Ok, so first off, this is not a good setup for astrophotography. The mount is not suited for it and the scope is not intended for it. That said, there are some things that might work within limits.

The primary limit here is the mount. This is an alt-az mount, and, as such, is not realistically capable of long exposure imaging. This means that deep sky photography (nebulae, galaxies, star clusters) is not an option with this arrangement. For those targets, you need long exposures (typically > 1 minute, often much longer), and this mount just can't handle that. You can, however, capture images of the moon and planets (Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn), though the planets may be tricky.

The next issue is the scope. Most Newtonian telescopes that are not specifically intended for imaging have a problem with focusing. If you want to understand why, I've written that up here. Also, with the smaller secondary mirror of the average Newtonian, you end up not getting full and even illumination of your camera's image sensor. Still, for the moon and planets, you may be ok.

There, as you appear to be learning, two main types of imaging: prime focus and eyepiece projection. Prime focus is usually the better option. The primary benefit of eyepiece projection is higher magnification. This is not always a good thing. I'll circle back to this.

With prime focus, this arrangement may just not work, as per my link above. However, the addition of a Barlow lens may do so.

I googled the adapter you have and found this. With the T-ring for a Canon camera you then have 3 pieces: the t-ring itself, the 1.25" nosepiece (the portion that inserts into your focuser), and the adjustable barrel that can accept an eyepiece for eyepiece projection. For the time being, I would recommend you sit the eyepiece projection portion on the bench and continue ONLY with the nosepiece and t-ring.

Now, if you attach these to the camera and then attach the camera to the scope, the focal point is probably still too far inside the focuser tube. you have to get the focal plane to the image sensor, and if the focal point is inside the focuser tube, you'll never get there. You need to push it out further.

This is where the Barlow comes in. The Barlow effectively increases overall focal length, and typically will push the focal point outward a bit, usually enough to allow the camera to reach focus. However, if you have that long adjustable tube in there, odds are it won't push the focal plane out that far. By dropping that tube and just using the adapter with the Barlow, you're probably going to be able to reach focus. Note, you mentioned "with or without the lens at the end of the barlow" - without that lens, you probably just have an empty tube, which works great as an extension tube if you ever need it, but is exactly what you do NOT want here.

You mentioned you have both a 2x and a 5x Barlow. Most Barlow lenses are not all that high quality. Some are, but you usually have to shell out more for them. For simple visual observing, they're usually ok, but they're not likely to be all that great for photographic use. Especially that 5x. Unless it's a TeleVue (and I doubt you bought one of those), it's likely to not be all that helpful. Further, odds are you're going to be pushing your magnification beyond the useful limit.

The Astro fi 130 has an aperture of 130 mm and a focal length of 650 mm. The T5i, also known as the 700D, has an APS-C sensor with an array of 5184x3456 pixels. When paired with your scope without a Barlow, if it could focus you would get a field of view about 1.96° by 1.31°, or 117.6' x 78.6' (arcminutes), which means a pixel resolution of 1.36" (arcseconds) per pixel. With the 2x Barlow, you get about half of that, so 58.8' by 39.3' with pixel resolution of .68" per pixel. Here's where you start getting into trouble.

Due to diffraction, the amount of detail you can get out of an optical system is limited by the aperture and the wavelength of the light being collected. For a 130 mm telescope, the diffraction limit for visible light ranges from about 0.74" for the extreme blue-end of the spectrum (around 380 nm) to 1.36" for the extreme red end of the spectrum (700 nm). At around 460 nm or so, around the area where the human eye is most sensitive, the limit is about 0.89". This coincides with the Dawes' Limit, so I'll generally use that as a shortcut from here out.

What this means is that any detail with an angular size smaller than 0.89" is likely too small to be able to resolve even under the best of conditions. There's a bit of wiggle room here, but with a 2X barlow, you're exceeding the ability of the telescope to provide detail. This means that you're oversampling: the camera's resolution per pixel exceeds what the optics are capable of providing. Generally speaking, this is problematic as it means small errors in tracking and guiding can have a greater impact. However, since you're only able to do short exposures anyway, this shouldn't be as big a problem.

But it also means that even with the 2X Barlow, Planets won't look all that big in your image. At its closest approach to the Earth, Jupiter can get to be about 50.8" in diameter. At a pixel scale of 0.68", this means that an image of Jupiter would be, at most, 75 pixels in diameter. Not all that big.

If you go to the 5X Barlow, it improves a little. You get a field of view of 23.4" by 15.6" and a pixel resolution of 0.27" per pixel. This would make Jupiter appear to be about 188 pixels across - much bigger, but still pretty small. And at that size, you are dramatically oversampling. While it would appear bigger, it would appear noticeably less sharp and detailed.

Adding in eyepiece projection just muddies things more. The smallest details you can see haven't changed, you're just making them bigger and blurrier.

There is a way to improve things, however. To do this, instead of capturing single exposures, you want to capture video and process using stacking software like Registax or Astrostakkert.

Stacking will do two things for you:

First, the basic use of stacking gives you the best possible image from a set of samples. In essence, it's a statistical analysis of a group (stack) of images. After you line up each image so that the same part of each image is directly above the same part of an underlying image, you then look at each pixel location in the stack. You take the same pixel location from each image and average their values. In theory, this provides the most likely "correct" value for that pixel. Often a weighted average is used. First the mean and standard deviation are calculated, then any pixels that are more than one or two standard deviations above or below the mean are discarded, and the average is re-calculated from the remaining values. This removes outlier values that might skew the analysis. Once you have that value, you do the same with each other pixel, and you end up with a picture that's made up of the average values of each pixel in the stack and, therefore, something that most likely represents the "true" image.

With other stacking techniques, such as lucky imaging, speckle interferometry, and drizzle, you can actually interpolate a deeper level of resolution. The larger the number of samples, the deeper the detail you can resolve. There's a limit, of course, you're not going to get Hubble-level detail, but you can easily increase your resolution several times above the native pixel resolution.

However, it's not as easy as just clicking a button and waiting for it to spit out a perfect image.

Additionally, the size of your pixel array and, thus, the size of the images you're capturing is not helpful. You're best off using the smallest image size you can. For video, your camera should allow you to do 720x480 resolution. This gives you an effective pixel resolution of 1.91" per pixel, which is under-sampled. But, the key thing here is that the stacking process will allow you to recover that detail. Still, for planetary imaging, this camera isn't the best option.

A much better option would be to get a cheap webcam and hack it to work. This basically requires removing the lens housing and attaching something to act as a nosepiece. If you have access to a 3D printer, you can do this pretty easily, or if you can get an old 35 mm film container (those old black containers with the gray lids that 35 mm film came in), you can toss the cap, cut off the bottom, and glue the webcam to the top, then run it through a laptop and capture video at around 30 fps. The total cost of this arrangement is likely to be under $20 and will do as well or better than your T5i. As an added bonus, removing the lens housing should also remove the built-in low-pass filter that nearly all cameras have and which blocks longer wavelength light. This makes it more sensitive to the near IR range of the spectrum, which is generally preferred for AP (though not absolutely necessary for planetary imaging).

