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Astrophotography and Sketching >> DSLR & Digital Camera Astro Imaging & Processing

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da_guy2
super member

Reged: 01/11/06

Loc: Ottawa, Canada

What to do with an old DSLR?
#5623638 - 01/14/13 11:29 PM

I have an old digital rebel 300d that I no longer need. I've tried selling it as a camera, but nobody seems to want a 6 mp camera anymore. I was wondering, if I modded it, would it have any value to an astrophotographer or would I just be wasting my time and money?

Thanks

Post Extras:

Mike Clemens
Frozen to Eyepiece

Reged: 11/26/05

Loc: Alaska, USA

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: da_guy2]
#5623709 - 01/15/13 12:43 AM

Interesting question... was thinking of selling my 40D too. It's not worth much any more though. Maybe I should mod it too... I wonder if the instructions for our cameras are out there.

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nofxrx
Vendor (HyperCams & Mods)

Reged: 07/12/05

Loc: Palm Bay,Florida

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: da_guy2]
#5623714 - 01/15/13 12:47 AM

Unless you are modifying it yourself, and doing a Full Spectrum mod(so as not to have to buy the Baader filter), then **I** would personally not bother..

I would however make it an IR camera or something..that would be a great way to expand your daytime photography..
Would be pretty easy...just buy an IR filter and install it inside the camera, replacing the stock filter with it.

Again, that is if you are doing it yourself..

If none of that works, find someone in your family that is a bit creative and see if they would like to try photography..

I have an old camera sitting around collecting dust that I will probably give to my niece sometime...

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nofxrx
Vendor (HyperCams & Mods)

Reged: 07/12/05

Loc: Palm Bay,Florida

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: Mike Clemens]
#5623717 - 01/15/13 12:50 AM

Quote:

Interesting question... was thinking of selling my 40D too. It's not worth much any more though. Maybe I should mod it too... I wonder if the instructions for our cameras are out there.

Mike: ***HERE*** or ***HERE*** (just use your IP to translate..)

OP: ****HERE****

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mmalik
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/13/12

Loc: USA

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: da_guy2]
#5623722 - 01/15/13 12:56 AM

Instead of selling you could use it as a sand-box and learn how to modify cameras. You could just remove LPF-2, wouldn't cost anything; may be use it yourself for astro-imaging after the mod. Thx

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da_guy2
super member

Reged: 01/11/06

Loc: Ottawa, Canada

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: mmalik]
#5624003 - 01/15/13 08:49 AM

Hmmm I had been looking at http://ghonis2.ho8.com/rebelmod.html where they replace with just clear glass. At ~$25 it's fairly reasonable to do.

How important is something like a Baader filter? I can't seem to find them for less than $150 a which point it starts to not make common or financial sense to do any more. Is there any cheaper alternatives other than just clear glass?

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mmalik
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/13/12

Loc: USA

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: da_guy2]
#5624054 - 01/15/13 09:30 AM

Baader (FACF-1 for EOS300D) is $99; more info here... and here.... If you don't intend to use for daytime, you'll be better off just removing LPF-2.

Mod discussion here.... Thx

Edited by mmalik (01/15/13 09:31 AM)

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Alex McConahay
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 08/11/08

Loc: Moreno Valley, CA

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: da_guy2]
#5624090 - 01/15/13 09:52 AM

Your camera still takes pictures as well as it did when it was new (probably) and would still make a good astro camera. If you don't need it, take it to your club and tell them you have a camera for somebody to start up on......(If you don't have a club, contact me off line. I will find a user).

Alex

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NeilMac
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 09/25/10

Loc: MedHat, AB, Canada

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: Alex McConahay]
#5624200 - 01/15/13 11:11 AM

Use it to practice Afocal AP, I used my 5meg P&S with great success.

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Mike Clemens
Frozen to Eyepiece

Reged: 11/26/05

Loc: Alaska, USA

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: nofxrx]
#5624225 - 01/15/13 11:31 AM

Thanks Brent.... whoa... looks like ample opportunity to screw up.

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da_guy2
super member

Reged: 01/11/06

Loc: Ottawa, Canada

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: Mike Clemens]
#5624239 - 01/15/13 11:38 AM

Quote:

Thanks Brent.... whoa... looks like ample opportunity to screw up.

Ya I don't blame you fro being wary. I had heard about modding when I first got the 300d, but I didn't want to take the risk. The 300d body is probably worth $50 or less now, so if I mess up it's not the end of the world. Your 400d body is still probably worth at least $150 so a mistake on it would be more expensive.

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jgraham
Postmaster

Reged: 12/02/04

Loc: Dayton, Ohio

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: da_guy2]
#5624334 - 01/15/13 12:44 PM

The 300D is one generation too old. It might be a good opportunity to practice modifying a camera before trying it on a newer one. If noting else see if you can take it apart, remove the IR cut filter, and put it back together. I also like to use old cameras for 'high risk' imaging, like leaving them out all night for time lapse imaging. If the dew kills them it's not a big loss.

