11 replies to this topic

[h4kunamatata]

Hey all,

 

I'm new to the forum and have finally stopped leaving things "for tomorrow ".

 

Atm I've a Newtonian National Geographic 76/700 EQ Reflector Telescope, it's okay to somewhat see the moon but I'm past to invest into this hobby for real.

 

Basics first: DSLR

 

I'm looking into a DSLR for deep photography and have found Canon EOS 60D for around $200-400 Australian dollar.

This is one of the most recommended DSLR and I can find it easily from very worn out to "like new" and "cheap".

I don't wanna overspend now.

 

I read that it's recommended to remove the IR filter.

The process is simple but requires attention ( I'm okay with DIY like Voron 3D printers, IT, etc) so it shouldn't be a problem.

 

I think the question is, is there anything that prevents me from going ahead??

I'm buying this camera exclusively for deep astrophotography even so I will use it with lens for now to play with the moon to get used with DSLR until I buy a proper telescope, tripod, guide, etc.

 

I can still use it as a normal camera with a custom white balance.

 

 

Thank you very much.

 

 

[archiebald]

There is nothing to prevent you, I did exactly the same thing two years ago very successfully to my own 60D.  A couple of pointers though.

 

Make sure you have a good head loupe, good lighting, dust free working area, good screwdriver set, tweezers, cocktail sticks (not a typo)...and a good quality vernier caliper.

 

Leave yourself about 4-5 hours of unhurried time.

 

There were a couple of websites I found that helped me enormously, sorry I lost the links, but you should search.  The most important advice is on repositioning the sensor to the proper position as you finish.  You need to measure carefully before disassembly.

 

The most annoying point was the rubber grips are basically destroyed so you either have to use the camera "naked" or buy some replacements from ali-express or elsewhere (which I did)

 

MAJOR point....in my case I was taking a fairly unused camera out of my drawer to do the surgery on, so it was at no cost and I got a better temporary camera for astro.   Your case seems different as you are going to spend money on buying a donor camera, then modifying it.

 

But at the end of the day you will only have a DSLR that is about 12-14 years old, has no cooling for the sensor (hassle for calibrating images) and as normal for Canon cameras has quite severe horizontal banding on astro images.  It will quickly frustrate you.  I used my modified DSLR for about a year, then got frustrated and upgraded to a "proper" astro cam.  But remember, in my case the camera cost nothing.

 

So, I'd strongly recommend saving the money and putting it toward a dedicated, cooled astro camera - it will save time, money and frustration.

Edited by archiebald, 09 November 2024 - 11:53 AM.

[h4kunamatata]

There is nothing to prevent you, I did exactly the same thing two years ago very successfully to my own 60D.  A couple of pointers though.

 

Make sure you have a good head loupe, good lighting, dust free working area, good screwdriver set, tweezers, cocktail sticks (not a typo)...and a good quality vernier caliper.

 

Leave yourself about 4-5 hours of unhurried time.

 

There were a couple of websites I found that helped me enormously, sorry I lost the links, but you should search.  The most important advice is on repositioning the sensor to the proper position as you finish.  You need to measure carefully before disassembly.

 

The most annoying point was the rubber grips are basically destroyed so you either have to use the camera "naked" or buy some replacements from ali-express or elsewhere (which I did)

 

MAJOR point....in my case I was taking a fairly unused camera out of my drawer to do the surgery on, so it was at no cost and I got a better temporary camera for astro.   Your case seems different as you are going to spend money on buying a donor camera, then modifying it.

 

But at the end of the day you will only have a DSLR that is about 12-14 years old, has no cooling for the sensor (hassle for calibrating images) and as normal for Canon cameras has quite severe horizontal banding on astro images.  It will quickly frustrate you.  I used my modified DSLR for about a year, then got frustrated and upgraded to a "proper" astro cam.  But remember, in my case the camera cost nothing.

 

So, I'd strongly recommend saving the money and putting it toward a dedicated, cooled astro camera - it will save time, money and frustration.