Overall, as you're probably coming to understand, AP isn't a point-and-shoot game. It's damnably complex and getting even semi-decent images is often a tricky undertaking. Except for the moon. Nearly anyone can get a decent image of the moon.

My last suggestion really should be the first: join a club. Find a local astronomy club or society and join up. There's almost certainly a few people doing imaging in the club: get to know them and learn more about how they do what they do and why they do it that way. It'll make a huge difference.

Hello :-)


1) Eyepieces

Are you wearing glasses, do you have astigmatism, what eyepieces do you have (from your other telescopes)?


2-3mm exit pupil can be nice for many deep-sky objects.

• Depends on your budget, this could be a 15mm Gold line, a Explore Scientific 82° or even one of the 100° eyepieces... Something wide-field is nice.
  
  And of course just something lower magnification to enjoy wide-field. But depending on the light pollution conditions, do not go over 6-7mm exit pupil. Estimate how dark your sky is.
  
  
• So, a 36mm-42mm 2" wide-angle eyepiece can be very nice to have as overview eyepiece. E.g. the cheaper Erfle (70°, Explore-Scientific, GSO, q70, SWAN...) can work fine, or the more expensive Explore-Scientific 82° if you are willing to spend a bit more. Depending on the wide-angle eyepiece, these will show around 5°, while a 32mm 1.25" Plössl shows a maximum of almost 3° (which is still nice, and at $22.50 for the eyepiece, a lot cheaper).
  
  Despite it being an ED refractor, don't do it magnification wise. Less 1mm exit pupil does not gain much detail anyway.
  
  
• 7.5mm eyepiece 1mm exit pupil, 80x magnification, but you could get a 6mm (gold line $24-$35), 7mm82° Luminos, or 6.7mm (Explore-Scientific 82° ~$150) for example.
  
  80mm is limited for visual regarding magnification and seeing faint deep-sky objects due to the small aperture. Personally, I would enjoy the wide-field the most! :-)
  
  .
  
  (Exit pupil = eyepiece focal length divided by aperture ratio of the telescope)
  
  
  .
  
  
  2) Night vision
  
  Night vision reaches ~30 minutes to reach it's peak and is destroyed within a second. Use a dim(able) red light when reading maps. Cellphones with back-lit displays can ruin night vision even in red/night mode, but there are deep transparency sheets to cover your display.
  
  Eye patches can help and are cheap, you can get them at drug stores, pharmacies.
  
  For planets, you do not need to adjust to the darkness. In fact, the planets and especially the moon can be so bright they will ruin your night vision for DSO observations as well.
  
  .
  
  3) Astrophotography with iphone
  
  Consider getting a (used) DSLR.
  
  For a cellphone, you will need a holder to attach it to the telescope or eyepiece (random link, untested). You will need to take images through the eyepiece. It's easier with low magnification eyepieces as the exit pupil makes it easier to align the phone. Do not use the phone's digital zoom.
  
  Get an App with more advanced camera settings (not owning an iphone, I don't know if that advice applies to Mac-o-phones and how good the camera settings are regarding exposure and such).
  
  Use manual focus (or set to infinity) so you don't have to worry about varying sharpness.
  Also see http://www.universetoday.com/118527/iphone-astrophotography-how-to-take-amazing-images-of-the-sky-with-your-smartphone-tonight/
  
  Bright objects (moon, planets) are possible, deep-sky is limited to the brighter objects (Andromeda, Orion nebula, but especially star clusters such as h&chi Persei, Plejads... Double stars such as Albireo).
  
  .
  
  4) GoTo
  
  Not having that mount, I'll leave that to someone else. A quick search revealed a lot of videos for that particular mount on Youtube though.
  
  .
  
  5)
  
  I would separate the telescope from the mount, put the telescope in a bag.
  
  
  .
  
  Good luck, clear skies! :-)

Yes. Basically, these adapters have 2 clamps, the phone clamp and the eyepiece clamp.

The Gosky phone clamp has an adjustable width that accommodates mobile phones from 54-90mm wide.

The iPhone 7 is 67mm wide, and the 7plus is 78mm wide. The Gosky adapter accommodates mobile phones from 54-90mm wide, so you're good-to-go on that.

The eyepieces for your scope range from 33 to 41mm in diameter depending on the particular eyepiece according to this spec sheet.

The Gosky's eyepiece clamp accommodates eyepieces from 32mm to 62mm. Your scope has 1.25 inch eyepiece (32mm), but the back barrel (dimension D) ranges from 1.3 to 1.6 inches (33 to 41mm) so it should work ok, but it will be near the end of the thread of the eyepiece clamp.

Browsing Amazon I ran across another phone adapter by SBVONY with the same design but it's a little smaller. The SBVONY eyepiece clamp accommodates 25mm-48mm eyepieces. Your 1.25 telescope eyepieces are right in the middle of that range. I think this one would be a better fit.

Any other differences between the Gosky adapter and the SVBONY? About $7. hehe I'm happy with my Gosky adapter. The build quality is good. I got it to use with this monocular which has a large eyepiece.

If you go with the SVBONY, and I don't see why not, it actually suits your scope better, you could add a Bluetooth remote for $7. A remote lets you snap pictures without touching the equipment. This helps reduce vibrations, which is good.

The design of the Gosky and the SVBONY adapters is basically the same. You loosen both of he clamps, get the phone's camera in position over the eyepiece, and then tighten them up. This can be a bit tricky at first as you angle the phone to get its camera in position, but you get the hang of it. I took a look at the video of the Orion SteadyPix EZ Smartphone Telescope Photo Adapter and it has a better design that makes the setup easier. It has an auto-centering feature and longer fingers on the part that clamps down on the eyepiece. The only downside is it costs $90. If you're thrifty like me, go with the SVBONY unit.

Basically, yes, but you'll also need a few relatively cheap things to make sure you have power and a way to mount the camera to the scope. And you can definitely go much cheaper (especially on the camera). I just had the camera prior to getting into astrophotography because I do photography as well.

To answer your question, the only other thing I purchased separately that was involved in my setup for this shot was the battery pack that powers the mount, a T-Ring, and a T-Adapter that allows me to mount my camera to the scope.

Power Tank

T-Ring

T-Adapter

Again. You can go much cheaper on the camera and can actually just use a webcam to shoot the video that you'll stack into a still. Registax is free. Autostakkert is free. And there are free photoshop alternatives. You'll also want to use this program called BackyardEOS to shoot the videos at 5x zoom (My computer was acting up for this shot, so I didn't use it this time around) but it's well worth the $30 I think I paid for it. You can get even clearer shots like this one I got a while back. The program allows you to digitally zoom in at 5x using and use only a part of the camera's sensor. Please let me know if you need any other information. I'd be glad to help. Hope this helps some!

