Deep Sky Object Astrophotography using a 90mm Maksutov telescope

[@MikeViker]

90Maks never die, never ever, are like the red dwarfs of telescopes!

[@rd_0939]

But red dwarfs die

[@oninoyakamo]

I'm really amazed how little love the 90mm MCT gets as a starter scope. Simple, powerful, low-maintenance, portable, storable; it'll show an absolute novice fantastic views of every object in the night sky they can see with their bare eyes

[@JenhamsAstro]

100% agree. I love the C90. The original model from the 80s/90s was not received very well (personally I quite like it though!), and maybe as a result a few people don't give the current, hugely improved version a chance.

[@Astrolavista]

Very good results at f13 or so, well done, the mighty little Mak strikes again!

[@oldfilmguy9413]

THANK YOU!! This has made me quite hopeful of some interesting photos. I just acquired the Celestron C90 and the SkyWatcher adventurer. Can't wait for some clear skies! Cheers!

[@JenhamsAstro]

Old Film Guy You can definitely get good results on planets, and with a little more practise on a range of other targets as well. Let me know how you are getting on. Graham

[@colettepeekaboochew1906]

Your comment was from a year ago, but I wonder if you ended up finding the skywatcher adventurer did work well with the c90?

[@oldfilmguy9413]

@@colettepeekaboochew1906 unfortunately I have ended up moving so never got to shoot anything yet, but on the positive side I have moved to a much darker sky location, so when house is finished should be able to have some fun!

[@colettepeekaboochew1906]

@@oldfilmguy9413 Well wishing you clear skies! Thanks for taking the time to reply back :)

[@bj25astrofishing49]

Good video. the capacity of the C90 for DSO beyond planetary, lunar and sun! I want buy a C90!!!

[@AndyinMokum]

I have a Sky-Watcher 102/1300 f13 Mak. It's a great scope and I love it. Maksutovs may look diminutive and dinky; however, they pack a might big punch 🔭🌒😀!

[@AndyinMokum]

@Lone.Nature You'll get a lot more light gathering with the 102mm compared to the only slightly smaller 90mm. The bigger the aperture, the more light is gathered. This is always a good thing. 🔭🌒😀.

[@ericemanuelson5128]

Great video! I'm brand new at astro imaging I just ordered the Orion starshoot mini 6.3 color. And was hoping to do basically simple astrophotography with it mostly with my Nexstar 8se with reducer and the 4se ota. I installed sharpcap. hopefully I can manage some decent images. I didn't want anything heavy on the se mount.

[@AmatureAstronomer]

Just bought a Celestron 90 SLT today, to get the go to mount. Plus, I really have no planetary telescope. Hope this will do.

[@mike7836]

I love my C90! Awesome video! Have you considered trying to attach the Celestron 0.63 focal reducer on it? Though you’ll need an adapter from ScopeStuff. There’s a post on it on cloudynights. People use the setup for visual purposes as it makes the c90 a 787mm focal length and f/9 scope. I wonder how that setup works for DSO imaging.

[@JenhamsAstro]

Thanks Michael. My C90 is on the desk next to my PC as I type - the perfect small scope! Yes I've read the CN exchanges, but so far have not tried it as I have another apo scope when i need a faster ratio. It does sound like a good topic for a video though, so I'll keep a look out for a used reducer! Clear skies, Graham

[@zhyfn9773]

I was a little surprised that your Orion nebula was not imaged with great details but M27 and 57 looks amazing

[@JenhamsAstro]

Hello, you're right. I could return to Orion and capture a better shot. It's on the (long) list! Clear skies.

[@Py1axRADIOAMADORISMOSEMSTRESS]

Hellow i have 90mm x 1200mm sukov dreika i just saw jupter cand see the stripes but try foto all white and in your video you can see deep space im very hapoy for that because i fhink i just can see planets end is it the end but now open a good opcion to kip this telescope long time tks 73 py1ax cw forever matsukov

[@GvFRNNDZ]

I have a mak90 with goto mount, really your videos have made me resume this hobby that I was passionate about years ago, and now seeing these results I feel more determined to be able to achieve them, thanks for this great work. What parameters do you use in the camera to take these images?

