Newtonian Scopes for Astrophotography

I like the Newtonian. To me it is a winning scope in many respects. So much that I would like to get another one. Maybe something a little larger. I'll probably have to get a larger mount though as the one I have is already at my mounts limit.
Some people downplay the newtonian for the need for coloration. However I have never found this to be a burden to me. It's simple and actually fun to do. And I rarely have to do it.
Newtonian scopes are fast too so you can start chasing some of those fainter objects of which there are many many of those.

[@barnaclewatcher4060]

Great to see a new video! Cheers and Happy New Years!

[@SKYST0RY]

I really always love your videos. You are one of the most thought out persons doing these things I've seen. I especially love how you call out the assumptions and get back to pragmatism. I also very much have my eye on a SW Quattro 8" to replace my WO refractor. Aperture is a powerful thing.

[@JR-ey3oo]

Happy New Years Ben!Glad to see your health improvement from video to video. I'll keep you in my prayers. Clear Skies!

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thank you so much. We are making progress.

[@andesastro]

You’re looking great Ben! Whatever you are doing is working! Very good video, between this and Cuiv loving his modded cheap newt I might consider switching to the bright side. Wish you and your family the best for 2024.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Much appreciated!

[@k.h.1587]

Baffled out a turned edge, nice. One thing about cutting your tube is it changes where the light cone intersects the secondary , which may or may not affect field illumination for better or worse

[@haggy38]

Glad to see another video! Regards from Bogota.

[@adventuresofshadowdog]

Excellent info. My entry into astrophotography was by converting my 10” Orion Dobsonian. Put rings on it and mounted it on an Orion EQ-G and have been very happy with the results. I’ve since purchased a 190mm Orion Maksutov-Newtonian which is an incredible astrograph. But when I want to go for distant galaxies I still revert to the 10” Newtonian. I agree with your comments 100%. So many advantages to the Newtonian design. Thanks for putting out such a great video. And I too am really happy to see you looking so well. In fact you look great!

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Seams like a lot of people have converted dobs. I know if I ever want to go really big I have considered converting one of the 20in dobs you can get pretty cheap.

[@edwardgill1042]

Good to see you looking strong, good health to you. Maybe consider doing some videos on colimnation (actually aligning is the better term) different OTAs. Great video.

[@psegre]

Great video, again. After years of using Newtonians, I moved to the skywatcher Maksutov-Newtonian, more expensive ($2000) , but way better. It’s got a corrector plate built in so the tube is sealed, and no sketchy coma corrector needed. Produces great images wo diffraction spikes at F5.3, 1000mm.

[@sailingwinifred]

Great video and reinforces my understanding on Newts... I have a guided dlsr currently and will be buying a refractor as my next step! Happy New Year from UK!

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Glad it was helpful!

[@TheTabugman]

Happy new year and glad to see you're going strong! 💪❤️

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Happy new year!!

[@B-Mike]

Hi Ben. I am extremely sorry for my previous comments. I wish you a long and healthy life and now I love the way you are talking. My sincere well wishes for you.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

It's cool Mike. I do not take offense to many things. :)

[@bfgmetalworks]

Great Video, Glad to see a new Video from you. Your looking healthy and hope your doing well.. Happy New Year to you and your Family !

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thank you same to you.

[@AstrophotographyUnderMSSkies]

Happy New Year to ya. Very glad to see a new video from you. I got a older Bushnell Voyager 114x900mm Newtonian last year, and up until recently, it sat in a corner collecting dust. It came with the usual "hobby killer" accessories. I recently upgraded my mount, to something capable of supporting it. Cleaned it up, sealed all possible light leak points, painted the primary and secondary mirror edges black, flocked the tube, and moved the primary mirror forward in the tube to reach prime focus on a dslr. Though not initially designed for astrophotography, these small, very inexpensive and mostly free improvements have turned it into something amazing. It takes some of the cleanest and sharpest images of any of my scopes or lenses. At $45 from marketplace plus roughly $15 for additional modifications, I'm calling it a win.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Blackening the edges of my primary mirror is one thing I never did. But maybe I will have to,

[@AstrophotographyUnderMSSkies]

@TheNarrowbandChannel I just used a black sharpie on mine. I let them dry a few times and went back over them, so they have probably 3 "coats" on them.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

I have done that with refractors. @@AstrophotographyUnderMSSkies

[@Neanderthal75]

Hey Ben! Happy New Year! I got 3 Newtonians and I used obsess over collimation. Then I realized I cannot get perfect rounds stars all the way to the corner , like I would in a triplet or a petzval. Not gonna happen. So, having a certain tolerance is the key. This is a hobby where we cannot have all the cake and eat it too. Each type of scope has their pros and cons, there is always a trade off, no matter what we choose.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Are you using a coma corrector? Or perhaps a large image sensor that is out beyond the correct field of view?

