Is Astrophotography Expensive?? BE PREPARED!
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- Опубліковано 1 лип 2024
- So you're starting in astrophotography, and you're wondering how much the hobby costs? Well... how can I put it? It's complicated!!
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It is an expensive hobby, however it can also be a hobby where you can start without spending a lot of money. The key is, dabble a toe in, check out what you need to start astrophotography. There are two ways to do this IMO. 1: Buy a good scope to last you for years, something that is good for resisting (if you can call it that) coma. Make sure said scope doesn't require expensive add ons. Some brands by nature have expensive add ons, but some aren't bad by nature. With research figure out what you want to target, some nebula are huge some are small. Get a camera that pairs well with both your scope and your sky conditions, this is a factor when it comes to sampling, again read about that aspect it will help. Get a decent mount, one that is good for astrophotography, nothing over the top, but remember a smaller scope doesn't demand a BIG mount. As for 2: Buy an average setup, something to break the ice, but you will likely find yourself upgrading. The previous option gets you something to last for years, and has some flexibility. This option is to keep it cheap, but that is why you are starting. Get a basic camera, or just use a DSLR (modified preferred). Don't bother with flatteners, reducers, keep the scope around 80mm (get something with a short focal length, decent Apeture as well). Some decent 80mm scopes that are cheap, but aren't terrible. The mount doesn't need to be anything overly special, just capable of guiding with software on a PC. You can (and some on youtube have proven this) save a lot to just take decent pictures.
Now if you have some money to spend, no matter how much, do your research. There are cameras for all conditions. I would no matter what the course is start off with a one shot color camera, tackle the Monochrome cameras once you get the other parts figured out. Again back to that sampling. Binning can be your friend with that, if sky conditions change, but see what kind of bortle sky you live in, that can be a factor. Get a scope that tackles what you want to do, SCT's have the challenge of collimation, it isn't hard, but its another step (id get a decent Apochromatic Refractor, unless you want to collimate an SCT or Newt). Back focus is a big thing, again requires spacers adapters etc, but again it isn't hard. It seems this hobby is either upper $$$ or $$$$ to $$$$$ figures depending the direction you go in. Honestly though, the best scope in the world won't perform well, if your mount is the worse in the world. As anyone in this knows, there is A LOT. BUT once you know the basics, it all molds together. Now if only the skies were clear at night more often lately ;).
Excellent advice all around here, thanks for the long and detailed comment!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Your welcome. I am fairly new at this, but like you I am technical. BTW.. Really loving N.I.N.A. easy to use, and productive software.
Just catching up and getting started here from visual astro. Already fell in that rabbit hole several thousands of dollars ago, and now starting into this side tunnel with my eyes wide open! Trouble is, I'm interested in it all... 👀
Hubble's Law of Astrophotography: The farther away the object is, that faster you'll spend money trying to photograph it !
That's so true. Oh, you want to image tiny galaxies. Well, that's gonna cost you.
@@AstronomyGuru84 yea :( it did.
The most crazy thing about buying new stuff all the time is that most of the time things are lying around because of bad weather. But when it’s raining you go online, read in forums or watching UA-cam Videos where go get new ideas to buy other new expensive things :-D
It's a virtuous/vicious cycle!
I’ve been going through my shelves and selling stuff to buy other stuff with. Talk about a vicious circle.
@@davidaylsworth8964 I've only been "in" for just over a year, already selling my first stuff to buy newer stuff.
"You need to prepare, for, the, addiction!" - this is so accurate. Hilarious. Best astro videos going around.
A very true, detailed and humorous review of the money pit that is our hobby. Don't forget when you start thinking you need to run two mounts at once to make better use of your time and the limited clear nights we get.
And two rigs per mount, each with a different filter :D Or even three scopes on one rig for SHO imaging!
The most inexpensive route just might be a friend, already with a setup
Jason King Must be a really good friend ... 😁 with “older and surpassed” set-up which he doesn’t use anymore because you know “Here is my old AVX for you to borrow, while I’m using my new 10Micron ... “
“The upper limit does not exist.” This is the most true statement about astrophotography. The rule of thumb I heard years ago is that you’ll likely spend as much on your astrophotography gear as you would spend on a new car. Using that as a measuring stick, I’m well on my way to a new Porsche.
I had to come here to add, watching others buy new astro gear on UA-cam is part of that feedback loop to diving into the new gear rabbit hole.
Yeah it's just scary to think of how much money I sank into the hobby. At least I make good use of the used market...
A car will just get you down the road. A telescope will take you to OTHER GALAXIES. Duh!!
And the sense of scale is really something. You can't get that just by downloading Hubble Space Telescope pictures and processing them yourself (even though that is a lot of fun). The sense of scale when framing mars with the moon and later zooming in to mars at a higher magnification, and comparing that to how big other galaxies look - it develops a sense of connectedness to these objects that you can find and photograph yourself.