[@JenhamsAstro]

Hi Gustavo, many thanks for the positive feedback, it's great that you are getting back into astro. Most of the images are 60s frames, taken with a range of speeds, generally 1600 or 3200 ISO. Probably slightly less noisy results would come from taking 20 or more 60s frames at 1600, and then stacking them together. Having said that i was very pleased to grab the single frame images from the video. Clear skies to you! Graham

[@XJarhead360]

Excellent video...as always.

[@JoseF-pu1dh]

Great video!

[@tutorialhitechfaidatebrico4240]

I have a National geografic telescope maksutov 90mm 1250mm, can i used reflex with this telescope

[@JungleEddie]

With regard to your m42, Orion Nebula shot, once you stack more than 20 lights the nebulosity will extend beyond the frame. I would max at 500mm focal length for that target.

[@JenhamsAstro]

Yes, it doesn’t really fit. But if you have a Mak it’s worth a go for a bit of fun.

[@milenmetodiev8722]

So helpful video, thank you.

[@nathanbsh5622]

Hi Amazing video! It's very inspiring as I own a 90mm Maksutov myself. I had a question though, did you add the colours of the nebulae in post-processing or were they already there on the original exposures?

[@JenhamsAstro]

Thanks. The colours are straight from the camera. For images made from stacking multiple frames then the processing pulls out the contrast and brightness but I haven't adjusted (or added) the colour.

[@chadulifera167]

I think it would’ve been nice if it were stacked. Especially the dumbbell

[@matheusmartignago3824]

Hello, I love your vídeos !!! I'm from Santa Catarina, Brasil. What would u say about the explore scientific 100mm mak-cassegrain for deep space ? Can I do good views and pics in a eq3 mount ? Thank you.

[@JenhamsAstro]

Thanks Matheus! A mak scope like that will give good views of small, "bright" deep sky objects like globular clusters and planetary nebula (as well as of planets and the moon) but it won't be so good for large and/or fainter objects like galaxies or emission nebula (for which other telescope designs are better suited). No scope does everything! An eq3 is adequate for the scope, for visual observation. Taking pictures needs practice, and ideally the mount needs to be driven at least in RA.

[@MW-hf5nk]

Still very good quality for low budget!

[@robertpendergast2620]

Thanks, very useful.

[@alexalmeida8627]

I have an Orion Maksutov 90mm which I bought years ago just to check if astrophotography was something I would enjoy. Now I was wondering if I could use it during the galaxy session since my main scope is a wide view redcat 51 which is basically only good for nebulas. After watching your video I decided to try. I will try using my equatorian mount, a guide scope and take long exposures. I have a class 3 skies so I have a good feeling about it.

[@JenhamsAstro]

On a positive, the field of view is suited to small galaxies and I did manage to grab the brighter DSOs in the video, but I think the slow f/ratio and small aperture makes it less than ideal. As always though my view is “try it“ as you’ve already got the kit. I’d be interested to hear how you get on.

[@dialectstat3377]

Thanks for the video. What is the philosophy behind 90mm, why not take 127mm, for example?

[@JenhamsAstro]

It was because at the time I made the video I only owned the 90mm.

[@Joshroses]

The website does not have the option for Camera anymore

[@paulkazjack]

Thats a great setup there. What are your thoughts on the startravel 750 6" refractor for photography? If you say it's good enough I'll buy the RA motor for it.

[@JenhamsAstro]

paulkazjack Hi, a fast achromat like the 150 will give bright images but the problem will be false colour which will produce colour fringing around bright stars. So it wouldn’t be ideal. It’s no help if you already own the 750/150, but for similar money an ED80 is a much better AP scope, albeit with a smaller aperture. Graham

[@paulkazjack]

@@JenhamsAstro ok thanks, I'm kinda thinking I've wasted my money on this scope. It gives a decent wide field view and yes I've noticed the colour fringing in the image.

[@pedade02]

Would it be somehow posible to improve photographs with many photos and then use sofware to post-process them? And does it exist a "focuser reducer" so one could see a larger portion of the sky and get more light in the telescope? thanks for your excellent work.Regards. Denis from Canada.

