Astrophotography

1844 readers

2 users here now

Welcome to !astrophotography!

We are Lemmy's dedicated astrophotography community!

If you want to see or post pictures of space taken by amateurs using amateur level equipment, this is the place for you!

If you want to learn more about taking astro photos, check out our wiki or our discord!

Please read the rules before you post! It is your responsibility to be aware of current rules. Failure to be aware of current rules may result in your post being removed without warning at moderator discretion.

Rules

I | Real space images only.

Astrophotography refers to images of astronomical objects or phenomena exclusively.
~~Images that show objects or people below the Kármán Line (100km) will be removed.~~ We won't be enforcing this rule for now, but as the community grows eventually we will split and have a separate space for just landscape astro.
Images must be an accurate representation of a real astronomical object.
See this page for more details

II | Original and Amateur Content Only

Image posts can only be images that you have captured and processed yourself, or discussion about capturing and/or processing your own images.
Images acquired from public sources, professional observatories, or other professional services are not allowed.
If you have done a drastic alteration or reprocessing of a prior submission, you may repost your edit - but only after a minimum of one week has passed.

III | Post Types

Image posts are to link directly to the image, not to landing pages, personal galleries, blogs, or professional sites. Link to these in the comments. (AstroBin and Imgur, are allowed)
Questions are welcome here for the time being.
Links to blogs, articles or external websites should be interesting and promote discussion about amateur astrophotography.

IV | Titles

All image posts should just include include the name of the object being photographed. Extra info such as equipment, it being your first image, or other information should go in a comment along with your acquisition info. Please see this page for more details.

If your post is removed, try reposting with a different title. Don't hesitate to message the mods if you still have questions!

V | Acquisition and Processing Information

All submitted images must include acquisition and processing details as a top-level comment. All posts without this information may be given a warning, and if not updated will be removed.
This includes the telescope, mount, camera, accessories, and any other pieces of equipment you used to capture the image.
You must also include processing details, i.e. the programs you used and a general rundown of the workflow/processes you used within those programs. “Processed in Photoshop” is not enough.

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

bigborpa

lefty7283

Budget setup (self.astrophotography)

submitted 3 months ago by Disgrace6412 to c/astrophotography

6 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I am thinking about buying a camera, but not exclusively for astrophotography. Since this will be my first own camera, I don't want to spend too much money. For that reason, I looked mainly for Micro four thirds, specifically the lumix g85. I dont know what category of ap I will like the most/focus on, but until now I only tried deep space with a relatives camera. I know I probably wont be able to get images like most in this community, but I want to know your experiences. How far can I get with stacking? What should I look out for in Bodies and lenses?

top 6 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] bistdunarrisch 4 points 3 months ago

We were in exactly the same situation and bought a Fuji camera. We are very happy with our decision as we can shoot both 'normal' photography with the feeling of a nice camera body and astrophotography on a beginner level.

The results we got so far exceeded our expectations by far, we posted some of our images here in this sub or here in full resolution .

One thing to keep in mind is that normal cameras block most of the infrared light, which makes it unsuitable for shooting hydrogen nebulae. That's a minor reason why we eventually chose a Fuji camera, as they filter a bit less infrared than other brands.

In the end the biggest impact makes the lens/telescope. After a lot of research we chose the Samyang/ Rokinon 135mm f2.0 lens. Also we found it very rewarding shooting with such a 'small' focal length because it forgives minor inaccuracies while giving very good results.

For us the biggest reasons for this hobby are to experience the night sky with our own equipment and learning very much (about physics, processing the data, cameras, ...). Both things can be achieved with modest equipment and I would keep that in mind when comparing own images with others. Also I personally love the challenge to get the best possible results with things you already have.

Hope that helped a bit.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (2 children)

m4/3 sensors won't have as good of noise performance as a larger sensor with larger pixels. Maybe look into a cheaper APS-C camera. B&H will have a good used selection too, you'll be able to get a better camera that way.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

I've gotten a surprisingly good deal on lenses and cameras on shop Goodwill. My xsi was less than 50$ with shipping. Is it current gen or anywhere near perfect for Astro? Nope. But for the price, it'll do.

Waiting for clear skies to test my og star tracker with it and a 50mm f1.4 lens. I've gotten ok untracked shots but I lose a lot with the shorter exposures

[–] Disgrace6412 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I found the g85 used for around $320 and multiple fast lenses for around 200 each. I really didn't find a good APS-C at that price point. I am fine with a older DLSR, but I would prefer a mirrorless. If they also work for astrophotography. I mainly see people using mirrored cameras..., is there a reason?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Probably just what people have or found cheaper at the time. Mirrorless is a newer technology. Go with that camera then, you'll have a great time

[–] lefty7283 1 points 3 months ago

If you're going into deep sky imaging, getting a solid tracking mount will be more important than a specific camera/lens. I'll be honest I haven't really bought new gear or looked at new equipment in the last few years, but this vid from Alaskan Astro is a great overview and recommendations for beginner setup (I see the 135mm f/2 has already been recommended in here lol). It's also worth checking out used equipment if you're on a budget. I've found some great deals on the cloudynights classifieds, craigslist, and FB marketplace when I was assembling my rig.

Also since you want to use your camera for astro and normal photography, you can still use a H-alpha modded camera, but just use a custom white balance for non-astro shots. Personally I wouldn't worry too much about getting a modded cam if you're just starting out in the hobby, but it's something you may want to consider if you want to shoot a lot of emission nebulae