[@zachjacobful]

Hi Ben I hope you are doing well with your health. I am happy to see you today on this video. I wish you and your family a healthy, joyful new year.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thank you!

[@luboinchina3013]

You look better than last time. I hope you are getting better. I wish you all the best in the new year, but most importantly, I wish you the best health in the new year and the years after.😊 Don't be worry about us, when you are tired, take a break.👍

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thank you. I hope to be cancer free sometime this year.

[@mojojojo7923]

Happy new year bro !

[@k.h.1587]

Back then, well about 4 or 5 years after you, I was thinking of getting an orion 8"5 optical tube, but sold as a tube they didnt even come with rings and a dovetail, not to mention finder scope and eyepieces, so it really added up (i wouldn't have needed the eyepieces since it would have been scope #3 at the time, but back then when i got a new scope, I would sell the plossls that came with the scope) Since I wanted to also do film astrophotography (back in 2004) and was planning to piggyback my 80mmf11 refractor as a guide scope, i decided to go with the GSO made hardin Star-hoc4 which came with rings, finder and eyepieces. I did have to buy and shim orion rings afterall since the gso rings didnt have any way to piggyback. But yeah, i sold the GSO rings on astromart, as well as the 26 and 9 astrola plossls. I knew I was pushing my skyview pro to the limit, and the faster ratio, shorter focal length, and overal length, were benefits. But visually it got costly, as i needed to start getting some older used nagler and UWA eyepieces, since f4 really needed premium eyepieces. The 8" cost $300, and i had previously bought the SVP127 package because my nexstar 80gtl mount could be modified to take a dovetail, and handle up to a 127mak, which required a tripod upgrade, which i was easy able to rig a surplus tasco starguide 4 tripod (same as nexstar 5 tripod). I had planned it that way so i could have a little 5" visual goto rig, good for outreach as well as a 2nd scope in general when the 8" was being used, or when i was imaging and taking a break, but not wanting to lose my camera focus, I could look through the 5". Imaging was a full time commitment with film and manual guiding, not like later on when i would set up with digital camera and autoguider, once it was up and running I would play with 10" dob.

[@guyjordan8201]

I appreciate the reevaluation of collimation difficulties. Old habits and judgements need to be reconsidered

[@yervantparnagian5999]

Just watched you video announcing your cancer and now I came across this one. You look great! Continued Godspeed.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thank you!

[@Astrogator1]

Thanks for another great video. Wishing all best for new year

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thank you too

[@jongoldsby]

This is great. I also use a homemade 8 inch f6 newt with Televue parracor. Throw in a tri-Bahtinov mask for focus and collimation and you are good.

[@paulholdsworth2502]

I couldn't agree more Ben about newtonian's. I think the collimation issue / difficulty is massively exaggerated. Its literally a five minute job every few months ! Wishing you and your family a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2024.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thank you! You too!

[@turbo80lxcoupe]

Nice video to see. I recently stepped up from a refractor to a skywatcher quattro 150p, definitely loving it alot

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

That is awesome!

[@dumpydalekobservatory]

Hi Ben here's wishing you & your family a happy new year. I think for a beginner a refractor is a bit more plug & play but Newtonians are a something to consider for the next step though, I did however start with a Newtonian which caused me a lot of headaches to begin with but after a few attempts I managed to tame the beast. The Newtonian I have & image with is an old Skywatcher 250P Dobsonian tube so it has a 1200mm focal length & is F4.8. Like you I upgraded the focuser as the Skywatcher crayfords are essentially junk but that's it really, I never had to cut the tube down & I did try it out again last year after a few years of it collecting dust. I hope to have it all set up with a focuscube & secondary dew heater & have it working in the observatory for galaxy season so fingers crossed for some clear skies.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

1200mm FL will be great for those tinny galaxies.

[@AstroLaVista]

Wishing you and yours a happy new year Ben! I wonder if your secondary mirror collimation is going out more frequently than the heavier primary because of the Bob's Knobs? Convenience vs rigidity.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

I doubt it. It's the same thread size as the original set screws. I actually made these myself. But Bob's Knobs do come highly recommended. Also I had the same issues before I installed them. It's just a more delicate part of the scope.

