We can all agree that one of the biggest advantages of using AstroBin is the ability to peek at the equipment used to acquire images. Experienced astrophotographers and newbies alike use AstroBin daily to browse images by equipment, to figure out what telescope or camera they'd like to buy next, if they are in the mood for an upgrade.
Since the current database is maintained by the community, and AstroBin hasn't been strict enough with the process, there are many duplicates (e.g. the same item under different spellings).
I would like to consolidate this database to remove duplicates, and also add more details to the items.
The ultimate goal is to extend the search capabilities to include all sorts of technical details, to provide advanced image filtering by equipment properties.
Some examples:
Filter by pixel size of the CCD
Filter by CCD chip (e.g. KAF-8300)
Filter by modded/unmodded DSLR
The work for this task, which is planned to be the focus of AstroBin's strategy for the first half of 2021, has started. There are many prerequisites and phases involved, and it's going to be a lot of hard work, but it will be worth it!