Svbony SV105 Planetary Camera - Review & Unboxing of an affordable camera - alt az astrophotography

The Svbony SV105 is a very affordable planetary camera and electronic eyepiece. It is aimed at beginners to the world of astrophotography and enables users to easily experiment with camera settings and software for minimal cost, yer still delivers very pleasing video feed and images.
Used as an electronic eyepiece it is also very suitable for those wishing to share their viewing experience of the moon and planets with others.
This video covers unboxing, initial set up and finally an evening imaging the moon.
If you are interested in purchasing the camera there are some links below :
UK www.ebay.co.uk...
DE
www.ebay.de/it...
US
www.ebay.com/i...
AU
www.ebay.com.a...
The video I mention by Dylan O'Donnell showing how to create a still image from a video feed using Autostakkert is linked below
• How to Use Autostakker...

[@1701c14]

Another good video John. I'm looking forward to seeing your Jupiter image weather permitting.

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Thanks Mark. I'm hoping for a clear evening next week, but I'll have to shoot from the road I front of my house as Jupiter is so low it doesn't get above trees round the back if my house.

[@WhiskyNotesCS]

Thank you a lot for this review. After that i've ordered it. For a beginner this camera is a great start. Greetings and cs, Chris 🇨🇭

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

It is a great camera, and for the money you can't go wrong. Thank you very much for taking tge time to watch and comment, I really appreciate it. Hope you have a good weekend, and good luck with your camera 👍

[@dhruvsingh8732]

Hey , may I know what telescope you got?

[@TheOutdoorswithTonyNoble]

Good to see some affordable gear...goes to show you don't need to spend a fortune to capture some amazing images...Well done John..cracking video as ever 👍👍 - T🙂

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

This is true, although the words "affordable" and "astrophotography" are not normally found in the same sentence 🤣. Thanks for watching Tony 👍.

[@condensermike]

Just purchased this camera so this video is quite helpful. Thanks!

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

I hope you enjoy the camera Mike, it is amazing what it can do for the price. Glad you found the video useful, and thank you for taking the time to comment, its much appreciated 😀

[@ianmacdonald2307]

Another good ‘watch’ John and perhaps some food for thought 👍

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Thanks for watching Ian. I want to try this camera out on Jupiter / Saturn next, but I also want to have a go with it using an entry level telescope and a simple photographic tripod. The idea is to see if you can take an astro photo with the cost of telescope + mount + tripod at about £150 total.

[@TheJerryRN]

Top notch as is your usual my friend!

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@OlliesSpace]

Nice overview Jon like you say nice way to dip a toe into this hobby without spending tons.👍

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it all was Ollie, and the end result.

[@smalloptics753]

Beautifully put together video John. Great channel. Subbed in a heartbeat :)

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Thank you, much appreciated.I look forward to catching up on your videos over the weekend 👍

[@ellis2888]

Great video I appreciate your effort to show both photo and video with the camera. Subbed already

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Thank you very much, I am glad you enjoyed the video. Many thanks for your support 🙂

[@astrodad-simonb277]

Great work John! Enjoyed the video!

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Thanks Simon, I'm looking forward to having another go with the camera.

[@astrodad-simonb277]

@@thecampingastronomer8554 Looking fwd to that John! I have a modded camera with video capability but think this looks like a more economical way to take shots of the Planets :-)

[@rashie]

Nice show! Thanks!

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Thank you for watching and your kind comment 🙂👍

[@avt_astro206]

Nice Review!! Good Test Run on moon!!

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Thank you 🙂. I have subscribed to your channel as you have some lovely videos there 👍

[@avt_astro206]

@@thecampingastronomer8554 Ah, Thank You so much! Your Camping an Astro work is Really Intresting! Had Watched Some Of Your Videos! Keep Going on!!

[@billmurphypenguins3774]

just when you figure out a problem with the rig or software the clouds rear their ugly heads, good effort Jon.

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

That is so true Bill. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍 🙂

[@Nottsboy24]

Nice upload 👌 so far i've only purchased a SVBONY Profile Adaptor in order to get my Astro Modified DSLR camera to focus as there is not enough inward travel on the focuser on the Celestron Astro F1 130mm telescope 🔭

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Thanks 🙂. I think this camera is stunning value for money.

[@debsmostexcellentadventure5353]

Loved videos@the star pebbles the astro cat.stay safe debs..

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Thanks Debs, I only noticed Pebbles appear when I was editing the video. I think he wanted to come into the conservatory to take a more starring role 🤣

[@JoesAstrophoto]

Cool review John!

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Thanks Joe 🙂

[@robertstewart2036]

Just wish sometimes I had a PC instead of a Mac !! Excellent video

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Thanks Robert, it is a shame that there doesn't appear to be as much astro software choice for Mac users. Thanks for watching and commenting, its much appreciated 😊

[@sandycorgi]

@@thecampingastronomer8554 Yes that’s true…….I only bought a Mac because Of Desk Top Publishing use. Astronomy seems to be a real “blind spot” in the Apple sector

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

@@sandycorgifrom what I've gathered there are programs available but not much choice.

