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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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Astro-Tech Schmidt-Cassegrain f/6.3 Focal Reducer Field Flattener

$89.95

4 Review(s)

This combination f/6.3 focal reducer/corrector lens reduces the focal ratio of all Celestron 5" through 14" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, as well as all Meade 8" through 16" SCTs . . .
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Astro-Tech 2" x 35mm extension tube

$29.95

1 Review(s)

This Astro-Tech 2" x 35mm extension tube is used to make up for the loss of light path when a 2" star diagonal is removed from many refractor focusers and replaced by a camera and camera adapter for imaging. It can also be used with Astro-Tech Ritchey-Chrétien reflectors to bring webcams and DSLRs to the correct focus . . .
$0.8x reducer/field flattener for f/6 refractors$ $Astro-Tech 0.8x reducer/field flattener for f/6 refractors$

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Astro-Tech 0.8x reducer/field flattener for f/6 refractors

$149.95

8 Review(s)

This economical Astro-Tech 2" 0.8x reducer/field flattener is designed for astrophotography with f/6 focal ratio refractors, but will also work well with refractors in the f/5.5 to f/7 range . . .
$Astro-Tech 0.8x reducer/field flattener for Astro-Tech AT80EDT triplet apo refractor$ $Astro-Tech 0.8x reducer/field flattener for Astro-Tech AT80EDT triplet apo refractor$

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Astro-Tech 0.8x reducer/field flattener for Astro-Tech AT80EDT triplet apo refractor

$169.95

3 Review(s)

This economical 0.8x focal reducer and field flattener is designed specifically for astrophotography with the Astro-Tech AT80EDT 80mm f/6 triplet apo refractor.
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Astro-Tech .8x Reducer Field Flattener For the 72EDII Optical Tubes

$139.95

Looking to make your Astro-Tech (or variant) scope faster and flatter for photography? Then the .8x reducer/flattener is exactly what your are looking for.
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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.
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$Astro-Tech 0.8x reducer/field flattener for Astro-Tech AT80EDL Doublet apo refractor$ $Astro-Tech 0.8x reducer/field flattener for Astro-Tech AT80EDL Doublet apo refractor$

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Astro-Tech 0.8x reducer/field flattener for Astro-Tech AT80EDL Doublet apo refractor

Regular Price: $199.95

Special Price $99.95

This 0.8x focal reducer and field flattener is designed specifically for astrophotography with the Astro-Tech AT80EDL f/7 apo refractor.
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Astro-Tech Cordless illuminator

$29.95

1 Review(s)

This very economical Astro-Tech #ATIL adjustable brightness red LED illuminator can be used with any crosshair reticle guiding eyepiece that uses an 8mm nosepiece diameter illuminator . . .
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Astro-Tech 1.25" prime focus/variable eyepiece projection adapter, needs T-ring

$44.95

This three-part Astro-Tech camera adapter lets you do both prime focus and variable magnification eyepiece projection astrophotography with 1.25" focuser telescopes . . .
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Astro-Tech 20mm T-thread spacer ring for DSLR and CCD imaging with 42mm Threads

$9.95

This Astro-Tech 20mm T-thread spacer ring can help provide the necessary spacing between a DSLR or CCD camera's focal plane and a reducer, field flattener, or other imaging accessory in prime focus astrophotography.