I'm using a Orion Maksutov Cassegrain 90mm, https://www.telescope.com/Orion-Apex-90mm-Maksutov-Cassegrain-Telescope/p/9820.uts on a dobsonian mount, it's small enough to fit in my backback but has powerful magnification (has a 1250mm focal length).

I use a t-adapter to mount my camera right to the scope, no eye piece is used. it's called "prime focus" mode, it's simple and the light from the telescope falls directly on the film (or image sensor if youre using digital). Best way to go by far in re image quality.

HOWEVER, to get started, I think there is no better way than using ANY scope you can buy, and using your iphone/android with a camera mount: https://www.amazon.com/Gosky-Universal-Phone-Adapter-Mount/dp/B013D2ULO6/ref=zg_bs_3426051_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YWC66GBKMH57CV86FY3W this approach is called "afocal imaging" which is fancy speak for "holding your phone against the eye piece"

Digital astrophotography is 10x easier than film astrophotography because you get instant feedback and can make adjustments on the fly. I do film because I love the "light falling on film" aspect of it. But I started out on digital and 99% of my astro-gear is digital.

re which telescope: really pick whatever you can find, and don't go to large. A 90mm reflector or reflector will be able to see the SAME exact things as a 135mm reflector...only REALLY large scopes can see very far into the universe, and large scopes require large 5 thousand dollar tripods to track the objects correctly for imaging...so it's all a moo point

any of these scopes + your phone would make a great set up: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=90mm+telescope&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

oh and check out craiglist, soooo many people get into telescopes for a month then sell them later dirt cheap.

love discussing this stuff, dm me if you have any q's

TL;DR: 220 for scope plus a t-adapter

Suggestion: Get a good 25mm eyepiece. Unfortunately for me, I've discovered older ones tend to be better, in any sort of generic kit like that. I tend to use a MA25 (came with the Meade 6600), 9mm (also came with the Meade) and a 4mm (Celestron Omni)

For visual observing, I wasn't a believer until I compared the MA25 from my Meade 6600, with one from an ETX-70, and a Celestron 25mm from a 130SLT. Each was an easily observable step down. (I have some Tasco ones which are worse still.)

Alternatively, if you have a DSLR, get a t-ring and adapter. You'll be able to do a bunch of cool things. If you've got good tracking, you'll be able to get good images. https://imgur.com/a/1QGAI - Most are from a Meade 6600, which is almost exactly the same as yours. 152/760 f/5 in terms of optics, and if it's the sky view deluxe as your last post indicated, almost the same mount.

I can't recall if that Orion image in the album was with just a tracking system, or with Onstep. It's not Hubble, or even one of the big scopes, but you'll be surprised what you can find using a camera on a scope like that.

I've motorized mine with an Arduino using OnStep (https://groups.io/g/onstep/wiki/2D-RAMPS14) Which also gives me the capability to guide it for longer exposures. (Though I've almost gotten the tracking good enough, that when I use Ekos/kstars to help align it, I can often get 180 to 300 second exposures with minimal issues, without guiding.)

I have this barlow lens (https://smile.amazon.com/SVBONY-M42x0-75-Connect-Interface-Telescope/dp/B0169QR8OE/), and I have no complaints, and it has a T-ring built into it, which is great for me. (Their 5x barlow, I do have issues with, as well as every other barlow I have. An old Meade one was so bad, I removed the lens and use it as an extension tube only now.)

Oh, and with a 25mm, your FOV will be close to what the pictures have (but with a round perspective.)

If nothing else for imaging, get something like this: https://smile.amazon.com/SVBONY-Universal-Binocular-Monocular-Telescope/dp/B01K7M0JEM/ which holds your cell phone, if you've got one that allows for any control over the camera, as it will work through your eyepieces. It won't be great, but most people would probably be surprised.

Hope that helps, and gives you some ideas. (Or someone comes and corrects me!)

This refractor on a CG-4 EQ mount looks to me like a good starting point for astrophoto for less than what you want to spend. You have to add motor drives, a polar finder scope, a camera adapter, and T-ring to connect your camera but then you are good to go.

There is a version of this setup using a 150mm reflector as the imaging scope that has given very impressive results. "Jarrodnb" has posted his images here over the last several months. Whether to go with the refractor or the reflector is probably a matter of preference. The reflector gathers more light and has a shorter f/ratio, both of which enable shorter exposure times.

I don't think you can get an imaging setup with autoguiding like the CG-5 for the money you are looking to spend, but a lot of people may say that it is needed for decent results.

I am using a wedge-mounted Celestron 8 I got on Craigslist along with a second hand Canon 400D, and so far I have this image of M13. It's FAR from perfect but I enjoyed the process of making it.

So I took the dslr out tonight and after messing around with the ISO and shutter speed, it worked great.

The SL2 I believe can shoot in crop mode in RAW with digital zoom. Needless to say the more you zoom the harder it is to track, but with just a 2x shorty barlow Jupiter was about the size that you saw in my first Jupiter post.

The specific T ring that I have is this one: SVBONY Metal 1.25 inches T... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0114BB908?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

It also has an attachment that you can drop an eyepiece into so I'll also try that without a barlow and see what happens.

Again I'm not experienced enough to tell you if an astro camera is better quality or easier to use but I was pretty happy with the way this came out on the first go around, and I still feel like I have a great all purpose camera.

For a Cell phone, just hold it up to the eyepiece. For extra stability, you could get an eyepiece adapter. With few exceptions (newer cell phone cameras are getting sophisticated enough for long~ish exposure on bright objects), the only objects you will be able to snap will be planets and the Moon.

For a DSLR, you will need 2 components, a T-Ring which acts as a lens attachment (and you will need to find one for your specific camera brand), and a T-Adapter which will allow the camera to insert into the telescope like an eyepice. Given you are going to an actual observatory, they likely use 2" eyepieces, so a 2" T-adapter will probably be needed.

You should also make sure they are OK with you taking pictures like this. I help run a local public observatory (ie no research, just open nights for the public to look up) and we host monthly photo nights, but setting up the scope for photography requires changing the focus and if you are taking photos that means you'll be tying up any lines behind you for several minutes. On the other hand, if this is a private observatory and you don't have to worry about lines, then great. I would call ahead to make sure either way - maybe they already have the adapters you need

Thank you and congrats on the Telescope! You're going to love it.

My wife picked up a T-Ring that connects the camera to the telescope. It's not using any telescope eyepiece, just the telescope itself, but I'm curious to know if that's possible... I'd really like to get shots closer to the moon. Looks like you can grab an adapter to fit your 1.25" eyepieces. If you have a larger eyepiece (which I grabbed a couple that have pretty big bodies) you can buy an adapter that fits a much larger body.