[@JenhamsAstro]

Thanks Denis. The process of stacking multiple exposures in post processing is indeed the standard way of doing deep sky astrophotography. Tools such as Deep Sky Stacker and Autostakkert are very powerful and free to use. As for reducers, they are commonplace for SCTs and refractors, and I’ve made the first of 2 videos using one of these SCT reducers on a Maksutov - a 127 rather than the C90 in this video. I’m trying it out because I have the reducer already for my SCT scopes. In general people buy Maks for their long focal lengths, often for planetary, lunar or double star observations, where small fields of view don’t matter. There is an argument to say “if you want a wide field scope, buy one!” but it’s fun to see if a Mak can give a wider field using a reducer, just as a challenge. Clear skies, Graham

[@johngraham7045]

Have to agree. I have a Meade 125mm MCT StarNavigator NG and the optics are awesome! Have you ever imagined M87 with a mak? Was wondering if you were able to capture the jet? Some say it's impossible. I've heard on cloudy nights that someone captured it with a small scope. Thanks for any info!

[@JenhamsAstro]

I've never tried M87 with a Mak, but I did manage to record it in an image of the Markarian Chain that I took with my GT81 apo. I think more aperture would be needed to see record much more than a fuzzy blob.

[@DavidMFChapman]

I experimented with my vintage C90 after I refurbished it to improve contrast. I had similar results similar to yours. Have you considered taking multiple frames and stacking to get longer exposures?

[@JenhamsAstro]

Yes i 've used DSS on the C90 frames and it improves the image as expected. I wanted to keep it simple for the video as sometimes i find AP videos disappear down a rabbit-hole of Photoshop cleverness! Maybe i'll do another video using some AP techniques and see how it turns out.

[@manoszotos]

Thank you for all the informations you are giving to us.What is your opinion for focal reducer on a Mak90 to have better aperture.Have you ever try it? Furthermore your DSLR have IR FILTER removed or not.Very good job with your photos.

[@JenhamsAstro]

Thanks!! I haven't used a reducer on my C90 so I'd have to rely on the opinion of others from the astro forums (e.g. Cloudy Nights, Stargazers Lounge). I've heard it can work but personally i have a fast apo scope so have never tried to make the Mak faster. My DSLR mod only removed the rear filter, and was not a "full spectrum" mod.

[@dmitrymukha]

Thanks for the video! Do you have any advice or a video for how to improve focusing on such setups? I find it hard to nail focus on SW 90 MAK.

[@JenhamsAstro]

Dmitry Mukha Hello Dmitry, I normally use a bahtinov mask to focus on a bright star close to your target. Review the image as you focus by viewing the camera output live on a laptop. You can buy masks quite cheaply, either metal ones or more sophisticated/costly acrylic masks.

[@dmitrymukha]

@@JenhamsAstro thanks, the mask might help! What I also thought about is a focuser, because I cannot do very small adjustments with the standard knob on the SW. Do you know if it's possible to add a focuser to a 90 MAK? Thank you for help and for your time.

[@JenhamsAstro]

Dmitry Mukha The small gap between the centre of the tube and the focus knob means you can’t fit a 2nd focuser in the way that I did in a video on my channel about a 150 Mak. The options involve making a DIY bracket to hold a motor and then a belt (a bit of work and time) or a low tech approach. These can include clipping a clothes peg to the focus knob (I am not kidding!!) or fitting a plastic lid from, for example, a marmite pot, over the knob. I do this on my 127. These crazy sounding options are basically free and worth a try. They do help.

[@dmitrymukha]

@@JenhamsAstro omg, right! I should just make it a bigger radius. Thanks!

[@Badong2713]

Hello jenham, what is the name of your mount and drive? I have a c90 but a crappy alt az mount. I need some assist haha thanks!

[@JenhamsAstro]

Hi, the mount in the video is a Vixen AP equatorial, which is a nice lightweight simple mount that suffers mainly due to being far too expensive for what it is! More helpfully, there are a lot of mount choices out there that don't reach Vixen prices. I assume you are looking for a small to medium payload equatorial that would suit a C90 and perhaps a future, larger scope. Correct me if this is wrong. Depending on where you are in the world I'd research the local costs of a Skywatcher EQM-35 or an Orion Skyview Pro. These are quite portable and will handle the C90 easily. Spending less money? Try an EQ3 mount with motors and no GOTO (or similar). Spending more? Go for a Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro (which is the same as an Orion Atlas EQ-G). These are heavier mounts that would be capable of much larger payloads. I hope this helps narrow the field a bit. Graham

[@louamato6332]

Thank you for the video and images. What drive are you using? I assume that's the expensive part of this setup, although the Cannon might get pricy too? Very inspiring, none the less.

