"Best" digital camera

Hello Group,

My wife has been agitating for a digital camera for x-mas. We
currently do not own a digital camera. My thoughts towards buying a
digital camera is that it must serve my wife's demands (family
snapshots, etc.) and my desires to attach it to a telescope. My scope
is a 4" f6 refractor.

Does anyone have a suggestion on the "best" camera for this purpose?
What make, model are people having the best results from?

Thanks in advance,

Scott

I think you will like the Canon Rebel D, SLR. Not only will this allow you
to take images of bright objects (moon, planets), but you can also do DSO's,
as the camera will take images without noise for exposures much longer than
you thought was possible. This means that you can take pictures of dim
nebula, even without guiding. The only down side of the camera is the
price. The lowest price I've seen for the camera (without lens) is $718.

Al


"scott" wrote in message
m...
Hello Group,

My wife has been agitating for a digital camera for x-mas. We
currently do not own a digital camera. My thoughts towards buying a
digital camera is that it must serve my wife's demands (family
snapshots, etc.) and my desires to attach it to a telescope. My scope
is a 4" f6 refractor.

Does anyone have a suggestion on the "best" camera for this purpose?
What make, model are people having the best results from?

Thanks in advance,

Scott

On Sun, 23 Nov 2003 19:37:03 GMT, "Al" ...reflected:

I think you will like the Canon Rebel D, SLR. Not only will this allow you
to take images of bright objects (moon, planets), but you can also do DSO's,
as the camera will take images without noise for exposures much longer than
you thought was possible. This means that you can take pictures of dim
nebula, even without guiding. The only down side of the camera is the
price. The lowest price I've seen for the camera (without lens) is $718.

Al

If everyone would stop running out to buy it the price would drop.

We're all at the mercy of the other fellow's sense of value, I'm afraid.

"scott" wrote in message
om...
Hello Group,

My wife has been agitating for a digital camera for x-mas. We
currently do not own a digital camera. My thoughts towards buying a
digital camera is that it must serve my wife's demands (family
snapshots, etc.) and my desires to attach it to a telescope. My scope
is a 4" f6 refractor.

Does anyone have a suggestion on the "best" camera for this purpose?
What make, model are people having the best results from?

Thanks in advance,

Scott

Alan

That price is actually historically in line with what one previously paid
for a better SLR film camera. I remember paying well over $1000 in the late
1970's for my Olympus OM-2 gear.

The Canon digital SLRs are an attractive alternative to paying $5000+ for a
dedicated astronomical CCD camera, and sure as heck beat struggling with
clumsy afocal setups with the point and shoot digital cameras.

Del Johnson



"Alan W. Craft" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 23 Nov 2003 19:37:03 GMT, "Al"
If everyone would stop running out to buy it the price would drop.

We're all at the mercy of the other fellow's sense of value, I'm afraid.


Alan

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 13:04:03 -0800, "Del Johnson" delastro@{right star in Orion's belt}.sdsu.edu ...reflected:

That price is actually historically in line with what one previously paid
for a better SLR film camera. I remember paying well over $1000 in the late
1970's for my Olympus OM-2 gear.

The Canon digital SLRs are an attractive alternative to paying $5000+ for a
dedicated astronomical CCD camera, and sure as heck beat struggling with
clumsy afocal setups with the point and shoot digital cameras.

Del Johnson

What about Olympus's EM-1(?)?

Also, can the shutter be left open indefinitely with the Canon?

snip

Alan

Generally, a digital SLR (e.g., Canon 300D/Digital Rebel) is best,
since you can use the telescope as the lens. Non-dSLRs require an
afocal approach and you have much more glass in the loop.

Phil

scott wrote:
Hello Group,

My wife has been agitating for a digital camera for x-mas. We
currently do not own a digital camera. My thoughts towards buying a
digital camera is that it must serve my wife's demands (family
snapshots, etc.) and my desires to attach it to a telescope. My scope
is a 4" f6 refractor.

Does anyone have a suggestion on the "best" camera for this purpose?
What make, model are people having the best results from?

Thanks in advance,

Scott

Canon 10D - bar none.

Take Care,

JAS


"scott" wrote in message
m...
Hello Group,

My wife has been agitating for a digital camera for x-mas. We
currently do not own a digital camera. My thoughts towards buying a
digital camera is that it must serve my wife's demands (family
snapshots, etc.) and my desires to attach it to a telescope. My scope
is a 4" f6 refractor.

Does anyone have a suggestion on the "best" camera for this purpose?
What make, model are people having the best results from?

Thanks in advance,

Scott

"scott" wrote in message
m...
Hello Group,

My wife has been agitating for a digital camera for x-mas. We
currently do not own a digital camera. My thoughts towards buying a
digital camera is that it must serve my wife's demands (family
snapshots, etc.) and my desires to attach it to a telescope. My scope
is a 4" f6 refractor.

Does anyone have a suggestion on the "best" camera for this purpose?
What make, model are people having the best results from?

Thanks in advance,

Scott

Easy - the Canon 10D. Just look at the results posted various astro web
sites. Only two drawbacks that I can think of, it is not cheap and if your
wife had her heart set on a light weight point and shoot the Canon is not
that! It is as heavy as most film SLR's.
Chuck

"scott" wrote in message
m...
Hello Group,

My wife has been agitating for a digital camera for x-mas. We
currently do not own a digital camera. My thoughts towards buying a
digital camera is that it must serve my wife's demands (family
snapshots, etc.) and my desires to attach it to a telescope. My scope
is a 4" f6 refractor.

Does anyone have a suggestion on the "best" camera for this purpose?
What make, model are people having the best results from?

Thanks in advance,

Scott

I can't tell you which one to buy, but maybe steer you away from one. I have
a Nikon CP5000. It's a great camera but doesn't do well for astro use on the
scope. It's fairly noisy and is a pain to mount and use manually. Currently
I'm looking at the new Canon Rebel DSLR to replace it.

Steve

Cheers Y'all

Personally I prefer a dedicated ccd for the scope
http://www.grampianstars.com.au/drive.htm#ST-7
We use a "Sony 5.0 mega pixels Cyber-shot for happy snaps

Robert -37.11 Nth 142.36 Est


(scott) wrote in message om...
Hello Group,

My wife has been agitating for a digital camera for x-mas. We
currently do not own a digital camera. My thoughts towards buying a
digital camera is that it must serve my wife's demands (family
snapshots, etc.) and my desires to attach it to a telescope. My scope
is a 4" f6 refractor.

Does anyone have a suggestion on the "best" camera for this purpose?
What make, model are people having the best results from?

Thanks in advance,

Scott