Astrophotography - Is It Hard? My Opinion
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2022
- Is astrophotography hard? I think the answer to this is definitely yes. If you've ever spent a night with your deep sky imaging rig then you will have no doubt run into lots of issues that needed ironing out. However, it doesn't always have to be that way, you can start out astrophotography by using really simple equipment and build the complexity in later.
I hope this video inspires people to get out under the stars!
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In addition to what you said, I'd like to mention that I think the amateur astrophotography community is probably one of the most welcoming ones I've encountered. (Most) people are SO willing to share tips and tricks they figure out. Be it from imaging techniques to processing techniques. With an attitude like that, the more of us we are, the better we collectively become at this hobby.
Did you mention that the hardest thing a person can do is go outside at night and take pictures of intrinsically faint and impossibly remote objects that are constantly moving across the sky? That’s what got me into astrophotography. Great video Nick!
Nicely put. The difficulty is part of the attraction for me. Solving problems one by one. Failing, failing better
So true words! Started with camera on a tripod, then got an manual LX2 tracker and now using a mount with 2 scopes. Absolutely love the hobby I found by accident;)
If it was too easy it wouldn’t be as much of a challenge and fun. ❤
Nick, great video. I've been a deepsky astrophotographer for 2 years now, and I have to say that there are still things I don't know about this hobby. I'll say this tho, it's very rewarding to actually have an image to process after a night, or even nights of imaging. Very challenging photography, but so rewarding. If you're getting started with astrophotography, stick with it! it's sweeeeeeet.
What a cool start for the video. Really made me smile as it seems you just read my brain.
Good thoughts on the topic. It is all about passion, having the right expectations and grow over time.
Great video, Nick! Nice photos too!
I agree, astrophotography is hard -- but it's as immensely rewarding as it is challenging! I think in this hobby we all have to believe that "The journey is better than the inn" in the words of Cervantes. There's a lot of satisfaction when you find those dazzling images, but it's getting there, and solving all the problems along the way, that's the real fun. It's certainly not for everyone, but if you're up for a challenge the rewards are really worth the effort and, at least in my opinion, astrophotography adds another whole dimension to my observations of the night sky. I think your video was honest and down-to-earth, Nick. Nice work.
I think many people get into astrophotography for the wrong reasons, who would otherwise be happier if they just did visual. If you get a very small scope (400ml FL or less) and a decent mount , you can do pretty good AP fairly easily. I used to use my Redcat 51 and do 5 minute subs unguided, and it was a piece of cake with great results. BUT, the second you go beyond 400ml Focal length and start guiding, especially with a cheaper mount, you are going to have technical gremlins completely ruin your night AT LEAST 20-25% of the time. If you're a technical minded person who is good with computers and tinkering with things, it's a blast. If you're not, it might not be worth it. I've gone in and out of the hobby over the past 3 years because of it. Right now I'm just doing visual and having a blast. I'll eventually get a Redcat 71 when I can afford it.
5 mins unguided? On what mount? Fornax Lighttrack II? But it only tracks 107 min. On SWSA you will get PEC after 2 mins unguided. Even newest harmonic mounts have high PEC so guiding is mandatory to get so long subs.
We’ll said Nick! Even on those “bad” nights when things don’t go exactly as planned I always make a mental checklist of the things that went right. This is usually followed by checking my three weather sites (settling on the most optimistic one of course) and planning my next night out. Hope springs eternal! Cheers
MATE ANOTHER CRACKING VIDEO PUT OUT (FOR ME ANYWAY) AT THE BEST TIME WAS LOOSING MY UMPF FOR ASTRO SO CLEAR SKIES BUD AND KEEP UP UR AWESOME WORK ON HERE
Described me. I decided to keep it simple. DSLR. Rokinon 135mm. Skywatcher AZ-GTI. All purchased used. Less than $900 total. Just splurged for a ASIAIR Plus. Naturally it didn't work with my mount. Managed to fix that. So I am ready to try the next step. My advice: go slow. Shop Astromart, Facebook marketplace, Craigslist (US). Dont get caught up spending thousands on gear thinking you will watch a few videos and be all set. Everybody's setup is different. It takes time to figure all this out.
Hi Nick great video. Many a night I’ve gone to bed asking why I took up this hobby 🤦♀️but the pull of the stars keep me going back and as you said it’s where I can turn off. Plus I’ve meant some great people through this hobby.
Clear skies from Tasmania, Australia 🇦🇺
NICELY done.
Couldn't agree more!
All hobbies are more or less hard/challenging. That’s why we do them. One of my other hobbies is making beer….you can’t believe how technical that can get! But it is the reason we do them.
Having progressed from a DSLR on a tripod, to a roll off roof Obsy in the back yard, complete with Celestron CGX Mount, Mono cooled camera with all the filters and (almost) complete remote control, I couldn't agree more. It's hard as hell, but it really is worth it when it goes right. Good video.
Great vid👍.