Depending on the telescope you may need a T-Adapter.

From there I experimented with camera settings and took a bunch of shots.

Hey all,

Got some questions. Recently I've been wanting to get into astrophotography and was scouring the web for a good / portable combo. I saw the Zenithstar 61 that's supposed to be really good, and also the Zenithstar 73. Most of the cases I've seen of people using these smaller scopes are with trackers like the Star Adventurer or iOptron SkyTracker. Is this sufficient? I am looking to capture as much as possible, galaxies, nebula, etc. DSO I suppose. I have a Sony a7r, I know about the star eater issues. Will those bite me? I read that it's only apparent on exposures longer than 3 minutes. I am leaning towards the 73 (with a flat73) and one of the smaller trackers, and looking into getting a guidescope soon. I will be picking up an STC Astro-Multispectra clip in filter as well. Does this seem like a solid setup? Is there reason for me to jump straight to a real EQ mount? I could go for something like the Celestron AVX? Do you still need a guide scope on an EQ goto mount?

Adapters: https://smile.amazon.com/SHORT-Mount-T-Ring-Modern-Photonics/dp/B01HX4RBWA?sa-no-redirect=1 is this the right one for the job?

So with all of the above, theoretically that's all I need to get going? Any purchase tips?

Any input appreciated! Thanks

With $100-150 you could probably either (1) get a nice tripod and try to take some wide-field shots of the Milky Way or certain constellations from a dark location (i.e. very far from Chicago) or (2) Get yourself an okay-ish telescope and take lunar and planetary shots. I took this and this with a ~$120 telescope + $35 barlow lens + $10 camera adapter and a very similar camera, and while they're definitely far less impressive than what most people on this sub can do, they were a lot of fun to take and (imo) a great way to get into the hobby. I'd recommend paying a bit more for a better telescope since this one is definitely not ideal, even for this price range. Unfortunately, AP gets expensive really quickly, so you'll most likely have to shell out at the very least a few hundred dollars to get some nice and crisp space shots. It's probably better to pay more now to avoid later feeling the need to upgrade your equipment immediately, especially if budget isn’t a big issue. I say this as someone who’s been using the same cheap equipment for several years, though, so it definitely depends.

Edit: The t3i also has a really great crop video mode that’s perfect for planetary photography, if I remember correctly.

If you’re trying to photography the Milky Way or galaxies/nebulae/etc, going for a sturdy tripod (and then eventually getting a sky tracker for ~$300 to really kick up your shots, if you enjoy the hobby) might be the move to get your feet wet without breaking the bank. Check out the “What Telescope?” page on the wiki for more info, but I’m not sure how recently it was updated. Hope you can find the equipment that’s right for you

My phone- Samsung Galaxy S6
My scope- Orion AstroView 6" reflector, 750mm, f/5

I use a cheap mount to put my cellphone up to the eyepiece. This one, actually- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z6U9EBA?psc=1

The tricky part is getting your camera lens lined up with the eyepiece, making sure the eyepiece is exactly parallel to your phone and getting the right distance (eye relief) to get the best image. Adding the cameraphone is adding a major player to your optical train and if it's not lined up right, you'll get garbage.

I put my red headlamp on my lap and point the barrel of the eyepiece toward it while I move my phone around in the mount. Once I get a bright, full, red circle I tighten it down and nudge it into the best position. I use a 10mm plossl as my eyepiece.

I then pop my 25mm into the scope and get my target centered, then I use another 10mm plossl to center that before swapping in my phone rig. Once the phone is in there, I use Pro Mode that comes standard on the S6, It is better than any free app. If you know of a good one, let me know!

From there I focus, adjust ISO and exposure time record about a minute of video for stacking later.

I use a Mac, so I do all of my processing in Lynkeos.

That's it in a nutshell for me!

if you're okay with having an absolute potato of a spotting scope because you're only shooting at 100~300 (like I am as well), I have a "Celestron Upclose 20-60x60mm". you can usually find them on ebay for sub $100, I got mine for like $35.

​

obviously to read wind and see hits nice and clearly you should get a much much better optic, but, if you just want to see hits on a shoot-n-c target without walking downrange this does the job. the ocular focus on mine is loose by now (its base came unglued and rotates if you don't restrain it), but for $35 I'm not arguing.

​

you can also pick up a cell phone mount for pretty cheap on amazon, which helps because you don't have to plant your face next to the optic and futz around getting the right eye relief.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013D2ULO6/

​

granted...I can arguably see the target just as well with my Tract FFP 4-20 mounted on my tikka. I'm kind of wondering whether it was worth it, but it's handy when I don't happen to have brought the Tract for the day.

Thank you so much for the help! Watched a few youtube videos on it and that also helped, thank you for the suggestion. If you wouldn't mind checking this and letting me know if I need anything else if you have any time, I would highly appreciate it.

mount

Telescope tube rings (Does the size matter, like is there a way to tell if it's good for the telescope or not? this is my telescope

mounting plate

[T-Ring adapter] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0140U9IWQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) (The camera I am using is a Nikon D750)

camera adapter

And possibly this autoguider

Once again, thank you for the help.

Hi and thanks for posting!

There’s actually some depth to this - but the basics are pretty easy.

First - you want a mount.

Gosky Universal Cell Phone Adapter Mount https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013D2ULO6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DjXDCbK4SMB9N

That one works nicely for me! Nothing wrong with a blue tooth shutter control if you can find one either. Keeps you from vibrating your own shot by touching the phone to take the picture

Second - remember that you’re trying to get your camera to see what the eyepiece is projecting. Your life will be much better if you use an eyepiece with a large field of view - typically longer focal length (lower magnification) eyepieces have wider fields of view (unless you’re prepared to spend a decent amount).

Third - no filters during photography - not even a “moon” filter. Adjust the exposure levels on your phone if you can (I posted the nightcap camera app for iPhone earlier- it’s amazing), to brighten nebulae or dim the moon. There’s nothing wrong with a little post processing (that’s where things get interesting)

As far as post processing goes... that can range from a little photoshop magic to either taking video (or a lot of photos) and “stacking” the frames/photos on top of each other. This brings out an insane amount of detail that would otherwise be lost.

A few computer programs i want to try, once I have a working computer (I destroyed mine a bit ago, been modding this sub from an iPad lol) are PIPP, autostakkert, and registax.

If I missed anything you had a question on, lemme know!

Edit: nightcap let’s you take long exposures like a DSLR camera... really worth $3 if you have an iPhone 👍🏻

I'm assuming she wants a scope for identification use, with the ability to take pictures when she wants. I was in the same position last year.

