A multiple-update post -

Going to try to fit in a lot of developments, in one post - In a nut shell:
After many attempts at Astrophotography with 35mm film, I moved to Medium format.
After many attempts with Medium format cameras, lenses and Kodak E200 slide film: I still didn't produce any images that I'd say are even worthy of posting here. They just weren't anything special.
So, we're going to skip all the pics of medium format cameras, lenses and the images they produced, since none of them were anything "to write home about".
Sold all my medium format cameras, lenses, film and mailers.
>>>>Fast forward>>>>Decided what the heck - And took the plunge into CCD imaging.
Got a used Meade DSI-C (one shot color) CCD camera used, off e-bay for a little under $200.
Bought an SLR lens to CCD adapter from Mogg adapters in the land down under for ~$70 (shipped) and started up the steep learning curve...
To make a long story short - I've been having a lot of fun! Been using both 50mm and 135mm fast Canon lenses (from my Canon AE-1). I've been getting some nice results - especially considering that none of my exposures have even gone much more than 5 minutes total.
I'm still just a beginner in the world of CCD Astrophotography, and have a long way to go.
But after only a few weeks -I finally have a really nice image (for a beginner) that I can post here. It was taken from my light-polluted backyard, in Bronx NY.
It is of Messier object, M17, the Swan Nebula:





This was taken with the Meade DSI, a Canon 135mm F/2.5 lens, set at F/4, A stack of 87 2.8 second exposures, stacked using Nebulosity's Drizzle feature. (Drizzle was developed by NASA to be used for the Hubble Space Telescope's images). The image has been saved in JPG format and compressed from it's original un-compressed format for easier uploading, viewing, etc.