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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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Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Mini Pro Pack

$470.00

Ideal for wide-field photography, or lightweight celestial viewing.
Free SAM console app for total control of the Star Adventurer Mini
Customizable speeds, including sidereal, solar and lunar
Polar finderscope with illuminator for easy alignment with Polaris
DSLR camera interface with automatic shutter control
V-style dovetail saddle, with ability to mount ball head for easier camera movement
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ZWO ASI183MM USB3.0 Monochrome Astronomy Imaging Camera

$699.00

The ZWO ASI183MM is the most sensitive ZWO camera currently available. What a great piece of gear for planetary deep space imaging!
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Astro-Tech AT152EDT .72x Reducer Field Flattener

$299.00

The Astro-Tech AT152FF 0.72x focal reducer/field flattener is designed specifically for prime focus astrophotography with the AT152EDT triplet refractor.

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Losmandy 1-Axis piggyback for both Losmandy- and Vixen-style dovetails

$59.00

1 Review(s)

This Losmandy one-axis piggyback system mounts on any Losmandy D-plate or Vixen-style accessory dovetail and allows you to rotate your camera 360° to line up the best shot . . .
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Astro-Tech 5mm T-thread spacer ring for DSLR and CCD imaging with 42mm Threads

$9.95

This Astro-Tech 5mm 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.
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Astro-Tech 10mm T-thread spacer ring for DSLR and CCD imaging with 42mm Threads

$9.95

This Astro-Tech 10mm 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.
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Celestron 0.7x focal reducer for Celestron 8" EdgeHD scopes and optical tubes

$409.00

2 Review(s)

This Celestron EdgeHD 0.7x focal reducer turns your 8" f/10 EdgeHD telescope into a full f-stop faster f/7 scope, increasing your photographic field of view by 43% and cutting your deep space exposure times in half . . .
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Celestron Deluxe Off-axis guider for SCTs and long focal length telescopes

$339.95

7 Review(s)

The Celestron off-axis guider #OAG93648 is designed for use with SCTs, EdgeHDs, and long focal length telescopes that require the most accurate guiding possible.
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Losmandy 3-Axis piggyback for both Losmandy- and Vixen-style dovetails

$149.00

This Losmandy three-axis piggyback system mounts on any Losmandy D-plate or Vixen-style accessory dovetail and allows you to rotate your camera 360° on the piggyback, tilt it up and down by 45°, and rotate the piggyback itself to line up the best shot . . .
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iOptron Ball head for iOptron SkyTracker camera tracking mount

$65.00

3 Review(s)

The new iOptron 3305A ball head lets you mount your digital camera on the SkyTracker portable camera tracking mount for wide field deep space photography.