Astrophotography with the Sky-Watcher 72ED DS Pro

[@AstroExploring]

WATCH NEXT: HOW TO Photograph the ANDROMEDA GALAXY kzbin.info/www/bejne/lauZlZaDjN9jY6c

[@christophercraig9295]

The MOMENT you said "with pictures" I liked and subscribed to your channel. Thank you!

[@AstroExploring]

Thank you, I appreciate it! My website astroexploring.com has more (better) images now so be sure to check that out 🙂

[@elliottucker]

Thanks so much for this. I've a 72 on order now and looking forward to seeing what I can get from it with my Star Adventurer.

[@AstroExploring]

You’ll love it, it’s a fantastic little scope! Perfect fit for the Star Adventurer 🔭

[@shelialain6347]

Think you could have maybe done a bit more on Pleiades with curves to bring out more blue gases but overall gorgeous images bro! Thank you for including the number of subs, darks, flats, bias and ISO

[@michaeldavis2818]

Thank you Nick...another great video! I appreciate how you break everything down...I recently jumped into astrophotography and your videos give me confidence to keep on trying!

[@AstroExploring]

Thanks Michael, I really appreciate it!

[@melissad9583]

Hi! Love your channel and have been putting together a very similar setup. I'm using the Sky-Watcher Adventurer GTI mount with the ED72, the dedicated Sky-Watcher .85x Reducer/Flattener for Evostar-72ED, a Fotodiox Lens Adapter Astro Edition - Compatible with 48mm and a Sony A7iii camera. The issue that I'm having is that I've got everything all set up and all I see on the camera screen is white. The camera is brand new and works great on its own so it's not broken or anything like that. Also the lens caps are off, the camera levels are not peaking and/or whiting anything out (had it in manual and messed with the ISO and exp...it's all still whited out). I took the camera off and am able to see through the scope just fine. Wondering if there's another adapter that I'm missing that needs to go before the reducer? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[@Procyon23]

Dude you are awesome!! Very clear explanations, I love it! Keep going!

[@AstroExploring]

Wow thanks very much! Glad you like the videos

[@astroazores]

Thanks for the video. I'm actually thinking in acquiring an 72ED for Christmas. Just got an eq3 pro for him.

[@AstroExploring]

It’s a great scope!

[@Theastrocody]

Awesome video! Appreciate the fact that you showed the actual finished projects. Ill be honest, when i saw this scope was a doublet, i kinda shyed away from it. But after seeing what you can do with it, im changed!

[@AstroExploring]

Thanks! More images on my website, which are much better than what I shared here 😃

[@arpadjakab-peter5431]

Nice !!! What do you think about the skywatcher evostar 102mm vs the 72ed?thank you

[@GalaxyArtMedia]

Hi! Nice images, what bortle scale do you have? I have bortle 4 sky at my garden, but still filters do help, my first was an Uhc -s nebula filter from baader, really good price and performance, it will remove a lot of the light pollution or sky glow, and will give you better contrast, i heard good things about the Optolong L pro , but i haven't tested it yet.

[@krista96]

Hi, thanks for the video. I'm thinking of buying the same scope. What's it like for visual please?

[@AstroFarsography]

Man I miss my 72ED. Such a good little scope that punches far above its weight! Nice photos, especially for stock and unguided!

[@AstroExploring]

Thank you!

[@elliottucker]

What happened to your 72ED!?

[@AstroFarsography]

@@elliottucker I sold it off as I have the 80ED also, and I was trying to fund a mount upgrade to the EQ6-R Pro

[@elliottucker]

AstroFarsography fair enough! The R is lovely. My next savings mission.

[@markcook999]

Love all the videos Nick. I have just watched the one about unnecessary darks. All makes good sense. I'll try that next time. Can I ask, did you ever make a video about polar aligning a HEQ5?

[@freddyacosta2358]

Good job! Great images 🤘🏼

[@AstroExploring]

Thank you!

[@Quasar93]

Thank you very much for this great review, Nick and all the links to help us. May I ask you if this telescope can be used with a binoviewer ? Thanks!

[@moonguynextdoor]

Thanks for the video! I use the exact same scope, and I'm wondering how you deal with chromatic aberration? I find that when I shoot Orion nebula, when my exposures are long enough to get detail in the nebula, the bright stars end up with a lot of purple fringing that I can't figure out how to remove without removing colour in the nebula. And I managed to get the scope to a very sharp focus with a bahtinov mask.

[@Jimmy_Cavallo]

💥💥 Thanks for this great video. The shots are amazing. How did you get 2 minute exposures without a tracker and how did you also take 60 images without one…? Also, is there a camera lens that compares in magnification to this scope? It’s very small.

