Discovery Astrophotography with ZWO ASTRO
Cody Bancroft’s Setup Upgrade Journey
This time, we spoke with astrophotography enthusiast Cody Bancroft, who shared his personal experience of trial, error, and eventually finding clarity through the right gear.
When Cody first started astrophotography, he was using a Sky-Watcher AZ-GTi (ALT-AZ) mount on a William Optics wedge, paired with a 102mm Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope. He wasn’t able to properly polar align, and guiding with PHD2 was inconsistent at best. Most of his nights were spent fiddling with gear, trying to troubleshoot issues, and buying accessories he later realized he didn’t need. Despite the effort, he barely got any imaging time—and when he did, the results were often disappointing.
But everything changed in December 2023, when he received an AM5 mount as a Christmas gift.
“The results I got from just that one upgrade gave me the ‘aha’moment I needed,” he says. “It helped me see the direction I needed to go in.”
From there, his setup quickly evolved:
Astro-Tech 72EDII refractor, ASIAIR Plus, ASI294MC Pro, ASI120MM guide camera, EAF. And most recently, a 50mm William Optics Uniguide guide scope.
Cody also shared two stunning shots captured with this setup (prior to adding the 50mm guide scope), which clearly show just how far he’s come.
We’re thrilled to see how our users grow alongside their gear—and proud to be part of the journey.
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