up time to get imaging, as much as I'd love a strainwave mount for portability I just don't have the budget right now so I'm still lugging big heavy German equatorial mounts, guess they're good for workouts though ha ha
I’ve got the Skywatcher star adventurer gti with a skywatcher evolux 62ED telescope, connected with the ASIAIR plus, a great little setup. I have also the dwarf 2 smart telescope which is also great and easy to use.
Hi. I like your videos on the dwarf 3. When do you think you will have a total review of it? You got me very interested in the hobby and I like what you did with the dwarf 3. Can you do a comparison between the dwarf 3 and the seastar? Since they're both about the same price I'd like to have a better understanding of what they both do. You said you're going to France soon so I'm really looking forward to what you can do in a really clear sky. When will you be going to France?
Hello - I'm unable to say when exactly I'll be in France, but I can say the forecast doesn't look great where I'll be! I'm planning on making a full review and comparison later on, but I can't say when yet, very busy these days :)
Aged 12 I bought a 60mm refractor with money from my paper round , and when I was 17 the local club lent me a 4" f/12 newt, and I added a Zenit-B SLR with earnings from shelf-stocking in the local supermarket. The air cadets had a darkroom I could use. Got some great shots of lunar eclipse on 50ASA Ilford PAN-F 1/5sec at prime focus using elastic bands to mount the camera, focussing by moving the secondary spider, and using sheet of card as a shutter to avoid shake. I graduated BSc astrophysics, and in mid-life was an amateur visual amateur using club instruments, and had my own observatory for a while with a 5" f16 refractor that I later put on an EQ6 which stayed with me until recently. Now retired in the city (Bortle 7) I got back into AP in a big way. I have an FF80 (reduced) AM3 2600Duo wide field grab and go, and an Orion 130ED AM5 533mc/462mc for close-in deep sky moon and planets. The Orion (like Murphy's knife) is *exactly* the same telescope as my 5" f/16... I just a replaced the OTA, and the mount (twice) and added a bunch of eyepieces, a couple of cameras a power saddle and an asiair 😉.
Informative video. There's also one *very* large "smart telescope", the Vaonis Hyperia, a 150mm refractor with a 61 Mpxl sensor that retails for $45,000.
Hey Cuiv! Fantastic video for beginners, this one! Cuiv I'll never forget the rush of excitement I felt when I got my first ever DSO sub, specifically ( you guessed it! lol ) M42 Orion Nebula! Seeing that pinkish red hydrogen cloud on my DSLR screen for the first ever time was magical!! 🤩 Thanks always for another great video Cuiv! Clear Skies from Wes in Liverpool, England.
This was a particularly useful video, very informative and relevant. I think you do a very good job of distilling this high complex hobby into something a lay person (of reasonable intelligence) can understand. Thank you!
2:35 is so true xD Started out about 8 months ago with a dslr, cheap telescope that my dad had, and an alt-az mount, then about 2 months later, I got the heq5, then after another month, the 533 mc and some filters, and just purchased the carbonstar 150 last night! Huge thanks to you, your videos have been very helpful to me, especially on the equipment side of things! Keep up the good work!
Cuiv, are you okay? You eyes looks a bit swollen. Right eye specifically. I love your videos so dang much. They are the best because you are a good teacher!!! And you are a character 😂🤣
Got started with this hobby beginning of 2024, not sure how I came across it tbh, but was a random video (might have been yours) about the seestar S50. Watched a bunch more videos about it, and the hobby in general. Have always been a huge space fan, but never knew how relatively easy it was to image some of these objects. Bought a seestar and its gotten me hooked. Nearly a year later, and I already got a parts list for my first actual rig. Scope purchased (askar FMA180) and funds put together, just waiting on any potential sales on things. Got my eye on that Umi 17 lite, if it ever goes on a sale. In the mean time, trying my hand at 3D printing my own harmonic drive mount from plans I found online (Keen-one) powered by onstep. Got all the parts printed, and will start assembly soon. Here's hoping it works decently. I doubt it will beat these metal commercial ones, but I'm hoping it will be a nice alternative for a bit of time (see if harmonic drive prices drop over time). I hear for very wide field super good tracking itsnt really needed. Planning on FMA180 with an IMX585 camera. Think you mentioned you have a 3D printer? Can't recall, but if you do, would love to hear if you ever tried 3D printing your own mount. Or, if you had the time, try printing one now and and do a video on your impressions. Since I haven't see too many videos/reviews of 3D printed mounts, harmonic or just belts/gears.