After 6years of extreme macro photography I felt I needed a new challenge! And a new challenge I got!!! Holy sh.t🤪. Started out with 1.3sec subs (3000 of them) of Orion nebula with a stock Canon 600D 70-200 f4L USM. Now with a full spectrum mod Canon 77D, the Redcat 51 and Ioptron sky guide pro/ipolar L-enhance, H alfa, OIII filters. I can't wait for Orion nebula to be visible again.
Nice setup! The L-eNhance is a great filter
I've started with similar equipment. RF 70-200 F4 and hundrets of photos stacked in Siril. Now I'm waiting for SWSA GTI to made some 1-5 minute exposures :)
It's definitely a rabbit hole that goes on & on plus technology has changed over the years to when I started this hobby years ago I used a modified DSLR for years, simply because I never had the money for anything else I rattled off image after image & I were never really happy with them plus I'd only be doing it now & then so it were like learning it all again every time. Now with programs like NINA & ASTAP when they're set up I can be starting to take images in minutes rather than wasting hours before I got the first sub. The hobby has become more enjoyable again & I'm learning new processing techniques daily whereas when I started it all seemed to be cloaks & daggers with no one wanting to share any of their techniques.
As for having deep pockets I really haven't got those but most of my kit is second hand so piece by piece I've got more up to date gear & I also think dual band filters have made this hobby a game changer as shooting broadband on a nebula didn't get much unless it were a bright one.
Even though it is hard and extremely frustrating, those very aspects distract you from other problems and issues that maybe going on in your life, and is total escapism. And of course, without doubt, it is totally worth it and rewarding when you see those images roll in!
I was using barndoor tracker, then non GOTO mount and GOTO mount, then learn how to tune the mount and modified it.
Astrophotography isn’t hard if you have fancy set like platesolve and GOTO… for a beginner to find a target and to sync is the most difficult part.
Image processing isn’t hard if try to Siril’s auto stretch can get fine results for begining.
My friend uploaded a very first astrophotography picture, she’s only just learning. She got the most harshest rudest comment from this one guy, About her photos saying that she should be embarrassed and ashamed of her photos. It made her feel is it worth it, if you’re going to get people with that kind of attitude. Instead of helpful ones.
That was cool.
Well said - as we Brits say!
Great video. Unfortunately I will never afford your level of equipment. I'll stick to visual astronomy but love seeing your results.
I am pretty new to this hobby but I am enjoying it very much. But I did run into my first "frustration" :p
I bought an Ioptron CEM26 mount for my redcat51 (equiped with a zwo 533 and asiair) but once I set it all up to get familiar with how everything fitted to gether I found out that the included 4,5KG counterweight is to heavy for that setup and so I couldn't balance it!
I ordered some lighter counterweights to solve it but sadly it does mean waiting for clear skies again
Thank you for great inspiration :) I just want to run out and buy some gear :)
Just a quick little advice. It looks like you have your camera on auto (whitebalance and maybe also exposure). Maybe it is a phone? if it is -there is apps like procam, filmic pro or proshot that gives you full controll over the camera. Or if it is a camera, just set the whitebalance manual - and it will not be so different between the jumpcuts :)
Keep on going man - you are really inspiring us a lot everytime :) see you in the next
Ah thank you! I recently got a new camera and noticed this was happening in the editing and it was annoying me 😃
I just got into Astrophotography. It's a pretty aristocratic hobby.
I'm watching this video because I set up everything, polar aligned, then clouds rolled in. Weather channel said clear all night. Nope.
In my opinion, capturing the images, is as hard or easy as each person wants it to be. Excluding Milky Way photography, which is quite simple, DSO comes down to what you want your setup to be. If you want to autoguide with CCD cameras then you're adding a laptop, software cables etc into the mix. All of which is not needed, of course. Excellent images can be captured using just a GEM, Telescope/lens and a DSLR. I use an EQM35 Pro mount, WO 71 GT and a DSLR. No auto guiding and no laptop. My latest Andromeda capture, which can be seen as my FB header, was captured with that equipment using only 75x45sec exposures. Have to love that fast aperture with our 71GT! What is hard for most people is the PP of astro images. That is what separates everyone. PP is a never ending study to improve, however once a person watches enough UA-cam channels like yours, they will form a PP that is successful for them. Keep up the great channel!
Great video.
Thanks!
One advice from me. Do not go 1000mm at the first year. Wait for 1 2 year get 600mm max. Enjoy a bit. I got 250 135 and 1000mm. Now I feel like I have to deal with problems and have to use it just because I paid alot of money. It is big and heavy.600 mm is sweat spot. You can hang there for a long time.