[@tinianastrodad5649]

I have the scope as you with the Orion sky view pro mount, Orion true track motor drive and using a dslr. No modification. It does awesome job doing astrophotography. From Saipan located in Northern Mariana Islands 🇲🇵 😁🤙

[@MrSummitville]

Thank You, for not adding background noise (music) to your audio.

[@drunk_astronomy]

The astro-photography community, as well as this comment section gives me hope for human humanity.

[@AstroNoob347]

Great Video! I'm somewhat new to your channel and I veen catching up on your videos. I'm a Noob to Astrophotography and was thinking of getting into Narrowband imaging. When your feeling up to it could you make a video of the process and procedures of shooting Narrowband for those interested or who might want to be interested? Your definitely looking alot Healthier and more like your self. Keep the Faith and I'm always looking forward to your learning videos.

[@jasonpatterson8091]

A mirror mask (akin to your baffles) is still really useful for a Newtonian because you can hide the mirror clips and avoid some weird diffraction artifacts.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Yes there was also that benefit. I should have mention it too in the video.

[@user-lt9py2pu6u]

That was interesting Ben. The reason why I keep shying away from Newtonian and RC scopes is that on the models I can afford the focusers are rubbish for imaging and on some the secondary mirror supports are also substandard too. When you add the price of replacement of these items to the scope all of a sudden it isn't so cheap after all, so I end up buying something else to upgrade my existing refractor rigs. I do have an old Sky Watcher 150P which is out of use at the moment but I don't know if it would be worth while spending money on upgrading this. Colomating has never been an issue for me, I was a control engineering technician so have plenty of experience making mechanical and electrical adjustments but I can understand that it may seem daunting to people with little or no experience. Anyway, all the best for 2024.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thanks. I hope you can someday get a big one they are great light buckets.

[@iamjessieray]

I use a newtonian and as far as collimation goes I have to say that I agree that it really isn't that hard. The reason why people don't like doing it is laziness usually. At least that's why I sometimes bust out a refractor lol. I must say that personally I find that I pretty much never need to collimate my secondary and my primary mirror needs some collimation from time to time. I check it before each session when I point my scope and a bright star to focus (might as well since I'm already messing with focus) but I rarely have to make any adjustments. I'm going to start using the new tool in Sharpcap to check collimation instead though I think. I've never used it and I saw it in the newest version and have been curious about it. Also, if you really want to stick it to the refractor folks, remind them that all of the best refractors come with collimatable lens cells because... (drumroll....) they need to be collimated as well! lol, just not as often.

[@massimo541]

Happy new year 🎉🎉🎉

[@SpaceCityAstro]

Very timely, as I've been considering the Sharpstar 130 2.8 imaging newt, but talked myself out of it a few times.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Those are little gems and I hear they are not to hard to collimate despite being f2.8

[@jerrycarawan5515]

Thanks Ben for the video. been thinking of doing this to my Orion 10 inch f/4.7..... about 17 years old. .Definitely going for it now. I know I am going to have to cut the tube bringing the primary closer ...not sure how much but hopefully can figure it out. Currently doing imaging with an APO Explore Scientific 127 mm f/7.5 with ZWO adi 1600 mm-pro. Thanks so much.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

You can do it! I wish I had that scope though I would need a bigger mount. Maybe ZWO will make a larger one soon.

[@PilotinMSFSonly]

Hi Ben! You make the best astro videos out there, please keep doing what you're doing and best health wishes to you and the family in 24'!! I have a quick question. I've read on the forums (and haven't received a direct answer from ZWO) that the counterweight limit on the AM5 is 10lbs give or take. Looking at your mount with the 10kg I'm wondering how the guiding is an what, if any, problems you have with that much weight. I'd like to use more than 10lb to counterbalance my 8" EDGE HD and accessories, but don't want to fry the mount.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

You won't fry the mount. It's the threaded stud that can be sheared off. Watch my video about the mount I actually adress this issue.

[@tomhoskins4913]

Thanks!

[@meibergstrmandersen9181]

Hi Ben, good to see yet another good video with good insights. I understand you shift cameras around to your different telescopes, but do you do that with guide cameras too or does it stay fixed on that particular mount & telescope? Also the ASIAIR, the ZWO EAF, do you shift it between telescopes, or do you simply have one for each mount/telescope ? br Kenneth

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

|Usuualy guid cameras stay on each scope. I have an AIR and EAF for each scope. Actually a few extra too for other optical assemblies that I swap out on mounts.

