What basic gear do I need to start astrophotography with a Canon 60D?
Asked 2/21/2013
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I have a Canon 60D and want to start with Milky Way photos and possibly time-lapses. I'm unsure what equipment is actually necessary at the beginning.
Do I need a tracking mount right away, and what is the difference between an equatorial mount and a computer-controlled mount? Should I use a telescope with an adapter, or start with regular camera lenses? Also, are special IR filters needed for more realistic colors?
I'm mainly looking for the most practical beginner setup and what upgrades make sense later.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
9
An equatorial mount and a computer controlled mount are two different things. A mount can also be both.
A equatorial mount has one axis aligned with the spin of the earth (pointed towards Polaris for those north of the equator.)
A computer controlled mount is a mount that knows where the objects in the sky are. You can say, "point at Jupiter" and it will point there and then track the object.
The more you get into astrophotography the more you will spend. It is quite fun, addictive, and rewarding. The mount is critical for your success for deep-sky objects. (Nebula etc...)
You have a lot to learn but get started on wide field astrophotograhpy as Matt recommends, it is much cheaper and you'll get a feel for it. Then start hanging out in the astrophotography forums at CloudyNights.com.
Modify your DSLR for astrophotography is necessary for certain deep sky objects, but don't do it just when you start out, you'll have so much learning to do it will be money wasted. After a year you'll know if you want to shoot deep sky or not. But when you do, you can get images like this:
That was taken with a modified Canon 40D, 9 exposures, 2 minutes long. ISO 800, through a 5" f8 archromatic refractor, mounted on Celestron ASGT computer controlled equatorial mount. I had to discard about half the frames because the mount wasn't perfectly polar aligned and/or I had gear train periodic errors.
And this is only the beginning...
Have fun!
Originally by user7310. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user7310
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For starting out, you do not need a telescope or a complex mount. Your Canon 60D, a sturdy tripod, and a fast wide or normal lens are enough to begin Milky Way shots and time-lapses.
A common beginner approach is to shoot short exposures wide open at high ISO, then either use single frames or stack multiple short exposures in software to reduce noise and avoid star trailing.
An equatorial mount and a computer-controlled mount are not the same thing: an equatorial mount is designed to track the sky by aligning one axis with Earth’s rotation, while a computer-controlled mount can automatically point to objects; some mounts are both. For deep-sky subjects like nebulae, the mount becomes the most important piece of gear, but it is not essential for basic wide-field astrophotography.
A telescope is more useful later if you want small deep-sky objects or planets. For Milky Way landscapes, start with regular camera lenses.
An intervalometer is useful for time-lapses or image sequences, and stacking software such as Deep Sky Stacker can help as you progress.
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