Telescope Buying Guide

Allen 850 asked:


I have a JVC Everio GZ-MS120BU digital video camera, and since the meteor shower is tonight, I would like to record it. I have a couple Celestron telescope lenses for my telescope, but I was wondering if I could rig something up, like taping the telescope lens to the end of my video camera so I can see the meteors more clearly. Would that work?

Ben asked:


I have a 900mm reflector telescope with a manual powered mount, and would like to get into basic astrophotography. Should I just bring my telescope into the camera store and ask, or is it a bit more involved to get the right gear? Where should I go?

bastian915 asked:


Hi, I’m getting a telescope for the first time (an Orion StarMax 102) and it is coming with a german equatorial mount [em-8] and a celestron motor autoguide. I’m very much interested in doing astrophotography with it but where I’ve never owned a telescope before I’m not sure how to get it lined up so the motor drive will track properly. I’ve looked at a website online and it seemed rather complex in the way they worded it. I’m also not quite sure about how to take pictures with my camera. I currently own an olympus om-10 and an olympus E-300 digital camera and can get a t ring for it so I can connect them to the scope but i’m not sure about focussing. again I found a website but it seemed rather complex. I’m thinking I should use my om-10 as the exposure times are quite long and so the noise on the digital camera would be out of this world. Any ideas for a newby to astrophotography.