[@michaelklemm-abraham7298]

I have a similar setup. 8“ f/5 that is probably close to 20 years old by now. Mine is sitting on an EQ6-R. It is modified heavily as well (a baffle on the main mirror to remove the outer edge of the mirrors as well as the shadows from the clamps holding the primary. I also changed the focuser and flocked it with velour. It has been great because even if things go wrong, one telescope is always working. If my 80 Skywatcher ED doublet isn’t working, the Newtonian is and vice versa.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

That is one of the biggest benefits to having two rigs.

[@michaelklemm-abraham7298]

@@TheNarrowbandChannel True. Unfortunately no chance to fit a third one with my existing shed.

[@Rtd_astro]

Love my Newtonians

[@jamesstubitsch4416]

Hello Ben. I really appreciate your video's. I have a Meade 10" SNT. I also changed the focuser. And of course focus has been an issue, which leads me to asking how you came up with shortening the tube by 3/4"? I have been looking for about a 2 years to find a fix for this.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

It was pretty simple. I could not get the focuser in far enough to focus so I shortened the tube by the amount that I was falling short of and then added a little extra so I had wiggle room.

[@AmatureAstronomer]

Being elderly and feeble, I could not lift that scope. I use a Bresser 102/460 f/4.5 ED refractor and a Orion Spaceprobe 130ST f/5. I chose these because they are the largest refractor and reflector I can use with my Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi mount. I didn't have to modify my reflector to come to focus. I do electronic assisted astronomy (EAA) with my ZWO asi294mc camera with 4-8 second exposures using Sharp Cap 4.1 in my Bortle 6 sky.

[@martinpeffers1953]

Great video, can I ask how you attached the asi air to your tube

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

its in the finder shoe/

[@lbaker3900]

Great video. Now I have to do some research on Newts.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Go for it!

[@MrSummitville]

Do you use a special device in the focuser that makes collimation easier?

[@michaelbibby8636]

8" F4 (GSO or Quattro series) with a 0.75x reducer CC (Starizona Nexus) makes for an excellent 'poor mans RASA' light bucket. With a aperture mask/baffles that will make it about F 3.2. Highly recommended! Caveat: Fast optics require special filters, and attention has to be paid to avoid tilt in the optical train.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Very true.

[@ianjeffery3762]

Hi, whats the weight of the tube and cameras etc ? I ask as you are using.an am5 and this is something im considering with my 10inch dob tube.

[@deltacx1059]

They are great telescopes and are the best value for money but dang the savings are kinda pointless when no company makes a affordable mount.

[@MountainFisher]

I bought a C6-N Newtonian at a pawn shop and had the mirror refigured to .98 Strehl with 1/12th wave and I put a dielectric secondary at 99% reflectivity. Put a JMI 2" focuser on it too. Takahashi quality for under $800 and it is as sharp as my refractor. Guy in my club uses it for photography. It holds collimation very well unless you grab the front and flex the vanes, just like you have to collimate the secondary. Hubble telescope has diffraction spikes and the JWST is ridiculous.

[@joebiscoeiv747]

I’m imaging with a C6-N right now!

[@legacysearches4481]

Nice! I have one of those scopes. What focuser did you change to? I would love to swap mine as well.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

It's a GSO for an RC. I machine a bracket for it. There are better options out there from GSO that are meant for a Newt.

[@SpaceCityAstro]

How would you heat the secondary if you chose to? I would imagine a dew strap on the outside would help with the primary, but can't figure out how one would head the secondary.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Some of the newer Newts actually have them built into the secondary. Most run the wires along the strut and then glue the wire to the back of the secondary. There are plenty of Cloudynights threads about it.

[@Luftbubblan]

I don't complain about it but i would want as good collimation as possible in general. If stars are off its a bad image to me, something i can improve. I also like to get the most out of the equipment and many times i need an image that looks as good as it can at as high resolution as possible. If you wanna hide all errors behind a small / downscaled resolution and it fits what you want to present then that's fine ofc(There's many times where i don't need to maximize the resolution / crop as well). Many ppl might not even have the eyesight to see the detailed work but i do and i like to do it if i can :D At some point i will probably try to upgrade my newt or get a better quality one, as for now my refractor have been taking its place since the FL is not that far apart.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Being OCD is a common thing in this hobby. I find myself walking that path often and sometime have to stop.

[@AstroTeenager]

Reflector are underdogs. Btw can you do some rgb imaging with narrowband filters and show us results how achromat works when we shoot in r,g and b filter.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

I did a video about using an achromatic scope a few years ago.

[@nocturnalmayhem0]

i love defraction spikes. it gives the image a little personality. i have a 6in imaging newt but ive never imaged with it cuz i put a dent in the tube like a idiot. def going to retube it asap so i can finally image with it.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Mine has some dents. Still images nicely.