In my opinion the frustrations and difficulty and technique are not the biggest issues with astrophotography, if you enjoy this hobby a lot, you will overcome them. The real enemy of this hobby is the COST, for a country where the average net wage is $600, if one is not having a top paid job or coming from a rich family, this hobby is literally impracticable. I have a top paying job and I still have to save 6-7 months just for a damned eq mount (all monthly expenses and mortgage aside). When adding up dedicated cooled camera from zwo, guiding and all the collection of stuff you need for proficiency, that's easily 3-4 years of saving to be able to get them all. I used to laugh at the people that wrote on forums that there is no budget astrophotography possible and if you don't have money you should spare the frustration and not even think about joining this hobby. 5 months into this, with all the possible DIY equipment that I have build to avoid high costs and I cannot agree more to what they said.
Always enjoy your videos, just bought the Evostar 72 ED and have the Evoguide 50 ED but would like to attach the together nicely, may I ask are you using a ADM dovetail adapter on yours or something else ?
By the way love the new set up ( maybe once I get the hang of the 72 ED / your videos help a lot )
I just screwed my 50 evoguide to the supplied green bar that came with it…maybe I’ll do a more elegant solution some day
I notice in the background that you have Skywatcher Evoguide 50ED. I've recently bought one of these but I absolutely cannot manage to get the extension tube removed (so that It can be replaced with the field flattener). I don't want to risk breaking the whole thing by applying too much pressure but Im wondering if there's something im doing wrong.
Been trying to get a good close up, in focus moonshot and it has eluded me. I had a Zoom camera that showed a great moon, buy when shooting it got blurry. I think the shutter jiggles the camera. Got a DSLR but the 135mm lens won't get close enough. Bought a telescope, a Barlow and a good 15mm Eyepiece, now I get great views of the moon, just have to get a camera hooked up. 3 situations and 3 problems. Yeah It's Hard!
Nick are you using an autofocuser or good old mask tech..
I think people sometimes get easily influenced for doing what they watched online
A begginner might watch some those bright-milky-way-sharpstars-no-noise-landscape photos and get inspired to do the SAME"
goes out gets blurry stars coz he doesn;t know how to focus at night
goes out gets noisy frames
goes out gets frames but they dont stack well coz - (2 3 reasons)
goes out doesn't see the milky way in his photos
goes out sees how andromeda shows up like a fuzzy spot and not like that-one -stacked nd tracked colourful-photo
so what's the point ?;-
my opinion is *you must be really passionate abt what you are doing , else be ready for dissapointment*
so a beginner should first spend time star gazing , explore various astronomy phenomenon , various kinds of objects (messier(s) , comets , planets , nebulae etc.) , go to dark skies and spend time under the stars
and then see if you get an urge to do this all everyday. IF YES then yes this is a hobby , to invest time energy nd resources, FOR YOU
see you out there
clear skies!
Not so much the use of the telescope and using the imaging programs it is the extreme expensive of telescopes and related mounts, cameras, and getting to dark sky sites.
Hi Nick, which video editing tool you use to create photo effects like the one at 5:14
I use Adobe Premiere but you could achieve the same thing on free software like DaVinci Resolve
Thank you Nick, great video
Yep astrophotography is hard and the hardest part of astronomy, with the need of total clear skies, no wind, no moon (unless filters) but like you say the most rewarding part is viewing the images you've taken with your own equipment, in your back garden and all by you. When I show my family and friends the images (not very good 😉ones) they can't believe what's up there in the night sky, so it is hard but so so amazing.
Thanks Lee! You’re absolutely right
its as hard as you want to make it. i know a guy who carnt leave his house and takes great images from a open window.
Had a mate asked if I’d actually took the pictures I was sharing……😞 took me ages (2years) to pluck up the courage to share the pictures, and in this day and age it can easily be faked….lots of lost hours with astrophotography but if they think it’s faked then I must be half decent 😂👍🏼
Seeing as how you used asked instead of ask...
I’d say there is a good chance they were faked. Jk bro, just giving you a hard time 👌
@@masterofnone1481 probably had a few starts to the sentence in mind and also probably a few beers in 😃👍🏼
hard not if you keep it simple,the more gear you get the harder it gets,a simple camera ,a good fast lens, and a tracker can get you some amazing views of the simple targets,to target the really deep space objects requires serious money spent which to me takes out the fun and enjoyment,
i have got some amazing views of planets and galaxy's with equipment for less than £700
I often prefer a simpler setup actually. I find I enjoy my nights better when I have more time to just enjoy being under the stars
Hilarious opener😭😂😂😂😂🤣
Outstanding use of music and great conclusion, this should be autotuned 🎼🎵🎶🥰😎
Well, 8 seconds to get your point across. Efficient!
It's not hard with the right equipment. It is almost too easy with my current setup I have to say lol.
Some things about astrophotography are as hard as people want to make it because there's as much bad advice out there as there is good advice.
As a rank beginner I'd suggest that in astrophotography there's no such thing as a beginner's setup and if someone goes in cheap, therein lies madness and probably a very short lived hobby.
Also, get used to the terminology before you spend a cent and watch a lot of videos over and over again.
No it's not hard. What's hard is the weather cooperating when you need it to.
astrophotography is not hard..it's expensive and takes alot of your time..just like any other hobby