AM3 – Time for a fantastic change!
This post compare two different mount for astrophotography, the Sky Watcher Star Adventurer GTi and the ZWO AM3.
ASI533MC Pro – The Must-Have Camera for Brilliant astrophotos
For the past couple of months, I have used the ASI533MC Pro as my main imaging camera for astrophotography. In this article, I will share my opinion after four months of use. I have no affiliations with ZWO and the opinion is my own. Sample images In the past few months, the weather here in …
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First light of the ASI533MC Pro
So apparently Santa Claus came around early this year. In my Christmas stocking, he left a brand new ZWO ASI533MC Pro. In this article, I will review my first light experiences with this camera. The ASI533MC Pro The ASI533MC Pro camera is produced by the Chineese company ZWO which is well known for their astrophotography …
Amazing images with the Askar 71F
The author provides an honest review of the Askar 71F telescope, purchased independently. They commend its excellent build quality and affordable price, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced astrophotographers. The telescope offers good optics and ease of use, capturing images of notable astronomical targets with quality results.
The impressive Askar 71F flat-field
I have done it, after using my trusty old Tamron 150 – 600 mm lens for astrophotography for the past 6 months I have decided to purchase a new scope, and I must say that it has been a tough decision. But I decided to get the brand new Askar 71F flat-field refractor. Below I …
How I capture amazing astrophotos
In this post, the author describes their astrophotography process focusing on capturing the Elephant’s Trunk Nebula (IC 1396) from Gjern, Denmark. The procedure entails selecting a target, planning observations, and optimizing equipment setup for night conditions. Initially, challenges like weather and technical issues resulted in only 47 exposures, yielding 70 minutes of usable data. Subsequent attempts increased data accumulation, improving the nebula’s visibility in images significantly, with a total of 7 hours of cumulative observation time leading to greatly enhanced details and structure in the final photographs.
1 Aggravating autoguiding issue – fixed – Superb!
In this post you can read about problems with my guiding set up and how I mangaged to fix these issues in autoguiding with asiair mini, using zip-ties and my cameras L-bracket.
PixInsight is it worth the price?
The reviewer, without any endorsement, shares personal experiences with astral photography upgrades, including the Skywatcher tracker, ASIair mini, and PixInsight software. With the new setup, they achieved better alignment and remote control of their rig. Notable results were captured images of Orion and Andromeda galaxies, and Pleiades, showing significant improvement, particularly after adding auto-guiding.
Finally weather improvements
Enduring two months of overcast weather, March’s improved conditions allowed testing of the ASIair mini in Denmark. Remote operation of the Star Adventurer GTi and a successful Pleiades (M45) photoshoot were achieved with increased exposure times. The ASIair mini impressed, enabling 60-second exposures at ISO 800. Excitement grows for continued collaboration with the ASIair mini.
New Equipment…
In an equipment update, the astrophotographer acquired the ZWO ASIair mini and ZWO 30F4 MiniScope for guiding, awaiting the backordered ZWOASI 120MM MiniGuide Camera. The replacement mount has arrived, prompting anticipation for testing under improved weather. The ASIair’s potential, highlighted by Astrobackyard’s Trevor Jones, is yet to be personally explored, with the compact Mini impressing during initial testing. Excitement builds for its integration with the Nikon Z5 and Tamron 150-600mm lens for enhanced polar alignment