I held back from astrophoto for years - I never would have gotten into it in fact, because I assumed it was too expensive and I could not afford it. But with good astrophoto blogs and websites you can find and price the equipment and with some planning, understanding the weight requirements, it can be kept affordable. I don't recommend it to people who are not very self-sufficient though. The price is not the biggest hurdle - really the technical challenges require a certain temperament and stick-to-it attitude. None of this stuff "just works" out of the box, and scaling the learning curve is also very satisfying.
Cuiv, I really like you. I don’t remember when I laughed like through this video, me and my wife. Everything what you said is truth. My wife never made me problems, so I can buy what I want, if I have a money😁 My wife wants to subscribe your channel as well😃 Thank you and I wish you all the best and lots of money for more astro staff before you reach ‘event horizon’ 👍
Now your comment made me laugh :D Thanks!
My name is Mark .... and I'm an astrophotography addict.
BTW love your videos.
Hi Mark! Welcome to AA (Astrophotographers Anonymous)!
Excellent! It's exactly it. I also started taking constellations and Milky Way with a Canon 60d on a tripod. And now I am with an EQ6-R Pro, a Celestron C6, two ZWO cameras, some filters, a fix pier in the garden and a ton of accessories. I see coming more stuff, a cooled camera, more filters, an APO refractor and so on. Thanks for that funny video.
"I'm going to fly in the sky and this will replace this hobby and it totally didn't! Because now I have two hobbies...!" I literally laughed out loud! 🤣 I guess now we know where the term "astronomical pricing" comes from! Great video Cuiv....
Exactly :D
If you are poor and old, have time on your hands, buy junk, goodwill, pawn shops, on line auctions, go for the cheapest best thing you can find. My first was one my lady friend got for ten bucks at a yard sale. I got two for one at a pawn shop, lots of good lenses, Barlow and finally a small computer guided Celestron 4.5. But I had to get adapters, commandeered a Nikon 300 D from my kid, adapter for it to use my old Pentex lenses. A T ring, a camera holder, some filters, it goes on but I have bought a lot of junk and took my photos and videos trying to identify a bunch of colored lights I saw in Iowa one summer. The chase was on. My son gave me a Nikon Coolpix, replaced a little Sony point and shoot, got a cell phone with 12 megapixel camera, adapted that to the telescope, more tinkering, got decent photos of the moon, about crapped my pants when I finally saw the rings of Saturn and the clouds of Jupiter with the pawn shop 6 inch Meade and then what? Looking on line buying small things to enhance, then got a Canon 740 H with 160 digital zoom, 40 optical camera from Best Buy for $300.00, could get great photos of the moon, Jupiter and the four moons, all it can see, I use them all, take bad photos, use my photoshop skills, a user of that since it began and I play with pixels, changing colors, blurring, sharpening, light adjustments, all of it eats up time which is the real goal. I am not sitting in a chair, rocking my life away and I intend to do much the same with small purchases and downloading every free astrophotography software I can find and watching endless UA-cam videos like yours to keep myself amused and the nicest thing of all, the people you meet are not mean, not asshole, not drunks or drug addicted, are smart as hell and kind and sharing. What a wonder way to spend your last days on earth.
Cuiv your not an astronomer your astrologer, how were able to predict my life so accurately over the last two year. Man you have a real gift there. Would like you to do a video on how to deal with the wife, now that would be useful.
Hahaha, yes I could do a video on how to deal with the wife! :D
Great Video as always Cuiv!
Nice to see you here Tag! hehe
w00t! Didn't realize you were watching Tag! Welcome! Thank you :)
Great video! ASIair was the biggest game changer for me.
Now that it has autofocus I'm looking into it!
Super vidéo comme d'habitude ! Surement la chaine la PLUS complète de UA-cam concernant l'astrophoto !
Oh Man, I loved this video! You really had me laughing!! Excellent!!
thanks for warning. i think im gonna watch you guys do amazing stuff with equipments and enjoy what you share. ;)
Don’t stop making videos! This made me laugh so hard and I haven’t even started the hobby yet. Praying for you and your health.
Astrophotography is a money pit and very addictive I know I'm hooked.Thanks Cuiv love your vids.
Exactly :D Thanks for the feedback!
thx for starting the rabbit hole with this channel Cuiv.
My pleasure mwahahaha
You have literally described my 2020 journey into Astrophotography
Cuiv the Lazy Psychic :D
GReat video, your picture of the Orion nebula just look like the first one I took when I fall into this rabbit whole.
Hallelujah-you should be a motivational speaker for the Astro world!
I lol’d so much, because the accuracy all the way up until the portable setup.
This is all SO hilariously true.
Haha...….one of the funniest videos I have seen on UA-cam. Its all so true, you start with a DSLR and just want more and more. I am six months in and have spent thousands already. I think many will watch this and laugh at themselves. Great vid.
Thanks Bradley! Yeah, it was kind of an acknowledgement to myself as well about how much dough I've sunk into the hobby!
