r/AskAstrophotography

I was looking the star adventurer gti. I want something that won’t be a hassle to set up every-time I want to go out to take images. I also want something that will work without any complicated modding or add ons. I read that it can automatically point itself at your target so you don’t have to spend all that time searching. I’m willing to spend $650 at the most.

My gear id be using is an a7rv with mostly a Samyang 135 1.8, tamron 28-77 2.8 g2, and a tamron 150-500 for really deep targets. I have a $70 k&f tripod that’s relatively solid.

This is going to be my final astrophotography rig that I’ll be building over time. Total cost comes out to around ₹4.5 lakh (~$4.5k).

Rig list:

• ZWO AM3 Harmonic EQ GoTo Mount – ₹1,45,200
• ZWO FF65 ED APO – ₹82,200
• ZWO ASI 585MC Air
• SVBONY SV241 Pro Astro Power Controller – ₹15,060
• ZWO TC40 Carbon Fiber Tripod – ₹30,000
• Optolong L-eXtreme 2-inch Filter – ₹21,000

I mainly plan to do deep-sky imaging from Bortle 4-6 skies with occasional trips to darker locations. Before I start buying everything, I wanted to ask does this setup look balanced overall? Any bottlenecks, unnecessary parts, or things you’d personally change at this budget?

Would really appreciate feedback from experienced imagers before I fully commit

Hello,

I am brand new to this hobby but have an al55i mount and an Asiair connected to my canon 70d and svbony 503.

I'm struggling with the workflow of AP. Mainly the whole idea of "home" position. I got my camera to focus for the first time last night, and plate solved successfully on the Asiair app. However when I went to use the GoTo function for a star I found on stellarium, it pointed at the ground.

I am struggling with the concept of "home" position, especially since all the guides on the internet use the setting scale on the RA and DEC axis, which the al55i mount doesn't have.

Since I'm in the southern hemisphere, I point my mount towards the south and have the counterweights down. Is this good enough for home? Do I need to use synscan or is the Asiair enough?

Also, the workflow confuses me. So far I've done: set home (or fail to so far), make sure the scope is balanced, set latitude, connect everything, focus the camera, plate solve, polar align, use mask to dial in focus, and start imaging. Is this order correct? Where am I going wrong? Thanks!

I've been looking at buy an EQ-AL55, but recently found a second hand HEQ5 on marketplace for about 35% less. I don't need the extra weight but saving some money would be nice. Does anyone have any advice on things too look for that might be a problem or any knowledge of reliability issues?

Thanks

So I got this telescope and I think I’m doing something wrong but it could be also that this hobby has a steep learning curve

There is so much stuff u gotta learn and know

I think next thing I will do is build myself a motor drive with a belt drive for my eq3 mount because I ain’t buying those for over 100€ motor drives I’d rather spend more money later for a better go to mount or maybe even a Astro camera when I know more stuff

Let me know

Also before I had a hokenn optics 76/700 on a az mount now I got a eq mount wich is definitely better and more sturdy

I know how to polar align a bit cuz I can’t see the North Star befuse there’s a house in the way befuse I use my telescope on my balcony lol

For context, I use DSLR with a Canon T-Ring that fits into 1.25” telescope lenses. Recently I purchased a Canon 5D Mark iii because of its Intervalometer attachment ports.

The mirror is much larger than my previous camera. When I look inside the 1.25” hole through the mounted T-ring, the corners of the mirror are blocked by the T adapter.

I do not own any 2” eye piece telescopes. Do I need to switch entirely? Or will it not affect photos too much to keep using a 1.25” T adapter for my photos.

(I have not tested this yet because I still need to buy a new star tracker mount that can support the weight of the new camera)

First step I’ll autostretch the image and unlink the channels
Background extraction
Image plate solver
Then Spector color calibration fails when I do it. It says no stars are identified

Hello,

I have the opportunity to snag a ZWO ASI183MM Pro and a set of SVBONY SV227 SHO filters for the price of $700 AUD ($500 USD) and was wondering if coming up from imaging on a DSLR it would be a worthwhile camera to use.

I am sure that I'd eventually like to image in mono so I am not afraid of learning the workflow of narrowband imaging. I also live in a light polluted area so would prefer SHO imaging rather than LRGB/OSC to combat light pollution.

I know the specs of the 183 are out dated compared to the IMX533 sensors (amp glow, well depth, etc...), however would it still be a good camera capable of producing quality images in 2026?

Just looking to get some opinions before biting the bullet as the deal sounds pretty good considering I am on a budget.

Cheers

​

Hello , well, I am a high school senior, 18 years old, and I want to start my journey in astrophotography after graduation. So, please guide me on how to learn this field? How can I master it? Are there any courses I can take, or any resources that might be helpful?+ what is the best beginner telescope within a budget of $200 to $300?

My main goal is that I want to start creating content with fresh, creative ideas in the field of astrophotography. Therefore, I would highly appreciate it if experts in this field could help me out.

