Name: The GEAR Behind My Best Images in 2021 | AstroBackyard
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The GEAR Behind My Best Images in 2021 | AstroBackyard

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Skip to contentI want the pictures.Before we get to the photos, below is a summary of the different cameras, telescopes, mounts, and filters behind my best images of 2021.&nbsp;CamerasZWO ASI2600MM ProZWO ASI2400MCZWO ASI462MCCanon EOS RaTelescopesSky-Watcher Esprit 100Celestron Edge HD 11William Optics Redcat 71Radian 61MountsSky-Watcher EQ6-R ProSky-Watcher EQ8-R ProFilters Radian Triad UltraOptolong L-eXtremeOptolong L-ProChroma 3nm SHOChroma LRGBChroma Ha FilterChroma OIII FilterI have been enjoying the Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 since 2018. Its practical size, impressive performance, and quality optics have served me well.&nbsp;Messier 106 isSunflower Galaxy was also&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eagle NebulaPelican NebulaJupiterugh reach to capture them properly until now.&nbsp;&nbsp;rapher, and you’re thinking about tackling solar system objects (wait, did I go backward?), get ready for a whirlwind of new techniques and software. It’s actually quite astonishing how different the entire experience is. Instead of wide, long exposure images, you use ultra-long, short exposure video frames.&nbsp;&nbsp;See the larger version on .Iris NebulaAs always, we appreciate your support!&nbsp;&nbsp;This week, I returned to my roots and enjoyed some deep-sky astrophotography using a DSLR camera and small telescope. Don’t get me wrong, dedicated astronomy cameras and heavy-duty mounts are great, but my latest imaging session in the backyard was a breath of fresh air. In this post, I’ll share my early results with a…Update: When this article was written, I referred to any non-DSLR camera a “CCD” camera. The correct term for this type of camera is “dedicated astronomy camera“, as the model mentioned in this post includes a CMOS sensor. Since then, I have had the pleasure of experience a true CCD camera, the Starlight Xpress Trius…The Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi is a highly portable star tracker that was designed for astrophotography. It allows you to take long-exposure images of space by tracking the apparent movement of the night sky. Unlike the original Star Adventurer, the GTi model also has the ability to find deep-sky objects in the night sky using…In my opinion, the best astrophotography lens is one that can capture a variety of images of the night sky in a reliable and consistent way. Not all camera lenses are created equal, and imaging a night sky full of pinpoint stars has a way of bringing out the worst (or best) of your lens’…The Pegasus Astro stepper motor kit is an affordable way to give your astrophotography telescope a huge upgrade. Once installed, it allows you to make precision adjustments to your telescope focus without touching the telescope. Achieving (and maintaining) focus is one of the most important aspects of deep-sky imaging, which means that this small upgrade…Problems with Celestron CG-5 Mount Up until this point, my Celestron CG-5 mount has been very good to me. Despite what I have heard, it has been a quality mount, capable of 5+ minute exposures, no problem (with autoguiding).&nbsp; Recently though, the power has been cutting in and out.&nbsp; Last Friday night, under clear, dark,…Truly Inspirational. I keep saying, “write a book.” I will buy it. 🙂ReplyFantastic beyond words.ReplyYour videos and opinions are terrific, not to mention the images. Thanks for all the hard work and effort to post. OutstandingReplyI am awed at your dedication to this hobby. I am a veteran EAA imager (I could never do AP, I have little patience for long exposure time). I recently bought a Celestron C11 XLT (non-edge). This is my third 11″ telescope over the years. I also bought my first EQ6R mount to hold it. I currently own the ZEQ25 mount for my Nexstar C8 and the nexstar SE mount to hold my Astrotech 80mm APO and my Astrotech 60mm APO, mostly these two for Solar imaging but also for some wide field DSO’s. I am curious about your acquisition of these products you have. You do a lot of Demoing on the products and you buy many. Do you have a lucrative job to afford all these toys? I get mine through a trust fund, credit and my Social Security Disability payments each month.ReplyHi Trevor, very impressive! The picture of the Iris Nebula is fantastic. Since I am looking for new filters: what filter size do your Chromas have? Is 31mm enough using the ASI 2600?Clear skies! AlexReplyI know this won’t be a popular opinion but that doesn’t mean there is no merit.You push a lot of buttons, come back in 8 hours, and there you go, you got a picture. You DID say at the very beginning, you want the pictures.Me too. Although I can get it a lot faster than in 8 hours, without any of this hassle in fact, and it’s a million times better than anything you will ever take here on this planet.https://www.nasa.gov/content/about-facts-hubble-fast-factsSorry man. I’m just not impressed. What I see is a giant waste of time and money. Maybe it’s your passion, that’s cool. Except you said you’re drawn to gear that just works. So which is it?I have passions, and I waste money on them. But if I was not about the gear and instead just about the results, I wouldn’t spend any money at all when our taxes in this country have paid for it along with the many donations from people who also have this passion, who also just want the pictures.150 gigabits of new content per week? You’ve got nothing on that.I love the hubble, loved it since we got access to it after it’s inception. Now, I see people attempting to get anything close through vast sums of cash and equipment, after the most passionate of them all gave up. Knowing between light pollution and everything else, it’s a complete waste of time if we can take the pictures from space instead.If you want the experience, hey, that’s cool. Just stop right now. Say it’s about the experience. Instead you whine about how frustrating it all is and how difficult. Oh your gear had an oil leak, oh no.You want the prize of being able