– My Gear for Stargazing and Astrophotography
Hey, just a heads up that this site is currently in progress so there are some formatting issues, missing infos an more. I hope to finish it in the next few days 🙌Here’s a look at the gear I use for stargazing and astrophotography – from my first telescope to my current deep-sky setup. Plus a few DIY mods. Curious how I painted my telescope without ruining optics?
My telescopes are for looking through them not at them!
(Joseph von Fraunhofer)
Equipment Overview
| Equipment | Type | Use Case | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bresser 3″ Newton (70/700mm) | Reflector telescope on a altazimuth mount | First scope, Lunar | Still in use | Good for beginners |
| Celestron 6″ Newton (150 / 750 mm) on Vixen GP-E | Reflector telescope on an equatorial mount | Visual (Deep Sky), Astrophotography possible | ||
| 12″ Dobson | Altazimuth mount | Visual (Deep Sky) | ||
| Open Astro Tracker | 3D-printed altazimuth mount for cameras | Astrophotography | Still in use | open source |
| Open Astro Tracker | 3D-printed altazimuth mount for cameras | Astrophotography | Active | Built it in 2023, works well |
| Canon EOS M50 | Mirrorless Camera | DSO Photography | Active | Astro-modded |
| StarSense Dock | Smartphone Mount | Star finding support | Kept | Sold the scope, kept the dock |
My first telescope: learning stargazing
In 1999, my parents gave me my very first telescope. At the time, I had no idea what I was doing – the Moon was easy to find, but everything else felt impossible. Frustrated, I put it aside.
Years later, some fellow amateur astronomers showed me how to navigate the night sky. That changed everything. From then on, I took every opportunity to observe – and I’ve never looked back.
Bresser 3″ Newton (76 / 700 mm)
Despite its modest size, I used it for many years – more than any other telescope, in fact. From star parties in Germany, the Silvretta High Alpine Road and all the way to Scotland, this telescope was my trusted companion. While it doesn’t offer the detail of larger optics, I always loved pushing its limits. Sometimes others didn’t even believe me that I could see faint objects despite the small scope and the light-polluted sky near Stuttgart. On the Silvretta High Alpine Road I could even see the veil nebula. And it’s incredibly handy: lightweight, fast to set up, and perfect for a quick look at the stars.
Bresser 3″ Newtonian (76 / 700 mm)
A step toward more aperture
In 2006 I was ready to move beyond my small beginner scope. I bought a 6″ Newtonian from Celestron, excited to explore more and eventually try astrophotography.
But things didn’t go as planned: the included SkyView mount was wobbly and couldn’t hold the telescope properly. I returned it in frustration and started searching for a better solution. Eventually, I found a used Vixen GP-E mount – a solid, Japanese-made classic – and stuck with it ever since.
Celestron 6″ Newton (150 / 750 mm) on Vixen GP-E
Back in 2006, I picked up this 6″ Newtonian with the idea of getting into astrophotography. The original SkyView mount proved too flimsy, so I returned it and replaced it with a second-hand Vixen GP-E – solid and reliable, and still part of my setup today.
However, without a permanent place to set it up, I had to carry the whole system outside in three separate trips each time – which made it rather impractical for a quick session in the field.
Photo © by Matthias Schneider
From simplicity to light buckets
Over time, I found myself reaching for my old 3″ Newtonian more often than anything else. It simply suited my observing habits far better than the 6″ Newtonian. In 2024, I bought the StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ – not because I needed the telescope, but purely to get the StarSense dock and test the app. With it, you can navigate the sky with your phone, and I have to admit: it’s surprisingly accurate and easy to use.
Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ (114 / 1000 mm) with dock + app
Out of curiosity, I tested the included 114 mm Newtonian – and it confirmed my suspicion: wobbly mount, low build quality, and not something I’d want to keep. I sold the telescope shortly after and kept the dock. It now lives on my travel Dobsonian.
At a star party, a fellow astronomer showed me his super lightweight 12″ Hofheim Instruments Dobsonian which packed up up super handy in two cases. That’s when I decided to shift my setup: sell the 6″, keep the mount, look for a big visual scope and a smart companion for imaging. A friend sent me some second-hand Dobsonians on offer – and with one of them, I got lucky. It hit the sweet spot between light-gathering power and travel-friendliness.
12″ f/5 travel Dobsonian
This handmade truss-tube Dobsonian features a high-quality GSO primary mirror. It breaks down small enough to travel with, yet offers the sheer light-gathering power you want when chasing galaxies and nebulae.
First light was impressive: excellent contrast, sharp stars, and plenty of light-gathering power for deep-sky observing.
Into the world of astrophotography
Although I never had a tracking mount I tried to take astrophotos with DSLRs. For a long time they offered an easy way to get into astrophotography but if you wanted to take longer exposures, you had to get a mount with tracking.
Canon EOS 350D and M50 (mirrorless)
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.
Over the years mobile phone cameras got better and better and while they can’t quite compete with a DSLR in quality, they can also take astrophotos.
With smart telescopes becoming more advanced in recent years, I figured: why not go both ways? One compact smart scope for fast captures – and one solid Dobsonian for pure visual pleasure.
Seestar S50
While it’s a compact all-in-one smart telescope, I found the resolution lacking and the form factor a bit too bulky for my travel needs.
Dwarf3
Its portability and ease of use make it a perfect companion for quick astrophotography sessions and travel.
Other practical stuff
Karkoschka, Atlas für Himmelsbeobachter
Flash light with red filter or head light with red LEDs
I also had a head light with white and red LEDs. I used a piece of transparent red foil in front of the
Accessoires:
- SVBONY 1.25″ 68° wide angle oculars
(6 / 9 / 15 / 20 mm ) - TS 1.25″ zoom ocular 21-7 mm
- 1.25″ Huygens-ocular 12,5 / 20 mm
- 1.25″ symetric Ramsden 4 mm
- SVBONY 1.25″ UHC filter
- StarSense smartphone dock + app
Projects
- 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)Last part for the design, adding stars. After that it was just clear coating. Wait, just? If I hadn’t made a big mistake…
- A nightsky telescope (pt. 2)
The next part of my spray-paint experiment. This time I added more details to get that milky way look.