[@konstantin7869]

Hi ! I have Canon 400 5.6 lens. Evostar 72ED looks quite similar from specification point of view. What can I achieve more if I buy Evostar 72ED ?

[@Tuffjobs]

Great photos, do you think an 80mm or 90mm would give you additional performance? I’m just pondering what small scope to buy. L

[@chessymajewski9669]

Hi Nick, great info. Are all your pics flat to the edge with the SW field flattener reducer ? I was thinking of buying one.

[@ianbirkettactionmedia412]

Subd! Great work! I was hoping you could help me out, I have the 72ed, and a rebel t7. I've recently recieved an m48 t ring and the adapter for it to work with the 72ed but I can get it to focus. Any advice?

[@HariKumar-vz2ej]

thank you very much for the nice video. I am recently got interested in astrophotography. please tell me how to take stacking images and also tell me how to identify the celestial bodies. Thank you

[@AstroExploring]

I have a video on my channel that will explain how to take images here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHPWd416pd6Bnrc&t and I have another video explaining how to find objects here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGbCo3iZr9d9iNU&t

[@HariKumar-vz2ej]

@@AstroExploring thank you very much

[@marceegee9277]

Hi Nick, nice review. I have similar set up but with modded 450D & Nikon D7000. Also run PHD2, APT. Marc

[@AstroExploring]

Nice! PHD2 and APT are the next step for me this year, probably in the next few months, but for now I enjoy my simple setup

[@anandarunakumar6819]

Great and simple.

[@dwaynekambrook5895]

great stuff..keep them coming

[@AstroExploring]

Thank you! New video coming later 🔭

[@LAshotts]

Brilliant. Man after my own heart. Out Christmas night 👍

[@Jtomba06]

How does well does it balance in dec? I noticed you still have the stock dovetail. With my canon and field flattener, I find it very camera heavy, and feel like I could use 2-3 more inches on the dovetail to get it balanced.

[@AstroExploring]

This video is quite old, I actually did an updated video of this last week as it happens. I bought a longer dovetail as it wouldn’t balance in dec but I could still get away with 2 minute subs

[@humlakullen]

Nice work...

[@TheJoffe85]

Nice pics :) I have the same telescope but I cant seem to get it balanced in DEC when i put my flattener and DSLR on it, it's just to heavy in the back and no more room to move it foreward, do you have the same problem?

[@AstroExploring]

Yea the dovetail for the 72ED is too short. I bought longer ADM dovetails from FirstLightOptics instead and now I’m all sorted 🙂

[@artiliam8104]

Do you not balance your scope ?

[@jerryguzman5281]

hi is filter drawer possible for this setup?

[@dflash0]

Hi, great video. Did you find it necessary to use a field flattener, or would a t-mount would have done the trick? I'm about to pull the trigger and buy the telescope and the tracker, but dont want to spend the extra $200 for the flatterer until some time in the future when I get more $$$

[@AstroExploring]

Thanks! You will need to make sure there is 55mm backspace between the camera and tube assembly, otherwise you won’t be able to achieve focus. You don’t have to use the flattener that I use but you will need to use something to get the spacing right

[@dflash0]

AstroExploring anything you can recommend? I have no idea where to look.

[@AstroExploring]

I would recommend the field flattener that I use over anything else BUT you could try the OVL flattener instead, many people use it with the 72ED with great success. Check it out here: www.firstlightoptics.com/reducersflatteners/ovl-field-flattener/ref/astroexploring/

[@astrosheepy3906]

Do you need any additional adaptors to attach the flattener to the scope?

[@AstroExploring]

If you buy the flattener from FLO then it comes with an adapter as the thread is different on the 72ED to the rest of the evostar range. You could also try purchasing the OVL flattener which doesn’t need an adapter and is cheaper but it isn’t a reducer as well so it doesn’t change the f ratio

[@goonerwin1]

great vid, looking at buying this scope. quick question, did you need the flatener/reducer for your camera, or did you just get the m48 camera adaptor

[@AstroExploring]

You will need more than just an m48 adapter, otherwise you won’t have enough back spacing to achieve focus. I use a field flattener as that’s the best choice for astrophotography but you could also use a star diagonal, Barlow and t ring but I’m not sure what the quality of the images would be like 🙂

[@technosaurusrex7152]

Can you get a field flattener that does not reduce focal length?

[@AstroExploring]

Yes the OVL flattener doesn’t reduce

[@richyp46]

This is great thank you! I'm currently researching a decent beginners setup and landed at the HEQ5 Mount and either the Evostar 72 or 80 Pro. I have a dslr that I intend to mount and where you say not to worry about auto guidance and software automation is music to my ears as I want to keep it simple! Do you use a camera remote to take the exposures or are they set up directly on the camera itself?