[@JenhamsAstro]

Hello Lou, I used a Vixen AP mount, which is a modern version of the old New/Great/Super Polaris mounts. It's a nice mount but pricey, as you suspected. There are other mounts that should track as well for less money e.g. the Skywatcher EQ3 or more modern EQM-35. The main thing is to align whatever mount you have as carefully as possible when setting up for the night, and even before that, to make sure the any polar scope is mechanically aligned with the scope's polar axis correctly. These are daytime checks that you do once with a new mount, that will get the best performance when using tracking but no guiding. If you think your future involves a lot of astrophotography then get an over-sized mount if budget allows, to further help with tracking performance. The Canon I use is a 700D - not the latest model. You can get started with lots of used EOS models, but if you want to try this route then make sure you get a model with a "LiveView" capability. I hope this helps, Graham

[@natem7440]

@@JenhamsAstro I think you should do some videos on setting up the mounts like Vixen or Skywatcher. There are some out there but in my opinion not very many good ones. I try to get my HEQ5 dead on - but I'm always a bit off more than i want. Close though - but the fine tuning tweaks would be gold. I would think my HEQ5 would be as good or better than your vixen but when i see your image i doubt I could track for 60s unguided and keep sharp stars at 1300 mm.

[@deanblackwell2090]

I've oftened wonderd what difference a focal reducer would make on a Mak for astro photography - surely its going to allow you to fit larger targets in - have to admit to not trying it myself yet tho

[@JenhamsAstro]

I’ve got a reducer/corrector for my SCT but I don’t have an adapter to fit it to my Mak. I’ve read that it should work but like you it’s never reached the top of my list of things to try. Maybe a new year project.

[@mota23940]

Congratulations. Grate video. Did you removed the IR filter of the sensor camera to take this pictures? Witch ISO was configured and time exposition in each photo?

[@JenhamsAstro]

Thanks. Yes the camera has been modified. Most of the photos used ISO 3200 and 60s exposures, unless it says otherwise.

[@HelmutBemboka]

Another really great video, thanks so much! I'll probably get this scope, based on your great advice. However I'd like to get a mount first (without the tripod). You mentioned EQ3. Could you please tell me what brand that would be? Thanks!

[@JenhamsAstro]

EQ3 is more of a size that a brand. I'd take a look at Skywatcher and iOptron mounts if you want to go equatorial, but also make sure you check out the SW AZ GTi as well - you can use it with a wedge but unless you plan to do long exposure photography then alt-az is fine, it includes GOTO, Wifi and will track.

[@HelmutBemboka]

@@JenhamsAstro ok great - thanks for the tips! Looking forward to seeing more of your videos! I think I might get the Skywatcher Adventurer.

[@patrickwishart5632]

Great video! I'm interested in both observation and astrophotography and I have the option of getting a Mak90 or a Mak102. Should I get the 90 or splurge for the 102? Better planetary views from the 102 are making me lean towards that right now but I'm not 100% committed. Thanks!

[@JenhamsAstro]

Hi Patrick, the difference in views will be quite small, and different focal ratios can be a factor as well. Personally I love my C90. It’s small, collimatable (although this is a small point really as Maks shouldn’t need any adjustment unless dropped!) and it can also be used on a photo tripod. It’s close to f/14 whereas many 102s are f/12. You won’t go far wrong with either though. Small Maks are good value. Just be aware that visually the planets are not amazing with small scopes but the same scope can produce detailed images if you stack a bunch of video frames. This probably hasn’t helped but it’s my 2p. Graham

[@patrickwishart5632]

@@JenhamsAstro No sir, that was very helpful info! Thanks very much, clear skies!

[@polmontwojtek]

Hi, I wonder if it's possible to use MAK C90 with the focal reducer/field flattener ?. This will greatly improve the possibility of imaging the DSO's Did you ever try do do use it ?