Dang, that's quite the journey, going in the deep end printing your own SWG drive haha! I do have a 3D printer, but I use it far more casually (Baht masks, etc.)... I don't think I'd have the skill or the patience to use it to make such a complex object
Cuiv, another good video. I did / tried some astrophotography back in the late 80s with a film camera. I'm getting back into the hobby. I have a cem40g, GTI, C6, Apertura ad8, ASIAir, guide scope, and a few DSLRs. Once I get proficient I'll move up to a dedicated astro camera. A Hyperstar for the C6 might be nice, or a small refractor. Of course a C9.25 would be nice. I'll be forwarding this video to a few ppl interested in the hobby.
Great video, even though I sort of knew most of it. Have been using seestar s50, exploring what makes good targets and imaging comet c2023 A3 as it came in. Now, thanks to earlier Cuiv video, I am exploring using Siril to process the 16-bit images that the seestar keeps internally.
Great one.. I'm currently thinking about saving up for an AM5N. The EQ6R-Pro is great for my 150 mm Newtonian, but it's also quite heavy, so setting it up and taking it down every time and redoing the polar alignment every time is quite annoying (at least for me).
Hey Cuiv, great content as always, very informative on astrophotography beginners' startup, It was you who pushed me into the rabbit hole after watching your tutorial "From DSLR to smart telescope" video, I started off with a Canon DSLR then added MSM, ALZ-GT, OrionStartBlastEQ4.5 and now I am at Dwarf2 soon the D3. I do want to have a very excellent rig something like your RedCat setup but my imagination is way ahead of my pocket lol
It is amazing how much you put into these videos. More amazing the quality of your images considering that Tokyo, like Hong Kong, have this frequent permanent haze that last for days. Not to mention rainy days (this week in HKG rained everyday Sunday to Wednesday. Congrats.
Thanks for the vid! I can attest to the "buy once, cry once" motto. I started out with a dslr/lens with a Star Adventurer GTI. I added an Askar 71f along with an AsiAir mini and guide system. I'm still under the weight limit of the Star Adventurer, but balancing is a pain. The 2 included weights won't balance and so I have to add a little extra weight. It seems to effect my guiding a bit. I plan on just getting the AM5 and wish I woulda done that from the start.
Great video Cuiv but you forgot to add the warning that this hobby can become highly addictive. I always say well I'll just sell this bit of gear so I can buy something else, but I never do, I just keep the gear I have and buy some more gear anyway. So now I have a Star adventurer and the GTi version, an EQ6-R Pro and a wave 100i and of course various scopes/ cameras to go with them plus the mini PC's to control them and then of course there is the ever expanding filter collection and....... All because I took some images of the moon with a compact camera with a built in zoom lens and a tripod around ten years ago. We are very lucky these days though because there is some very good gear available to suit most budgets. I think the smart scopes will eventually evolve into something more versatile, being able to change the imaging sensor for instance or having an equatorial mode and increased exposure length might be something that could be added to the design.
Great video man. The see star was a total gateway drug to astrophotography. I'm currently saving up for the buy once cry once set up. More the zwo route. But yeah I'm planning on the am5n with the askar 103apo. And all the other stuff of course. So glad you keep up the videos
😮 My wife just upgraded my phone to a Pixel 9 pro. I had no idea it had an Astro mode! Thanks Cuiv! I'm playing with the camera app now, it has a 30X zoom that is very impressive! The zoom might not be good for Astrophotography but it works great for insects.😂 I haven't seen any RUclips videos covering smart phone astrophotography, hint hint. I love your videos Cuiv.
