Omega Centauri with EOS R3 and RF 600mm

[Dennis]

Located in the Constellation of Centaurus, the giant Globular Cluster Omega Centauri (NGC5139) is one of the showpieces of the Southern skies,

Canon EOS R3, RF 600mm F4L, RF Extender x1.4.

10 x 60 sec exposures at ISO1600, F5.6.

Dennis.

 

[West Coast Birder]

Spectacular, Dennis! Did you use an equatorial mount?

 

[Dennis]

Spectacular, Dennis! Did you use an equatorial mount?

Yes - the camera/lens was mounted on my German Equatorial Mount tracking the stars. At a FL of 840mm it does not require autoguiding to keep the stars round, so it was just chugging along under my Bortle 6/7 skies.

Dennis.

 

[West Coast Birder]

I suspect that with 60sec exposures, you wouldn't need autoguiding.

 

[West Coast Birder]

By the way, Southern Hemisphere constellations are amazing. I'll take Sagittarius or Scorpio over any NH constellation.

 

[West Coast Birder]

Dennis, can you share how you mount your 600mm on your mount? Is there an Arca Swiss adapter? I don't have an equatorial mount, only a beefy telescope tripod for my Televue TV-85 apochromat, but that has a different dovetail foot that seems to be standard for telescopes but quite different from the Arca Swiss dovetail foot common in terrestrial photography.

 

[Dennis]

Dennis, can you share how you mount your 600mm on your mount? Is there an Arca Swiss adapter? I don't have an equatorial mount, only a beefy telescope tripod for my Televue TV-85 apochromat, but that has a different dovetail foot that seems to be standard for telescopes but quite different from the Arca Swiss dovetail foot common in terrestrial photography.

I bolted a Wimberly C-30 Quick-Release Clamp (4.2 ins long) to a stout piece of wood and then bolted the wood to a 7” Losmandy Dovetail plate which then fits into the EQ Mount Head Losmandy style saddle as normal.

Be sure to leave clearance for the screw locking knob on the Q-C Clamp so it does not foul the Losmandy Dovetail plate.

It seems to be rigid enough to support the R3 / 600mm F4L and RF Extender and it is quite nice to be able to shoot unguided.

Cheers

Dennis

https://tripodhead.com/products/c30-features.cfm

https://www.bintel.com.au/product/losmandy-dovetail-plate-universal-dup14/

 

[Jeff USN Photog 72-76]

Very Nice!!

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

Located in the Constellation of Centaurus, the giant Globular Cluster Omega Centauri (NGC5139) is one of the showpieces of the Southern skies,

Canon EOS R3, RF 600mm F4L, RF Extender x1.4.

10 x 60 sec exposures at ISO1600, F5.6.

Dennis.

View attachment 79000

Wow…

 

[Dennis]

Here we go Sam, as they say, "a picture is worth 1,000 words".

Dennis.

 

[West Coast Birder]

Here we go Sam, as they say, "a picture is worth 1,000 words".

Dennis.

View attachment 79396

Nice! Thanks for sharing. I might pick up an equatorial mount this summer. I'll keep this clever hack in mind.

 

[Dennis]

Nice! Thanks for sharing. I might pick up an equatorial mount this summer. I'll keep this clever hack in mind.

The blue anodised Losmandy Style dovetail plate is actually a Farpoint Astro product, and is 8" long.

The 1/4"x20 Socket Head Cap screws are slightly countersunk into the wood, so the Canon lens foot can slide into the Wimberley Clamp either from the front or rear.

Dennis