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Hello everyone! I have a question: what is a good webcam\camera for guiding? At the department in Pisa we students finally have the chance to use a C11, and prof.Shore has a Lhires III and camera, we only need something for the guiding. Thanks!

Ivan, I think common webcam are suitable only for relatively bright target. If I'm not wrong, the maximum exposure time of webcams is about 1/10 of second (add also an intrinsic low sensitivity).

I use a Starlight Xpress Lodestar guide camera that I find very sensitive. If you want to get an idea of the results see these Lhires III slit view images captured through C9.25 (235 mm aperture):





There are also other good guide cameras as the Atik Titan, Sbig St-i and more.

Ciao
Paolo

Thanks Paolo, the images are very nice, but we are low on budget I am going to turn this in a very sad discussion, but we hope to spend less the 200€. I was looking on the web and it's really hard to find something with that quality as you show. However, grazie

Personnally, I do not use webcam with Lhires.
Ok, it is a low cost solution, of course, but not so
easy to use : chip is small (small wide field = real difficulty
for find and center objects) and the sensitivity is not very
high (for astronomy). The major problem to consider is
the driver compatibility with guiding software : Audela,
PHD, ... No problem with old Philips Tocam, but now, with
recent models ?

If possible, select a fisrt line watek video camera (902 model) + grabber
(but the ideal is the luxuous Watek 120N video camera with integration
time capacity).

Actually, I use a true CCD camera, Atik314L+, mechanically compatible
on Lhires with Atik460EX camera for science acquisition. But the
solution is very costly.

Christian B

Hello Ivan,

It will be difficult to find anything suitable (except for bright targets) new for <200 euro but it is possible to find used cameras below this price which will work well. I first used a webcam I modified myself for long exposure and a mono CCD, total cost <100 euro. I now use a Stellacam (Mintron) integrating video camera which cost ~130 euro used. Both will guide on fainter than mag 11 stars on the slit. Other used possibilities are the Meade DSI Pro.
There are also some long exposure planetary webcams which can take long exposures eg from Imaging Source
http://www.astronomycameras.com/product ... k21au04as/
which costs 330 euro new but might be in your budget used.

Cheers
Robin

Ivan,

I use a Meade DSI Pro II. These are often available on the used market for a reasonable price. The Pro II version uses the same CCD as the much beloved Lodestar guider for about half the price.

Good Luck!
Mike

Thanks everyone for the replies.
What about this? http://www.astronomycameras.com/product ... k21au04as/

Ivan - I used one with a Lhires III and it worked fine. I only tried with relativly bright stars. Regards Andrew