to say, I took this? No, you pushed buttons and waited 8 hours, a computer spit the image out. If you want the credit fine have fun enjoy your fan base.I pushed buttons and waited a few seconds. My results are definitely a lot better, you can’t deny it. So just what are you doing again?We’re looking at the same things in the sky. I’m just using something better than you will ever have. And I’ve got the pictures.ReplyBoy aren’t you just the little ray of sunshine that causes cancer…. I’ll bet you’re a blast at parties.ReplyI mean why does anyone even do anything? There’s always someone out there doing it better, so why even bother? Why are we here, just to consume oxygen? I mean there are so many other organisms out there consuming oxygen way better than we are, why do we even bother?ReplyYeah that’s easily the silliest comment anyone has ever written on an Astro blog. Congrats! Unrelated, do you cook food at home or just order from a Michelin star restaurant?ReplyThe fact that comment misses the point so much is what makes me strive to do it more. I love football too (soccer to many of you). I’m not the best at it, I could simply watch the pro athletes do it and know I’m witnessing elite sporting prowess. That would be easier, however the thrill of playing myself is what matters to me. It might not be as good as a pro athlete but every time I score, or make a great pass, or dribble past someone I get a buzz. Win or lose I love playing the game. Astro is the same. I might not be the best, my pics might not be Hubble standard but every time I see those images appear on my screen I get a buzz. I love capturing data, processing data and sharing my pics. Just like football, it’s the taking part myself not the end product.ReplyTo quote George Mallory, “because it’s there”.ReplyI agree with Trevor. Fresh (maybe cold) air, the sky, meteors, the distant hoot of an owl…camaraderie at star parties, can Zacharias D. download that?ReplyMaybe it’s just me, but I like reading about the creative processes and challenges involved with Earth based astrophotography.Hubble takes the fun and enjoyment out of going through the steps involved of getting the images…and deprives the photographer gaining new knowledge after seeing each image after the fact.You can snag the Hubble image for enjoyment, but cannot say you’ve created it. I respect the earth-based approach much more.ReplyThanks for taking time and always trying to improve the astro community. I happened to stroll across a video of yours about 1.5 years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since. Your passion is addicting and it makes me want to find as much joy in this hobby as you have. Thank you for helping others be successful and continuing to share your adventures! I just recently shot my first image with my new mount, guide setup and other goodies and compared it to what I had captured from a few months prior and the progress is amazing. Without your help I’d probably still be lost trying to figure out how to even start the hobby. For real, Thank you for helping those that are just starting out. This hobby has helped me get through some tough times and im thankful I came across a video of yours to get me hooked into it!ReplyThanks for all do. I’ve been doing astrophography since the yearly 70s. and it a pleasure to see what you have done.I am a telescope builder and I guess I prefer that aspect of the hobby.the stuff is you is remarkable and I love you for that.Along with all the others I appreciate the work you all do.ReplyAwesome images as always Trevor. It is remarkable that, without the aid of a multi-million (billion?) dollar scope like Hubble, us ordinary citizens can enjoy and explore the beautiful night sky and all that it holds. For me, astrophotography is about a passion for exploring, taking huge satisfaction in capturing mind-bogglingly distant objects on a camera sensor, becoming more technologically savvy with gear and software, and ultimately just revelling in the beauty of a dark sky. You my friend have taught me so much this year, my first year of getting into this hobby. Thank you for your passion and giving me the inspiration to strive for more.ReplyZacharus Diavante – there is so much more to the hobby. Overcoming the unknown, countless technical challenges, learning the software, and the concepts behind processing images. Not just the amazement of what we are doing, but that first image when you finally get it…oh my … Success! It is such an overwhelming experience…not experienced by the faint of heart. I respect armchair astronomy and encourage it. But we astrophotographers could work for the Hubble program. You should expand beyond the Hubble program however and check out astrobin – just as easy as Hubble, and likely more objects, perspectives and framings.ReplyIsn’t that like hijacking someone else’s work and claiming that it’s all your own work? Get a life Zac.Great work Trevor, keep it up.ReplyTrevor, I’ve followed your website for years and have respected suggestion in regards to equipment. However I would like to know what is the camera on your mount in this photo…I have been enjoying the Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 since 2018. Its practical size, impressive performance, and quality optics have served me well.Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 EReplyAs for Zacherus’s comment, it’s kinda like sex. You can look at dirty pictures, but there’s nothing like the real thing.MCReply

Skip to contentI want the pictures.Before we get to the photos, below is a summary of the different cameras, telescopes, mounts, and filters behind my best images of 2021.&nbsp;CamerasZWO ASI2600MM ProZWO ASI2400MCZWO ASI462MCCanon EOS RaTelescopesSky-Watcher Esprit 100Celestron Edge HD 11William Optics Redcat 71Radian 61MountsSky-Watcher EQ6-R ProSky-Watcher EQ8-R ProFilters Radian Triad UltraOptolong L-eXtremeOptolong L-ProChroma 3nm SHOChroma LRGBChroma Ha FilterChroma OIII FilterI have been enjoying the Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 since 2018. Its practical size, impressive performance, and...

The GEAR Behind My Best Images in 2021 | AstroBackyard

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