Peace! ✌🏻

Drive Link- https://drive.google.com/file/d/17DUz0WZKDfYwE8WXKaVeTaDXLdoXMVNX/view?usp=sharing

25 flats
25 darks
20 biases

30 sec exposures @ iso 3200 using a canon R10 and kit lens (18-150mm)

OSC_ preprecessing script & Processed in Siril in order

1. Crop
2. Graxpert Background extraction (default set)
3. Platesolve
4. SPCC colour calibration
5. Veralux Hyper-metric stretch (default set)
6. Graxpert Denoise (default set)
7. Manual curves transformation
8. Siril Green noise removal

Had haze in the sky while i was shooting it which explains the halo around stars , Bortle 3-4 zone. what else can i try out before adding more data/integration time?

Will this laptop handle siril?

Hi, I have been wanting to get into astrophotography, and I have been doing a lot of research on cameras and how well they capture the night sky. I've been looking at these 5 cameras: Canon M50, Sony A6000, Nikon D750, Canon 5D Mark IV, and Sony A6400. I'm leaning towards the Nikon D750 because I like the photos it can take, and I can get it used for a good price. The Canon 5D Mark IV and Sony A6400 are a bit too out of my budget. What do you think about the cameras I’m considering, especially for astrophotography? Are there any major pros/cons I should know about, or any other cameras you’d recommend instead? Thank you.

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to understand a strange artifact on my setup and wondered if some of you already experienced this.

Setup:

• SkyWatcher 150/750 (with Backyard Universe spider and full black flocking inside)
• SkyWatcher coma corrector
• ZWO ASI533MC Pro
• No filter

On bright stars, I get a weird rainbow/green halo or ghost reflection.
What’s strange is that the artifact depends on the star position on the sensor: when the star moves across the field, the halo changes position too.

It even appears on very short exposures (~3s), so it does not seem related to long exposure blooming.

I’m wondering if this could come from:

• internal reflections between the sensor window and coma corrector,
• absence of UV/IR cut,
• the coma corrector itself,
• slight dew,

Has anyone seen something similar with a Newton + ASI533MC setup?

Thanks!

added a guidescope and dithered every 5th frame. exposures were kept to 30" to match exposures from prior nights which were tracked, but not guided/dithered. stacked in sirilic and edited in siril, now I have horizontal wide bands. suggestions appreciated

Hey everyone,

I currently have a Star Adventurer with a Canon EOS 6D Mk II and a 50mm lens. I’ve used this setup quite a lot and now I’m looking to upgrade, mainly to get more focal length. I’m planning to move to a small apochromatic refractor.

I’m aware that the mount is key here. I first considered the Sky-Watcher EQ-AL55i, but I’m leaning toward going straight for the HEQ5 so I won’t need to upgrade the mount again later if I go for a bigger scope.

My main question is about focal length. I’d like something that frames most nebulae well, since galaxies, planetary nebulae, and globular clusters tend to be too small for this kind of setup anyway.

Right now I’m hesitating between:
- Askar SQA55 (264mm)
- Askar 60F (408mm)
- Askar 71F (490mm)

Since I’m shooting full-frame, I’m a bit worried the SQA55 might be too wide. On the other hand, one advantage is that I could still use it on the Star Adventurer (not ideal, I know, but workable), which would let me start using it sooner and save up for the HEQ5 afterward.

I’ve checked a lot of targets on Telescopius, and my impression is:
- some nebulae feel a bit small at 264mm,
- some feel a bit tight at 408mm,
- 490mm looks great for smaller nebulae, but large targets like M31 don’t fit well anymore.

I’d really appreciate feedback from anyone who has used similar setups or these scopes.

Thanks!

Hi

Someone near me is selling an astro setup, and I’m a beginner trying to get into the hobby.

For reference I currently just have a Sony a6700 camera and an 18-50mm lense. I’ve only done milky way photos before.

The main parts of the setup are:
Skywatcher star adventurer 2i pro mount + tripod
William optics z61 telescope
ZWO asi183mc pro camera
ZWO asi120mm guide camera
ZWO Asiair pro
Sybony Guide scope

Also comes with a bunch of accessories, all the cables, and a case.

$2000 for everything

Does this seem like a good deal for a beginner setup? Mostly I’m looking to do dso photos and figure I can also use my Sony on the star tracker for general Milky Way photos.

Any thoughts? And if anyone has other recommendations for a beginner setup I’d appreciate it.

Hey everyone! I've been fascinated by astronomy and astrophotography for as long as I can remember, always stopping to stare at other people's shots of the night sky. I recently started university, and astronomy is quickly becoming a real hobby. Whenever the clouds cooperate, I'm out there stargazing and shooting long exposures with my phone.

Now I want to take the next step into actual astrophotography. At a university astronomy event I got talking to a local amateur astrophotography club, and they told me the basics for a low-budget setup are a decent reflex camera, good lenses, and a tripod. So I started hunting for a low-to-mid budget reflex camera and promptly got completely lost in specs.

I've searched online and asked AI tools, and while the Nikon D5600 keeps coming up as a solid beginner option, I still don't really understand what makes a camera good for astrophotography and I don't want to drop money on something that turns out to be a poor fit.

I also enjoy regular photography, so ideally I'd want a camera that handles both well. I just don't know which specs to prioritize for each use case.

EDIT : I am in Europe, Belgium

Any help from people who've been down this road would be massively appreciated thanks in advance!