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I think I just came.

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http://www.amazon.com/Carson-Z-pix-Digital-Zoom-Microscope/dp/B000RNL2IO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329768561&sr=8-1

I have one. Haven’t had a chance to play with microphotography yet; too busy with the opposite end of the spectrum, so to speak…

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These include some really neat shots. I like the architectural ones, and that last foodie shot is perfectly taken and reminds me I’ve had nothing to eat yet this morning for breakfast! (Coffee only goes so far, you know…)

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All went well, chupa; I knew the layout where I’d be, I positioned accordingly, the mount has enough adjustment field that even though I set up 1/2 before sunset, with my guestimate I was within a degree. I was within I’d guess 1/8th degree when I aligned, and from there, it was cake. I did freeze my arse off–I decided realigning to two stars was easier than hypothermia, so I started the truck up (which cut the accessory plug) quite a few times to keep blood circulating.

There’s some good shots (they’re on google plus). There were some missed ones, too, and ones where I bumped the camera/tripod/big-assed moth into the telescope and ruined the shot (and then there’s the tourists at 1am…)

When I get a round ‘tuit, I’ll add to my gallery here.

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Link or it didn’t happen. Going to shoot for noir right about now? 😉

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Thanks, enniu, for that last clarification.

I got my photo toys–wedge, solar filter, camera body. 😀

I sacrificed a good deal ($$, travel, sleep, appointments) to push this through. I got maybe 7-10 shots of the sun, planets, stars and nebulae (galaxy omitted, meah) that I’ll keep, from an adventure that (dated from first toy arrival) started at 3pm Friday, and has witnessed 5-6 hours sleep.

I froze my ass off. I dropped my brand new camera. (it survived!).

I froze my ass off. People kept driving through in the middle-of-the-phuqing-night- and spoiling my shots.

I froze my ass off. Is it okay that the tip of my left index finger looks a little green?

I froze my ass off. I swear, you could hear a difference in the camera when it took a picture, it was as cold as I.

In between 2-5 (and one 8 )vminute exposures, when I was a huddled mass atop an air mattress, a sleeping bag, and wrapped in a king size double layered denim quilt wrapped upon me like a straight-jacket Snuggie (which explains how some 2 minute exposures got to 5…) yet still feeling confidently certain that my testicles would yet again redescend (G.O.F. 92%), I had a lot of ideas that I wasn’t sure would fit.

Now I know at least two of them can. I’ll PM the mod’s on the other idea.

I’m 50 hours from the start, on 6 hours sleep, and I have things I still need to do. Thank God I’m home, and there’s coffee! Hot, luscious, warm, inviting coffee!….

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Sorry orionid and lokis!! I hope that when things are different and you get new toys, you’ll share them, too!

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I don’t expect the SOOC shots to improve in regards to clarity; the xTi sees 3-4 pixels/arc second; I’ll get 4-6 from the new one–but ‘seeing’ conditions usually are greater than either (1/2 arc sec as I recall, is a good night.)

I DO expect that noise will be reduced (I’ll take dark frames every hour, apply whichever one works best on either side–dark frame ‘bracketing’ as it were), and that that will remain true though I’ll be working with 1600-3200 v 800-1600 ISO (don’t know if I want to mess with 6400). I expect to have brighter shots in shorter times, SOOC. I hope that guiding on 1 less axis will prove to provide a tighter focus. My Bahto-whats-his-face mask lets me get as tight as I can, but I’ve a feeling that the two tracking planes have been a culprit of a ‘globularity’ in zoom-close up shots of the stars, beyond seeing.

If I could, besides eliminating field rotation, get just 1/3-1/2 sharper images, I’d be stoked. Planets will be video-based; 1280×720, through the eyepieces as appropriate. Should be able to use the smaller mm lenses, capture a few minutes at 30 fps, and let registax extract the best ones to compile. I. Want. Hubble. Quality. (or much much closer to it.)

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A-yep, Chupa! I’m gonna be busier than a skanky cheerleader in the footballer’s locker room.

//spent over a grand. Expect it to be worth every penny.

Here’s how celestron does it. You do a rough alignment, just proper placement. Then you do a star alignment, and tweek as directed by the console the alt and az. Then do a star ‘tour’ tweeking as needed (the scope will guide to stars around the sky and direct the adjustments based on my corrections. After, redo the star alignment part, since tweeks will have been made. Repeat as ness. Celestron guide says alignment within 1/4 degree is sufficient for most stuff–but I’m going to shoot for perfection. When I’m done, the forks should rotate perpendicular to the pole point, but the scope body should not move within them once it guides to a location (thus removing 1 of two, and the greater, sources of in-scope vibration, so I’m hoping for clearer images.)

We’ll see how it goes–wish me luck! I’m also planning on trying to work in noir into some shots–but haven’t gotten that creative yet. The drive from/to Tucson, I’ll think of something.

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Holy fark, what a resource! And just when I’ve gotten new toys and don’t want to take the time to look into them (because new toys are more fun when they still have that new-car smell).

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I’ll have to watch this video later; but looking forward to it! (After all, the telescope ALSO makes a fine piggyback mount for wider-view star shots–I can go steady for scenic with trails, or tracking for star fields alone, or photoshop one onto the other with masks…)

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Chupa the hard part is being done by the seller, Starizona (I recommend them), which is setting it up for viewing for my general latitude (>40 deg). The alignment process allows the fine-tuning, is straight forward, and the rig is user-friendly. It should take me maybe an hour the first time (learning curve), but seems like once you get the hang of it it should be able to be done in well under 1/2 hour.

Camera has arrived! Nikon T-adapter has arrived! Starizona confirms they have the solar filter and polar mount ready for pickup! I’m so excited I think I just jizzed a little!!

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chupa; Celestron, I found, has an awesome FAQ on how to set their scopes up for optimal tracking. Man, I can’t WAIT!! Aligning the mount, initially; not so much. I’m going to ask the folks at Starizona if they’ll do it for me. :o)

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Derail away! I love this stuff!

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I looked it up, chupa; seems clear enough…

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