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Re: (meteorobs) Wee bit OT ..
At 17:53 21/12/01 -0500, you wrote:
I could be mistaken
about this but I do seem to recall a posting where someone said that the
digitial cameras were either not capable of meteor photog or not a good
choice for that type of astrophotog. But like I say i could be
mistaken.
I think you are correct ...
Digital cameras are unsuitable,because they have a low signal to noise
ratio in low light situations,so pictures of the night sky tend to be
very grainy. They also have the disadvantage that they usually have slow
lenses,and limited length of exposure time. For widefield
astrophotography in general the best way to get started without breaking
the bank,is to buy a second hand manual 35mm SLR which has either a
"B" or "T" exposure time setting,which will allow you
to hold the shutter open for the extended periods of time needed for
astrophotography.
Some older Nikon,Canon,Pentax and Olympus camera bodies are
suitable,especially those which require no batteries to hold open the
shutter during a long exposure(this is important when you are out on a
cold winter night and batteries quickly die). You can buy many suitable
bodies cheaply if you shop around (e-bay is a good place to start),and
also lenses,such as 50mm f:1.8's which are very good for astrophotography
(the faster the better)can also be acquired easily and inexpensively.
Also obligatory for any type of astrophotography are a steady tripod and
a cable release for opening and closing the shutter without disturbing
the camera.
Email me privately (l.stachowicz@btinternet.com)if you want some more
info/tips.
Hope this helps,
Leo
References: