My CHEAP Astrophotography Kit for DEEP SPACE!

Astrophotography on a Budget!
In this video, I break down each piece of my new budget-friendly astrophotography kit that totals about $1,200. It includes a Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR camera, a Canon EF 75-300mm lens, and a portable star tracker (Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer).
Follow Nico Carver on KZbin: ‪@NebulaPhotos‬
Full Setup Details:
Camera Kit (with Lenses): amzn.to/3tuOkIy
Star Tracker: bit.ly/3OUOy8U
Ball Head: amzn.to/36Mv1Rc
Decent Tripod: amzn.to/3jnwL8w
I have already collected over 3 hours of data using this system under a clear sky, and I am amazed with the results. The Canon EF 75-300mm is better than I remembered! Or maybe I have gotten better :D Stay tuned for the collab video with Nico Carver!
I was not sponsored to make this video, nor do any of these companies (ever) have any idea I am making these videos - or what I say. I purchased the camera, lenses, ball-head, and shutter release from B & H photo and Amazon - but the star tracker and tripod were sent as demos (on loan) when they came out.
Affiliate Links:
Some of the links in my video descriptions are affiliate links, which means at no extra cost to you, I will make a small commission if you click them and make a qualifying purchase.

[@nidhayprakashkar2867]

Trevor v/s Nico face-off announcement got me more excited than Godzilla v/s King kong!

[@theonlyitaliangirl]

😂😂😂

[@leonardoleite1085]

Hahaha

[@drrach1]

This should have more Luke’s

[@antraxarnau]

Epic hahahaha

[@chrisbrantley6120]

S

[@HelenasAstrophotography]

I can't wait for this!! The ultimate beginner setup and the ultimate collab team. Notifications are on :D

[@davecarllawrence]

I LOVE to see collabs within astrophotography. I'm not sure why really. Maybe it's something to do with astro being something we often do alone, maybe partly because photography can generally be a bit of an over-competitive hobby. So seeing a niche photographic community like ours collaborating, sharing experiences and ideas really resonates with me.

[@meghjoshi7031]

Same. I'd also love to see these collabs

[@TheSpacePlaceYT]

@@meghjoshi7031 I agree. I am also planning to be a future astronomer and astrophotographer. Was the M45 image taken by you? (Your profile picture.)

[@meghjoshi7031]

@@TheSpacePlaceYT yeah :) it's mine. Shot with iOptron Skyguider Pro

[@msingh_7360]

Omg, cant wait, wanted this video for so long!! I have the exact same setup!!

[@cult4037]

This was the perfect video I needed to plan out my astrophotography journey. You have recreated my exact situation. I already have a camera with 2 lens and a tripod so now just need my star tracker. This video really helped me visualise what all I can do with a basix set up like this. Thanks youuuu Trevor!

[@astrojourneyuk]

This star tracker was exactly what I used to get into this hobby last year. It’s a great intro to the hobby and given that Peter Zelinka has been using something similar for years is testament too for what great pieces of kit these trackers are. I’m really looking forward to the collaboration too!!!

[@rydervanwyk]

This is exactly what I needed right now!!

[@MrKenishiwah]

great video as always. i love how more often now you guys are making us newbies feel more comfortable getting into this hobby by showing us the cheap but durable side of things.

[@astro_hunter1823]

Can't wait to watch this 😁

[@marlonmc8080]

So excited!! In the last 3 years, I bought parts of my equipment, and it's very similar to this. Skywatcher star adventurer ver1, canon eos T6, remote shutter cable, Rokinon 135mm (that I bought because of your videos), and a fiber carbon tripod (bought it last month). I can't go dark skies at this moment (anyone can't), but I'll try to do it from my city.

[@Dylans_astro]

Amazing Video Trevor! The quality of your videos keeps getting better and better!

[@FrankCrispo]

Thanks, Trevor. This is exactly what I've been waiting for from you. A video that appeals to the more thrifty crowd. I look forward to more of these and the upcoming series.

[@MaxRockatansky]

Perfect timing! With the recent purchase of a star tracker, I now have this exact setup. Looking forward to following along with my modest rig!

[@GalaxyArtMedia]

Great setup Trevor! I liked the video! Looking forward to see the next one.

[@winman14may]

Can't wait for the follow up video! Epic! 💯

[@Theforth09]

I'm so close to buying my first tracker can wait to watch this video for even more great info.

[@wdhale14094]

I am with you there. I want a tracker but wish I knew someone who had one so I can see how difficult it is before I buy

[@astrophotographysometimes2303]

@@wdhale14094 I have the same tracker he used in this video for about 6 months (I was COMPLETELY new to everything astrophotography related and had NO knowledge prior to getting this tracker) and its unbelievably simple to use. Polar aligning is simple all you have to do is set the clock in the clock in the pilar scope to 0, then you can find an app that tells you where to put Polaris in the scope. I suggest buying the base for the scope, because it's a little tricky to get it aligned without it, but it is possible. With the base once you enter your longitude and then point north Polaris will be in your FOV, and you can make fine adjustments with the knows on the base to get Polaris in the correct place. Once you get Polaris in the correct position around the clock in the scope, you can start shooting and the stars will be tracked. Its extremely simple. I had the same worries as you when I got it first lol. Its a lot easier than you think it is i promise, buy it and give it a go! I promise that tracker is worth every cent.

[@astrojourneyuk]

@@astrophotographysometimes2303 I’d agree with that comment. I got into Astro photography last year and started with this star tracking mount. It is great, really easy to use. I already had a lot of camera gear for landscape and sport photography that I just needed to buy the tracker. Do it you won’t regret it.

[@JimMarkgraf]

Trevor, after watching several of your videos (okay, maybe all of them!) and reading a good number of your posts, I built almost this same rig for myself over the summer. I've been playing around with it as much as I can in the light polluted (Bortle class 4) skies of southern New Jersey. My most recent success was capturing the Orion Nebula. I still need to work on my post-processing skills but I'm getting there! Thank you for sharing so much wonderful information!

[@janebattle3667]

I have a similar set up and love it! It’s great for travel. I live in a light polluted at area so needed a setup I could easily take to darker areas. Not a lot of information out there on it, but. Peter Zelinka also has a lot of classes on it if you want each step broken out. Not all are free, but worth every penny. Trevor thank you for posting this!

[@w3tua]

Great video! Just a side note--the same cable used for your intervalometer can be used with the SA2i plugged into the SNAP port. You can then run the tracker in APP mode and control the exposure times and number of frames. It's one less thing to carry or set up in the dark.

[@Streaml1neJMoose]

Good timing. I've been looking for this kind of setup to get back into the hobby.

[@henksteenvis]

i'm HYPED, thanks for making this video Trevor!

[@astrostar_clearski7041]

This was a perfect Intro for my Night. Im going out, with my start tracker, Samyang 135mm, and a lot of warm Coffee. 90sec expo x 120 on the Andromeda. Im in Bortles 4-5, and shot always without filter. This night will be Great! Clear Ski! And Thank you Trevor for another great video!

[@d.fresh.750]

Oh man, this is gonna be AWESOME!!! I can't wait for this challenge!

[@thomassch.4110]

Really looking forward to the shots you get out of this setup since I am hesitating to start deep sky astro for so long because I wasn't sure what to expect from my Sony a6500! Big thumbs up!!

[@denissylvestre4995]

Thanks a lot for the video. I'm on a tight budget and the rig I was aiming to get is exactly the one you just showed, so now, I know I am on the right way. Looking forward to see your work with that set up.

[@Nighthawk-lr9km]

I've been looking into what I'd need to dive into astrophotography and have been overwhelmed with thinking I needed dedicated astro cameras, guidescopes/cameras, and so on. This video was a great and well-needed reminder that I don't need all that right out of the gate. Getting a setup like this would probably be much more beneficial to learn some basics before diving farther in.

[@goonerwin1]

my two favourite astrophotographers.....looking forward to it :)

[@RichieToaMills]

Brilliant video Trevor, I will definitely be forwarding this to everyone who's been asking me how to get started!!

[@LaibaStarXX]

Thanks for this it’s really helpful. At first I was very stressed on how I could do astrophotography but now I’m great ❤️💙

[@rafaelbarcelo3927]

Man, I m so excited about this videos. Its right my camera and lens setup. I still dont have a tracker, cause here in Brazil, it almost doesnt exist. But Im planning to import one of it. I cant wait for the results. Nico is amazing too.

[@BUCKEYEMANIA.]

Yes!!! Can’t wait for this series. I am a beginner and have this camera. I was told I couldn’t get good shots with this camera. So I am looking forward to see what this camera can actually do!

[@eventhorizonoh2501]

Ohh can't wait for that video. Sounds fun!

[@ianbroadbent3478]

Great video, looking forward to the face off video. cant wait to see the results from the stock lenses.

[@vinchenzo_88]

Great video! This is what I've been searching for because I wanna start getting into astrophotography. Thanks!

[@astrodad-simonb277]

Excellent - cant wait for the results - good work both !

[@bl4nk270]

Can’t wait watching it rn

[@theheavensdeclareastro]

Love this idea! I shoot with a stock t7i so I'm all about DSLR astro!

[@RagMama123]

Love it! Thanks so much for this informative video.

[@theonlyitaliangirl]

Can't wait to see your reveal video between you and Nico! I bet both of your images are going to be phenomenal. I just bought a MSM to track the stars (still learning. how to set it up! 😩- the instructions are not the easiest to follow) , but I want to be able to use a zoom lens - so now I'm looking at the Sky-Watcher Adventurer you recommended! I can't wait to get out there and create some amazing photos.

[@anthonywarwick6090]

Thank you this was informative and helpful.

[@RelaxingDisney]

Thank you soo much for this video! I have ordered everything you suggested and got most of it. The tripod and the tracking mount are unfortunately on back order so I'm still waiting for those but I got the camera, remote, and ball head so I'm getting a lot of practice in with the camera and familiarizing myself with all the settings and features. I'm soo excited to finally be able to try my hand at astrophotography and you helped me alot. Thank you soo much!

[@lambeausouth1]

Glad to see this video! I was a bit discouraged seeing all the expensive rigs being used and all but giving up hope of ever doing astrophotography but the light is still shining. While even this is a bit expensive for me it's withing reach with some saving 🙂

[@henekukenek]

You are great at what you do. Love from the bottom of my heart. KEEP UP bro!

[@astroplanet3521]

Cannot wait for the show off so good

[@1966monkeyman]

Another great video Trevor. I look forward to seeing you and Nico on the next one. I borrowed an Ioptron Skyguider pro to use with the T3i and the same 75-300mm lens. I was hoping to shoot some pics of the Andromeda galaxy and the Orion nebula but it's been so damn cold here in Craven, Sk. Got up to clear blue skies this morning at -35c without any wind. Keep up the great videos. Cheers. :)

[@tomhalligan6065]

This is pretty much my exact setup I have! I've been waiting for clear skies in Ontario but its been nothing but clouds since I got my star adventurer. I can confirm that the 75-300mm canon lens is just okay... really have to watch the f stops on it with stars especially at longer lengths. lots of star bloat and different lens effects. Excited to see what you guys get! I'll have something to compare mine too haha Yay for the budget setups! Thank you Trevor!

[@SteveZodiac777]

Excellent - love your enthusiasm!

[@AstroEscape]

Very nice with the collab! I thought the same thing about missing the flip out screen, it's SUPER helpful to have one.

[@lukaszbaszkiewicz2019]

can't wait next episode

[@anujitmaity0722]

Omggg, nebula photos 😁😁😘😘😘

[@ChrisWJames]

So awesome! My two favorite goto guys when I'm trying to figure out how to learn to shoot something at night and process it. I don't care who "wins" because I'm going to learn something and have fun.

[@T.K.9]

I started from buying a 102mm refractor to observe (Jupiter, Moon, Saturn, 7 sisters, double double, etc. )to thinking of making this exact kit to take photos. Thanks for the info an explanation! Something is just so mesmerizing seeing the galaxies as they are with all the gases etc.

[@stevenharper6394]

Looking forward to the shootout! Even though I've moved on to a dedicated camera, I still love the colour and resolution of DSLRs. I found two-year-old data of M33 that I shot with my T6s and reprocessed it. The colours are superb!

[@junsupark2904]

I needed this!!

[@marinaamgad5781]

Wow! I'm just starting AP and this is the exact same rig I have except that I have the rebel 7i and I'm working towards the sky watcher star adventurer 2i right now! Thanks a lot for reassuring I am doing alright! :)

[@haythemhamdi3995]

Looking forward for the next video I don’t think I can wait

[@angelsalas7884]

Awesome! I Just completed that rig with a sigma 75-300 mm. I bought piece by piece over a year as they were available on Amazon. Can't wait to see your collab and get ideas for my photos.

[@knightclan4]

Can't wait

[@Yanthungbemo]

Eyyyy.. Nico's here!

[@makrospex]

Pro Tip: Always change lenses with the body (camera axis) facing down. This way no dust/dirt can fall into the body. Also, when it's a bit windy, dust is more likely to get sucked out instead of pushed into the camera body, when the wind is blowing by the edges of the lens mount, faced down. I have minimal dust on my sensor(s) since i change my lenses this way.

[@chrisoriordan6975]

Trevor, might be worth you mentioning a Red dot finder, inexpensive and invaluable for targeting and focussing - great video as always

[@joeluise]

Thank you for this video it has helped me greatly in deciding how to get into astrophotography, I will hopefully start building my kit soon.

[@TheSpacePlaceYT]

It's been a long time since I watched this channel, and I cant wait to get back to astrophotography.

[@kirkrozelle1900]

Very excited for this series. It might persuade me to give astrophotography a try:)

[@dond8079]

Great topic!

[@edwinsanchez1167]

Hi Trevor, you are in for a thought challenge with Nico! Can’t wait for video my 2 favorite astrophotographers😍

[@wdhale14094]

Thanks for the tips. Ordered a tracker from your link. Continued walk through with this set up would be great for us new beginners trying your recommendations.

[@masonguy]

Loved this! Would like to see a "step up" video on the star tracker. Especially somewhat mobile - gear setup for camping - vs - backyard.

[@greglight5808]

Can't wait to see the colab

[@johnd5244]

I can’t wait for this shootout! I have the star adventurer that I got last year but haven’t had a chance to use it for most nights are cloudy here. I also got a TPO Ultrawide f/4.5 lens recently.

[@EdwardRLyons]

Excellent video, and looking forward to the face-off! This very much follows my own philosophy - get the most out of limited equipment. I have a Canon 600D with exactly the same kit lenses, plus the Sky Watcher Star Adventurer Mini with an Andoer pan/tilt head as a polar wedge, generic ball mount, and Neewer intervalometer. It doesn't produce award winning images, but they're good enough for the purposes I set out with, including showing members of my local astronomy club that they don't need to spend many thousands just to get started in astrophotography. Some of the images of the Moon I took at 300mm, processed entirely using freeware, also prompted other members who had never photographed the Moon to begin to do so. One member is now imaging the lunar surface at sub-1 km resolution with his 20cm Newtonian. So it's not only great to see what a simple setup like this can achieve, but what it can encourage others to do!

[@nic332de]

Very cool video thanks a lot for the great overview

[@ianwatson8599]

Jeez Trevor, I’ve just spent most of my evening defending you and this video on one of the Astro Facebook pages just because some people that didn’t even watch this video, made some judgements toward you based on the thumbnail alone that I just couldn’t let slide. Another solid video in my opinion.

[@extreme_5137]

Hell yeah, I'm gonna use this!

[@Astro_Aladfar]

This was a great video! All the beginner equipment you showed in this, which are capable of getting great astro photos, together were at the prize of single Fornax Mounts Lightrack II. That's a great deal!

[@tharusharajapaksha9065]

Great work, man

[@mikedips]

This video gives me hope as I want to move on from taking photos of night skies with my smartphone (Google Pixel 6pro) to a DSLR. Very inspiring especially those on a tight budget.

[@robkyle]

Great vid. I am keen to get back into astronomy after a very long absence and have been waffling about visual or astrophotography. Deciding where to the put the money is important and this video really helped check some boxes.

[@marktuyet]

Can't wait . Please show how you find and focus objects on the screen . Thank you

[@ericralte6586]

HYPED for the shootout...let's gooooooo

[@seanbydawn8243]

Great video. I recently purchased a used t3i and the move shoot move tracker. You should purchase one and do a review on that mount. Not a bad system for backpacking etc since it is very cheap by comparison and works very well. This is the type of video that people need to get started. As a subscriber to Nico's channel as well as yours, your contest should be very interesting! I subscribed before you had 5k subscribers if I remember correctly. Great job on you massive growth on KZbin!!!

[@anthonywarwick6090]

You need to get sponsored for Stormy Kromer Mackinaw Cap as it will keep you warm in winter and goes well with the whole lumber Jack shirt. I’m Australian living in Tassie and I swear by these US made caps.

[@Ben_CoombeNz]

Awesome vid, can’t wait to get my tracker.

[@ringod123]

Have used the Star Adventurer with a Canon 700D unmodded, 72ED Pro, asiAir and autoguiding for over a year now, excellent deep sky setup and super portable. Able to take 4min+ exposures at 430mm, would highly recommend!

[@maggiethrash]

Getting my popcorn for the Trevor vs. Nico kit lens showdown omg

[@diegosaltes]

You guys are awesome! Looking forward to the collaboration video. I have the same camera, lenses and the Ioptron Skyguider, so it will be perfect for me! :)

[@francispicotte6174]

Looking forward to this shoot-out!

[@PinoyPhotog]

Thanks, I’m a newbie and I learned a lot from your videos!

[@milicarandjic8546]

The king is back

[@thos759]

Wow! Can’t wait for this one ! Maybe you guys can touch on attaching a small refractor ( 70 mm ) to the Star Adventurer.

[@constomy]

This is exactly my setup but with a T7i..... Just got it and excited to see what it's capable of....

[@R-A-F]

That was a great challenge video 👍

[@cjmenagh882]

Welcome back to star trackers. Nice for beginners to see how they are so useful as one learns the craft. A question I ask myself and now everyone, when we are out at night taking images alone and by ourselves and need to see something why do we use red light? We don’t need to preserve our night adaptation any more like when we visual astronomers or at a star party.

[@jensman0185]

I’ve been watching your videos and am just getting into astrophotography. I got the sky-watcher az-gte with the startravel 102 and using a canon t7i for my first setup. Now if only the weather would cooperate so I can get into some imaging lol. Clear skies

[@banyantree8618]

I just received the 2i Pro kit and what no review has commented on is the quality and feel of the engineering that has gone into this product.

[@pixelpocket8679]

Hey Trevor. Great video as always. One point you could same more money is the remote shutter. You could install MagicLantern firmware on your camera and with it you could set up the camera for long exposures and intervall shooting. Bonus: less cables on the setup.

[@anujitmaity0722]

Love to see 😍

[@albertnikkoclaro4491]

Can't wait for the collaboration!

[@marcvwest]

Trevor great to see you giving the Sky Watcher Star Adventure air time. As someone who had been on the fence for a ultra light mount setup between Sky watcher and Ioptron I ended up decided on going Sky watcher, especially as my CGEM35 and HEQ5 although heavy to throw in the car have served me well. MY ultra light setup heavily influenced by yoru videos over the year is WO Z61IIGT ($425 HPS), WO FLAT61R ($225 OPT) Canon T4I ($200 EBAY A++++ mint condition), QHY Miniguide ($125 OPT ), ZWO Mini ($149 OPT) and ZWO ASIAIR Pro ($279 HPS), Optolong Enhanced ($149 AE), AS80C Carbon Fiber Bowl Tripod ($150 Amazon) (Total $1600) Really looking forward to seeing what you do with the T7 and setup!

[@Peter.A-A]

This is a good video. Just what I was looking for. All basic, a cheap mount, that can also hold a small scope. +1 from here.