That sounds awesome! I'm currently using an old Pixel 4a 5G so I will need to upgrade first, but all phones seem to be too large and heavy these days...! Thanks so much for your support and for your suggestion :)
I started out a few years ago with a pawnshop canon t6 for 250 dollars and a stationary tripod...I'm now at least 6k in with a 80ed refractor, dedicated osc asi camera, a few filters, a celestron tracking mount, dew heaters, laptop, polemaster, guide scope, guide camera...so on and so on. It's a money pit if you allow it to become one.... but it's fantastic
I just started this week when we had a few hours of relativ clear skies. (20-30% cloud layer). I only used my phone on a tripod, moved it for every 100 frames and took a total of 276 framed of the last section of sky, Pleiads. But the results are, we'll not great. I have a lot to learn when setting up the stacking. I did take bias and dark frames. Unfortunately the software for editing is to me very expensive and also it seems to be fairly complex. I'll be looking into getting my old dslr working and trying that the next time. Thanks for your advice :) /Jon
Kudos on getting started, and having fun doing it - you're taking the right approach, although the hardware seems to indeed be holding you back! It is what it is! PixInsight is complex and expensive (but I have a great 3 hours tutorial about it) but you can also check my tutorial using Siril with the Seestar S50! That one would work well for other setups as well, and Siril is free!
One of the reasons was that my EFW started behaving randomly, and I decided I could do everything I wanted with OSC with less hassle, although at the cost of slightly worse results!
After having discovered your channel 15 days ago, I have order a Dwarf3 smart telescope for a Christmasspresent for my son and I have bought the SeeStar S50 for me. I hust got the S50 yesterday from the shop. As I cannot handle heavy equiment, I am not sure I will move toward more professional-amateur equipment. Anyway it is interesting to know what is the state of the art for astro-photography.
That is so nice to hear! You'll have the full package with the Dwarf III on one side and the Seestar on the other :) These are excellent compromises to get into the hooby :)
I've never tested this mount so honestly can't say - if you intend to put a small refractor on it it should work well, but again I can't really say for sure...
Even though I know everything you went over on this video I really enjoyed watching it with my morning coffee. Love the channel btw because of your review I got the Astro gadget Astro PC that you reviewed and I love it. Also I think that they listened to you because the bright green power light is gone, mine came with a nice dim red one.
Thanks so much and glad you like the channel and the Astro pc :) I'm still using mine, even though I destroyed the antennas haha. And it's really nice to hear it seems they've listened to my feedback!
You are so good about giving credit to other content creators and i love seeing it. I love your videos as well as @backyard astrophotography and @nebula photos.
Hi, I enjoyed the video. No matter what kind of telescope/camera you use, the real story is the post-processing. Amateurs are taking ordinary images and making them look incredible with the post-processing software.
I agree that the processing is important (which is why I have that three hours long video tutorial on how to get from zero to hero on PixInsight) but I would argue the real story is still the capture! No amount of processing is going to make a 10 hour image with poor tracking look like a similar image with better collimated optics and tracking for instance!
I differentiate between gear that improves the quality and gear that improves comfort, in context of the price you have to pay for it. If I would start today again, I would have saved a lot of money.
I don't really agree to be honest. I'm getting guiding that is just as consistent (if not better) with those mounts - I don't really care whether they are technically inferior, or less well machined, etc. That said, it will be interesting to see if they pass the test of time!
My Patreon: www.patreon.com/cuivlazygeek
My Merch Store: cuiv.myspreadshop.com/
----------------------------------------------
The New & Lazy
Smart Telescopes!