[@JenhamsAstro]

It is possible but I haven’t done it. The scope would still be quite slow for imaging so I haven’t pursued it. Normally I use a refractor setup at f/5.

[@davisdegarbo]

If MCT's have greater contrast characteristics vs their SCT counterparts, due to smaller central obstructions, would you say that the improvement in contrast will also translate into astrophotography?

[@JenhamsAstro]

DrDavis Good question. I suppose it should yes as diffraction is cited as the main source of the contrast delta. It may be true for a Mak like the C90 with a “classic” long focal ratio, but I have some doubt if the contrast delta is significant for an f/12 MCT vs an f/10 SCT. Also the baffle sizing may cancel the CO benefit. I’d be interested to hear your view.

[@davisdegarbo]

@@JenhamsAstro I remember my old Meade 8 inch SCT at f/6.3 had terrible contrast characteristics. It was fast for photography however. The central obstruction was also quite large. My cheap 4 inch refractor trumps it at at 10% the cost of what I paid. I think you're right, f/12 MCT vs an f/10 SCT may not yield much of a difference but an f/15 MCT might. Perhaps the deciding factor for contrast ultimately comes down to the smaller obstruction, f # and OTA construction no matter what the native design of the scope is.

[@ericdiaz2144]

Beautiful video 👏🏼 What astronomy camera would you recommend for the c 90 ) deep sky and planetary .? Thanks

[@JenhamsAstro]

Thanks Eric. The C90 is best suited to planets, even though the video took it out of it's comfort zone to some suitable (i.e. small and bright) deep sky objects like globular clusters and planetary nebulae. For planets, you can start with a converted Webcam or invest a little more in a camera like the ZWO ASI-120MC. If you already own a DSLR you can try that for the DSOs, but I would not suggest investing in a DSLR specifically to use with the C90. Other scopes are better suited. I hope this helps. Graham

[@JenhamsAstro]

Lone.Nature Of the 2 cameras, for deep sky a DSLR is best. An ASI 120 is best suited to planets.

[@GoldSrc_]

Not bad for a scope as slow as that.

[@anuranjan0101]

I opted for 90 mm after seeing your video..great video.. two questions is your camera astromodded. How is tracking accuracy at 1200mm ( i hav skyguider pro)

[@JenhamsAstro]

Hello, yes it has been modded. I limit exposures to 60s generally, which is fine as long as I get the alignment accurate. I imagine you may need to use shorter exposures with the skyguider. It's not the easiest deep sky rig though. The video was intended to see the C90's abilities when taken outside of its planetary astrophotography comfort zone. It works, but you need to pick the right targets.

[@anuranjan0101]

@@JenhamsAstro thanks mate for taking out the time to reply... Looking forward to more such contents from you !! In future i will even try a focal reducer with it... what do i hab to lose ryt !! other than may b some time 😀😀

[@polmontwojtek]

Thanks for video. I have aquestion, did you ever use teleconverter with your C90 ?.

[@JenhamsAstro]

No I've only ever used a barlow lens.

[@garyll1755]

Hello. Just purchased Star Adventure GTi. Can I get away with no guiding for beginner astrophoto with my new mount for the time being? Using a 102mm mak for now. Saw some decent photo's you did with c90. Plan on getting a SW 72ED refractor later on. Not looking to do top notch photo's. Is guiding for better tracking? Need to build up funds for more accessories. My rig is mainly for visual's. Any help would be appreciated. Retirement years. Thanks

[@JenhamsAstro]

Hi Gary, guiding allows longer exposures without trailing issues caused by poor alignment or mount tolerances. You can definitely take photos without it but you’ll need to take time to get a good polar alignment, and then shorten your exposure times compared to when guiding. As your Mak has a longish focal length then this will show up alignment errors more quickly than a fast refractor. Taking all this into account I’d say try it with 30s and see how you get on. Alignment is the key and mount leveling, and not moving the mount by accident, then up the ISO and stack lots of these sub frames. Let me know how you get on! Graham

[@TheInvisibleOrange26]

Ha! Where useing the exact same setup the GTI adventurer and the 102mak!