[@andywhittaker3498]

Brilliant video just what i needed....I have a Celestron 130GT remote control...bit dated for some I guess but for me i get some great viewing and photos using Mobile phone on adapter and also DSLR . But the appeal of these SVBONY cameras with laptop viewing has got hold! So hopefully I would benefit from this model....or would you now suggest the next model SV205 would that now be an improved step up???

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Hi Andy, thanks very much for your kind comment. The SV205 is an 8MP camera, versus 2MP for the 105 model. The 205 also uses a better sensor chip (one used in higher priced cameras also). I reckon that this means that if you want to blow your image up, the higher resolution of the 205 would give better results. On the moon, it is likely that the difference will not be that great. However, planets come up really small in the field of view, so the temptation is to enlarge the image considerably. Here, I reckon that the better resolution of the 205 model would shine through. Neither model is suitable for deep sky objects. In conclusion then, if you are only really interested in the moon, then I think the 105 would give you good results. If you want good images of the planets, then I think that the extra for the 205 would be worth paying. Both cameras represent stunning value. I took a quick picture of the moon last night using a basic dslr (about £400 in total) and the result was nowhere near as good as you would get from the svbony cameras if you took a short 1 minute video stream and then processed it to give you a single image. The bonus of getting a lovely live feed view on the laptop is great. Hope this helps and clear skies to you 😊

[@stewartdavis8618]

John really nice video, were you auto tracking the moon ?

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Thanks Stewart. Yes the mount was tracking the moon so it was easy to keep in frame. I am toying with doing a video where I just use a non tracking mount or Photographic tripod, basic scope and this camera to see if its possible to take an astro photo with total kit value of £150. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment, it means a lot to me 🙂

[@tkheaps]

Outstanding video Sir. My SV105 is arriving today and cannot wait to try it out. However, I am wondering if you could elaborate a little more on what the extension piece needed to focus is all about, to avoid having to put the camera directly into the Star Focus. What is an extension piece and why is it necessary? Is that with any Celestron telescope or only yours? Thank you very much.

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

I didn't need to use an extension piece because I put the camera into the star diagonal where the eyepiece would go. The star diagonal acts as the extension piece in this method. Theoretically the best way of connecting the camera is not to use the star diagonal. This is because there is a little bit of light lost due to the mirror in the diagonal. However, if you put the camera straight into the telescope (ie not using the diagonal) when you try and get focus, you can't go out far enough. In this case a short extension piece is used to replicate the extra length given by star diagonal. Like I say, I avoided the issue by just putting the camera where the eyepiece goes. I hope you enjoy your Camera and wish you clear skies 👍🙂

[@MountainFisher]

Take the lens out of the bottom of a Barlow and use that as an extension.

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

@@MountainFisher that's a good idea 👍

[@MountainFisher]

@@thecampingastronomer8554 And you can screw that 2x Barlow lens directly onto a 6mm EP for instance making it 4mm as it increases power by 1.5x hence 4mm. I use that method on my 400mm F-4 reflector. Past 100x seems a bit much for it.

[@square1162]

Thank you for the review!

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

You are welcome, hope you found it useful 👍

[@square1162]

@@thecampingastronomer8554 yes, I thought it is just a toy not a good camera but according to your pictures and videos it is quite a decent camera.

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

@@square1162 I was actually amazed at the camera. Like you, my expectation was quite low, but it is well worth getting to get some experience at using this type of camera and taking some nice images at the same time.

[@Julie36285]

First class video John, even I understood it, one question John I have recently retired and I have a Meade ETX 90 telescope as a departure gift. Could I use the SvBony directly into the eyepiece, or would I need to use the rear port for photography, which seems to be geared to DSLR cameras which need adapters?

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Hi David, You should be able to use the Svbony in place of your eyepiece just fine. This weekend I'll be putting up a video where I did just that on my 127mm mak scope and got some amazing close up images of the moon. I think part of the idea behind these less expensive cameras is that they are to be used as an electronic eyepiece, so you just take your visual eyepiece out if the star diagonal and pop the camera in its place. This means that you don't need to bother with adaptors etc. If you keep your eye open for my upcoming video (probably going on KZbin on Saturday evening) you'll see what I mean. Thanks very much for taking the time to watch and comment 🙂👍.

[@martinball8450]

Just bought this, as I am new to astronomy, but wanted to know whereabouts your Polar alignment video was ?

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Hope you enjoy the camera. I haven't done a video specifically on polar alignment but should be able to point you on the right direction. What mount do you have?

[@taraszelensky8675]

Can I use the camera in combination: Barlow lens, eyepiece, camera? As I understand it, I need some kind of eyepiece adapter if I want to fix the camera on it?

