The following is a list of some of the advantages of using webcams to do astrophotography - compared to traditional SLR cameras or expensive astronomical CCD cameras.

• Webcams are cheaper than SLR cameras and astronomical CCD cameras.
• With webcams you do not have to wait for your films to develop. You get immediate feedback. If your photograph did not come out as planned, you can take another immediately.
• You do not have to shoot a full roll of 24 or 36 photos before it is worthwhile to have it developed. You can develop your photos one by one.
• You can make videos (AVIs) of events like Jupiter's moons transits etc.
• Since you get immediate feedback and taking many pictures are free, webcam astrophotography is IDEAL to experiment with extensively.
• The digital images of webcams and astronomical CCD cameras take up very little physical storage space.
• The digital images of webcams and astronomical CCD cameras are web-friendly. They just needs to be compressed and saved in a web-compatible format to make them ready to put on your website. SLR cameras and film needs to be developed first ... then you must scan the paper prints in as well.
• For most astronomical CCD cameras you have to take three pictures: one through a red, one through a blue and one through a green filter. You then have to combine these 3 images to make a full color image. With webcams you have a full color image after just one exposure.

Some disadvantages of using relatively cheap webcams for astrophotography:

Webcams are not as sensitive as expensive astronomical CCD cameras. Webcams are best suited to photographing the planets and moon.
• Webcams are not well suited for deep sky astrophotography. If you want to do quality work then traditional SLR cameras or expensive astronomical CCD cameras are your best options.

• It is interesting, challenging, and fulfilling.
• The images you get are beautiful. Your very first images are beautiful to you only ... but only your opinion counts in that special case.
• You leave a lasting physical or electronic image of your experience.

The choice you make depends on what you want to do.

I am clearly a webcam astrophotography person.

Some day I will buy a real astronomical CCD camera to do deep sky astrophotography.

I am not interested in SLR astrophotography - even if I were to get free film development for life - webcam or CCD camera astrophotography is THAT convenient.