DSLR (again!)

Has anyone tried the Nikon D40 or the Canon 350D for astrophotography?
If so any comments on there handling/quality - will be mainly for
landscapes - star trails - lunar (through scope).

Graeme

On Feb 6, 7:55 pm, "gp.skinner" wrote:
Has anyone tried the Nikon D40 or the Canon 350D for astrophotography?
If so any comments on there handling/quality - will be mainly for
landscapes - star trails - lunar (through scope).

Graeme

Hi Graeme

We use a Canon 300D which is basically similar to the 350D. It isn't
modified
and the results from it are brilliant. It can do bulb exposures and
the manual
states that with a fully charged battery you can take an exposure of
up to
about 2.5 hours.

So it will easily take a few long exposures before you need to
recharge the
battery. And, it can't run directly off the mains, so the best thing
to do is
have a charged battery waiting.

What I also use is a program called DSLRFocus, which along with a
serial
and USB cable can control the camera. You can download images and
change the ISO and shutter settings with the software. It will also
control a
ASCOM compliant focuser and will automatically focus using the HWFD
algorithm.

And with the fact that you can schedule a series of exposures, you
only
need to be in the observatory just to make sure that the dome is
turned.

I hope this is helpful

Andrew Sprott
Trefach Astronomy Centre Co-ordinator
http://www.westwalesastronomy.co.uk

On 9 Feb, 00:55, "CarnMeynen" wrote:
On Feb 6, 7:55 pm, "gp.skinner" wrote:

Has anyone tried the Nikon D40 or the Canon 350D for astrophotography?
If so any comments on there handling/quality - will be mainly for
landscapes - star trails - lunar (through scope).

Graeme

Hi Graeme

We use a Canon 300D which is basically similar to the 350D. It isn't
modified
and the results from it are brilliant. It can do bulb exposures and
the manual
states that with a fully charged battery you can take an exposure of
up to
about 2.5 hours.

So it will easily take a few long exposures before you need to
recharge the
battery. And, it can't run directly off the mains, so the best thing
to do is
have a charged battery waiting.

What I also use is a program called DSLRFocus, which along with a
serial
and USB cable can control the camera. You can download images and
change the ISO and shutter settings with the software. It will also
control a
ASCOM compliant focuser and will automatically focus using the HWFD
algorithm.

And with the fact that you can schedule a series of exposures, you
only
need to be in the observatory just to make sure that the dome is
turned.

I hope this is helpful

Andrew Sprott
Trefach Astronomy Centre Co-ordinatorhttp://www.westwalesastronomy.co.uk

Thanks for that Andrew, that certainly makes the Canon sound the more
attractive camera to buy.

Cheers

Graeme