Dithering with a DSLR and Star Tracker
September 21, 2020
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10 Comments
Dithering with a DSLR and Star Tracker Dithering is a special process that should allow you to fix some annoying problems in your astro images. Many sensors produce fixed pattern noise, which can include hot pixels, banding, color mottle, and purple glow. Canon cameras tend to have very bad banding issues, along with color noise. Nikon cameras ofte...
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Nikon D780 Review - Astrophotography
April 05, 2020
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7 Comments
Nikon D780 Review - Astrophotography
The Nikon D780 is the long-awaited replacement for the popular D750. I've been using a Nikon D750 for the past 5 years for all of my astrophotography, landscapes, wildlife, portraits, and more. The camera has done a phenomenal job, but it was starting to show its age. There were also a few small problems with t...
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A Guide to Astrophotography Filters
February 19, 2020
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6 Comments
Astrophotography Filters In this article we’ll be looking at the different astrophotography filters and how to properly use them. These filters are mainly designed for monochrome camera users. If you have a color astro camera or DSLR, then you won’t get the full benefits of using narrowband or LRGB filters. You could go for some unique light pollut...
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Choosing your first Dedicated Astro Camera
February 12, 2020
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12 Comments
Choosing your first Dedicated Astro Camera If you are considering purchasing your first astro camera, you’re probably overwhelmed! Do I want a monochrome or color camera? What brand should I go with? Do I need filters? How do I even use this camera? We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s get started!
*Before we get into all the details, I want to ment...
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Pairing a Camera with a Telescope / Lens
December 28, 2019
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16 Comments
Pairing a Camera and Lens / Telescope for Astrophotography Astrophotography is a fairly complicated hobby, and there's a lot to learn! One of the most important aspects of astrophotography is picking the correct camera for your lens or telescope (and vice versa!) For all my fellow photographers out there, we are very familiar with focal length, and...
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William Optics High Latitude Base Review
November 24, 2019
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7 Comments
William Optics High Latitude Base Review
While I was reviewing the Space Cat, AgenaAstro was kind enough to send me a William Optics Latitude Base to test out. This base comes in two different configurations – High Latitude (32-59) and Low Latitude (7-34). You should choose the base depending on your shooting location. For example, I normally ta...
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William Optics Space Cat Review
November 24, 2019
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18 Comments
William Optics Space Cat Review
For the past two years I’ve done most of my deep space astrophotography with an iOptron SkyGuider Pro, Nikon D750, and a Tamron 150-600mm lens. This combo works surprisingly well, and I like the versatility it offers. However, I have been looking to upgrade to a real telescope for some time now. The clear choice for...
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MoveShootMove Star Tracker Review
October 07, 2019
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20 Comments
First Impressions This is a very small, lightweight, and portable star tracker. It's so portable that I can even fit it inside my pocket! For those of you who already have a star tracker, like the Star Adventurer, you are probably tired of lugging that thing around! The Star Adventurer itself weighs over 2lbs, and that's not including the latitude...
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Light Pollution Filters for Astrophotography
August 05, 2019
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10 Comments
Quick Recap - Electromagnetic Spectrum Before we begin, I wanted to make sure we are all on the same page. The electromagnetic spectrum is a large range of wavelengths, including Ultra-Violet, Infrared, Visible Light, X-Ray, and more! Our eyes and cameras are only capable of detecting a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. This narrow ran...
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Auto-Guiding with the SkyGuider Pro
April 03, 2019
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46 Comments
What is an Auto-Guider? Last Updated: April 26, 2020
An auto-guider is a small camera that sends commands to your star tracker, drastically increasing the tracking accuracy!
In order to use the auto-guider, you'll also need a guide scope. This guide scope is just a small lens that allows the auto-guider camera to see the stars. Once you have an a...
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Which Star Tracker Should I Get?
August 25, 2018
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75 Comments
Which Star Tracker Should I Get? Last Updated: November 24, 2020
If you are looking to buy your first star tracker, or maybe upgrade your existing one, you have a lot of options! These include the iOptron SkyTracker Pro, iOptron SkyGuider Pro, Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer, Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Mini, Vixen Polarie, and MoveShootMove. All of t...
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iOptron SkyGuider Pro Review
June 26, 2018
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34 Comments
iOptron SkyGuider Pro Review Last Updated: April 26, 2020
The SkyGuider Pro is an excellent star tracker, and it features a number of improvements over the SkyTracker Pro. In this review, I'll explain the most important aspects of the SkyGuider Pro, like the counterweight system, polar alignment, build quality, and if it's worth the price. Before...
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Nikon D750 'Service Advisory' - Long Exposure Noise Reduction
May 23, 2018
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5 Comments
Recently, I discovered a weird 'glitch' caused by Long Exposure Noise Reduction on the Nikon D750. Note, this only applies to astrophotographers and night photographers taking images with stars in them. If your image does not have stars, you shouldn't notice any problems.
When LENR is enabled, the processing causes stars to lose their true colors...
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Sigma 14-24mm vs Nikon 14-24mm - Astrophotography
April 20, 2018
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6 Comments
This morning I had the opportunity to test out the new Sigma 14-24mm! For this test, I drove down to the local "dark" sky park in Ohio and took some test shots. As you will see, it's virtually impossible to find a truly dark sky here in Northeast Ohio... Just 2 more weeks and I'll be back under an actual dark sky - in the Utah desert!
*If you woul...
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iOptron SkyTracker Pro Review
April 15, 2018
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5 Comments
A star tracker is the most effective way to capture higher-quality nightscapes and astro images! With a star tracker, you will no longer be limited by the earth's rotation. These devices allow you to shoot much longer exposures, even up to 5 minutes, without star trails! The SkyTracker Pro was my very first star tracker purchase. Since July 2017, I...
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