ABSTRACT
Many hobbies inexorably become more elaborate, expensive and larger as time goes on. Astrophotography is no different and to reverse the trend, this chapter concentrates on portable and less expensive systems. Here, the aim is to put together an effective imaging rig that uses a conventional photographic camera and lens (or a small refractor) coupled to a compact motorized mount. In my mind, the purpose of such a system is to take images that one is unable to make at home; this might be to simply take advantage of better atmospheric conditions or imaging objects in a rural landscape using wide-angle lenses or refractors (up to a focal length of 500 mm). This excludes the lightest mounts and given the likely circumstances of portable imaging it also assumes that a single night (or two) is sufficient to complete all the exposures for a subject. To assemble a system, we start with what one wishes to image (defined by the imaging system) and then ensure the mount and ancillary equipment make it work effectively.