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nofxrx
Vendor (HyperCams & Mods)

Reged: 07/12/05

Loc: Palm Bay,Florida

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: da_guy2]
#5625309 - 01/15/13 10:10 PM

Quote:

Hmmm I had been looking at http://ghonis2.ho8.com/rebelmod.html where they replace with just clear glass. At ~$25 it's fairly reasonable to do.

How important is something like a Baader filter? I can't seem to find them for less than $150 a which point it starts to not make common or financial sense to do any more.

baader filter is not THAT important. It will provide absolute best IR Blocking possible, period.
BUT, the difference is VERY minimal and you can easily get away with only using a clear glass replacement for LPF-2 (**assuming LPF-1 remains intact**)

Quote:

Is there any cheaper alternatives other than just clear glass?

No..not that I am aware of..

I have pre-cut clear glass replacements(I buy in large sheets and cut my filters to size, very cost effective).

Good luck!

Edited by tecmage (01/16/13 08:52 PM)

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da_guy2
super member

Reged: 01/11/06

Loc: Ottawa, Canada

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: nofxrx]
#5625361 - 01/15/13 10:40 PM

Quote:

baader filter is not THAT important. It will provide absolute best IR Blocking possible, period.
BUT, the difference is VERY minimal and you can easily get away with only using a clear glass replacement for LPF-2 (**assuming LPF-1 remains intact**)

No..not that I am aware of..

I have pre-cut clear glass replacements(I buy in large sheets and cut my filters to size, very cost effective) that I usually sell for very little $...fwiw

Good luck!

Yes but alas the 300D only has one filter. So this wouldn't work.

I read This today (boy that took a while) and I now understand a lot more. I could do a full spectrum mod by replacing with clear glass, but then I'd only be able to use it with a reflector (which I currently don't own).

I think I'm kinda stuck. I may just do the full spectrum mod just for fun, but baring spending more than the camera's worth, I don't think I'll be able to use it for anything. Maybe I'll find someone with a reflector I can sell it to and at least recoup some of the costs.

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Phil Sherman
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 12/07/10

Loc: Cleveland, Ohio

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: da_guy2]
#5625394 - 01/15/13 10:56 PM

If you do a full spectrum mod, you can always add an IR filter in the nosepiece that attaches it to the camera. I've also seen 1.25" filter adapters that fit between the camera's T adapter and the T fitting that attaches the camera to the scope. If your scope isn't too low an f/ ratio, the smaller filter won't cause vignetting because it's right at the front of the camera body. Even if it causes some vignetting, it'll still make a good experimentation camera.

Phil

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RedLionNJ
professor emeritus

Reged: 12/29/09

Loc: Red Lion, NJ, USA

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: Phil Sherman]
#5625938 - 01/16/13 10:26 AM

I would think a 300D (with larger than average pixels) would make a pretty good astro camera!

Grant

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da_guy2
super member

Reged: 01/11/06

Loc: Ottawa, Canada

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: RedLionNJ]
#5625951 - 01/16/13 10:36 AM

Quote:

I would think a 300D (with larger than average pixels) would make a pretty good astro camera!

Grant

Yet again unfortunately no. I guess the technology has just improved so much that it outweighs the larger pixel size. It only goes up to 1600 iso and there is signicicant noise at that point. I'd say you have to keep it 400 iso and less to keep the noise down, which is much worse than any of the more recent cameras.

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Hap Griffin
Vendor (Imaging Infinity)

Reged: 04/15/08

Loc: Sumter, SC

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: da_guy2]
#5626593 - 01/16/13 05:04 PM

Agreed. The noise in the 300D, not to mention the amp glow, is pretty horrendous compared to more recent models.

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Tom and Beth
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/08/07

Loc: Tucson, AZ

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: da_guy2]
#5626632 - 01/16/13 05:25 PM

Quote:

I have an old digital rebel 300d that I no longer need. I've tried selling it as a camera, but nobody seems to want a 6 mp camera anymore. I was wondering, if I modded it, would it have any value to an astrophotographer or would I just be wasting my time and money?

Thanks

Don't know how many other hobbies you have, but DSLRs have been turned into Nature Cams, Weather Cams, Sunset Cams...
There's a whole industry around adding remote triggers and such.

Might as well get some use out of it, eh?

Post Extras:

AB9MS
member

Reged: 10/19/12

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: Tom and Beth]
#5626850 - 01/16/13 07:36 PM

Citizen Science variable star research comes to mind. As long as it will give raw you don't need a scope for it. Just stock lens.

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tecmage
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/13/10

Loc: Groton, CT

Re: What to do with an old DSLR? new

[Re: Tom and Beth]
#5626961 - 01/16/13 08:32 PM

Quote:

Quote:

I have an old digital rebel 300d that I no longer need. I've tried selling it as a camera, but nobody seems to want a 6 mp camera anymore. I was wondering, if I modded it, would it have any value to an astrophotographer or would I just be wasting my time and money?

Thanks

Don't know how many other hobbies you have, but DSLRs have been turned into Nature Cams, Weather Cams, Sunset Cams...
There's a whole industry around adding remote triggers and such.

Might as well get some use out of it, eh?

Post Extras:

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