School me on telescopes!

[tirebob]

So I am quite surprised to see that the costs on hobbyists telescopes are surprisingly cheap, but I know less than zero on the subject and was hoping some of you may have a bit of knowledge and input.

By no means are we huge star gazers but living where we do out in Water Valley it would a cool thing to play with a bit. What sort of things should we be considering? I am not looking to go crazy, but a few hundred bucks seems more than doable for this type of purchase.

Sorry this is so vague but I really have nothing to go by hence the reason I am asking for any guidance.

Cheers!

Bob

[HHURICANE1]

https://www.all-startelescope.com/
These guys can fix you up from mild to wild. Money talks. The more spent the better the viewing. Skip the cheap dept. store telescopes. They are crap. You don't have to spend a ton but the optics get better with price.

[The_Rural_Juror]

https://www.all-startelescope.com/
These guys can fix you up from mild to wild. Money talks. The more spent the better the viewing. Skip the cheap dept. store telescopes. They are crap. You don't have to spend a ton but the optics get better with price.

I have an unopened NexStar 5SE. Is that good or bad? I just want to find some Martians.

[ExtraSlow]

Bob, are you into the photography aspect at all? I think for me, living where you live, I'd have more fun taking pictures of the stars than looking at the directly. There are some really knowledgeable members on that subject.

[tirebob]

Bob, are you into the photography aspect at all? I think for me, living where you live, I'd have more fun taking pictures of the stars than looking at the directly. There are some really knowledgeable members on that subject.

Not something of primary importance but definitely interesting! Not add an extra $1000 interesting, but if a unit has something that make that aspect easier over another relatively similar unit then for sure!

[The_Rural_Juror]

Bob, are you into the photography aspect at all? I think for me, living where you live, I'd have more fun taking pictures of the stars than looking at the directly. There are some really knowledgeable members on that subject.

I am interested. Who do I talk to about that?

[D'z Nutz]

So I am quite surprised to see that the costs on hobbyists telescopes are surprisingly cheap, but I know less than zero on the subject and was hoping some of you may have a bit of knowledge and input.

By no means are we huge star gazers but living where we do out in Water Valley it would a cool thing to play with a bit. What sort of things should we be considering? I am not looking to go crazy, but a few hundred bucks seems more than doable for this type of purchase.

Sorry this is so vague but I really have nothing to go by hence the reason I am asking for any guidance.

Cheers!

Bob

I think it depends on what you're looking to view. Planets or deep space objects? You can get telescopes that do both but won't do both really great. For your budget, you're looking at maybe getting a 4" or 5" reflector or dobsonian.

Maybe something like this from hhuricane1's link:
https://www.all-startelescope.com/sales/product_info.php?products_id=2159


Bob, are you into the photography aspect at all? I think for me, living where you live, I'd have more fun taking pictures of the stars than looking at the directly. There are some really knowledgeable members on that subject.

Yeah no. Once you add photography into the mix, your budget explodes and there's a lot of equipment and post processing time involved if you want any decent results.

[The_Rural_Juror]

Can I take photos on the Nexstar 5se? What do I need?

[ExtraSlow]

Oh, there ya go. I don't know shit about shit. I just think pics of the moon and milky way and stuff is cool.

[D'z Nutz]

Can I take photos on the Nexstar 5se? What do I need?

Are you using the stock tripod/mount? I don't think it's suited for long exposure photography, so you'd only be able to shoot bright stuff like the moon, some planets, and sun.

If you're looking to hook up your camera to it, the very least you need is a T-adapter:
https://www.celestron.com/products/t-adapter-for-schmidt-cassegrain-telescopes

and a t-ring for your camera.

You can also look into getting dedicated astronomy cameras.

This guy's got some good videos on backyard astronomy/astrophotography:
https://www.youtube.com/c/AstroBackyard/videos

[The_Rural_Juror]

Thanks man! Just the T-Adapter to hook up the A7RIII?
I haven't opened the 5se yet.

[D'z Nutz]

Plus a T-ring like this
https://www.amazon.ca/Lightdow-Adapter-Mirrorless-Cameras-T2-Sony/dp/B07DGTP4DG

[The_Rural_Juror]

So should I return this telescope and get something else?

[speedog]

https://www.all-startelescope.com/ - in the countryside up near Didsbury. Plenty of great reviews on Google.

[D'z Nutz]

So should I return this telescope and get something else?

Why, what's wrong with it? It's a good scope. I have the 4se myself.

[The_Rural_Juror]

Why, what's wrong with it? It's a good scope. I have the 4se myself.

I have no idea. I thought you had something better in mind.

[D'z Nutz]

tirebob, if you haven't gotten a telescope yet, here's a good reason to. Dec 21, you should be able to see Saturn and Jupiter pretty damn close to each other.

https://images.twnmm.com/c55i45ef3o2a/5uIs5BUABAKcx7RAh1D4ju/43059da5725182207a342122cffd3644/Jupiter-Saturn-to-Great-Conjunction.jpg

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/news/article/dont-miss-these-top-astronomy-events-for-the-winter-season.

[tirebob]

tirebob, if you haven't gotten a telescope yet, here's a good reason to. Dec 21, you should be able to see Saturn and Jupiter pretty damn close to each other.

https://images.twnmm.com/c55i45ef3o2a/5uIs5BUABAKcx7RAh1D4ju/43059da5725182207a342122cffd3644/Jupiter-Saturn-to-Great-Conjunction.jpg

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/news/article/dont-miss-these-top-astronomy-events-for-the-winter-season.I haven't but thanks for making me want to spend money like a drunken sailor again!

[The_Rural_Juror]

We need to hang out in ballz' garage.