Buying a few things I need opinions on

[keen bone]

I'm looking to buy a couple things to upgrade my telescope and move into astrophotography. I am buying the camera for other things too such as Car photography, so its a must buy. However I'm open to suggestions for different cameras, as well as the general kit I'm buying. I'm mostly asking if all of this will come together to work, I'm buying a Canon EOS 80D and a SkyWatcher 200P-DS and I believe these are the two things I need to mount the DSLR directly into the 2".

T Ring: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/t-rings.html
2" - T Ring Adapter: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/astro-essentials-2-inch-t-mount-camera-nosepiece-adapter.html

Let me know, thanks. I've also heard a couple people talking about the 200P-DS needing tweaking from stock. Is this true?

[hearty mural]

Yeah those adapters will work, a little on the expensive side

[keen bone]

I dont mind paying the bit extra

[hearty mural]

On the 200pds you can upgrade almost everything, not that it won't work out of the box

[keen bone]

People talk about the focuser needing work out the box, and something about the spider

"the first job is to replace the compression ring on the focuser for one with the brass ring (to stop the screws marking your camera)."

[hearty mural]

Maybe some tightening of the tensioning screwson the focuser and the spider can be replaced for relatively cheap

[hearty mural]

I hadn't heard about that one

Oh wait yeah I did, I got it wrong

I think that part is on flo? It's not a must but obviously it doesn't scratch the adapter and helps a little with tilt

[keen bone]

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/astro-essentials-2-inch-compression-ring-adapter-for-sky-watcher-newtonians-and-72ed-refractor-m54.html is this the sort of thing they are talking about

[hearty mural]

Yep

Btw on which mount will you be using it on?

[keen bone]

thats another thing

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/8227329440693577/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A97d29a89-7d5e-47ec-b079-420b2a1cbd6c&locale=en_GB this looks like a good deal all in

[hearty mural]

It is a good price but the eq5 is not enough for the 200p, the motors would also need to be replaced

[keen bone]

how is this? https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1714177289385741/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A97d29a89-7d5e-47ec-b079-420b2a1cbd6c&locale=en_GB

[hearty mural]

Same weight class, a bit better but also not enough for a 200p

[keen bone]

do you have any suggestions i can look or?

[hearty mural]

Ideally you need an eq6 or harmonic mount similar to an am5

[keen bone]

that is quite very expensive

[hearty mural]

Yeah but anything smaller won't work that well or at all (for imaging, visual is fine on the eq5)

The cheapest harmonic you can get is 1400$

[keen bone]

https://www.astroshop.eu/telescopes/skywatcher-telescope-n-254-1200-explorer-250pds-eq6-pro-synscan-goto/p,19171?utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=19171&utm_campaign=2410&utm_source=froogle&utm_content= how is this deal

[hearty mural]

These bundles are all for visual, they max out the mount payload which isn't good for imaging

It's also the older eq6 version with no rowan belts

[keen bone]

how about the HEQ5?

11kg for imaging, the 200P-DS is 8.7kg or so

its also way cheaper like £500 with GoTo

[hearty mural]

It's on the very edge, most people will tell you to not get the heq5 for an 8"

It's not that heavy but it's large enough to catch any wind

What would be your budget? To see what kind of compromise can be made

[keen bone]

like all in I cant really spend more than £1500 right now for mount, telescope, camera and adaptors

[hearty mural]

How much is it minus camera and adapters?

[keen bone]

maybe £940

i want a newtonian for the viewing angle because of a back injury i cant really use a refractor

[hearty mural]

I see

While keeping in mind that the eq5 isn't enough for the 200p, getting that Facebook listing + an onstep goto kit to make it fully goto could be an option to stay in budget

Visual would be fine and you can at least attempt to take pics, guiding is a must with that focal length tho

[keen bone]

yeah

that listing is quite far from where i live

[hearty mural]

Could ask to meet halfway?

[keen bone]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/439020419150777/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3Ab1a6a71c-54dc-44ff-ba57-e02eaaca84d3&locale=en_GB how about this

[hearty mural]

Pretty good, the belt upgrade is really good

[keen bone]

only thing with that is id need to magic up £500 to buy the full setup

[hearty mural]

I need to stop repeating words so much 🤦‍♂️

[keen bone]

lol

[hearty mural]

Have you considered a 150pds?

[keen bone]

the only thing that makes me not want it is the far smaller aperature

and the fact that its just as expensive

[hearty mural]

Is it?

[keen bone]

yes

[hearty mural]

Have you checked other brands?

[keen bone]

not really

ive looked at this dobsonian and i kinda turned it down

[hearty mural]

Ah you know why it's that expensive, it's the dual speed focuser

[keen bone]

yes

[hearty mural]

While the 200p as the more basic one

[keen bone]

the normal 200P focuser isnt great

and people say the 200P-DS is far better for astrophotography

[hearty mural]

Yep

[keen bone]

how about a cassegrain?