One of the best videos I’ve seen, Cuiv. I laughed a lot 🤣.
You point a lot of good things: the possibility of buying the right element for just once is one of the very best advices to anyone starting. I would’ve liked to do it back when I started.
But once we are hooked, there’s no way out!
Now I want to make Astrophotographers Anonymous t-shirts!
Man I love it, the term "Black Hole" I totally agree. My wife can no longer hear in Astrophography and I'm still starting :D For me I ended up betting on portability (it took me a while to buy the mount), which my budget can buy. I opted for the iOptron GEM45 instead of the SW EQ6 R Po. So far almost 4300 € euros spent (it is better to spend €€€ in consensus and that are impulse choices, meaning that each one makes his choice without rent). Another € 600 that arrived in the near future. And then I'm on pause. But for me I preferred to spend more €€ on the mount.
Buy once, cry once
We Agreed that this information shall remain confidential Cuiv !!
Ssssh it's anonymous for the rest of you guys!
Lol, I've never seen anyone smile and joke so much about spending a fortune on an addiction :-) Of course, everything you say is true my friend and as an avid watcher of your videos, I'm personally glad that there's someone like you to make me feel better about spending more on our hobby than I do on my kids!! Great work Cuiv, god bless the Lazy Geek.
Thanks Dan! Hey, as we say in French, "Mieux vaut en rire qu'en pleurer!" (better to laugh about it than cry about it!) :D
It all depends on what you want to accomplish. If you just want to take a picture of a constellation, like Orion, then your smart phone can do that. If you are limited on funds I always recommend a simple star tracker and a cheap DSLR/lens. You can get pretty good images of the Milky Way or if it's a zoom lens you can target larger objects. When you start talking about goto eq mounts, dedicated astro-cameras, and quality optics then it can come with a hefty price tag. I've been building a new rig over the last three months and have already spent $6,000+.
One option is to join a local astronomy club and check if they have loan equipment you can rent or borrow. Mine does, and it makes it a whole lot cheaper! $15 per week to rent a mount/scope/guide setup, camera and power system instead of $1500 just for a quality mount
You are telling my story. I am happy/sad about these truths!!! THANKS.
:D
Ive been a visual amateur astronomer for around 30yrs & 9yrs ago decided I wanted to have a go at astrophotography but I made the mistake many do when first starting out. I tried to cut corners & do it cheaply, we all know how that ends, it didn't end well & after a lot of frustration I gave up, I also sold all my gear.
About 3 months ago I decided to try it again but this time properly. After a lot of research ive just bought the Explore Scientific EXOS-2 PMC-8 GOTO Mount (similar to the HEQ5 pro but can carry more weight) I read time & again that the mount is the most important piece of kit & it is, so this mount is perfect for me as i'll be buying the William Optics ZS 81apo refractor which is nice, light & good quality. Ive bought the Celestron LiFePO4 power station to power everything & also a half decent laptop to control it all. Im buying a couple of things every month (nothing on a credit card so i'm saving for it all) & i'll have everything i need by February at the latest (3 months time)
Really looking forward to it this time around & imo its better to take your time & research as much as you can before buying.
Unfortunately my other hobby is mountain biking (Ive 2 bikes & between them they cost just over £11000.......My hobbies bankrupt me hahaha.)
Great videos btw, I'm learning a lot from them.
I started not that long ago by buying everything used and cheap. Once I was blown away by the (VERY modest) pictures, I knew immediately I was in for a ride down the rabbit hole. I started to go through my kit thinking what would make the biggest difference in me enjoying it.
Coma corrector and light pollution filter were the first additions to drastically improve the pictures. Next was the camera, thought about modding the Sony A7, but I instead chose 533MC for the convenience of better computer control. Last was the mount, since the EQ3-2 Synscan was ruining my nights with unreliable tracking, enough for me to invest in EQ6-R.
Now I'm waiting for all the summoned clouds to pass. Thank you for great videos, I've found them extremely helpful on my journey!
You're well on your way! With the 533MC and the EQ&R you are all set! Don't forget to buy the L-eXtreme filter next :D
I took a good picture of the Horse Head and Flame Nebulae with a $30 finder telescope, a $300 camera, and a $800 mount. That is why I tell people that telescopes don’t have to be expensive, it is everything else. The telescope is relatively inexpensive.
What is your setup? Tell me your waaaysssss
@@herald9 here is a link to a short video on how I made my setup with the resulting photo.
instagram.com/p/B0v5MwiHkyO/?igshid=1m9l5945x00z3
I would be happy to answer any questions.