[@jeromemorespeeder3503]

Hello, thanks for your video. I have a problem with my c90mak. I have mount a 8-24mm ocular and all was fine until now.. on the 24mm the image is clear and define but when I push more than 24mm the picture is blurry and I can’t find the point where the picture is clear. Do you think that the problem come from the c90 or from the ocular please? Thanks you for your help 👍

[@JenhamsAstro]

Hi Jerome, from your message i assume you have adjusted the focus when you use a focal length lower than 24mm, without success? (These zoom EPs need to be refocused when the zoom is adjusted, that is to say they are not "parfocal"). If so then do you have another fixed focal length EP to try? This would allow you to see if the C90 or the 8-24 is the problem. Without this it is difficult to know where the problem lies. Has the C90 and zoom EP worked in the past? I'm wondering if either could have taken a knock. Let me know.

[@jeromemorespeeder3503]

Jenham's Astro Hi and thanks for your answer, yes I had refocused when I zoomed to 8/12mm. I have checked the collimation today and all is fine but I have try to look outdoor and the general quality is not as good as usual.. at 100/200m is ok but at 1/2km I lost lot of definition, the temperature is really hot for the moment in Belgium (35c day/21c night) and I think there is lot of atmospheric turbulence, it’s the first time I have this problem and this could be the answer.. have to wait that the temperature fall to be sure. Thanks you 🤞

[@Webrisernl]

Thanks alot.. how you know what shutterspeed you need to use?

[@JenhamsAstro]

Set Bulb and then ideally 30-60s at ISO1600.

[@matthewsespico2381]

This is fantastic! I have a nikon3100 and a 150 mak cass. Any chance I could get some decent results with those?

[@JenhamsAstro]

Thanks. Yes the only other things you would need would be a tracking mount and some practice. The 150 Mak is, like all Maks, known firstly as a planetary telescope, but the idea of the video was to show that smaller and relatively bright deep sky objects can be captured as well. Clear skies!

[@matthewsespico2381]

@Jenham's Astro Thank you! And practice for sure. My mak is an f/12 and I just barely pick up m51 which Starry Night software says is an 8th mag.

[@lucianavasiloiei7864]

Thank you!

[@petert2098]

I just sold my C90 because I never used it. After viewing this video, I think I made a mistake ! :(

[@JenhamsAstro]

I have my own list of "kit i should never have sold", if that helps!

[@さくらの目利き]

Peter T of course, but you can buy now a better telescope with widen aperture, cause mak90 is for the beginners anyway

[@dedskin1]

no, you can get a 50$ telezoom lens for DSLR and get a sharper image , less magnification but for astrophoto you dont need it anyway so , your mistake was that you didnt sell it to me for i helped you and potentially saved you money if you would say buy a new scope for astro , that would be a mistake for tracking is waht is important .

[@nicolamellia.9057]

Hey nice video but what could I use as lens for this telescope. I was thinking of a barlow lens always from celestron called omni 1.25. What do you think?

[@JenhamsAstro]

If you are thinking about eyepieces, then telescopes of this design do not need expensive designs. A plossl like the omni will work well. But if you wear glasses you may find the eye-relief (the distance behind the eyepiece lens where you place your eye) to be quite short with this type.

[@nicolamellia.9057]

@@JenhamsAstro Hey thanks for the response. Probably gonna buy this for Christmas but I wanna know another thing. Is it fine if I take picture with my phone? I could find an app to change the images. Oh and another thing thing I'd like to know what bahtinov mask do you use for that telescope please.

[@username6135]

2.3 mm eyepiece with 3x Barlo and filters?

[@azalea9409]

Is it possible to get the focal length of the c90 under 500 with a focal reducer or is it impossible?

[@JenhamsAstro]

I’ve never tried a reducer on my Maks but I’ve read in the forums of others that have. Under 500 would be tricky though, easier to buy a small apo?

[@azalea9409]

With all of the adapters you’ll have to put on the C90 it’ll be easier just to buy a apo refractor so I’ll just save up for one.

how did you get 75 seconds exposure without guider scope? Excellent

[@JenhamsAstro]

Thanks! Careful polar alignment and a mount with good tracking did the trick, but on the limit with this scope for sure.

@@JenhamsAstro careful alignment is really hard :):)

[@NWWsnapMOAB]

I just got one

[@whatnotzone6866]

Have you tried using a focal reducer on the C90?

