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05/10/2006 12:29:39 PM · #1 |
Ok, so these aren't terribly new pics. I've been rather lazy about posting them.
I took them around the time that I started getting really serious about photography, but still very early in my learning curve.
In fact, these were the first time I had ever witnessed an eclipse AND the first time I had ever attempted to stick a camera to another lens. I got some rather fun results sticking some binoculars against the camera and we had a couple of smaller telescopes set up too.
The real fun started when I got a chance to use the big boy.
I can't remember the actual dimensions of it, but I think it's a 10 or 12 inch disc reflector telescope that was hand-built by an old friend of my father. He's a much more talented astro photographer than I (naturally, he's been doing it since before I was born), and I remember seeing some fantastic pics he took of a solar eclipse on a trip to Mexico he made some time ago.
Anyhow, I stuck the A80 on the lens to see what it could see.
Turns out it can see quite a bit.
Normally, you would get an adaptor or something to stabilize the mount.
But then, you would probably also have something other than a hand adjusted telescope too.
I'm not entirely sure if he has an electronic mount for his scop or not, but he certainly didn't bring it. All he has is a wooden counterbalanced mount that he made himself. It's pretty cool. VERY sensitive though... naturally.
Nobody else was taking pics that night, so I decided to step in and take some. The results were pretty impressive to me at the time. Heck, they aren't half bad for me in the now!
I thought I'd put them up here to see what everyone thought of them.
2 second hand-held exposure that was taken during full-phase with people walking around on the wooden deck... tricky business:
After a the full phase, people all started milling about to take a look.
I was lucky to get the camera in front of the lens to take some of these...
   
I was still stupidly fumbling around with exposure settings.
Remember that all of these pics took place within around 10 minutes of each other... The change in exposure was VERY rapid...
Every 30 seconds to a minute, I was seeing the exposure change on me.
Remember, the exposure went from 2 seconds at full phase to 1/400 at fully visible...
The last picture was taken after everyone had left, including the amateur astronomer. He took his good eyepeices with him, but he left a small selection with my dad so he could keep using the telescope... The other eyepeice had a different focal length, so even though this last shot is well beyond the final phase of the eclipse, there is a bit of shadowing on the lower left corner due to vignetting.
The telescope is very large, and it is not so convenient for the astronomer to plunk it in his car and drive all over. He lives in town, where there is little use for such equipment in general. On the other hand, my father lives well out in the country near a lake... and actually quite near the local observatory... It's about a 3 or 4 hour hike if you walk from my parent's house to the observatory and back at a leisurely pace. Including a visit to the gift shop and a little wander around inside... :)
Yeah, I realize it's just playing around, but what do you guys think? |
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05/10/2006 12:39:54 PM · #2 |
Excellent results considering the limitations of your equipment. Get yourself a decent scope, sturdy tripod, and an adapter to attach your camera directly, and you'll blow us all away!
Message edited by author 2006-05-10 12:41:07. |
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05/10/2006 12:55:06 PM · #3 |
| Wow! I'm blown away already! You've captured a really nice sequence here with lots of detail. Thanks so much for sharing these :-) |
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05/10/2006 01:02:09 PM · #4 |
I was considering it... just can't afford the goodies right now and I don't think I have anywhere to use it right now... I live tragically on a rooftop in Taipei... Meaning perfect line of sight with a big sky, and a nice solid concrete surface to mount on, but horrendously hazy and overpowered with obscenely strong city lights... I think that in 2 years living in this place, I've seen stars at night maybe 15 times?
And the number seen would probably be in the neighborhood of 10 each time...
Heck, some nights, it's difficult to see the moon, and that's when it's not overcast!
I had a chance to buy a really decent 8 inch reflector that was 2/3 marked down. It seemed very consumer, and didn't feature an electronic mount... In fact, the mount itself was pretty ridiculously large considering my only transport until recently has been my bicycle... Taxi's are around, but it was a bit big for that... I would have needed to hire a truck which would have cost about 50% of the price of the scope marked down...
I was pretty lucky to be in Canada at the time of that eclipse, but I've not been back since and I might not be back for a few more years yet.
Add to that the fact that I'm more than a little green to this type of thing and I have no idea what kind of setup I would require.
I'm always nervous of trusting sales people...
Have you got some links to some basic setups that would be fairly decent for a beginner? Generalities are fine as I'm sure brands are not the same here. Type of tripod, style of tripod, style of scope... The camera mount I think I can handle myself. I already found one for around 3500 NT I think (maybe 100 USD?)
I will be moving a fair ways out of the city in a few months...
Finances are currently a bit on the tight side though. I've recently shaved down my lens kit expectations, so I don't know how much I will have available.
Message edited by author 2006-05-10 13:06:10. |
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