Excellent topic! Thanks a lot for yet another great video. I think that your statement at 15:40 is the key: know what you want to achieve. I would add that separating different objectives is key to really knowing. I come from photography - already had a DSLR and a 150-600mm - and for a long time my only investment dedicated to AP was a $400 used tracker - and much later a $200 guiding solution. That is certainly more than enough for the specific achievement of having fun with the available hardware. For the specific achievement of producing the best pictures I can, I use MAST (or remote observatory coupons)+Montage+ImageMagick+Gimp - all free and very satisfying for a long list of reasons. So, altogether dedicated AP spending was $610 for a long time ($10 for 1 year of SharpCap). Costs went up with visual - $2000 between a mount, a telescope, eyepieces and filters - but I am still using it a lot more for visual than for AP.
You had an elegant solution with your equipment, which is really nice!
Nice video as always, Cuiv.
In aviation, there's this saying: "buy your last airplane first". IDK if I've done that, because like astronomy gear, airplanes are highly specialized tools generally best suited for relatively narrowly-defined tasks.
I'm at $10k now in AP gear...as I await delivery of a Williams Optics FLT132. I've owned an entry-level Orion Spaceprobe 130ST for six years...threw the original mount in the trash after upgrading to an iOptron CEM60 a couple of years ago. It really wasn't until I moved recently and finally had a clear view of Polaris that I started getting into this hobby. My Canon 5Dsr which does a great job with landscape & general photography is a disappointment when paired with the Spaceprobe, and it's cheap focuser, so it's been replaced with a ZWO ASI1600MM Pro & filter wheel, plus a 290mm mini and off-axis guider, to steepen the learning curve even more.
At some point I may add some 60-80mm widefield refractor, but for now I feel like I can cover that with my Canon 100-400L. I don't know where this ends, but I'm still using the same airplane I bought eight years ago. It will be a long time before the AP equipment I've accumulated will be the limiting factor in my image quality. ;)
I usually run about $10k worth of fuel through the airplane every year, so I'm balancing my recent AP spending against the reduced airplane utilization during the Covid pandemic.
Another hilarious video :) Keep them coming!
I have been a visual observer for several decades. That can also turn out to be quite the expensive endeavor, and you’re never quite satisfied with the equipment you get, so several years ago, I ended up building my own custom 16” F/4 dobsonian telescope. Total cost ~ USD $3.5K (including $2K for the mirror itself)
Now, I am contemplating taking on astrophotography, and after watching your video and thinking about it some, I am considering a decent, middle-of-the-road kind of setup to hopefully avoid the temptation to upgrade for a few years ;)
Wow Julien, building your own custom 16" F4 Dob sounds like a dream... I want to look through such an instrument once day... Good luck with astrophotography, I think you're making the right choice!
Hi, Cuiv, just stumbled into your channel and directly bookmarked it. You are a very funny man! But nevertheless very skilled. My whife gave me a telescope for birthday 11 years ago. It was what you call a warehouse telescope, known as the "BigBoss", nothing else but a kathadioptric Newton with an uncorrected barlow lense, plastic focuser and a "Shakin´ Stevens" mount. I still got that mount, but I directly bought myself a better Newton from TS (they are around the corner here), a GSO 150/750. And I even did the moon the other day and the sun with the great sunfilter foil from Baader (also around the corner). Great pics with my Nicon D90. My whife always wants me to stop to go into business more and I try to withstand. But it is hard. As the prioroties are somewhere else. But when you play an instrument, and I play and build electric guitars, you are much more motivated to keep on if the gear is right, isn´t it?
So is with the astronomy. All what has been said by you, is so true and very helpful for me and surely for others, too. I have the plan to join a lokal observatory club which opened up some years ago. They have a 400mm Dall Kirkham and many scopes to test around, Dobsonians, Schmidt-Cassegrains, RCs, all the stuff. There I can find out easier what might be suitable for me. So I think I get together with the right guys, first. May save a lot of money and you have much better equipment, you could neve afford at all. The only thing which kept me away from those places are the masses of people qeueing to look through. Thats all. And in the moment it is all closed anyway. Keep on entertaining us with your great channel. Thanks, Pete
That was quite a speech! Thanks for the warnings. I have been a rabbit running down the hallway and spending money in other hobbies already including owning a plane.
Well, I think astrophotography will be cheaper than owning a plane, hangar space, fuel, and maintenance!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek I am not so certain when I see the equpiment that you own. And what I do see from here is probably just the tip of the iceberg...
There are hobbies on which you can earn or at least recoup the costs, but in this hobby you can only do one thing - spend, spend, spend .. and die))
You just described my last 11 months minus the mono stuff that's next year lol. Have a good one. Clear Skies!
Hahaha - good luck for the next year expenses :D
I'm going the Pentax route since I have had Pentax DSLR cameras since 2005 . It started with moon pictures ,then Milky Way pictures.
12 hours ago I spent 3k sterling to start me off in my new hobby, why could I not have found your video first. Purchased a scope but already have my eye on something bigger and better, Oh, and a lot more money. Great 👍video.
How much for a paraglider.