[hearty mural]

But the dual speed focuser also has some issues, you might as well buy the 200p and swap the focuser yourself

[keen bone]

would be lighter than a newtonian right?

[hearty mural]

Wouldn't it give you the same issue as the refractor?

[keen bone]

which ones

[hearty mural]

The back issue you mentioned

[keen bone]

oh i forgot it refelcts back

i forgot how they worked for a minute lol

i could just install a secondary screen onto my camera and look through that

but that is quite annoying yeah

[hearty mural]

They're much shorter but the focal length is a lot more, for dso it would be very tough to use

[keen bone]

would a dobsonian be good?

[hearty mural]

Purely for visual sure

And planetary I guess

[keen bone]

what about a dob with GoTo preinstalled

[hearty mural]

Same thing, they're not that useful for dso

[keen bone]

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/skywatcher-skyliner-250px-flex-tube-synscan-goto-dobsonian-telescope-with-wifi.html i could probably fit this just into the budget with the camera and the accessories

i think id visual DSO but only really photograph planets

[hearty mural]

Cheaper than I expected

[keen bone]

it looks like a pretty good deal

i dont thnik it has a dual focuser though

[hearty mural]

Nope

[keen bone]

would the focuser on this be that bad though

[hearty mural]

What kind of light pollution do you have?

[keen bone]

4

[hearty mural]

Ooh that's nice

[keen bone]

yeah

[hearty mural]

These are usable for visual and planetary, it's for dso that it really has to be accurate

[keen bone]

see i have an evostar 90 right now

[hearty mural]

If the plan is to shoot just planets I'd scrap using the dslr

[keen bone]

i can hardly use it though

its a refractor

[keen bone]

im getting the DSLR for other things too

[hearty mural]

Yeah Ik but still, a decent planetary cam is less than 200£

[keen bone]

like the uranus c/

[hearty mural]

And the results are considerably better

[hearty mural]

That one is a bit more, like 350

But it's also the top of the line rn

[keen bone]

its quite good though isnt it

[keen bone]

wouldnt the ASI585MC Pro be top of the line or so

i mean this looks kinda great

[hearty mural]

Any with the 585 sensor

[keen bone]

yeah it looks incredible

[hearty mural]

All pics, or at least most, taken by tom are with the 585

A ton of them are in the hall of fame

[keen bone]

290 on aliexpress

[keen bone]

yeah but im guessing he has an awesome scope too

big aperature big focal length

[hearty mural]

16", pretty big

[keen bone]

yeah thats quite big

the uranus c is 270 on aliexpress i just found

[hearty mural]

I'd get that over zwo

[keen bone]

hm

i still want to get the DSLR first before everything else

[deft jacinth]

yo u in the uk right?

[keen bone]

yea

[deft jacinth]

for uranus c

jsut get it from player one themselves

its 369usd

which in gbp

is like 279

or smt

[keen bone]

its more than aliexpress

[deft jacinth]

ye

i mean ive personally never used ali express

[hearty mural]

You have to account for import and vat

[keen bone]

oh yeah aliexpress sucks like that

[deft jacinth]

player one offer free shipping for order above 299 usd

[hearty mural]

They usually detract vat on checkout

I didn't say shipping

[deft jacinth]

dont mind the uv/ir cut

on final checkout

it gives me that

[hearty mural]

What I mean is that vat and import taxes are a separate thing

[deft jacinth]

i swr usually it would say on final checkout then

[hearty mural]

And uk customs are bastards and will charge for everything

[deft jacinth]

in the end

on paypal

it comes up had 391 usd

it hasnt showed any vat or import tax

idk why tho

[hearty mural]

Because you get charged that after it goes through customs

When I bought from flo last year I had to pay 50% of the product+ shipping price

And it wasn't on the checkout as they can't estimate how much it will be

[deft jacinth]

wait so

did they send u a message

once it reached customs

asking to pay up

[hearty mural]

No, when it got to my door they asked for the import tax

[deft jacinth]

oh

r u being serious?

or like is that a joke

[hearty mural]

Why wouldn't I?

[deft jacinth]

damn

[keen bone]

dont worry

the government will use that money to pay for his sons accomodation while he studies his gcses

👍

[hearty mural]

Lol

[keen bone]

not gone to waste

[deft jacinth]

damn

[keen bone]

okay so

if we completely forget about astrophotography

what would be the best combo to buy

[hearty mural]

That 10" dob was good, for visual that's really all you need and simplifies things a bit since you don't have to worry about balance and stuff

But it's not light so you need someone to help move it or some other way like wheels