If she has a decent cell phone, I'd honestly skip the camera and spend more money on a nicer scope. You can get an adapter like this that'll help her get nice shots through the scope with her phone. Better optics almost always trumps the use of a camera, really. It sucks not being able to ID something because you simply can't see it clearly enough. I'd also really try to find something that doesn't use interchangeable objectives; entomology typically requires a lot of switching mag, so physically removing and replacing the objectives each time could get pretty tedoius.

All that said, I like my Amscope a lot.

I know you asked about bins+camera phones, but I think your success will be limited. Expensive DSLR isn't absolutely necessary, though, I have gotten a lot of great pictures out of my cheaper-and-smaller Panasonic Lumix FZ200, which has a builtin 600mm non-DSLR lens -- getting a lot of optical zoom is critical.

I've done some digiscoping with a spotting scope plus this relatively cheap Gosky adapter from Amazon (this one would fit bins: https://www.amazon.com/Gosky-Universal-Smartphone-Telescope-Microscope/dp/B01D5W0WES/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1486338210&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=gosk+y+spotting+scope). It's ok, but it takes a bit to setup -- you're not getting any warbler pics with this kind of setup, but it serves for ducks and other things that tend to be not moving.

What kind of birds are you hoping to take pictures of? And are you looking for pics-for-ID or pics-for-aesthetic-beauty?

What you'll need is a 1.25" T-adapter for your camera, with the right T-ring designed for the brand you have:

Example for Nikon: https://www.amazon.com/SVBONY-Compatible-Standard-Telescope-Microscope/dp/B00W123RBE/

Example for Canon: https://www.amazon.com/SVBONY-Standard-Telescope-Astrophotography-Accessories/dp/B0114884YA/

If you have a Sony or some other brand, you'll have to shop around.

Then you'll also want probably a 2x or even 3x barlow lens. This will increase your image scale to make the moon larger. Planets are tiny and you won't get much detail from them this way. If you want decent images of the planets, I recommend eventually getting a dedicated planetary camera like the ZWO ASI120MC or ZWO ASI224MC. Combine these with a 3x barlow and record high speed video of the planets, and then use free software like AutoStakkert to process the video and turn it into a still image. The results can be excellent.

Really not purpose built, but what I'm using in this setup is an HP Elitebook with a microsoft 720p webcam (is actually the roommate's) literally just duct taped onto an Emarth 20-60x60. Alternatively to a laptop and webcam is to use your phone with something like this.


Better results could be had with better equipment, but it worked well enough for my purpose. Two side notes: For outdoors, reducing the camera's exposure settings helps reduce washout. The other thing is shoot and see type targets work well.

You might want to start with a simple compound microscope and get a cell phone adapter to view with. A stereo microscope is great but it's difficult to view "together". Buying a microscope used will cut the price a lot, but beware the objectives could be dirty and need cleaning. also, high magnifications like 1000x can be difficult to use, because of low field of view, high light levels required and may be difficult for a kid to focus. A few hundred dollars isn't going to cut it for those magnifications. Stick to a scope that has 4x, 10x and maybe 20x objectives.

This type of basic microscope is great for learning, has LED lights for both reflection and transmission viewing, works on batteries, easy to use. https://www.amazon.com/TELMU-Microscope-Magnification-Illumination-Microscopes/dp/B07DQQKJNZ/

Cell phone adapter I've used with great success: https://www.amazon.com/Gosky-Universal-Phone-Adapter-Mount/dp/B013D2ULO6/

That all looks pretty good, I think those are the right rings for your scope. For the camera adapter, since you have a full frame camera you might want something like this. It should fit right into the back of your focuser and has a wider opening than the usual 1.25" t-ring setup.

It doesn't look like that focuser has any place to mount the guide or finder scopes so you'll need to either run a second set of guide scope rings on top of the main scope or find a Williams Optics finder scope base of some sort that mounts to your focuser.

When you do the initial alignment of your scope every session you need some way to precisely find reference stars, so you'll need a diagonal and an illuminated eyepiece with crosshairs. It's also nice to have so you can visually observe things instead of just taking photos.

Sometimes there isn't a purchasable elegant solution to setting up your astrophotography rig so you end up improvising. If you don't have any space left to mount a finder scope as well as a guide scope you can get something like a telrad which just tapes to the side of your telescope. This was my setup a little while ago. The scope is the SkyWatcher equivalent of your telescope. The focuser has a dovetail built into it so I mounted the guide scope there then I mounted a telrad to the side for the purpose of helping with initial alignment. Later I replaced the telrad with a green laser.

Also, just so you know. If you decide to use an autoguider like the one you linked you'll need a computer running the guiding software. There are some stand-alone auto guiders like the celestron nexguide but I don't really have any experience with those so I can't comment on their usefulness. If you really don't want the bother of hooking a laptop up to your rig you can keep your exposures relatively short with a full frame sensor and good polar alignment - you might not even need to run an autoguider.

Lots of people use the 8" for pics. I have one, but I don't have a good enough camera yet. From what I've read and seen, it really is just as easy as buying a t-ring and the adapter.


This:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000665V6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

And this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000XMUKK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=A1MX591ICBLWRE
(assuming it fits your camera)

Should be all you need. However, if you don't have one of them motorized mounts, you won't be getting the best pictures of up close stuff. For me, Jupiter leaves the scope in about 20 seconds max. Then again, I view it through my bedroom so the scope sits on carpet. And I have the springs on, so maybe that's messing with it too.


Anyway, I hope I helped. Can't wait to see some pics!


Edit: what kind of camera do you have? I'm in the market for one.

This is amazing! Even though I do not have a telescope yet, I want one for my binoculars. That would be awesome for wildlife watching.

​

Oh wait, I'm in Canada and it costs a lot more here, about 38 USD instead of under 15 USD :-(
Will have it in my wish list for now.

Edit: Found a similar one that has a more reasonable price when bought from the North. This one is less popular based on reviews so I hope it is as good!

Yes, I use this cell phone adapter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01D5W0WES/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The claim of 32-62mm eyepiece diameter doesn't mean the focal length of your eyepiece. You can attach this to something as small as a 4mm eyepiece (although I don't recommend it because of the difficult process of aligning your camera to the small eye-relief, it's better to use a larger eyepiece with a barlow).