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Hello Tarras, this camera replaces the eyepiece so you would not need to use them in conjunction with each other, you either use the eyepiece or the camera. It can be used with a Barlow lens to get a higher magnification if required. Thank you very much for watching and commenting 🙂

[@bernhardtmitdt2586]

please help: What is the difference between a planetary and a spotting camera (sv105/sv205 vs sc001)

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Hi Bernhardt. I have never used a spotting camera but I can hazard a guess as to what the differences would be. A spotting camera will most likely be optimised for day time use, and the available settings for gain and exposure time would reflect this. Equally any adjustment for contrast etc would be based around a bright daytime image. The software used to run a spotting scope would also be geared around daytime use. I think that spotting scopes are essentially used to take an individual image, which can typically be viewed in real time on your phone or computer. The planetary cameras use sensors geared around images that are typically dim, night time images. The SV105 is sensitive enough for planets, but is not able to pick up very dim objects like galaxies etc. The software used to drive the planetary camera is geared around night time imaging (eg SharpCap). A planetary camera like the SV105 is intended to take videos rather than a single image. This video is then put into software like Registax which picks out the best frames from that video, stacks them and comes up with a final image much better than any individual frame. This is the process used to get an image of the moon or planets. I do not know if a spotting camera does this, but I suspect not as there is no need to go through this relatively complex process when shooting objects in daylight at relatively close range (ie not having to look through the entire thickness of the earth's atmosphere). My inclination is to say that if you want to image the moon or planets, you need a planetary camera like the SV105. If you want to take nice wildlife photos then I reckon a spotting scope is best. I have seen daytime images taken with the SV105 but don't know how these compare with a dedicated spotter camera.

[@bernhardtmitdt2586]

@@thecampingastronomer8554 thank you, helped a lot!

[@Yash._0]

Can I use this with my celestron 100az telescope?

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

I think that the 100az is a 100mm refractor scope. This camera basically performs the function of an electronic eyepiece, so you should be able to remove your eyepiece and replace it with the camera. Hope thos helps.

[@Rizqi_jo]

Menurut Anda antara SV105 ,Sv205, SV305, yang paling baik mana?

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

I think that if you only want to image the moon, the SV105 is good, especially for its price. If you want to image the planets, then I think the SV205 would give better results. If you want to do some deep sky imaging, then the SV305 is capable of capturing some of the brighter objects.

[@Rizqi_jo]

Thank you very much

[@duhach1013]

Hello. Is Sv205 with new matrix better than sv105?

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Yes, I think that the SV205 is a better camera for what is still a great price. It has a better sensor with greater resolution, which should enable you to enlarge your images more. This is useful for planets because they usually come up quite small in the field of view. The SV105 is an incredibly good camera for an amazing price, but if you can afford a little bit more then I think you would see better results with the SV205.

[@alanrobinson2229]

Could you have used the live stack on this and got a still image? What would the result be if you pointed this camera at a nebula and stacked thousands of images(from video)?

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

In theory you could use a live stack feature to get an image if the moon. However, in practice this is not done. This is because most of the individual frames taken will be poor because of atmospheric turbulence. Dedicated planetary stacking software like Sequator or Registax take your video and looks at the quality of each individual frame. It then ranks the frames and you choose to let the programme only stack a certain percentage of tge frames, say 25%. In this way you don't include poor images in the stack and generate the best possible final image. As regards deep sky objects like the Orion Nebula, the idea of live stacking is often done. From the times I have used this technique I found that you need to use an averaging stack rather than an additive one to best reduce the noise. The Svbony camera used here would not be sensitive enough to pick up even the brighter deep sky objects. However, it is possible to use some planetary cameras and pick up things like Orion. I did a video on this called something like Deep Sky Inaging with a Planetary camera. The camera I used in this video was about treble the price of the Svbony.

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Here is a link to my video on planetary camera for deep sky imaging. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hafVZ6SEaJ2Bl7M

[@Praetorianguard2001]

It is "The Sea of Tranquility" NOT Serenity!

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Thanks for watching and commenting on my video. I might be wrong here, but images from the Web suggest that the Sea of Serenity is in the upper right of my images as I suggest, and the Sea of Tranquility butts up to the lower right edge of the Sea of Serenity as oriented in my images. Maybe the images I used to identify features are not correct.

[@toddjenest3212]

Mine takes horrible photos.

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Hi Todd, thanks for watching and your comment. Are you taking individual shots of the moon, or are you taking video and processing that into a single image ?

[@gg80108]

These have no android or ios apps!

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

That is correct. I think that the files may be too large to run on a phone. This is common with all astro cameras I suspect.

[@ustakkpiat]

So expensive hobbies... 🇲🇾

[@thecampingastronomer8554]

Yes, astrophotography can be an expensive hobby, but I hoped to show here that it's possible to get results without spending too much. Thank you for watching and commenting, thats much appreciated 👍🙂

[@ustakkpiat]

@@thecampingastronomer8554 most welcome