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Re: (meteorobs) Photographic Meteor Rates (Reply)
George Zay wrote:
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>Hi Ed!
>The equipment you are referring to above doesn't sound like the typical
>equipment for one to easily find on the market. I highly doubt the average
>joe is going to come up with a Baker Super Schmidt Meteor Camera at
>f/0.65....and if he did, I think you are going to hear some screeching brakes
>when he see's the price tag. You also mentioned the use of a Kodak Aero Ektar
>camera...not too many folks can get their hands upon an aircraft camera
>lately either. I think the average person...particularly the novice is going
>to start out with a 35mm....and probably stick with the 35mm....or perhaps go
>to the medium format at best. I think camera info for beginners would be more
>useful if given in terms of a 35mm camera.
Normal 35MM CAMERA's fall into the TYPE "B" catagory of Millman's
classification. Aero cameras also fall into this catagory. One often sees
surplus aero lenses for sale. ie: F-2.5 - 178mm Kodak Aero Ektars. I
mounted one in a box with a 4X5 cut film holder at it's focus and it works
great. The shutter is just a metal flap that covers the lens when changing
plates. Old press cameras fall into the TYPE "A" catagory. Examples are
Crown Graphics or Speed Graphics with F-4.5 speed or similar lenses. These
are available in the used camera markets. By conventional, I mean normal
camera lenses. Nothing special. I know you won't find a Super Schmidt in
amateur hands. I'm not even sure if professionals are using them. I heard
a rumor that the ones used at Harvard were cut up for scrap!! Can anyone
confirm this? Back in the 1970's Gale A. Harvey at NASA/LRC used special
maksutov cameras to secure spectra of faint meteors. Does anyone know what
happend to these cameras?
>
>Another useful book for meteor photography...particularly for beginners is
>the one by Juergen Rendtel for IMO entitled "Handbook for Photographic Meteor
>Observations". I think it will be a little more easier to acquire than the
>one's by Millman and others you have listed.
>George Zay
The books I mentioned should be in a good library. I got mine in used book
stores a few years back.
Ed
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Edward Majden epmajden@mars.ark.com
1491 Burgess Road Meteor Spectroscopy
Courtenay, B.C. CCD's - P.E.P.
CANADA V9N-5R8 Amateur Astronomy