Equipment
My Gear for Stargazing and Astrophotography
Here’s a look at the gear I use for stargazing and astrophotography — from my first telescope to my current deep-sky setup, smart telescope experiments and a few DIY mods.
You’ll also find links to related posts, including how I spray-painted my telescope without ruining the optics 😉
My telescopes are for looking through them not at them!
(Joseph von Fraunhofer)
Equipment Overview
Bresser 3″ Newton (76 / 700 mm)
My first telescope which I used for many years. It’s a reflector telescope on an altazimuth mount, lightweight and quick to set up.
Celestron 6″ Newton (150 / 750 mm) on Vixen GP-E
In 2006 I got this telescope for astrophotography but it proved to be too heavy for me to transport it.
See related posts
12″ f/5 travel Dobsonian
In 2025 I got this truss-tube Dobsonian, which features a high-quality GSO primary mirror.
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Into the world of astrophotography
Although I never had a tracking mount, I tried taking astrophotos with DSLRs for many years. They were an easy way to get started, but longer exposures quickly showed the limits of an untracked setup. Over time, smartphone cameras became surprisingly capable too, and I used them for several night-sky shots — some of which turned out quite well.
With smart telescopes becoming more advanced, I figured: why not go both ways? One compact smart scope for fast captures, and one solid Dobsonian for pure visual observing.
Canon EOS M50
In 2019 I finally decided to retire my EOS 350 D and got a mirrorless EOS M50. Except for the facts that it needs more energy and that an adapter is needed for standard EF-lenses, the advantages of a lot less weight and size in my hand (and on the telescope) convinced me.
Open Astro Tracker (OAT)
This is an open-source DIY star tracker with 3D printed parts. I got the pre-printed kit in 2021 but it had a little accident so it’s currently not in use.
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Dwarf3
After trying out the Seestar S50 for a short time I quickly switched to the Dwarf3 in 2025. It’s a great start into astrophotography because its portability and ease of use make it a perfect companion
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Accessories & Practical Stuff
- SVBONY 1.25″ 68° wide angle eyepieces
(6 / 9 / 15 / 20 mm ) - TS 1.25″ zoom eyepiece 21-7 mm
- 1.25″ Huygens-eyepieces 12,5 / 20 mm
- 1.25″ symetric Ramsden 4 mm
- SVBONY 1.25″ UHC filter
- StarSense smartphone dock + app
- Flash light with red filter or head light with red LEDs
- Karkoschka, Atlas für Himmelsbeobachter (star map)
DIY & Equipment Projects
- A New Light Bucket: My 12″ Truss-Tube Dobsonian
A few days after getting my Seestar S50, another telescope joined my setup: a handmade 12″ truss-tube Dobsonian. Built for travel, originally planned for Namibia and now my new light bucket for visual deep-sky observing. The idea of changing my visual setup had been on my mind for quite a while. Last year, a fellow… A New Light Bucket: My 12″ Truss-Tube Dobsonian weiterlesen - A spray-painted telescope pt. 4
It’s been a while since I talked about this. But after those wrinkles I was a bit frustrated because sanding it down was quite some work. But with the wet sanding it worked best and I could smooth out most of the wrinkles. - A nightsky telescope (pt. 3)