Re: Porr images with 20D/C90

Some thoughts/experiences...

1. Focusing is a big problem as you have discovered. However if the
tripod is steady (a definite must for astrophotography) then if you get
the focusing close, on the moon the autofocus on the camera should be
able to take care of the rest.

2. Not to be repetitious, but for photography, a steady mount is a
definite must. The long focal lengths and the resolution desired mean
any shaking and you will be in trouble. In taking good photos, a solid
mount is more important than the optics which in turn a more important
than the camera. Currently the best planetary photos are being done
with webcams, though for the moon, a digital camera can do a nice job.

3. Lotta camera, not so much scope. YOu would get much better results
with a significantly bigger scope. My best moon shots have been done
with a 10 inch Newt operating at F5.75 using a Nikon Coolpix 4500.
Plenty of pixels and no need to go above ASA 100 to get a good
exposure. With the steady mount, exposures of 1/250th are plenty fast
enough.

4. Do not expect the image to be sharp at full magnification. My
rough math is telling me that with your camera, each pixel is worth
something like 2 arc-seconds, if one were using a super mount with a
near perfect 90mm scope and perfect focus, it might be possible but not
so likely.

4. Take lots of shots, getting good shots requires lots of
experimentation until you develop a workable system. Even with the
best technique, not every shot is going to come out. There is a
definite learning curve here, digital means it doesn't cost you
anything but time.

Jon

.

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