ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the specialist imaging items; cameras, filters, field flatteners, focal reducers, autoguiders, focus control, interfacing and software. There are numerous options available to the astrophotographer that covers a range of budgets and sophistication. Conventional Digital Cameras makes sense to try astrophotography using existing digital camera. The most obvious are remote operation and good quality long exposures. SLR and mirror-less cameras are both capable for use in astrophotography. One quickly realizes that red sensitivity is another important attribute and many photographic cameras block deep red wavelengths with their infrared blocking filter. The individual sensor elements in a CMOS or CCD have a broad color sensitivity that extends from ultraviolet, through visible and includes infrared light. Video camcorder "night-shot" modes make good use of the extended infrared sensitivity but this is not a desirable feature in either general photography or astronomy.
