Digital (SLR or not) Camera

Advantages :
Can be very compact and easy to bring into the field .
Provides for wide to very wide field images .
Easy operation .
Can be used for short and medium time exposures
Very high resolution images can be made .
No reciprocity faliure , as is the case with photographic film .
Result is known fast, images can be transferred to computer and processed without waiting for the development .
Colour images immidiately

Disadvantages:
For small field images the poor (turbulent) seeing will be detrimental to high resolution images .
Batteries or power supply needed
Less sensitivity than CCDs
Only short to medium exposures (max a few minutes with a dark sky )

Conclusion :
Digital (SLR) cameras are well suited for large fields like starfields , constellations (with very short focal lengths) ,extended objects as well as telescopic images .

Use piggyback with relatively widefield images, with a bracket for compact cameras with a telescope, and with a T-adapter for the prime focus telescope use.

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Last update 21 January 2006 by Jan Andersen.
Background image : Video image of the Pleiades
Top caption : Lunar Eclipse 21-01-2000