Astrophotography for Advanced Photographers by Mario Zauner

Hi Mario, great to have you with us for the series! Tell us how you got into this hobby?

In 2017, I started looking into telescopes and ended up buying the 120/900 with the EQ6 mount. After two nights of observing, I immediately attached a 1000D camera, and that was my downfall... 🙂 Two weeks later, I had converted it to a CCD camera. Looking back, my first attempts were a complete disaster, but I enjoyed it so much! In mid-2018, I got the Esprit mount and the ASI 1600. That was a whole different ballgame! At the end of 2018, I added the G3 16200. My first proper CCD camera! 🙂 January 2019: first NASA Apod with heart and soul; March 2019: second Apod with IC 434; April 2019: third Apod with a Pano IC434 up to M42. Then I needed a new challenge and got the C11 Edge HD with an EQ8. I'm still struggling with it today, as I haven't been able to achieve much with it yet due to a lack of CS (compact focusing).

What equipment do you work with, Mario?

I have two refractors: a SW 120/900 with a flattener and a 0.85x reducer, and an Esprit 100/550 ED with a flattener and a 0.75x Riccardi. I also have a Celestron C11 Edge HD, also with a 0.7x reducer. An EQ3 Pro for small equipment, a Polaris, an AZ EQ6 GT, an EQ8 Pro. Prime lenses from Sigma Art: 35mm, 50mm, 135mm. Samyang 85mm, Canon L200. Cameras: EOS 1000 Debayered, EOS 600Da, EOS 60Da, EOS 80D, EOS 5Da Mark II, EOS 6D, Nikon Z6. Zwei ASI 1600mm C with Optolong filters: HA, OIII, SII (12nm) and L, R, G, B. Moravian G3 16200 with Astronomic filters: HA, OIII, SII, IR 742, and L, R, G, B.