Unfortunately, purveyors of equipment for hobbies - in fact, ALL amateur recreational pursuits - constantly drive the idea that if you buy their (more expensive) stuff, you will automatically get better results. It's not just astrophotography. Problem is, if you don't have good technique and enough experience, the technically better equipment won't help you get better results.
Personally, I started prime-focus AP (i.e., through a telescope) with 35mm film a couple of decades ago, using a moderate focal length (762mm through a Meade MTS-SN6 6-inch Schmidt-Newtonian). I learned my chops on that and made just about every mistake possible. My one major upgrade for prime-focus AP after that, aside from buying a DSLR, was to get a better mount (Vixen GP-DX with SS2K GOTO) and another 6-inch S-N OTA to sit on it (Meade LXD55 SN6). I controlled my spending then by buying most of my equipment used. I control my AP spending now by continuing to use that telescope and mount combo even today. I still haven't reached the limits of what it can do. Gear lust CAN be controlled! :D
I do recommend beginners start with wide-field, specifically a DSLR or mirrorless with lens on a small tracker (or an all-in-one solution like Pentax with Astrotracer). The essential skills they learn there will mean less to learn all at once for prime focus. Even after they transition to prime focus, the tracker will still be just as useful as an ultra-portable setup for wide field AP, so it is not a wasted purchase.
As someone who used to do visual astronomy (C8 on Losmandy G8 mount) and then did some film SLR piggy back photography I know it can get pretty expensive. That was about 25 years ago. In the past 5 years or so I've really gotten back into photography in general and mainly wildlife photos. Anyone who knows wildlife photography knows its the same thing, you want to get the better camera ($5000+) and the best telephoto lens ($15000+) so it can snowball quickly too. I've just recently gotten back into astro and decided to just do astrophotography and no visual. Got a star tacker, used my exisiting and expensive lenses and camera. Bought an astro modified camera, and clip in filter. Then I bought an Asiair pro and guide scope and guide cam, and now I just bought an APO widefield refractor (Z61), upgraded my tracker base to the W.O. one....it never stops! Now I'm looking at a 2" L-Enhance or L-Extreme....why did I do this to myself lol.
Hahaha, you're still deep in the vicious spiral of equipment acquisition, like me :D Birding is something that I would love to do (I've developed a keen eye for prey birds as they help me find thermals when I'm flying - it's actually pretty funny to see that they typically are terrible guides in spring, but are experts by the time autumn rolls around). But no, absolutely not! Too expensive!
If you get seriousl it will get expensive full stop.. If you try going too budget you run the risk of wasting money on rubbish that will dissapoint which is just as bad.Experience helps to create a good budget "cheap setup," knowing where to skimp and what to spend on etc... chances are in the beginning you will be keen to get going though and some purchase mistakes will be made. However it is also rewarding ..educational fulfilling past time and if you live in the UK.. frustrating :) prayers to the clear skies gods 🙏
I love this video very much this is exactly the evolution of the astrophotographer! I can’t believe we used to use film! A great video!
I can't believe it either - film and manual guiding!
The digital camera is the most money saving device ever invented. The film I used to buy was costly and you really had to know what to do to not waste it on bad photos. Dark room equipment is not cheap either.
@@GaryPClark the time and money wasted on film was the Astrophotography black hole of its time 😂😂
It's true, I've spent a ton on this hobby. But my god... I get to spend my evenings exploring the far reaches of our universe. I'm taking pictures I once thought NASA was only capable of taking with a multi-billion dollar telescope. Worth every penny.
Completely agree!
I have just ordered my first startracker but I'm already planing ahead for a goto mount.
"monochrome cameras are the master race" ......now that's funny.
I thought I got out of astrophotography. Here I am, after a year, again starting to fall down the rabbit hole!
Epic video
Cuiv, I got started with a 10” dob and I would spend enjoyable hours outside trying to find objects, I learned the sky somewhat, constellations etc and I went down the rabbit hole lol, I miss my dob haha 😭😭😭
Oh man, Dobs are awesome for that feeling of accomplishment when hunting down targets... Do NOT make me want to get one, you devil!
I thought you had a Vixen Newtonian? I remember one of your videos saying that your ota kept its collimation well, we’re you talking about your Sky-Watcher ota? Thanks for the great videos, your such a wealth of knowledge.
I only ask this because you put a splash screen saying it is a skywatcher ota which is a crap load cheaper ota than the vixen.
So true that this is such an addictive hobby. Better off getting a good quality mount, dedicated cooled camera, flat field generator, and automate everything and then use Pixinsight. It is more enjoyable and get great results (even though there is a learning curve). Much better than using DSLR and a tripod and getting ok results and deciding that astrophotography is too hard and not pursuing it because you get frustrated. Just bite the bullet, get the right gear from the get go and really enjoy.
That's the best way - and what I detailed in my beginning astrophoto series :D
My progress in astrophotography is a little different. I start astrophotography with 7000 bucks equipment(all takahashi) from the astro club in my collage. Last month I just bought my own first setup (wo71 + SA + 550d) cost 2000 bucks.
