@Lloyd_Welch wrote:
Thank you for your input. I bought a Canon EF 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 III. I have been shooting the moon for practice and got the stacking software and have some pretty good shots so far. I have been practicing on the sun hoping to catch the sun spots but havent stacked them yet. Now I am hoping you are going to tell me it is at least adequate.
That lens is a good starter lens. Avoid the low value f/stop settings, which means the aperture is opened wider. You will get better results at f/8, with the aperture stopped down a bit. Practice on the Moon, too.
Use ISO 100, the lowest setting, as much as practical. Of course, that should mandate a tripod. Look at the Benro brand from online retailers like B&H and Adorama. Avoid eBay and Amazon like the plague. The only thing I would consider buying from those vendors are paperback books.
[EDIT] You should figure on spending $150-$250 for a quality tripod, not unless you catch one in that price range on discount. You want one with a decent load capacity, for added stability when you raise the center column. You will get the most stability, and the best images, with the center column lowered to its' minimum height. I recommend a tripod/head combo that can support at least 15 pounds for a T5 and the EF 75-300mm combo.
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