Astrophotography with small telescopes

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Filmtips for Beginners

Here are some experiences that I have made during my process in getting into the field of astrophotography during the last years. There are many different films on the market to take pictures, but not all are good to take pictures from the night sky. New films appear on the market and others disappear. So it is very difficult to make long lasting film suggestions.

Here are my suggestions for color negative films:

- Kodak Ektacolor Pro Gold 400 GPY-Emulsion, if still available

For color slide films:

- my choice of slide film: Kodak Ektachrome E200 Professional

All these films can be used hypered, but I have less experience with hypered color films. I have made some film tests using hypered color slide films using pure hydrogen. The test showed an increase in film speed as well as a great color shift to blue. My test of hypering Kodak Ektacolor Pro Gold 400 showed a significant increase in film speed. But also a darker film base.

How to store film ?

Normal color film should be stored in the fridge at about 6 - 10 degree centigrade when you use it during the next few weeks. All other films should be used in the freezer at -25 degree centigrade in a plastic bag with some silica gel inside. This is important for color films that may expire in the next months.
Hypered films should always be stored in the freezer. Hypered TP2415 can be stored at least for a year in the freezer without any lost in speed. Hypered color films can also be stored several months in freezer.

Before using the film, take it out of the freezer and give it some hours (at least 3 - 4 hours) to get to normal temperature to avoid dew on the film.