Depending how thick your case is (mine is fairly large) if you have one, you may have to take it out because it will not fit in the clamp. No problems after that however. Finding the sweet spot for the camera lens and the eyepiece can be harder than collimating the telescope, in my opinion. The easiest way to do so is by using the moon as a "preview" through your camera app. If the moon isn't out, then a bright object such as Sirius or a distant streetlight worked just as well. Adjusting iso and exposure/shutter speed
during the process helped a lot. Once you have everything setup, it made capturing whatever you want much, much easier. You can do stable videos of planets and 1-2 second exposure photos (untracked) with a 24mm eyepiece on whatever you want without glaringly obvious star trails. This is a single, raw image of the orion nebula from my light polluted city: https://imgur.com/a/2Srr0Ob If you took several of these shots and stacked them together with some dark and bias frames, you could probably get a decent looking image. If you're wondering what star trails start to look like after more than 2 seconds, here you go (orion nebula again, raw shot 10 second exposure): https://imgur.com/a/M2QF8l1 Overall, definitely worth it to use a mount for any kind of space pictures. P.S adapter/mount doesn't have to be used for just a telescope, you can attach it to a microscope and get stable videos of microorganisms/other tiny objects if you're into that as well

Jupiter & Saturn 7/8/2019 - Chicago, IL Area

Taken with my Skywatcher 8" Flextube 200P Collapsible Dob Telescope

Canon EOS Rebel T1i (500D) @ 3200ISO mounted via T-Ring EOS to 1.25" Adapter

SVBONY 2x Barlow

Captured with "EOS Camera Movie Record" using LiveView 5x Zoom for a 1:1 pixel ratio on my laptop

Videos Processed & Stabilized with PIPP, for Jupiter 4903 total frames, after PIPPing 4182 frames, Saturn 2027 frames

Stacked with Autostakkert 3.014, best 60% all settings used HERE for Jupiter

RegiStax 6 wavelets, RGB Align, RGB Balanced, wavelet settings HERE or in main pic

Slight contrast, brightness & shadows/highlights edits in Photoshop

Imgur Gallery HERE

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was my first ever attempt at Astrophotography with my new 8" Dob scope and I think it turned out very well! Seeing conditions where not optimal and I was in a light polluted park with lights all around and no shroud around the scope, but still the pics came out impressive to me! Please let me know which image you like the most, 1-4, and if you have any tips or comments let me know! I cant wait to get back out there and get some more pics!

I own a Canon DSLR. Do you know if it is possible to buy an attachment so I can use the camera I already have or would I need to buy a special camera to use with a microscope?

Thanks for all of the help so far. If I could upvote you more than once, I would.

Edit: it looks like I would be able to get a T-mount for my camera and then a T-adapter maybe? Is that correct?

I'm looking at getting a barlow lens to do some planetary imaging. I currently have a D3300, which I hook up to the scope with a 1.25" T-adapter and a T-ring. If I want to include a barlow in this setup, do I have to get an item that is a T-adapter and barlow, such as the Celestron barlow here, or can I get any barlow and insert it between the telescope and the T-adapter?
Also, is there a big quality difference between cheap barlows? I'm looking to spend <$50. I've heard that the Celestron one I linked is alright, as well as some GSO and Astro-tech barlows, but I'm wondering how much better they are compared to a cheap alternative like this.
One more problem- I have two telescopes, one is an old Meade alt-az goto that works fine with the current D3300 setup, and the other is an old 8" Bushnell dob. With the T-adapter and T-ring on the dob, the sensor on the camera is too far back to focus, even with the focus scrolled all the way in. How would I go about fixing this? Will a barlow make this problem worse, or fix it?
Thanks to anyone who takes the time to read through all this!

Hey guys, I have an Omegon N 150/750 EQ-4 Telescope (German site). I also got my hands on a Canon EOS 350D.

On astroshop.de, they point out, that an DSRL probably isn't best for that telescope and an webcam would be better.
Does that apply to planetary and DSO imaging? I will definitely do not but I hope to get especially decent DSO shots.

Should I use an Adapter like this one (or do I even need to buy all these parts?) for my 350D or would I be better of using an mobile phone adapter like this one for my Xiaomi Mi A1 camera?

Equipment:

• Orion Starblast 4.5 EQ Newtonian Reflector (450mm focal length, 113mm aperture). Standard aluminium tripod that comes with it.
  
• GSO 2x Barlow Lens (Turns out without the Barlow, the image plane of the telescope lies too far down the focuser for the camera to be able to focus properly. With the Barlow, it can focus nicely.)
  
• Astromania camera adapter (it has an extendable bit that can be used for eyepiece projection, but I wasn't using the whole thing, no eyepiece, just the Barlow)
  
• Nikon D7200
  
  Camera settings:
  
  
• ISO 100
  
• 1/30s exposure
  
• RAW, max resolution (6000x4000 pixels)
  
  Processing:
  
  
• Some mucking about in Lightroom, I don't really know what I'm doing there. The wife uses it and she's taken the little one to visit her parents (hence why I had time to play).
  
• Also quite a bit of cropping and combining the two images into one.
  
  ​
  
  My actual first attempt at astrophotography, I've been a regular observer for quite a number of years but I only got hold of a camera adapter a little while ago. There were some challenges, mostly that the camera that I've got is too heavy for the lightweight telescope. A heavier counterweight (or a longer bar) might help to an extent. The camera adapter was in fixed mode for this image. I tried to put it into the extendable mode as shown in the link, so that I could include a 6mm eyepiece to try and get more magnification, but then it became physically unstable, and try as I might I couldn't get anything to show in the camera's viewfinder or on the screen. With the adapter in fixed mode though, it was easy enough. The standard rack & pinion focuser that the telescope came with was also somewhat fidgety to focus, but using the camera's live view and zooming right in to the planets themselves, I think I did alright.
  
  
  Would be happy to hear feedback from more experienced veterans! I know my equipment is not the best, I've had it for years though and acquired most of it when I was a student on a limited budget (not that I have much of a budget for toys nowadays...). I'm quite pleased with the results given the limits of my skill and resources though.

For reference, I just recently bought these two:

• http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002APX3VQ/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  
• http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0000665V6/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  I wont say for certain, as I'm just getting into this myself, but I imagine you'll need similar kit for your scope. A t-adapter to fit into the telescope, and an adapter for your camera to attach to it!
  
  Hope that's somewhat helpful

Hello,

I'm planning on making an astrophotography setup. I've used this subreddit's guide to assemble something's, but I just wanted to check if all the items in my list are correct. I'm also confused on where to buy some items required for the setup.

Here are the list of things that I have/am going to buy.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-mounts/skywatcher-heq5-pro-synscan.html - Skywatcher HEQ5 Mount

https://www.astronomics.com/astro-tech-6-f-4-imaging-newtonian-optical-tube.html - AstroTech 6 inch imaging Newtonian Telescope

https://www.otelescope.com/store/product/4-backyardnikon-20-premium-edition-otl-byn-p/ - BackyardNIKON premium edition

Nikon D850 - DSLR (Already Own)

https://www.astronomics.com/t-ring-for-nikon-35mm-and-dslr-cameras.html - T-Ring for Nikon DSLR cameras

https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93625-Universal-1-25-inch-T-Adapter/dp/B0000665V6 - Universal 1.25 inch camera T-Adapter

https://www.astronomics.com/astro-tech-7-short-universal-dovetail-plate-for-vixen-style-mounts-black.html - ASTRO-TECH 7" SHORT UNIVERSAL DOVETAIL PLATE FOR VIXEN-STYLE MOUNTS

https://www.telescope.com/Orion-Magnificent-Mini-AutoGuider-Package/p/99631.uts?keyword=orion%20magnificent%20mini - Orion Magnificent Mini AutoGuider Package

https://www.astronomics.com/astro-tech-photo-visual-coma-corrector-field-flattener-for-fast-focal-ratio-newtonian-reflectors.html - Coma Corrector

TUBE RINGS - Don't know where to find one for my telescope!!