You go a nice taste of premium equipment to start with! That's pretty cool!
Very true, I think it's not that bad if you compare it to many other hobbies though. Take for example woodworking..not including the cost of new wood, the equipment is easily more expensive than common astrophotography setups. A lathe, planer, tablesaw, belt sander, bandsaw, etc can sometimes be thousands of dollars each. Also consider the cost of all the hand tools! At least with astrophotography it doesn't cost anything but sleep and time to take pictures. If you want to make a cabinet, the materials may be extremely costly and that doesn't include the time required to make it! Of course there are cheaper hobbies out there, but spending tens of thousands on many hobbies is not unheard of!
That's very true as well! It adds up so quickly for so many hobbies!
All truth! I’m scared to add up all I’ve spent in the last few months 🤑 we are all broke astro geeks
I feel like I'm teetering on the edge of the rabbit hole, and the fall seems inevitable. But I take heat from the fact that you are still using your high-tech light leak shield on the newt :)
I'm here to shove you into the rabbit hole :D And yes, my light leak shield will stay like that forever and ever!
OMG I am in trouble I’m just getting started in this hobby! 😳
Run 🏃🏾♂️ run 🏃🏽 🏃♀️
It's a sleep deprived hobby,Jeff
Likewise 😱
Ha! I can appreciate your journey...but we both know it's not over by a long shot. Of note, my "CFO" feels much the same way as yours's, provided we are speaking about our significant other.
We are indeed :) Money can fly away so efficiently...
There is another way ... look for a public observatory.... some are run by societys, that are often nice to new member...
You could learn the basics and often there are some experienced photographers that teach you how to do it :)
Very good point!
That is the way i have choosen (a little bit to late XD) ... now i have access to Equipment i could not buy XD
My own Equipment is more on the workbench to be modifyed than in the field to photograph XD
My first telescope, the TS-Optics 61EDPH II. Now my question as a noob is: Which mount would you recommend , bearing in mind, not too expensive but mainly to be able to travel. Thanks Cuiv! Don't say to stop, please :-)
It is expansive hoby however what I realize. It is more expansive when you go cheap on it. Forexample if you buy low qualty filters you will buy expansive ones again. You buy cheap mount and you want to change it. When I realize it. I get sets of optics for eq6r. Got the guide cam and scope and cooled collor cam. Spend good amount of money and will keep them as long as posible as it is. When I upgrade to mono will buy the good one and good filters. Not gonna jump in to it because it is never ending money pit. Try to make things simple guys as simple as posible also means easy to use and cheaper. You always get less and less benefit from upgrades when you reached at avarage standard equipment.
Buy second hand equipment to start. You can usually resell it at the same price.
I really like your idea about 'buy once'. This might be a worthy topic for your channel. For instance, one category could be, "If you are moving from modified dslr and long lenses" (Like me) the following items will help you buy once.... Then dividing that list into 3 levels of expense. Today, I am trying to decide about a first telescope, for instance, and such a list would be very helpful. Well, anyway, it is just an idea. I follow all your videos. Thanks again.
Thanks for the suggestion Andy! Added to the list :)
Get a around 600 mm fl teleacope. Imo it is the most flexble Fl and if you can help it get fast and good corrected optic to not deal alot of problems. Btw I do not have 600mm I have 250 135 and 1000mm.
I’ve been watching a bunch of your videos recently ( and got started via Nebula Photos in October ). This video describes me exactly. I have done photography for years was always interest in Astrophotography. Did occasional constellation, star trail and Milky Way photos. But after watching Nico’s videos I tried the Orion Nebula and Andromeda Galaxy and am hooked. Trying to work out my best incremental steps forward. Probably a mount and modification of one of my older cameras. Then use my lenses with a dedicated camera cooled with filters. Finally get a scope. Each step get to get better at using all the associated software. Looks like I have some fun years ( year ) ahead. Thanks for the great content. My recent attempts can be seen on Instagram @gkeviv
Well I understand the problem you describe, but I have solved it by setting myself a strict budget and then trying to do the best I can within that limit. It also forces you to be innovative and make or adapt some stuff yourself. What's more this approach works for all hobbies.
Agreed - but not everyone has your self-control :)
I am sucked into this black hole, I didn't know the relativistic effect of time, the only message I can send outside of this black hole is to put a comment on a youtube video! Are you getting this message....!! Nice work Cuiv!
Ray, you got a comment out of a black hole... you reversed entropy!!!! Well done! :D I think we're on a verge of a major discovery there 😄
It's funny cause I started slow 100 dollar tabletop scope and a cellphone adapter. Then I got into it, getting a piece here, a piece there... So then just out of curiosity I put all the items I use when I go out now into a shopping cart on an astronomy website and it came to 5k!!!! If you add the laptop, chargers and software, over 6k.
