Telescope Mounts for Cameras

[klindup]

Hi Bob
I know that you use a 4 inch Televue Genesis.  Do you ever stick a DSLR on the back?  If so what mount do you use?  I have a similar size telescope and use a Gibraltar mount and that is fine for using the telescope as a 540mm lens for terrestrial photography.  However I want to use it for astrophotography and I am considering a tracking mount.  I would welcome any opinions on a suitable mount.  I am considering the Skywatcher HEQ5 or 6 pro synscan.
Thanks
Ken

[Bob Atkins]

I've not used a tracking mount, though I have thought about one. My limited tracking experience involves using a hand operated "barn door" mount (for smaller lenses) and a Poncet tracking platform.

I've looked at some of the mounts available from Orion Telescopes, but which one depends a lot on what lens/telescope you're using and how long you need to track for.

For solar and lunar photography you don't need a tracking mount of course. Lenses like the Genesis are a bit small and a bit short for any serious planetary work. It would be a good choice for some of the larger nebulae and clusters I guess.

If I lived in a region with darker skies, I'd probably have bought one of the Orion mounts, but I'm 25 miles from New York City, so it's not an area well suited for deep sky photography!