----------------------------------------------
Dwarf III (tiny and cheap): bit.ly/3SyChXu
Seestar S50 (cheap): bit.ly/49mQhLJ (Agena) or tinyurl.com/43r5pd6y (ZWO)
Vaonis Vespera II (high end): bit.ly/4e0haaA
Celestron Origin (psychopathic): bit.ly/3XDMxC2
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The Oldie - Camera + lens
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Rokinon 135mm: amzn.to/4cZmKIU
Canon 200mm f2.8 amzn.to/3Xn1fMB
Lukomatico Universal Bahtinov mask: www.etsy.com/listing/1762622415/universal-fit-telescope-bahtinov-focus
Sample cheap DSLR: amzn.to/4efZzLy
Review of that DSLR for astro: ruclips.net/video/ZWp209tqd8o/видео.html
Star Adventurer 2i: amzn.to/4dVUqsb or bit.ly/3TmKBLK
Move Shoot Move Tracker: bit.ly/47ih8s9
StarAdventurer GTi GoTo Mount: bit.ly/3UKLpLJ
Control center if you go for GoTo: bit.ly/3OiGlv5 or tinyurl.com/2526tajc
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The Classic with a Twist
Quintessential Beginner Rig
----------------------------------------------
UMi 17 Lite Mount: www.proxisky.com/
ZWO AM3 Mount: tinyurl.com/mtyctrzb (ZWO) or bit.ly/3QVCEMf (Agena)
ZWO ASI2600MC Air smart camera: tinyurl.com/tr2r3esn (ZWO) or bit.ly/3SV04Co (Agena,) or bit.ly/3SZARXx (HPS)
RedCat51: bit.ly/48hyuVx (Agena) or bit.ly/48pTWXW (HPS)
NEW Minicat 51: bit.ly/3MFFP8s (Agena) or bit.ly/3XjPdDE (HPS)
The cheaper camera/control center/guiding combo:
ZWO ASI585 MC Pro Camera: bit.ly/3Iwo6y8 (Agena) or bit.ly/4cp1Ofn (High Point Scientific) or tinyurl.com/yc2386cd (ZWO)
ASIAIR Mini: bit.ly/3OiGlv5 or tinyurl.com/2526tajc
ZWO GuideScope: bit.ly/4dUlyYM
ASI20MM Mini guide camera: bit.ly/4cZ2xCX
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The Criminally Insane
Buy Once Cry Once??
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ZWO AM5N Mount: bit.ly/3W3TWKe or tinyurl.com/4pj56en7
Apertura CarbonStar telescope with coma corrector: bit.ly/3W7ZFiA
ZWO ASI2600MC Air smart camera: tinyurl.com/tr2r3esn (ZWO) or bit.ly/3SV04Co (Agena,) or bit.ly/3SZARXx (HPS)
Or with computer control:
ZWO ASI2600MC Duo: bit.ly/3M8IkPS (Agena) or bit.ly/3Jti7KQ (HPS) or tinyurl.com/54nkj5n8 (ZWO)
AstroPC Pro: tinyurl.com/4rshehnf
Mele Quieter 4C: amzn.to/4d4kjEW
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Light Pollution Filters
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Askar C1 & C2: bit.ly/48VZGZQ
SVBony SV220: amzn.to/3vqwWdI or direct from SVBony: bit.ly/3vTpMPu (if you buy more than $200 from there, use code Cuiv20 for $20 off)
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Tutorials and Reviews
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80% of Astrophotography Basics in 20 Minutes: ruclips.net/video/2zHvT_XHRl8/видео.html
DSLR + Tripod Polaris Flare: ruclips.net/video/H9AuuTJ44Ik/видео.html
DSLR + Tripod Andromeda Galaxy: ruclips.net/video/pXcRKoxTPVg/видео.html
DSLR + Tripod Orion Nebula: ruclips.net/video/iuMZG-SyDCU/видео.html
ZWO ASI2600MC Air Review: ruclips.net/video/5GJAQKdwHEc/видео.html
UMi 17 Lite review: ruclips.net/video/mba7OUQdQgQ/видео.html
ZWO AM5N Review: ruclips.net/video/eQyyqVjw_2g/видео.html
CarbonStar 150 Review: ruclips.net/video/jNaubZIulKg/видео.html
ZWO 2600MC Duo Review: ruclips.net/video/KPSS8ChEZiA/видео.html
ZWO ASI585MC Pro Review: ruclips.net/video/zibS7JyKdw8/видео.html
Seestar S50 Review: ruclips.net/video/Nt29_kHV1Fg/видео.html
Amazon affiliate: amzn.to/49XTx01
Agena affiliate: bit.ly/3Om0hNG
High Point Scientific affiliate: bit.ly/3lReu8R
First Light Optics affiliate: tinyurl.com/yxd2jkr2
All-Star Telescope affiliate: bit.ly/3SCgVbV
Astroshop eu Affiliate: tinyurl.com/2vafkax8
This is a heck of a video mate, what a detailed break-down & explanation of available options!! :-) Thanks so much for the mention of my masks by the way!! :-D That was really kind of you!