 

Thank you for sharing your experience.

To the best of my knowledge, astro cam requires laptop and software to set things up, plus, I use Linux so non Windows users have an extra adventure on that.

 

I'm buying this DSLR so I can have some fun until I've a proper telescope and astro cam.

So from what I understood, removing the IR filter is cool but won't make miracles.

In that case, I won't bother to remove the filter since this is just a temporary bandaid and the camera is fairly cheap like new.

 

Thank you so much.

[archiebald]

Thank you for sharing your experience.

To the best of my knowledge, astro cam requires laptop and software to set things up, plus, I use Linux so non Windows users have an extra adventure on that.

 

I'm buying this DSLR so I can have some fun until I've a proper telescope and astro cam.

So from what I understood, removing the IR filter is cool but won't make miracles.

In that case, I won't bother to remove the filter since this is just a temporary bandaid and the camera is fairly cheap like new.

 

Thank you so much.

You are correct of course that the big advantage of a DSLR that I missed in that comparison is that it is standalone, so no PC is required.  Although, when I was using mine on a couple of Skywatcher mounts, I was using the Synscan app to drive the photo sessions via a "snap" cable connected from the mount the the camera.

 

Another maybe useful idea if you are going to use the 60D is to look into an Open Source firmware mod for Canon cameras called Magic Lantern.

 

Easy to use and install and it gives you many useful functions including an extended intervalometer.   https://www.magiclantern.fm/
 

[Michael Covington]

You might consider buying a DSLR already modified, and also getting one with a newer sensor, such as an 80D or 90D.

[h4kunamatata]

You are correct of course that the big advantage of a DSLR that I missed in that comparison is that it is standalone, so no PC is required.  Although, when I was using mine on a couple of Skywatcher mounts, I was using the Synscan app to drive the photo sessions via a "snap" cable connected from the mount the the camera.

 

Another maybe useful idea if you are going to use the 60D is to look into an Open Source firmware mod for Canon cameras called Magic Lantern.

 

Easy to use and install and it gives you many useful functions including an extended intervalometer.   https://www.magiclantern.fm/
 

That really is the main reason, a DSLR has buttons and all so it is a lot easier to get used to "calibrating" it, get used to ISO, aperture, etc which I don't fully comprehend just yet.

Astro cam is fully software so having to learn how to control it AND the calibration will become frustrating pretty fast haha

 

Also, I need to find out how Linux folks manage everything software related as I hate Windows and cannot stand Apple.

One step at the time

 

 

 

You might consider buying a DSLR already modified, and also getting one with a newer sensor, such as an 80D or 90D.

This is the thing I am trying to avoid and why I got ( a few hours ago ) a 60D.

 

If I get a 90D, well, I should buy the "100D".

Then instead of 100D, I should get the 150D, by the time you realize, you spent $2K into a DLSR without even knowing how to use it haha

 

I paid $375AUD into this 60D and it looks like a 2024 camera, it is insanely conserved with a 18-55mm lens.

 

80D is starting at $500AUD all the way to $800AUD-ish which is equivalent to mine 60D + a bigger lens I need to buy.

90D is already within the $1kAUD mark.

 

I agree that sometimes it is better to save and buy something better but in my case like I mentioned to archiebald, now I can learn how to properly calibrate a camera for astro photography without spending an insane money.

 

My next purchase from here is a future proof tripod/tracker and a bigger lens and use the moon as "guinea pig", I have a very clean view to it all night long from the balcony. No battery pack and etc needed for now.

 

Thanks a lot all

[triplemon]

If you consider a 60D - also look at the 6D, the older MK I model. Its often offered at prices fairly close to the APS versions of similar vintage, but IMO a much more bang for the buck for astro imaging.
It also matters a little bit what sort of scope or lenses you use it with. Many older imaging setups are still more optimized for field size vs resolution and the 6D fits that better. Plus, of course, its read noise per pixel is some 2x better - as the pixels/well sizes are larger.

