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#AskPS: Should I get a GEM mount to use with my Nikon DSLR?

R asked:

I mostly do landscape and flower photography. I have recently been to Acadia National park for night/milky way photography and caught the astrophotography bug/virus…

I have telescopic 200-500 Nikkor lens and Nikon D850.

So I am thinking to get a good GEM (German Equatorial Mount) and may be start with it for now. What are your thoughts? Thank you for your time and input.

Best wishes,
R


Hi R,

It’s definitely a virus, and it’s hard to kill. Beware!

A long lens with the D850 on a solid GEM mount will get you some great results! Try and plan ahead a little if you want a telescope, and make sure you get a mount capable of a decent payload.

Also, check out this article on how to start with deep-sky astrophotography without a telescope: https://www.photographingspace.com/deep-sky-astrophotography-without-telescope/

Mounts similar in size to than the Celestron AdvancedVX (and even a bit smaller) are great for getting into it and preparing a bit for the future. Even the smaller travel mounts like the iOptron Sky Guider and Sky Watcher Star Adventurer can get you going and won’t be a waste if you later decide to upgrade to a bigger mount and telescope.

Hope that helps!

Cheers,
Cory

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About the author

Cory Schmitz

Co-founder of PhotographingSpace.com, co-owner of several telescopes and mounts, too many cameras, and not enough hard drives.

An avid astrophotographer for timelapse, deep-space imaging, lunar, planetary, and star trail imagery, he is an all-around jack-of-most-trades for night-sky photography.

He is also an internationally published and commissioned astrophotographer, where his photos have been used in multiple online and print publications.

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