Clear skies!
Luke! Thanks for dropping by mate! You have a great mask, it's really super convenient!! Clear skies!
You're going to need a bigger balcony soon. Thanks for another great video. Hope ZWO will let you test a SeeStar 30 soon.
Hahaha thank you so much Yes I need to get a bigger house or something :)
Are you sure it's 30 and not 80? 😏
@@luboinchina3013 Unfortunately....!
For me the real gamechanger was NINA as it helped speed up my start up time to get imaging, as much as I'd love a strainwave mount for portability I just don't have the budget right now so I'm still lugging big heavy German equatorial mounts, guess they're good for workouts though ha ha
Can confirm, GEMs are EXCELLENT for workouts hahaha
I’ve got the Skywatcher star adventurer gti with a skywatcher evolux 62ED telescope, connected with the ASIAIR plus, a great little setup. I have also the dwarf 2 smart telescope which is also great and easy to use.
That sounds like a great combo, it's good the mount is working well for you as well!
Thanks Cuiv! I’m not a beginner, but watching this helps me for when I talk to beginners about starting in astrophotography. 🙏
Thanks for this feedback! I'm so glad this can be useful even with a degree of separation like that.
Hi. I like your videos on the dwarf 3. When do you think you will have a total review of it? You got me very interested in the hobby and I like what you did with the dwarf 3. Can you do a comparison between the dwarf 3 and the seastar? Since they're both about the same price I'd like to have a better understanding of what they both do. You said you're going to France soon so I'm really looking forward to what you can do in a really clear sky. When will you be going to France?
Hello - I'm unable to say when exactly I'll be in France, but I can say the forecast doesn't look great where I'll be! I'm planning on making a full review and comparison later on, but I can't say when yet, very busy these days :)
Aged 12 I bought a 60mm refractor with money from my paper round , and when I was 17 the local club lent me a 4" f/12 newt, and I added a Zenit-B SLR with earnings from shelf-stocking in the local supermarket. The air cadets had a darkroom I could use. Got some great shots of lunar eclipse on 50ASA Ilford PAN-F 1/5sec at prime focus using elastic bands to mount the camera, focussing by moving the secondary spider, and using sheet of card as a shutter to avoid shake. I graduated BSc astrophysics, and in mid-life was an amateur visual amateur using club instruments, and had my own observatory for a while with a 5" f16 refractor that I later put on an EQ6 which stayed with me until recently. Now retired in the city (Bortle 7) I got back into AP in a big way. I have an FF80 (reduced) AM3 2600Duo wide field grab and go, and an Orion 130ED AM5 533mc/462mc for close-in deep sky moon and planets. The Orion (like Murphy's knife) is *exactly* the same telescope as my 5" f/16... I just a replaced the OTA, and the mount (twice) and added a bunch of eyepieces, a couple of cameras a power saddle and an asiair 😉.
I love this story and this progression, thanks for sharing!
I’ve being doing astrophotography for 3 years now, my latest purchase being an Edge HD11. Imaging at 2800mm has its complications.
Oh wow, that is for sure!! I've images at 1400mm and 2000mm before and it wasn't exactly pleasant especially in Tokyo's poor seeing...!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Indeed, I’m amazed at some of the results you get. I’m at Bortle 4
Another excellent video.