I would really appreciate any help on finding the missing items, and suggest additional items if I didn't include them in this list. Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this post!

> how can I find dark locations near me to look at stars?

Go to the physics department in your school, and talk to the professor who does astrophysics. He or she probably knows what to do. If this doesn't work, see if there's an amateur astronomy club in your city, and go to one of their meetings (they're likely to have monthly stargazing parties or something).

> Are there any photography-specific telescopes out there

Assuming you have an SLR camera, get a T adapter and T ring. The T adapter replaces the eyepiece of whatever telescope you get and makes it easy to hook T rings on, and the T ring has the same mounting mechanism as the lens to your SLR camera. Make sure to get both pieces made by the same company that makes your telescope, and get the T ring that's the proper size for the maker of your camera.

If you intend to do deep space photography (i.e., very long exposures of very faint objects), you'll need a computerized mount so that the telescope can keep the object in view as it moves across the sky. In particular, it should be a computerized equatorial mount, so that the object in your field of view doesn't rotate as the telescope tracks it. Nearly all computerized mounts are equatorial, just double-check that you don't get one of the unusual ones. Unfortunately, these tend to be expensive. It's much cheaper to start with a non-computerized mount and to photograph bright things like planets.

Awesome picture! If you had trouble taking a picture with your phone i recommend buying this: https://www.amazon.com/Landove-Smartphone-Photography-Binoculars-Microscope/dp/B06Y6G8YQ7/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Landove+Universal+Cell+Phone+Smartphone+Quick+Photography+Adapter+Mount+Connector+for+Telescope+Binoculars+Monocular+Spotting+Scope+Microscope+%26+and+with+Cell+Mobile+Phone&qid=1559059983&s=electronics&sr=1-1

Sorry the link is so big, but it is what I use for my planetary pictures. Also very glad that you enjoyed jupiter for the first time! It is so weird knowing what I've been missing the whole time I did not own a telescope.

Unfortunately, with webcams being mostly CMOS tech now, it is harder to mod them because the driver circuitry is built on the sensor. If you can find an old CCD webcam, Like an old Logitech Quickcam 3000 or Phillips SPC900 they are easier. Best place to start is to remove the lens and get an adapter to put it in a 1.25" barrel. This will give you a start in planetary imaging without needing to physically mod the circuitry. But for less than the price of a nice webcam, you could get a CCTV camera that has 512x or 1024x SENS UP capability and get images of up to 16 seconds which with my 8" SCT can detect 13th mag galaxies from a dark site. This thread should get you started on what to buy and what you can see with it.

You'd probably need something like this, and a few other pieces (besides the actual telescope). You wouldn't use either of the lenses you have.

Just as important as the camera-to-telescope adapter is an extremely solid mount for the entire assembly. Most run of the mill telescope tripods and mounts won't be sturdy enough to eliminate the vibrations that will cause blurry pictures. A remote shutter release, mirror lockup, and a windless night would also be helpful in making blur free images.

Thanks a lot it's been really helpful.

Right now I'm looking at this and this. I'll be good then?

I know it's a 1.25 and you said to get a 2" but right now I'm going cheap. When/if I decide to really start doing things hardcore I'll get the nice stuff.

The telescope eyepiece was designed to focus on an eyeball. The eyeball is actually quite inferior to the smart phone camera (CMOS sensor). With HDR, the stacking is done with hardware. There are a whole bunch of telescope eyepiece adapters, usually less than $20.
https://www.amazon.com/Gosky-Universal-Phone-Adapter-Mount/dp/B013D2ULO6/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_421_bs_tr_t_1/133-8554002-5688201?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Z8XCB6EE0BNZNFA6EC6J

The other nice feature of a smart phone camera is it can be controlled over Bluetooth from a laptop in the nice warm car with hot coffee.

I have this telescope and am looking to fit it onto this mount and replace the stock finder with this finder scope.

My question is, what do I need to make sure everything fits properly together? Searching "celestron VX tube ring" or anything of the sort doesn't bring up anything - almost seems like the mount is meant to be exclusive for their telescopes, and I don't know where to start for the finder.

Edit: I found this for mounting the finder scope, which seems like it'll work, but I still need some advice for the equatorial mount.

Edit 2: Doing a bit more research, would this do the trick for the mount? And then I find rings that fit my scope?

If you want top-quality, then a generic phone mount helps remedy the issue of holding up your phone. It also has the added bonus of allowing you to easily take a short video and then run stacking/processing software, which is how you really bring out the detail. Out of curiosity, what type of scope do you have?

I was also thinking of this one - might be better?

I remember seeing some of your posts! Things seem to be going well with your new scope :)

This is the one I use. It is a little tricky at first. On my phone I secured it to the eye piece as far out as possible. Since somebody pointed me at it I have found it hugely useful for ID help on BugGuide!

Here's my revised advice, get this telescope and this adapter.

I'm not thrilled with the aperture value (f7.8 or something at 1000mm) but it does come with cheap German Equatorial mount. You can use the finder piece and the mount controls to manually track stars and planets. I believe the German Equatorial mount, if my memory serves me correctly, can be set to various angles so that you will only have to adjust one knob to track any body in the sky (as opposed to having to turn two knobs like an etch-a-sketch to track).

Long exposures are needed to photograph planets, stars, galaxies, etc. You'll want the tracking ability, even if it is done manually.

It can be pretty hard to get everything lined up if you're trying to hold the phone up to the eyepiece, especially if the focal length is smaller. The easiest way that I've found is to use the smallest focal length eyepiece such that your phone's camera can only see the lens and there is no rim showing. Then, to hold it steady in that centered position, it's handy to have a phone camera mount like this one. I reserve one eyepiece and align everything in daylight, which is less frustrating. When I want to take a picture, I align the scope with a different eyepiece, then switch out to the one with the mount attached to it. It's pretty crude but it has worked pretty well so far! I hope this helps.

I use one of these and it works great. Takes a bit of adjusting though to get the cam on view. Great low cost option.

Gosky Universal Cell Phone Adapter Mount

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013D2ULO6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_8rJEybNN3TSPK

I recently broke down and did this.

This telescope. (Heavy but great optics)

This phone holder

iPhone 7 Plus

VSCO camera app to allow control of exposure, ISO, etc.

