Not another "Skywatcher guy" ;) (1 Viewer)

[fotonisse]

Hi all,
Like to share my first tries with the Skywatcher ED80.
Decided to get this lens after all beautiful pictures in this forum (thanks for all advices!)
Have not yet tried with any barlow etc. so this is "only" 600 mm using a Pentax K10D.
Croped to about 40% in horizontal. Used only a monopod thanks to the inbuilt shake reduction in the Pentax.

//BR Johan in south east of Sweden

 

[mooreorless]

Hi BR, You know I looked at these pictures before and thought they are very good and I just now read that you used a monopod. I just figured you used a regular tripod. Big difference.:t: Oh boy, I don't think I would try this with my Celestron 80ED . About how far away were these pictures taken?
Regards,Steve

 

[fotonisse]

The distance to the tern ...hm.. about 40m. The other i think maybe a couple of more meters. A lucky shot !

/ Johan

 

[Paul Corfield]

Good work Johan.

Seeing as you have a Pentax then you can pick up second hand teleconverters very cheaply on ebay and they are generally more advisable than using a barlow. I used to have a Pentax and tried pretty much every teleconverter made for that camera and still use Pentax teleconverters on my Canon that I have now.

Best ones I found were DOI HQ7 2X which is very sharp and either the DOI 1.5X or the Vivitar 1.5X if you need less power/more light.

Using the scope at 600mm or with a 1.5X is what I do 90% of the time.

Paul.

 

[fotonisse]

Thanks for suggestions Paul, I'm thinking of getting a TC for the Pentax.
Also thinking of upgrading DSLR to perhaps a Lumix G1...

Took this today of a common bird here nowadays, the Great Cormorant. They didn't exist here 30-40 years ago I've heard. Distance approx 100 m, from a boat.

// Johan

 

[Paul Corfield]

I don't think the G1 would be much of a step up from the K10 plus getting it mounted to the scope is costly because of the adapters needed.

Personally I'm waiting for the Samsung NX3 mirrorless dslr to come out which will have some really interesting features if rumours are correct.

The Cormorant is good for the range.

Paul.

 

[j palmer]

con grates on your scope and as you say yet another with this scope .

i think when i purchest my there was only a couple of people from other site that had this scope so things have moved on for iq and £££saving.

if i where you id get a 2x tc and 3" extention tube this will enable you to focus CFD of 15ft which is what you need for birds.

now with the dunnock and extra m42 thread 20mm extention with a 1.4tc stacked on the 2x tc.

avocet from a bird hide 2x tc.