Yes expensive even if you buy used which i try to do. Get burnt sometimes though. Love my 'new' Vixen SXD2 though ,much easier to move about than the AZEQ6GT. Amazing how little counterweight is required as well. Beautiful and smooth. Only been doing Astro for about a year a lot less in reality. Learning heaps!
Yep - the redeeming quality is that selling used also works quite well... The SXD2 is such a great mount. I regret selling mine. It's absolutely amazing...
@@CuivTheLazyGeek I thought I'd have trouble remoting wirelessly the Vixen with the IntelNUC but a ethernet crossover cable and works perfectly. Not sure I'd want to leave the Starbook10 handset outside like your gear is though.Here in Australia used sells ok too.
I'm surprised that the buying path didn't end with sending a telescope into space!
It’s like owning a boat, you start out with a used 17’ runabout. Two years later you have a new 26’ gas guzzler monster 😂
great information presented. Hane put my nose over the edge of the hole...... have two telescopes, no dedicated tracking or goto mounts "YET" but the feeling of falling into abys is catching on! but even the few photos to date has been enticing..... Dam it!
SkyWatcher S11610 Traditional Dobsonian 8-Inch (White) a sky-watcher S20520 Star Adventurer, SkyWatcher S20530 Star Adventurer Latitude (EQ) Base, Neewer Carbon Fiber 66"/168cm Lightweight Portable Camera Tripod Monopod with 360 Degree Ball Head and Bubble Level, Load Capacity 26.5lbs/12kg, PROTEGE Condensation Prevention Lens Heater Evening dew Remover USB Warmer P-LH02, SkyWatcher S20540 Star Adventurer Counter Weight Kit, Telescope Accessory, Black,
SVBONY SV112 1.25" Variable Eyepiece Projection Kit Telescope Camera Adapter for Nikon T-Ring Adapter for Nikon DSLRs Telescope Prime Focus and Eyepiece.AuKvi Red Light Headlamp,3 Mode Red LED headlamp, Zoomable Red headlamp, Adjustable Focus Red LED Headlight For Astronomy, Aviation, Night Observation.
Laser Pointer Bracket, Aluminum Alloy 5mm-38mm Adjustable Laser Pointer Finder Scope Bracket for Celestron, Sky-Watcher, Vixen Astronomical Telescope.Accessory Case, 1.25" for eyepieces. Neewer L Shape Bracket Quick Shoe QR Plate Vertical Shooting Camera L Bracket with 1/4 Inch Screw, Gosky Titan 20x80 Astronomy Binoculars, Giant Binoculars with Braced-in Tripod Adapter, Carrying Case, Protective Shield.
Like I said and detailed in this video...... I haven't even fallen in Fully yet! just don't rush, always seek local advice/clubs etc, try fort free where you can. Without the correct exposure, you can waste a lot or all of your spare cash.
BUT enjoy life, we only get one go as far as I know..
I like how this turned into a long list of equipment :D
Yeah I will buy this mount.. but if I add some $$ I can get better.. maybe better telescope... oh.. I need guiding.. filters will be nice... but then filter wheel... some extensions.. maybe camera .. and I will have car worthy equipment...and need a car to take it anywhere XD
From 1:40 to 10:00 Cuiv tells the stand-up comic version of the journey we're all on.
ok I bought Skyguider Pro, so obviously it wasn't enough, had to go next level.
Fortunately found a local astronomy club, where for a small yearly membership, I could borrow telescopes.
So far I have borrowed NextSTar 8 inch SCT & right now Celestron AVX with Meade 6000 80 APO with cooled MC camera. Each loan is for 3 months :)
ATM my hunger is being fulfilled as I get to learn and take more photos but Until WHEN!? :) I will have to get my own stuff RIGHT!!?
I don’t recommend AP to people cuz it’s so expensive, one goes thru some much aggravation, and then one ends up with yet another of a gazillion photos one the web. That said it is amazing what a person can do in AP due to the incredible technology available to some Joe or Tiffany in a backyard Astro imaging. Galileo would be absolutely amazed by our ‘backyard’ telescope gear. Can you image what Galileo could do with the gear we have?
Oh it can get very expensive indeed! But my 2 cents are, try to master your gear and post processing as best as possible. There are truly amazing photos with 500$ worth of gear and really crappy photos with 50.000$ worth of gear! Throwing money mindlessly at whatever hobby may not just be the solution...
That is very true!
Hi
I am up to about 11000, don't tell the wife, It is additive but is rewarding when you see the final image, I have changed my kit a few times so my advise is to join an astronomy club and try there equipment before you commit to buying your first telescope, you may save yourself some money.
I *HAD* a budget of $800.00 three years ago - I'm into it now $7800.00 and still sinking into that "black hole".
Hahaha our life story!
I was going to drop $3500 on a setup but after watching this, I feel broke so instead I've decided that I am going to get a new pair of shoes and just walk away.
