Post suggests that without equat. mount, 8SE cannot track for astrophotography. In theory, true. Is tracking assured by computer az./decl. movmnt?
500160
yes if you want to tinker. If you want to be serious then buy a real quality mount, the mount of this telescope is crap.
500161
The alt/azimuth drive tracks an object to keep it centered in the eyepiece. The problem with photographing the object is that the object rotates in the field of view. Short term (2 or 3 seconds) astrophotography of bright objects (the moon, bright planets) may yield an acceptable image, but that means dim objects such as stars and galaxies are next to impossible. The Equatorial mounting uses the same tracking electronics to move the telescope in only 1 direction (declination). The result is that an object will remain centered in the field of view and will NOT rotate thus making much longer exposure times possible. Remember, though, the telescope is not the only variable in astrophotography. There's the wind, light pollution, vibration of the mounting, accuracy in setting up the mounting, and fatigue. It ain't easy.
500162
You need to get a wedge from Celestron if you want to do astrophotography. It essentially converts the 8SE mount to an equatorial mount.
500163
Photographing bright solar system objects can be done with the alt-az mount because you are really only taking a snapshot. Trying to photograph a deep space object that requires a long exposure cannot be done without using a wedge (as was already stated) and performing a polar alignment. Polar aligning is supported by this mount.
500164
I'm not an astrophotog but the system seems to work very well for me...or at least I have had no issues to speak of
1465775
I don't think so. Orion has the AutoTracker for $199, but it's not always favorably reviewed. Search Jim's Telescopes or JMI for information on other makers of alt az drives. Someone is going to make a good small one soon. Meade already makes a good one for medium size and large Dobsonians. The Dobsonian is probably the most fun you'll have with an astronomical telescope. Period.
1744370
The aforementioned is correct (the AUX port directly on top of the Alt-Az base). I have a Nexstar 8SE Alt-Az mount. I also have a CG-5 Equatorial of which it is not compatable with. Remember to enable the GPS through the Nexstar menu once the system powers up. You will no longer have to enter time, date, location, etc. Give the system a few moments to triangulate its position. Make sure that you have a clear line of site to the sky so that you can get a good GPS lock.
572896
No this is an Amount lens. It will need an Amount adaptor to work with Emount.
1227651
Yes, at the 18mm setting It may report an error. It happened to me only once, I didn't find out if it was a camera or lease issue.
1537154
First, you might be able to get info and a new booklet from Celestron Tech, who have been very helpful tyo me in the past. If they can't help you, I may have the original instructions, and would copy them for you. Also, I'd be willing to answer questions because I've used them a lot. For starters, in case you have a Mac, you can download only a 100 or fewer pics to your computer at oncer, not the maximum on the scope. Glitch in program, written for PCs. Feel free to ask. Aloha, coni
201017
I just perchased the H20. I'm use to having a view finder. I thought there may be a way to rig some kind of sighting device. The camera already has a means of sighting in. Looking from the rear of the camera, there is an elbow formed to the left side of the flash "hump". If you bracket your subject in this elbow it'll pretty much end up dead center of your shot. Hey, it's not hi-tech but the method works.
920663
Unlikely with much success. Astrophotography requires a motorized mount for long exposures. I've held my cell phone to my SkyScanner for rudimentary snapshots of the moon and Jupiter (with it's moons), but that was it.
2277322
No. The Astrotracer function does not use a special mount. The compensation motion comes from the moveable sensor inside the camera.
1687127
I don't recall, as I already have it installed, and yes it will show location/altitude/etc. in the metadata. It's a free download from here:http://nikonimglib.com/nvnx/
57724
The to go program will need some minimum alignment, but once aligned it is easy to use. It can be used with a laptop and can be adjusted for astrophotography.
801501
I believe it has a built in protocol that takes images from the bottom camera and compares the most current image to the previous frame. This unfortunately causes some drift over time. Playing around some you should be able to have it use an initial image and use that one as a reference for all other frames taken and later time points.
2171985
Unfortunately, if you have aligned the scope (i.e. using one of the alignment routines in the hand controller), you lose that alignment when you move the scope manually. When I use my CPC 800 for terrestrial viewing (which is not very often compared to using it for astronomy), I bypass the alignment but I still use the hand controller to slew the scope. I just find that is easier.
1784378
There isn't one as far as I know. I think you have two choices - 1) use ETTL, or 2) guess the power in manual and review the histogram. I must say that I'm disappointed that they haven't published a fix for the manual / pre-flash problem, and I'm currently considering going back to PW because of this. However, if you want ETTL, they are great.
1971495
You didn't mention the model of your telescope. Mine was computerized and it worked for it.
597754
I have the nexstar 8SE and upgraded to the advanced vx mount for longer exposures. This mount has exceeded my expectations and it handles the 8" SCT tube, guide scope, and dslr with ease.
1634743
I have used it on the C8 and Meade 12, SCTs, and it works great with a 2x barlow on these scopes. I do not have a 3x. As far as the AstroMaster, I think the barlow would be too much power, JMO. I would try it with the zoom alone and see how it resolves at the lower fl range. I've had mixed results with the lower focal lengths on this ep. Of course, the higher seem better. I use this mainly as an indicator of the seeing conditions and the best fl for the object I'm observing. Then I usually change to that dedicated ep that fits the condition. It's hard to get a multipurpose ep to perform as well as a dedicated fixed fl one. However, again it does work pretty well on the higher fl. Hope that helps. WEK. I have used it on the C8 and Meade 12, SCTs, and it works great with a 2x barlow on these scopes. I do not have a 3x. As far as the AstroMaster, I think the barlow would be too much power, JMO. I would try it with the zoom alone and see how it resolves at the lower fl range. I've had mixed results with the lower focal lengths on this ep. Of course, the higher seem better. I use this mainly as an indicator of the seeing conditions and the best fl for the object I'm observing. Then I usually change to that dedicated ep that fits the condition. It's hard to get a multipurpose ep to perform as... » Read More I have used it on the C8 and Meade 12, SCTs, and it works great with a 2x barlow on these scopes. I do not have a 3x. As far as the AstroMaster, I think the barlow would be too much power, JMO. I would try it with the zoom alone and see how it resolves at the lower fl range. I've had mixed results with the lower focal lengths on this ep. Of course, the higher seem better. I use this mainly as an indicator of the seeing conditions and the best fl for the object I'm observing. Then I usually change to that dedicated ep that fits the condition. It's hard to get a multipurpose ep to perform as well as a dedicated fixed fl one. However, again it does work pretty well on the higher fl. Hope that helps. WEK. « Show Less