Nikon F2 35mm film SLR with DW-2 6x Magnifying Prism

The Nikon F2 is a very nice quality manual shutter camera and lenses.  'C' focus screen and DW-2 prism provide "eyepiece" quality views for accurate focusing without the use of a knife-edge focuser. In my opinion, 35mm astrophotography cameras do not come better than this.

I have a full selection of lens for this system, which allow for piggyback photography using a variety of platforms.  Of the many lenses that I have used with this camera, the 300mm Nikkor f/3.8 ED-IF is the best.  It features  extra-low  dispersion (ED) glass and fast speeds, which are the ticket to good astrophotos without spending the money on a Schmidt camera or apochromatic refractor.  When coupled with my exquisite TC-14B 1.4x teleconverter I get a 420mm, f4 system, a nice complement to my Tak FSQ-106.  

The majority of film images at www.allaboutastro.com have been taken using this lens.

Many refer to this special lens as a "poor man's Schmidt camera" due to its wide fields, fast speeds and ability to give sharp and relatively aberration-free images.  While not perfect for astrophotograhy as compared to a dedicated astrograph like a Tak 106, it is no slouch either.

Just remember, when choosing a lens for astrophotography, it's all about the glass!

To read more about choosing your own 35mm camera for astrophotography, read this comprehensive article <here>.