Thank you!
Saw the thumbnail... criminally insane... yeah, that about describes it :D
Yep! :)
Informative video. There's also one *very* large "smart telescope", the Vaonis Hyperia, a 150mm refractor with a 61 Mpxl sensor that retails for $45,000.
Hahaha yes, I don't think they'd let me use it though :p
Hey Cuiv! Fantastic video for beginners, this one! Cuiv I'll never forget the rush of excitement I felt when I got my first ever DSO sub, specifically ( you guessed it! lol ) M42 Orion Nebula! Seeing that pinkish red hydrogen cloud on my DSLR screen for the first ever time was magical!! 🤩
Thanks always for another great video Cuiv! Clear Skies from Wes in Liverpool, England.
Thanks so much Wesley! The magical feeling is insane indeed :)
This was a particularly useful video, very informative and relevant. I think you do a very good job of distilling this high complex hobby into something a lay person (of reasonable intelligence) can understand. Thank you!
Glad this is useful! I try my best to make relevant videos :)
2:35 is so true xD
Started out about 8 months ago with a dslr, cheap telescope that my dad had, and an alt-az mount, then about 2 months later, I got the heq5, then after another month, the 533 mc and some filters, and just purchased the carbonstar 150 last night! Huge thanks to you, your videos have been very helpful to me, especially on the equipment side of things! Keep up the good work!
Hahahaha that's awesome! Looks like you've been bitten by the bug of the hobby! Hope you enjoy your CS150!
Cuiv, are you okay? You eyes looks a bit swollen. Right eye specifically.
I love your videos so dang much. They are the best because you are a good teacher!!! And you are a character 😂🤣
I was having severe insomnia - better now! Thanks for asking!
Got started with this hobby beginning of 2024, not sure how I came across it tbh, but was a random video (might have been yours) about the seestar S50. Watched a bunch more videos about it, and the hobby in general. Have always been a huge space fan, but never knew how relatively easy it was to image some of these objects. Bought a seestar and its gotten me hooked. Nearly a year later, and I already got a parts list for my first actual rig.
Scope purchased (askar FMA180) and funds put together, just waiting on any potential sales on things. Got my eye on that Umi 17 lite, if it ever goes on a sale. In the mean time, trying my hand at 3D printing my own harmonic drive mount from plans I found online (Keen-one) powered by onstep. Got all the parts printed, and will start assembly soon. Here's hoping it works decently. I doubt it will beat these metal commercial ones, but I'm hoping it will be a nice alternative for a bit of time (see if harmonic drive prices drop over time). I hear for very wide field super good tracking itsnt really needed. Planning on FMA180 with an IMX585 camera.
Think you mentioned you have a 3D printer? Can't recall, but if you do, would love to hear if you ever tried 3D printing your own mount. Or, if you had the time, try printing one now and and do a video on your impressions. Since I haven't see too many videos/reviews of 3D printed mounts, harmonic or just belts/gears.
Dang, that's quite the journey, going in the deep end printing your own SWG drive haha! I do have a 3D printer, but I use it far more casually (Baht masks, etc.)... I don't think I'd have the skill or the patience to use it to make such a complex object
Cuiv, another good video. I did / tried some astrophotography back in the late 80s with a film camera. I'm getting back into the hobby. I have a cem40g, GTI, C6, Apertura ad8, ASIAir, guide scope, and a few DSLRs. Once I get proficient I'll move up to a dedicated astro camera. A Hyperstar for the C6 might be nice, or a small refractor. Of course a C9.25 would be nice. I'll be forwarding this video to a few ppl interested in the hobby.
Thank you! It does sound like you do have a great setup already, will be fun to see how it evolves :)
Great video, even though I sort of knew most of it. Have been using seestar s50, exploring what makes good targets and imaging comet c2023 A3 as it came in. Now, thanks to earlier Cuiv video, I am exploring using Siril to process the 16-bit images that the seestar keeps internally.
