Levi
sage
Reged: 12/17/05
Posts: 467
Loc: Camarillo CA
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Does DSLR Focus work with all DSLR's?
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Levi
http://www.imageevent.com/cabinetry
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Levi
sage
Reged: 12/17/05
Posts: 467
Loc: Camarillo CA
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Much depends on time for me, after working all day running a business I really don't feel like spending 20-30 mins setting up scope, camera, laptop, cords, cables, EP, accessories, etc.
Friday and Saturday nights I reserve (unless of course it's honeys' night) for setting up all the equipment. On these nights I actually look forward to setting up, getting everything dialed in, taking some test shots, setting up the laptop etc. The laptop IMHO works best for getting focus dialed in, a few shots, a few zoom ins on the captured shot, a few focus adjustments and I'm there.
Weeknights I just setup the DSLR on a tripod and shoot constellations , M42, Pleades or whatever interests me. For these quickies I set the camera to manual focus, image to JPEG, compose and shoot and then use the zoom feature on the LED preview screen to dial in the focus. Once this is set I switch back to RAW and just have fun shooting whatever. My two favorite lenses for this is a Minolta 50mm f1.4 and a Sigma 180mm f2.8.
I'm still researching and learning and reading a ton of stuff (thanks CN'ers) 
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Levi
http://www.imageevent.com/cabinetry
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stevecoe
"Astronomical Tourist"
Reged: 04/24/04
Posts: 3766
Loc: Arizona, USA
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Howdy all;
First and foremost, thanks to all, this is a great thread and has really provided me lots of input, I appreciate the time, effort and expertise of this group.
I have not purchased my 20Da yet, still putting money in the mayo jar, but my day will come. I am planning of getting a couple of lenses and doing piggyback. I just don't wish to take on long focal length astrophotography. But there is plenty shoot with one good telephoto and one good wide angle lens.
Of course, this does mean that my old Asahi Pentax will have to be retired. I bought it in Hong Kong in 1974, lots of lenses and many roll of film has passed thru that camera, but it is so old that the lenses SCREW on the camera body. Maybe I find someone to take it off my hands once I have the new DSLR. As a matter of fact, I am going to finish writing this message and pack up to go use up some of the film I have in the refridgerator.
As someone else said, I planned on the 20Da so that I don't have to take out a laptop, maybe a spare battery to power the camera and all the accessories, such as the timer cable release. I may use the laptop during the day to see my results.
I have a good German Eq mount, it tracks the 200mm lens on the Pentax just fine. And I have an Orion 100mm refractor for guiding. I may do that manually to start. Once I get on the pole it does a good job.
So, I have two questions:
Is the camera powered with 12V? If not is there an adaptor so that I can use a car 12V battery? I am trying to simplify as much as possible, I really don't want to take out a box of batteries or have to remember to recharge everything every time out.
Two, I have a Nexstar 8 on a wedge in my backyard in Phoenix, Az. With the proper filters, will I be able to get decent results shooting from within the light dome of the city? It is already aligned and I can balance in a minute, so that would be very worthwhile. Also, there is a computer in the observatory.
Again, thanks for your sharing of knowlege;
Steve Coe
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16" f/4.5 Newtonian on Alt-Az mount by Tectron
Author "Touching the Universe" iUniverse
Author "Deep Sky Observing" Springer
Author "Nebulae and How to Observe Them" Springer
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Drew35
member
Reged: 02/22/06
Posts: 107
Loc: Montreal, Canada
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The problem that I've found with such a focusing procedure is the variable of seeing (especially those of us under the jetstream in the northeast). You could be chasing exact focus forever if the seeing leads you to believe you're out of focus when in actuality you are.
I find the best way is to eyeball it with a Hartman mask and you can do real-time checking of whether seeing is affecting the focus or not.
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C9.25, ES127ED, Atlas EQG, C5-ASGT, and Coronado Ha PST
Montreal, Canada
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Corn
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/27/04
Posts: 2199
Loc: Sweden
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Here is a link that covers alot of ground when it comes to imaging.
http://home.earthlink.net/~digitalastrolight/Update%20FAQ%20Text.htm
Cheers
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Canon 300D (mod)
8" f/5 Skywatcher, EQ6 Pro, HEQ5 and Barn door mount.
http://web.telia.com/~u18524382/
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jaxter
member
Reged: 09/01/05
Posts: 88
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Jupiter is good for me; if/when I get the Galilean moons visible in the viewfinder, I'm focused. Similar technique will work for whatever minimum-magnitude known stars you can see in the finder (ie if it's there, you're focused). Test-pics at hi ISO will confirm this. I can focus my DLSR in seconds this way; the DSI/LPI takes a LOT longer. Hartmann masks are worth using as well. Photoshop (even real old versions) will have 'curves' adj, as well as different steps of color balance/atmosphere clean-up. Layer functions will do 'stacking' easily. Polar alignment....(cough)....just ordered a new wedge today. Really, I haven't seen a need; field rotation is minimal since I generally don't pass the 5-min mark. Polar's been so hammered in that I still try, though. I can see why piers are getting popular....
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8"LX90LNT-UHTC/wedge (main scope, 'easily' carried)
APO66 w/Losmandy tail on LX90
Homemade Cass scope (20" or therabouts...)
LPI/DSI/Nikon D50/binocs/lenses, barlows, reducers, filters (o3, Ha, etc)
Slow-spinning 3m mercury mirror on order.
12" LightBridge dlux/replaced secondary (bad coatings!)
Seeking an 18-22" f/5-6 mirror. Wish me luck.
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Ed Davis
member
Reged: 12/17/06
Posts: 10
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Light at the end of the tunnel??? Isn't that was telescopes are all about? Wow, what a fortunate corrolary!
I too didn't realzie how much trouble I'm getting into with getting a new scope soon. Focusing and polar tracking were worries of mine even before I realized I needed to worry about it!
Maybe I need to abandon my Sigma SD-9 even in spite of it's awesome 3x-resolution chip and go to a camera that the software supports.
Ed
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yg1968
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/26/04
Posts: 1859
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Here is a tutorial for DSLR imaging:
http://www.astro.shoregalaxy.com/dslr_astro.htm
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thebassmonkey
super member
Reged: 02/12/08
Posts: 163
Loc: High Wycombe, United Kingdom
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some great info here - thanks for sharing 
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Orion Optics Europa 150 F/5
Hyperions 5mm & 17mm
Panoptic 27mm
Nagler 9T6
Bresser 10x50s
Cloudy skies
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