Keith, you really may really want to think about an astrotrac

[Skywatcher]

OK I know I ALWAYS say this but these are really really quick snaps - usualy to take any deep sky pics would take about 1/2 an hour to a hour to setup followed by several timed shots stacked and processed - now these are really not great but it does give you some idea of what is possible

I went out with the tripod and polar aligned which took about 2 minutes

pointed the camera on top at the 3 stars in the middle of orion and opened the shutter for 2 minutes

now the one I took the other day showed star trailing at 3 seconds and this was 2 minutes so the trac works perfectly! nice round stars - the trails on the left are down to lens problems

this is the 50mm 1.8



the orion nebula is over exposed - the horsehead and flame is visible on the left star of the belt - also there is a feint red band to the far left going up called Barnards loop not had that before

Hardest part was focussing which is very hard with a fiddly focus ring

Ok 1 shot was all I had time for as storytime beckoned so I put on the 100-400mm zoom and pointed it at the same area 2 minute shot this time and more detail

I KNOW this can do so so much more but Keith this is probably the answer you are looking for to take shots of nebulas and galaxies with the stuff you already have - the biggest challenge is focussing - in reality I would have taken 30 - 40 identical frames stacked them and subtracted dark and flats as usual but wanted you to see some 'hot off the camera pics'


Again orion, running man , flame and horsehead all in 1 shot

easy

and I mean easy!

[Dawn]

[josh.p.]

[arkvilla]

Yes - that all makes perfect sense and looks Dead Easy ----- NOT

Sandra

[Skywatcher]

It really really is though thats the brilliance of it, if you had the kit I could get you up and taking picslike that within 10 minutes and TBH those are really poor compared with what I ultimately want to be doing