Awesome, glad the Siril tutorial was helpful :)
Great one..
I'm currently thinking about saving up for an AM5N. The EQ6R-Pro is great for my 150 mm Newtonian, but it's also quite heavy, so setting it up and taking it down every time and redoing the polar alignment every time is quite annoying (at least for me).
The AM5N is still amazing for me - of course it remains to be seen how well it will stand the test of time!
Hey Cuiv, great content as always, very informative on astrophotography beginners' startup, It was you who pushed me into the rabbit hole after watching your tutorial "From DSLR to smart telescope" video, I started off with a Canon DSLR then added MSM, ALZ-GT, OrionStartBlastEQ4.5 and now I am at Dwarf2 soon the D3. I do want to have a very excellent rig something like your RedCat setup but my imagination is way ahead of my pocket lol
I LOVE this, glad I could push you down that very slippery slope haha :) Enjoy the upcoming D3!
It is amazing how much you put into these videos. More amazing the quality of your images considering that Tokyo, like Hong Kong, have this frequent permanent haze that last for days. Not to mention rainy days (this week in HKG rained everyday Sunday to Wednesday. Congrats.
Thanks so much! Yeah it's a lot of work, but it's absolutely worth it!
Thanks for the vid! I can attest to the "buy once, cry once" motto. I started out with a dslr/lens with a Star Adventurer GTI. I added an Askar 71f along with an AsiAir mini and guide system. I'm still under the weight limit of the Star Adventurer, but balancing is a pain. The 2 included weights won't balance and so I have to add a little extra weight. It seems to effect my guiding a bit. I plan on just getting the AM5 and wish I woulda done that from the start.
Yep - with mounts these days going with something like the AM5N is one of the best "buy once cry once" moves that can be done!
Thank you, Cuiv, I enjoyed watching your video!! Perhaps we are living in the golden age of astrophotography with all the great options out there
I fully agree, this hobby gets more amazing by the day!
Great video Cuiv but you forgot to add the warning that this hobby can become highly addictive. I always say well I'll just sell this bit of gear so I can buy something else, but I never do, I just keep the gear I have and buy some more gear anyway. So now I have a Star adventurer and the GTi version, an EQ6-R Pro and a wave 100i and of course various scopes/ cameras to go with them plus the mini PC's to control them and then of course there is the ever expanding filter collection and....... All because I took some images of the moon with a compact camera with a built in zoom lens and a tripod around ten years ago.
We are very lucky these days though because there is some very good gear available to suit most budgets. I think the smart scopes will eventually evolve into something more versatile, being able to change the imaging sensor for instance or having an equatorial mode and increased exposure length might be something that could be added to the design.
Absolutely right! I should have added that warning!
Great video man. The see star was a total gateway drug to astrophotography. I'm currently saving up for the buy once cry once set up. More the zwo route. But yeah I'm planning on the am5n with the askar 103apo. And all the other stuff of course. So glad you keep up the videos
Thanks so much mate! The Seestar is amazing to get started (and hoovered into the hobby). The AM5N + Askar 103 will be a GREAT combo!
😮 My wife just upgraded my phone to a Pixel 9 pro. I had no idea it had an Astro mode! Thanks Cuiv!
I'm playing with the camera app now, it has a 30X zoom that is very impressive! The zoom might not be good for Astrophotography but it works great for insects.😂
I haven't seen any RUclips videos covering smart phone astrophotography, hint hint.
I love your videos Cuiv.
That sounds awesome! I'm currently using an old Pixel 4a 5G so I will need to upgrade first, but all phones seem to be too large and heavy these days...! Thanks so much for your support and for your suggestion :)
I started out a few years ago with a pawnshop canon t6 for 250 dollars and a stationary tripod...I'm now at least 6k in with a 80ed refractor, dedicated osc asi camera, a few filters, a celestron tracking mount, dew heaters, laptop, polemaster, guide scope, guide camera...so on and so on. It's a money pit if you allow it to become one.... but it's fantastic
" It's a money pit if you allow it to become one.... but it's fantastic" - one of the best descriptions of the hobby I have seen :)
Interesting.
