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CCD & Photographic

A CCD camera is essentially an electronic version of a 35mm camera for astrophotography that saves the images in your computer, rather than on a roll of film. A CCD camera can take snapshots of the Moon and planets and long exposure photos of deep sky nebulas, galaxies, and star clusters. Because the CCD camera has to store up the faint light of deep space objects before it can display an image, just as a 35mm film camera does, a CCD can't give you real-time or instant images of deep space objects.

Because a CCD camera is more sensitive than 35mm film or your eye, it can store up more information during an exposure. Software supplied with the camera, or available separately, allows you to manipulate the image later to bring out details that would be washed out or invisible in a 35mm negative or while observing visually. CCD cameras are surprisingly unaffected by city light pollution, allowing deep sky photography from even heavily light polluted sites.

CCD cameras typically vary in price according to their image size, with large cameras running into the multiple thousands of dollars. Even at their largest, however, their image covers less of the sky than a 35mm film camera on the same scope. CCDs are best at recording small and very faint objects rather than large and bright objects, although excellent images of large objects can be recorded by taking multiple overlapping images and combining them in the computer.

It has been said that CCD cameras on amateur-size telescopes can record fainter objects than the 200" scope at Mt. Palomar could record only 10 or 15 years ago with conventional film cameras. By some measures, CCD cameras can be said to have an effective film speed (ASA or ISO rating) of 20,000, making them ideal for recording very faint objects.

Some CCD cameras can act as autoguiders to take the tedium out of guiding long exposure 35mm photos. Some CCD cameras have their own autoguider built in for recording images automatically and untended; others come with separate guiders or have them available as an option.

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ZWO ASI183MM PRO COOLED Mono CMOS ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY CAMERA

$999.00

The ZWO ASI183MM Pro is a great camera to get you headed down your imaging path.
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ZWO Five position EFW Mini Filter Wheel 1.25" and 31mm

$199.00

Trying to keep you imaging train small? The EFW Mini is the smallest filter wheel
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ZWO EFW 7-position Filter Wheel for 2"

$399.00

This low profile 7 position ZWO filter wheel is just what your monochrome camera ordered.
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ZWO Filter Drawer M42

$79.00

Trying to use just one filter with with your imaging rig? Give the ZWO filter drawer a try.
$Astro-Tech 0.8x reducer/field flattener for Astro-Tech AT102EDL Doublet apo refractor$ $Astro-Tech 0.8x reducer/field flattener for Astro-Tech AT102EDL Doublet apo refractor$

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Astro-Tech 0.8x reducer/field flattener for Astro-Tech AT102EDL Doublet apo refractor

$199.95

1 Review(s)

This 0.8x focal reducer and field flattener is designed specifically for astrophotography with the Astro-Tech AT102EDL f/7 apo refractor.
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Astro-Tech Dedicated 0.8x reducer/field flattener for the Astro-Tech AT80ED

$89.95

1 Review(s)

This Astro-Tech 2" 0.8x reducer/field flattener is designed for astrophotography while using your Astro-Tech AT80ED refactor.
$Astro-Tech Dedicated 0.8x reducer/field flattener for the Astro-Tech AT102ED refractor$ $Astro-Tech Dedicated 0.8x reducer/field flattener for the Astro-Tech AT102ED refractor$

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Astro-Tech Dedicated 0.8x reducer/field flattener for the Astro-Tech AT102ED refractor

$99.95

2 Review(s)

This Astro-Tech 2" 0.8x reducer/field flattener is designed for astrophotography while using your Astro-Tech ED102ED refactor.
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ZWO ASI120MM Mini Monochrome CMOS Camera and Guide Camera

$149.00

What a fantastic mini guider that will work in Off Axis Guiders. Great performance and focuses at the same distance as an eyepiece. It also makes a heck of an intro planetary imager.
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ZWO ASI533MC PRO COOLED COLOR CMOS ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY CAMERA

$799.00

The ZWO ASI533MC Pro is a great 1" Square format camera to get you headed down your imaging path.
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Tele Vue FoneMate Smart Phone Adapter

$113.00

The FoneMate™ smart phone adapter is a convenient way to enter the world of Digiscoping.