[M]: (M) Looking for advice-CCD Imager
| Subject: | [M]: (M) Looking for advice-CCD Imager |
| From: | Eric Schandall |
| Date: | Tue Mar 23 23:16:00 1999 |
Bryan Glennon wrote:
>
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>
> I have an LX200 that I have been using for about a year. The only
> problem I am having is me, not the scope: I have bone spurs between most
> of the vertebrae in my neck, so unless the eyepiece is at one of a
> number of (ever decreasing) "good spots", observing is difficult if not
> impossible. I am thinking about using a CCD imager to get around this
> problem, but Id like to know the trade-offs: Do I lose resolution?
> Field of view? Color? What should I expect to spend?
>
> Once I have the imager, I would also like to use it for photos, but my
> initial desire is to be able to see more of the sky.
>
> Thanks,
> Bryan
Hi Bryan,
Do you use some kind of adjustable observing chair? This coupled with
rotating the diagonal to the best position or viewing directly with an
eyepiece holder w/o the diagonal gives you some versatility.
CCD imaging typically takes lots of practice and patience and
somewhere around $700-1000 for the simplest gear plus a computer. It
will greatly reduce the field of view as contrasted with visual
observing.
As an observing aid it allows you to "see" much fainter objects. I
think of it as a galaxy filter as galaxies are more visible in less than
pristine skys. One exposure colour images are possible with one of the
Starlight Express imagers but otherwise requires multiple exposures
through colored filters.
CCD imaging could help you to continue to observe but it is a very
different kind of practice. Conventional photograghy is also a
possibility and is a good stepping stone to CCD imaging. It would be
good to visit someone who is working with this equipment and find out
what is involved and if it would suit what type of observing you enjoy.
It has become the main observing tool I use and am happy doing so.
Good Luck.
Eric
>
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>
> I have an LX200 that I have been using for about a year. The only
> problem I am having is me, not the scope: I have bone spurs between most
> of the vertebrae in my neck, so unless the eyepiece is at one of a
> number of (ever decreasing) "good spots", observing is difficult if not
> impossible. I am thinking about using a CCD imager to get around this
> problem, but Id like to know the trade-offs: Do I lose resolution?
> Field of view? Color? What should I expect to spend?
>
> Once I have the imager, I would also like to use it for photos, but my
> initial desire is to be able to see more of the sky.
>
> Thanks,
> Bryan
Hi Bryan,
Do you use some kind of adjustable observing chair? This coupled with
rotating the diagonal to the best position or viewing directly with an
eyepiece holder w/o the diagonal gives you some versatility.
CCD imaging typically takes lots of practice and patience and
somewhere around $700-1000 for the simplest gear plus a computer. It
will greatly reduce the field of view as contrasted with visual
observing.
As an observing aid it allows you to "see" much fainter objects. I
think of it as a galaxy filter as galaxies are more visible in less than
pristine skys. One exposure colour images are possible with one of the
Starlight Express imagers but otherwise requires multiple exposures
through colored filters.
CCD imaging could help you to continue to observe but it is a very
different kind of practice. Conventional photograghy is also a
possibility and is a good stepping stone to CCD imaging. It would be
good to visit someone who is working with this equipment and find out
what is involved and if it would suit what type of observing you enjoy.
It has become the main observing tool I use and am happy doing so.
Good Luck.
Eric