This man is telling my story😂
Such a common, tragic story :D
Yes, it’s sad. The addiction is real. I’m sure some lose their enthusiasm once they realize all the money is gone and the better half has left with the dog and cat and your favorite refractor
Oh man, this is totally me. Spend all the monies!
This explains exactly that what it is 👌🏼
Better to buy a house before 😆
Just got my Stellarvue avx 102T. And to make it even more expensive it came with autofocus , field flattener and feather touch focuser. So add that to the eq6r pro, the asi 294 mc pro, asi 120 mini mm , the C8 , spacecat, canon t6i, polemaster, 50 mm 60 mm guidescopes . Not to mention the crappy cgemll , that I had hypertuned for 600$ including shipping , that I sold to buy the skywatcher mount. The only thing left is mono imaging. Well I’m thinking of selling the spacecat and C8 to buy the edge 8 plus saving up for the asi 294mm.
It’s a hobby they cost money.
Sounds like a well-trodden path you're describing here :D
The images I get now blow my friends away but I pick them apart seeing what I want to improve. I think my images are like paintings in that an artist that paints on canvas probably only signs the painting when they know they are done . I figger mono is next and I give myself another year to get good with pixinsight. Maybe in a year I’ll sign them as none are finished.
Oh I forgot I’m $10,000 into it the Stellarvue was 5,000 with all the extras .
OMG this is so true Cuiv! I finally got some of my images on Astrobin... EQ6-R Pro and a Redcat 51. www.astrobin.com/users/MacGyver/ Now that I can get some decent results I really want something with a much longer focal distance. Thinking of ES 127 like Chuck uses. Challenging, fun and yes, expensive hobby I've found here! haha. You have made the learning process so much easier with your videos, a huge thanks goes to you. Maybe I'll bite off on PixInsight next...
These are some nice pics! And I see you're considering another big purchase... :D
My current telescope costs around ~$7,000. 8" SCT with autoguiding, 1600MM-C, narrowband filters, HEQ5, all manner of accessories and fun! Whenever people ask me how much it costs to get into astrophotography, I just reply "yes" :D
That's the most appropriate answer :D
awesome… you forgot the step where you build a domed observatory
Very true! I am fortunate in that my balcony is not very conducive to that! :D
I had to make sure the wife wasn’t in the room when watching this one - if she knew how much money I had spent on this hobby lol
I should have added a warning at the start of the video :D
LOL, After thousands of dollars I think I have everything I need to take a few pictures of stars. Oh, wait maybe I need a few more filters. And one of those covers for my telescope...
All true 👍 $$$$$
Is astrophotography expensive? Well...
what I always say to people when they ask me, is that;
"the result that you get in your images is (unfortunately) determined by the amount of money you put in"
It doesn't mean it's not enjoyable if you don't spend thousands on the gear, but don't expect Hubble type of results if you don't.
It pretty much has been my route as you described it. A cheap-ish mount (motorised NEQ3-2.. not a GoTo.. I started with finding my targets manually with the RA and DEC dials on the mount... old school baby!! no plate solving, no go-to or anything other then a driving motor), a second hand canon DSLR that I ripped apart for the IR filter. and a skywatcher 750mm newtonian, maybe about 1000 in total...
Now we're about 3 months later, and about 4-6 grand later.. A zwo 183mm cooled, skywachter esprit 80 (and the newtonian still), Skywatcher EQ6r-pro, and some optolong filters + more little bits..... oops.. and still too many visits to the astrophotography store websites to look at upgrades .. Double oops! But such a great hobby! and enjoying every moment of it :)
But yea, took a few of the shortcuts you mentioned. Went straight for the cooled, monochrome and narrowband camera. Skipping the cooled colour camera and light pollution filters, as I wanted to go for the hubble type images. Also, didn't bother upgrading the NEQ3-2 or try a medium go-to mount. Just straight went for the EQ6-R, which should last me years. (Doubt I'll ever reach the payload limit on it)
Yeah I understand your path... There's also a cheat code for better pictures: live in a B1-B3 zone! You can then take amazing pics with cheap equipment...
Hahahah that’s all I can say about your wrap up!
This is most painful video I watched 😂 I could recognize myself in every word 😂 Now I have an itch for c11hd but it would require getting bigger mount than Eq6r-pro 🤦♂️
Redcat51 - 900$
Skyrover 130 apo pro - 2600$
Star adventurer - 330$
Eq6r-pro - 1450$
Sony a7s3 - 3700$
1.4 24mm gm - 1500$
533mc pro - 750$
Asi2600mm pro - 2077$
Optolong l-extreme 2x - 360$
Antlia sho 3nm pro - 840$
Antlia lrgb pro - 300$
ASIAIR plus 2x - 600$
Zwo afw - 330$
ASI 120mm mini + asi120mc s - 300$
Guide scopes - 100$
16137 - this is definitely putting fresh perspective on my addiction… 🤦♂️😂
I remember when I used to have money. At least now I got my pictures...sorta lol yet still 100% worth it
Hahaha, exactly!