[Michael Covington]

I understand why you consider the 60D the best use of your money -- it is very cost-effective.

Just to clarify, though, in case someone didn't understand that your model numbers were hypothetical: the 90D is the end of the line for Canon's professional APS-C DSLRs.  They have now switched to mirrorless cameras.  The 200D, 300D, etc., are their economy line of cameras (not successors to the 90D).

[BGRE]

Removing the IR filter may make it impossible to focus on infinity especially with fast lenses.

[RichA]

Hey all,

 

I'm new to the forum and have finally stopped leaving things "for tomorrow ".

 

Atm I've a Newtonian National Geographic 76/700 EQ Reflector Telescope, it's okay to somewhat see the moon but I'm past to invest into this hobby for real.

 

Basics first: DSLR

 

I'm looking into a DSLR for deep photography and have found Canon EOS 60D for around $200-400 Australian dollar.

This is one of the most recommended DSLR and I can find it easily from very worn out to "like new" and "cheap".

I don't wanna overspend now.

 

I read that it's recommended to remove the IR filter.

The process is simple but requires attention ( I'm okay with DIY like Voron 3D printers, IT, etc) so it shouldn't be a problem.

 

I think the question is, is there anything that prevents me from going ahead??

I'm buying this camera exclusively for deep astrophotography even so I will use it with lens for now to play with the moon to get used with DSLR until I buy a proper telescope, tripod, guide, etc.

 

I can still use it as a normal camera with a custom white balance.

 

 

Thank you very much.

https://www.lifepixe...ersion-tutorial

[hamishbarker]

Removing the IR filter may make it impossible to focus on infinity especially with fast lenses.

I can confirm that with my 550d, infinity focus is still achievable, but autofocus isn't functional, and sharp focus is only possible with liveview or computer hookup because after removal of the glass ir/uv filters, the sensor is no longer at the same optical distance as the reflex view ground glass focus screen for the optical viewfinder.

So the camera becomes dedicated to astro use.

Re the op software concern, I highly recommend the astroberry/ kstars/ikos distribution running on a raspberry pi. The learning curve is steep for all astro software but you'll find plenty of online tutorials.

I still use the 550d as platesolving camera on my spectroscopy-dedicated Newtonian. The large size sensors on aps-c dslrs are good value for money if sensor area is a high priority ( which for platesolving is the case), even if their uncooled read noise and dark current performance is inferior.

A big benefit of de-filtering dslrs for astro use is that normally the IR filter cuts about 3/4 of the light at h alpha. With ir filter removal this is greatly boosted. The downside is that the IR is able to leak through all three colours of the Bayer matrix filters on the dslr colour sensor chip, so accurate colour response gets very difficult is not impossible due to the IR contamination of all 3 channels.

As another comment noted, if you have a DSLR already, then de filtering is no cost and worthwhile. If you have to spend a couple of hundred, it's worth considering that used asi1600 colour or mono cooled cameras do come up quite regularly.

[h4kunamatata]

So, a lot has happened since my last post.

I used my 3D printer to print some parts because my lord, my telescopes wobble like crazy.

 

But that also exposed a serious problem, the weight of the DSLR is enough to make the eyepiece mount or whatever its name is, to move.

Not just that, its own EQ mount wobbles more than it should so things go from bad to worse haha

 

Atm, I am waiting for an AZ-EQ6 mount.

I overspend on the mount more than I would like to so I won't to replace it anytime soon.

My National Geographic telescope will look like kids toy on it.

 

With that GoTo, all the wobble problems will be gone but not the DSLR weight problem.

I have not decided on the telescope yet and I don't wanna rush so buying a entry level astro cam might be my next move just to get me going.

I already started looking into KStars/Ekos so.

 

Black Friday is this Friday but at least here in Australia a lot of stuff are already in promotion, I bought the AZ-EQ6 mount with AUD$700 off

AZ-EQ6i without the hand controller is AUD2k off