[@abdulazeem696khan8]

Hi Ben, i will be buying my first telescope this year, should i get a 10inch dobsonian or SV503 ED 102mm F7 Doublet Refractor.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

If imaging then get the refractor. If for visual the Dob is the way to go.

[@limebulls]

@@TheNarrowbandChanneli want to do both. 102ED SV503 or 8“ f4 GSO?

[@DoktorApe]

It seems like every review of imaging Newts includes the list of all the mods the reviewer did - replacing focusers, baffles, flocking, fixing light leaks, etc, etc.... that's the main con in my mind. And its not a lack of mechanical inclination, it's just not such a great deal when you have to buy a decent focuser, and in some cases a bunch of other stuff.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

My newt is not designed for imaging. If it was probably the only thing I would have done to it was flock the back end.

[@woody5109]

Diffraction spikes are why I bought a Newtonian, love the look. Unfortunately I bought my scope “new” from “All Star Telescope” out of Canada, and they sent me a previously owned unit that was falling apart, now they ghost me. Be aware of whom you purchase from.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Sorry to hear that

[@rasmuswi]

This makes me think of one thing I've never really understood, probably because I've never really tried to do any astrophotography (I guess I could get some half decent pictures with my 300/2.8 and 150/2.0 but I've never tried) and are pretty ignorant, but why can't you do astrophotography with a dobsonian? I kind of know the answer, but at the same time, the Keck, the VLT and all the other really large scopes essentially seem to be dobsonians, and they seem to be able to do long exposures. Is it just that it would require prohibitively expensive precision motors that turn the cheap dobsonian into something very expensive, or are there other reasons?

[@MrSummitville]

Because you will get field rotation.

[@mantownmedia78]

I have a Bresser N20839 Newtonian and considering a Baader Mark iii Coma Corrector - but I also see the GSO Coma Corrector at less than 1/2 the $....any thoughts on these 2 options?

[@Neanderthal75]

Honestly, I only came across 5 of them considered good ones. Paracorr 2 is still No.1 according to others, then the Skywatcher one, Explore Scientific HR coma corrector , and also Sharpstar 95X and Starizona 75X. I am aware that some of these costs as much as a small doublet refractor and it's for a good reason. The once you mentioned the Baader is better option, but don't expect top quality correction. This hobby is totally about you get what you paid for.

[@Dunk_76]

I used to use a Baader MPCC with my 6" F4. Was not happy with star shapes in the corners. Took a chance on the SharpStar 0.95x and for me it is amazing. Perfect stars right to the corners of my SV405CC.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

I am using a 4/3rds sensor so I am well within the corrected field of view. If you have an APSC sensor then you will have to look at more expensive options.

[@mantownmedia78]

@@Neanderthal75 i ended up with the Sharpstar 0.95 Coma Corrector - still waiting for clear skies but did get a few hrs of the Horsehead Nebula :)

[@PEWannabee]

With the new BXT software, having perfect round stars from beginning are less important because you can easily correct them in post processing. Actually, I’m highly considering a newt for my permanent backyard rig for this reason.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

It will get you some grand imaging.

[@StarlancerAstro]

My recommendation, don't buy a cheap one, I have 6" F4 and it's been nothing but a pain. Also lookin good! Happy New Year!

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thanks, you too!

[@michaelwong4530]

The old optical materials were not as good. I believe they were bakelite.

[@dh2970]

How scary was it cutting that tube? I would never be that brave!

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Pretty easy. Cut myself a few times though on the tubing it is sharp underneath the end caps.

[@raytbrown2]

. . . . . if that's true, you could have just moved the point of the focuser's entry - no?

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

That is another way to do it but wold require cutting a new hole in the side which I did not want to do. Shortening it was just a lot easier.

[@raytbrown2]

Got it. Makes sense. TY!@@TheNarrowbandChannel

[@godsinbox]

capeesh

[@B-Mike]

Could have been much better if you were a bit more sober. Lesson …. Don’t get drunk before your vlog.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

At many parties I have been asked why I do not drink. My usual answer is that I can have a good time without alcohol.

[@richards3192]

You do know that Ben is fighting stage 3 cancer and on heavy chemo and treatment t, right? Jeez, some people. Hope you are still rolling Ben, and best wishes from Helsinki

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Stage 4 actually. :) But I am winning this fight so far @@richards3192

[@richards3192]

Gold to hear Ben. First rule of narrowband astrophotography club: Don't give up :) 😊