[@AstroExploring]

What a great way to start! If your budget can stretch then I would go for the 80ED as the 72 is a little too light for for HEQ5 without extra equipment really, but I get on just fine with it 🙂 I use a remote shutter release yes, you can get them for about £15 off Amazon

[@richyp46]

@@AstroExploring Excellent, thanks for the advice! I'm really looking forward to expanding out into the stars with my photography! :)

[@detectiveamevirus8]

I wish have goto and camera sometime i kindda boring with visual astronomy cause light pollution level 8 and 7

[@AstroExploring]

Visual astronomy is just as good! Light pollution filters are your friend if you want to image from Bortle 7/8 😊

[@Jonners]

A basic question, but does the 72ed work with full frame? I have Sony ff, where do you recommend to get the mounts? Thanks.

[@AstroExploring]

Yes full frame cameras will work fine. A crop sensor is nice because it gives you 1.6x more focal length, so full frame will just give you a wider field of view that’s all. I generally buy my gear at FirstLightOptics but they don’t seem to sell anything for Sony. I did a quick Google and there are plenty of online shops that do though

[@Jonners]

@@AstroExploring Thanks for the info. Found some, I assume itsbthe Sony to T2 mount? Love your content.

[@bushcraftandastronomer.3775]

Hi Nick. Very very nice images you got from your little telescope!!! I'm impressed how they have turned out! I live in bottle 6 sky which isn't that good but I've had success with bottle 6 and with my Samsung S7 smartphone just on tripod managed to photograph the constellation on Andromeda and I was amazed I got the M31 as a faint small dot which made me so happy that a smartphone just on tripod managed to pick it up! This telescope your using can it photograph the horse head nebula? It's one target I'd like to try and photograph with telescope. Is this telescope ideal to photograph nebula? Will you in future try and photograph the now famous M16 the eagle nebula? It's got so much fame now thanks to Hubble space telescope Pillars of creation!!! This little telescope I'm eyeing up right now as its light and very portable!

[@AstroExploring]

Thank you! I’ve improved a lot since then, it’s much more capable than I can do justice to be honest! I’ve photographed the Horsehead nebula with it and it fits in the field of view very well. M16 is absolutely a target that’s very high on my list, I just need the weather to comply!

[@bushcraftandastronomer.3775]

@@AstroExploring Hi Nick. I just want to say a big thank you for helping me decide to get this little telescope as yesterday evening I ordered it from first light optics and I can't wait till I get it! Just can't wait till the nights get dark again. With telescope and skywatcher star adventurer I will have alot of fun taking shots of the deep sky objects I want to photograph. How long does it take to get it delivered to you? Again thank you so much for your advice and helping me deciding on this little telescope!!!

[@AstroExploring]

Hey no problem! 😃 you’ll love it! If it’s in stock then it’ll only take a couple of days to arrive assuming you’re in the UK?

[@bushcraftandastronomer.3775]

@@AstroExploring I'll let you know when it comes and what I think of it when I hold it! I live in Scotland as I'm Scottish! I hope this autumn winter time I'll get up to highlands and I know magnifficent Glencoe near Fort William is a dark sky location and has bortle 2 rating and there is a camp site next to visitors centre and there is a track that eventually leads middle of nowhere and it's really quiet area. I could go to Cairngorms national park and I recently found out from peaple that uig in isle of Skye is a really dark sky location and the peaple said in uig the milky way is stunning there. This is why I wanted the skywatcher star adventurer and that little telescope to take with me and do deep sky photography in dark location so I can put both in backpack with tent etc. Last October at Glencoe camp site I camped at site for 5 nights and I took flexible tripod and Hauwei p20 to do smartphone astrophotography and got fantastic shots of Orion Taurus and the seven sisters and I got really good shot of milky way. Hauwei.p20 smartphone is fantastic for astrophotography and star trails too. Very impressed with this phone for astrophotography. I've got pixel 4 smartphone and it's got alot of hype with it's astrophotography mode and I know under dark skies it'll be amazing! I love doing smartphone astrophotography!

[@thekiwisoapcompany6360]

beautiful :)

[@drkumarharaprasadmisra5562]

Can planets photography possible by this?

[@AstroExploring]

It’s not really designed for planetary photography. You’ll need something with a much great focal length than this

[@T-Bear]

Next time please drop the zooming out on the images. We want time to actually study them. Can't do that when you remove them before they are even properly zoomed out Other than that. Nice stuff. Thanks for the vid

[@AstroExploring]

Thanks for the feedback, that’s really helpful. I created this video when I hadn’t been on KZbin very long and I’m still learning now 🙂