I just started this week when we had a few hours of relativ clear skies. (20-30% cloud layer). I only used my phone on a tripod, moved it for every 100 frames and took a total of 276 framed of the last section of sky, Pleiads. But the results are, we'll not great. I have a lot to learn when setting up the stacking. I did take bias and dark frames. Unfortunately the software for editing is to me very expensive and also it seems to be fairly complex.
I'll be looking into getting my old dslr working and trying that the next time.
Thanks for your advice :)
/Jon
Kudos on getting started, and having fun doing it - you're taking the right approach, although the hardware seems to indeed be holding you back! It is what it is! PixInsight is complex and expensive (but I have a great 3 hours tutorial about it) but you can also check my tutorial using Siril with the Seestar S50! That one would work well for other setups as well, and Siril is free!
Excellent overview. What was the main reason you abandoned monochrome the second time?
One of the reasons was that my EFW started behaving randomly, and I decided I could do everything I wanted with OSC with less hassle, although at the cost of slightly worse results!
After having discovered your channel 15 days ago, I have order a Dwarf3 smart telescope for a Christmasspresent for my son and I have bought the SeeStar S50 for me. I hust got the S50 yesterday from the shop. As I cannot handle heavy equiment, I am not sure I will move toward more professional-amateur equipment. Anyway it is interesting to know what is the state of the art for astro-photography.
That is so nice to hear! You'll have the full package with the Dwarf III on one side and the Seestar on the other :) These are excellent compromises to get into the hooby :)
Have a pmc8 iexos 100 2 in my cart on amazon for under $350 right now and trying to decide to get it or wait till i can spend more. Thoughts?
I've never tested this mount so honestly can't say - if you intend to put a small refractor on it it should work well, but again I can't really say for sure...
Even though I know everything you went over on this video I really enjoyed watching it with my morning coffee. Love the channel btw because of your review I got the Astro gadget Astro PC that you reviewed and I love it. Also I think that they listened to you because the bright green power light is gone, mine came with a nice dim red one.
Thanks so much and glad you like the channel and the Astro pc :) I'm still using mine, even though I destroyed the antennas haha. And it's really nice to hear it seems they've listened to my feedback!
You are so good about giving credit to other content creators and i love seeing it. I love your videos as well as @backyard astrophotography and @nebula photos.
Trevor's astrophotography basics video is a marvel, and so are Nico's in depth tutorials - just amazing! :)
Thank you Cuvier. Your vids are a great resource and helpful.
Thank you, always a pleasure!
Love the Redcat 51 setup, but it's going to be the Seestar s50 for me - when I have saved up my pennies!
The Seestar S50 is a great way to get started for sure!
A great community to be a part of. Everyone is always so friendly
Absolutely agree!
Excellent overview, Cuiv!
Thank you!
Hi, I enjoyed the video. No matter what kind of telescope/camera you use, the real story is the post-processing. Amateurs are taking ordinary images and making them look incredible with the post-processing software.
I agree that the processing is important (which is why I have that three hours long video tutorial on how to get from zero to hero on PixInsight) but I would argue the real story is still the capture! No amount of processing is going to make a 10 hour image with poor tracking look like a similar image with better collimated optics and tracking for instance!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek THANKS!
I differentiate between gear that improves the quality and gear that improves comfort, in context of the price you have to pay for it. If I would start today again, I would have saved a lot of money.
I couldn't agree more!
Absolutely, I agree 100%
How about the Seestar S30? 😉
Ha! It hadn't been announced when I filmed this video :)
Bonjour du Canada
Bonjour bonjour!
👍👍
In reality, only processing revolutionized astrophotography. All your gears are inferior to that old Vixen setup. They are more lazy, but inferior.
I don't really agree to be honest. I'm getting guiding that is just as consistent (if not better) with those mounts - I don't really care whether they are technically inferior, or less well machined, etc. That said, it will be interesting to see if they pass the test of time!