[@JenhamsAstro]

No i haven't although i have read a few comments about them on the forums. I use the C90 partly because of it's relatively long focal length. If i need a shorter FL scope i use my WO GT81. The WO has a reducer which works well.

[@drkumarharaprasadmisra5562]

Can I use the Orion Starmak 90mm Makcass with star adventure tracker ?

[@JenhamsAstro]

Dr Kumar Haraprasad Misra Yes, the star adventurer has a payload of around 5kg whereas that scope scope be around 3kg.

[@drkumarharaprasadmisra5562]

@@JenhamsAstro so can this combination be used for astrophotography of DSOs?

[@JenhamsAstro]

Hello, I wrote a blog article on this here: jenhams.co.uk/is-a-maksutov-a-good-first-scope-for-astrophotography/ The summary is yes, BUT it is not an easy way to start astrophotography.

[@luka0093]

Which Tripod can I buy for this telescope?

[@JenhamsAstro]

Hi, you could just about manage with a sturdy photo tripod, but i advise you to look at a dedicated astro mount to avoid the risk of the scope toppling over. Something like a Skywatcher AZ5 would be a good basic alt-azimuth choice.

[@NWWsnapMOAB]

Did u use barlow?

[@Pedro-lb6ij]

How could you get a dot star with a 60 sec exposure without a auto guide? thanks.

[@JenhamsAstro]

Pedro OcRo Hello, the mount was polar aligned carefully and had a single axis motor drive. This setup is accurate enough to give round star images with 60s exposures with the C90, with no need for guiding.

[@Pedro-lb6ij]

Jenham's Astro thanks

[@apwilcox]

Jenham's Astro what Mount/tripod did you use?

[@jacoh9591]

Hi Jenham. Do you maybe have some suggestion on affordable motorized mounts that the C90 can be used with?

[@JenhamsAstro]

Hello Jaco, as the C90 is small and light there are quite a few choices. Alt-azimuth mounts such as the Skywatcher AZ-GTi are worth a look and include Goto capability. This mount can be used in Equatorial mode as well, and is capable of carrying a larger scope if you upgrade. The Skywatcher EQ3 is another option which you can find in non-goto motorised or goto forms, depending on your budget. I hope this helps, Graham

[@jacoh9591]

@@JenhamsAstro Thanks for the reply. I will have a look at these options. Bought the C90 in the US as it's so much cheaper over there. Finding an affordable decent mount in SA is quite a pain. Go well. Enjoying this informative youtube channel. Keep it up

[@theguy5597]

What mount should I buy for this, I need one which is cheap and not a go to mount

[@JenhamsAstro]

Hi, I would suggest something like a Skywatcher AZ5 if you want to use the scope visually (it is an alt-azimuth mount) with manual tracking using "slow motion" rods, or something like an Orion AstroView EQ if you want tracking and are thinking of developing into photography later. Dependent on where you are in the world some of these mounts are sold under different brand names, so that can add more confusion! Clear skies to you. Graham

[@theguy5597]

Jenham's Astro thanks a lot! But I live in India and astronomy hasn’t really caught on here and most of the telescopes/accessories aren’t available here except on amazon in which either very basic are available or super advanced are and there aren’t any other sites on which u can buy. I am considering to buy a celestron “heavy duty azatimuth tripod” (the model name wasn’t available) do you think it’s a good choice? Thanks for the quick response

[@JenhamsAstro]

Hi, well i would say it depends how heavy it is! For a "grab and go" setup you probably want a weight of less than 5kg. Most modern altaz mounts are quite lightweight. A link to a picture might help me identify the model you have seen.

[@theguy5597]

Jenham's Astro thanks a lot! It weighs 4.95 kg and also, according to u, is an Orion xt6 better than a c90 here the link to the mount www.amazon.in/gp/product/B0007UQNY0/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_3?smid=A1JV1LN0Y6K86J&psc=1

[@EUROPAONTOP]

what cheap but fairl good camera do you recomend for this telescope?

[@JenhamsAstro]

The cheapest option for planets and the moon is to use a smartphone "over the eyepiece" with a simple adapter "tray". Next up you could use something like a ZWO ASI 120MC camera, again for the planets and the moon. After that you are looking at a DSLR. Used Canon EOS models can be found easily but if you buy one make sure it features the "live view" facility to make focusing easier. Early models did not include this feature. Avoid these for astro.

[@AndyinMokum]

A Canon EOS 600D/Rebel T3i/Kiss X5, 18 megapixel, is a great camera body for astrophotography. It has live view, full HD 1080p video. Magic Lantern provides a great free hack, that provides a huge amount of very useful additional features: magiclantern.fm/ . It's also relatively easy to remove the infrared filter from the CMOS-C sensor. Removing this filter, allows the hydrogen alpha deep red found in nebulas to be recorded. Here in The Netherlands, I bought a good condition body, with a low shutter count, for just over 150 Euros.

[@Daniel-uz5wg]

Hello, for take the photos, you use a reductor? Thanks

[@JenhamsAstro]

Hi Daniel, I didn't use a reducer for these images, just a DSLR on the back of the C90. It did make object location quite difficult! Graham

[@Daniel-uz5wg]

@@JenhamsAstro Thanks, and new suscriber

[@Webrisernl]

How do you find the opjects without goto ?

[@JenhamsAstro]

I’ve been observing for a long time so have decent familiarity with the constellations and landmarks. What I do is look in advance on a sky guide app and figure out how to star-hop from a nearby bright/brightish star to the object. I use an aligned RDF to point the scope to that star, then move the scope whilst looking in my lowest power EP to locate and centre on the target. This approach works well with practice for a lot of objects - you can often imagine the object lies on a line from star X to star Y for example. Sometimes it can fail and be very frustrating as you scan fruitlessly. Goto much easier of course.

[@eribeltosobrinho4139]

Veri good

[@chrisg9602]

So this is the c 90 spotting scope?

[@JenhamsAstro]

Yes this telescope can be used as a spotting scope as well as for astro.

[@shaileshkris]

People discard telescopes? Im dying for one for years.

[@dedskin1]

I get better images in terms of sharpness with no telescope but DSLR zoom lens , 300mm on crop sensor gets you field of view of about 15x , that is 4 full moons or about 4 orion nebula images like here , no need for telescope for pictures like this , but like mentioned its all about tracking , so mount is what you need not a scope .

[@JenhamsAstro]

Pavle Pavlovic it’s true you can take great images of large DSOs with a lens, as you say. But you might struggle to capture smaller objects like planetaries, or planets. The point of the video is to show that the C90, and many scopes ( or lenses!) can work outside their normal comfort zone, if you have a decent mount and you take the time to experiment. Clear skies to you.

[@dedskin1]

@@JenhamsAstro The scope comes free with the mount litrally thats my point , Mirror lens for DSLR is about 100$ , while tracking mount 500$ or something like that , thats what im about :)

[@JenhamsAstro]

Pavle Pavlovic OK I think I get it. If you don’t need to track then the lens on a camera is a cheaper option for large DSOs like M42.

[@dedskin1]

@@JenhamsAstro im saying DSLR zoom lens+ Tracking mount = better then CAT or MAK + Tracking mount . I cant get it much simpler , off course not 12inch MAK , talking 90mm MAK, 12 inch would be better of course .

[@JenhamsAstro]

Yes it's a better setup for objects of a reasonable angular size.

[@bazpearce9993]

Prove you don't have to spend thousands on a setup to get somewhere.

[@John_Ridley]

Well, $200 scope on a $1000 mount and a $500 camera (if you buy a few years old used one). Also no tracking so I assume a heck of a long time was spent getting a really good polar alignment on that mount.

[@bazpearce9993]

@@John_Ridley I think that first word should probably be proof, not prove. I apologise for the year old mistype.

[@osfbooks4677]

thanks for the video :)

[@mariooslo3268]

quien me quiera donar uno de estos se lo agradecería toda mi vida , soy fiel aficionado a la astronomia pero no me alcanza para uno de estos son muy caros en colombia. gracias . con estos se ven muy bien los planetas .

[@JenhamsAstro]

I hope you get hold of a scope soon.

[@mariooslo3268]

@@JenhamsAstro GOOD SERIOUS, MANY THANKS IF THAT REACH WOULD BE DIGUNAKAN IT WOULD BE HAPPY WAITING FOR IT ... TANPA FORGET IT MAKSUTOV 1200DF