Gets me this on the second try taking pictures

I love my C90. It has really clear glass for the money. I'd recommend getting a 2x Barlow to double the power. If you don't plan to ever hook a DSLR to it, this is a good one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00008Y0TM/

If you want the flexibility of hooking up a DSLR to the Barlow, I have this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00009X3UV/

You'll also need a hefty tripod. I have this one, but I also use my C90 for astrophotography and track planets with it:

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93607-Heavy-Duty-Altazimuth-Tripod/dp/B0007UQNY0

EDIT: Forgot to mention Celestron has a lifetime warranty (not like Vortex, but still good). I had trouble with the little finder scope. They helped me troubleshoot it and then sent me a new one without asking for anything but the address.

To be clear, afocal involves mounting the camera (with a camera lens attached) in such a way that allows you to take pictures through an eyepiece inserted into the telescope's focuser. This method is also known as "eyepiece projection." Link to adapter, which only fits eyepieces of a certain maximum size.

It sounds like what you have in mind instead is prime focus photography. For this you replace your camera's lens with an adapter (available here for $14) which can then be inserted into the telescope's focuser (no eyepiece involved).

I don't have any personal experience with your scope, but that camera might also be a bit heavy for your scope's focuser. Someone else here might have a better idea about that, though.

I'd also be interested to hear about what people recommend. I was looking for one myself but I was not sure if the branded solutions from Celestron or Tele Vue, that I've seen, only work for their eyepieces or do they will they work on any eyepiece.

I saw this one Amazon and for the price I thought it would be good just to try it out.

https://www.amazon.com/Gosky-Universal-Smartphone-Telescope-Microscope/dp/B01D5W0WES/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474065298&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=telescope+smartphone+adapter&psc=1

> Orion ED80 telescope and a Celestron Advanced VX Equatorial Mount

Okay, these two can be made for astrophotography, so that's good.

> but for DSO's I am uncertain about in regards to eyepieces with T-Ring capabilities

You absolutely do not need eyepieces for photography in this configuration. You need a 2" to T2 adapter and a camera-specific T-ring (actually, this one you linked would work too). Ideally you'll want a flattener/reducer for your telescope later to get better results, and some sort of autoguiding solution so you can make longer exposures.

That’s good to know about the vignetting. I might just continue using the original diagonal and lense.

I don’t think this came with a fork mount. We might be talking 2 different c90 models. Mine is the old c90 1000mm f11. It has a mount on the bottom that I attached a dovetail to.

I’m more concerned with getting an imaging setup working. I bought this and this. I guess I’ll see how it goes when I hook it up. Hopefully that’s what I need.

Yep! Although it's much easier to buy a holder for your phone like this one.

Thank you, I will look into AutoStakkert.

I built my own cradle (I realise I've made the pivot point too far back, will be fixed later) for the scope as it didn't come with any accessories and the next mod is a linear actuator or a stepper motor so hopefully I can set it up to track slowly enough, maybe with the assistance of an arduino.

This is the barlow I have, its not Celestron branded however looks super similar. When you say nosepiece do you mean the end closest to the camera or furthest?

Thank you very much! I use this: https://www.amazon.ca/Gosky-Universal-Phone-Adapter-Mount/dp/B013D2ULO6

It looks good. Of course, it won't be as good as attaching a dslr or a dedicated planetary camera, but it does really well considering its only 20 dollars.

I bought this mount about a month ago. So far it has worked pretty well. I took a picture of the moon about a week ago using that mount with my LG V20 attached to my telescope. You will want to use a bluetooth remote camera shutter as well.

Cheapest way to do it is to get a decent telescope and one of these adapter Smartphone adapter for telescope

I’ve seen results from these setups and they’re pretty impressive.

Thanks! And that's not a dumb question at all. The camera wasn't piggybacked, it was looking through the telescope. I used a T-ring and a T ring-adapter to attach my camera to the scope like it's an eyepiece.

I am eagerly awaiting the skies to clear here to start. As a start I have a basic Star Navigator 70060 Reflector which is decent for my current purposes. I tried it last summer for planetary and star viewing and it did what I expected of it and more.

I want to start using it for astrophotography with my phone and getting the hang of things before investing further in telescopes, cameras and software. I want to practice on the Moon and some planets if possible.

I took very simple images with my Huawei P10 lite and was pleasantly surprised. Here is one I took of the Moon during the eclipse by just holding the phone over the eye piece: https://i.imgur.com/XUyPGpC.jpg

I want to buy this Mount Adapter as a start but I was wondering how would such a mount cope with phone with multiple cameras such as the new Huawei P30? Does anyone have experience with that?

You can pick up something like this and find a telescope in a thrift shop or pick up a beginner one from Amazon. I'll run you $100 on the high end but will dramatically improve your results.

Before I bought my camera, I was using a phone mount to take images with my phone.

Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Vankey-Cellphone-Telescope-Binocular-Microscope/dp/B01788LT3S/ref=sr_ph_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525795847&sr=sr-1&keywords=microscope+phone+mount&dpID=41M7SwNIviL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

That, along with casting your phone to the TV should work well for what you are looking for. Android has the ability to cast the screen to a device on your wifi network.

I'm not familiar with other digital cameras in your price range that have the capability you're looking for, though they could exist.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06Y6G8YQ7/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1501754470&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=smartphone+telescope+adapter&dpPl=1&dpID=517SidtIuxL&ref=plSrch

I bought this on Amazon and attached it to the eyepiece on my telescope. The clarity of the image impressed me.

I wish I could help :/

I use something like this for my microbial photography. If you're interested.

Basically a T-ring, T adapter, and a Barlow will do the trick for getting nice shots of the Moon?

Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/VITE-Adapter-Standard-Telescope-Microscope/dp/B00W123RBE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1485224728&sr=8-5&keywords=nikon+t+adapter

There are a couple products that basically hold your phone in the right place on the eye piece, a few 3D printable designs and things like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013D2ULO6/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1 . Unless you have a DSLR and the 1 or 2 lens adapters to hook it up to your microscope, your phone is probably the easiest thing to use.

Here you go. The mounting part itself is a bit too big so I just put some folded paper in it and it works perfectly. It can hold basically any smartphone.

I recently got a gosky adapter and it works perfectly.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B013D2ULO6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522721906&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=digiscope&dpPl=1&dpID=41Syg5BOS4L&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/Gosky-Universal-Phone-Adapter-Mount/dp/B013D2ULO6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=Telescope%2Bphone%2Bmount%2Bgosky&qid=1558458771&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&th=1

I chose the big one in "colors", works great with all sizes of eye pieces.

They make smartphone mounts specifically for telescope eye peices. It's actually a great way to see what the telescope is showing without bending down to put your eye to the eyepiece.

Gosky Universal Cell Phone Adapter Mount - Compatible Binocular Monocular Spotting Scope Telescope Microscope-Fits almost all Smartphone on the Market -Record The Nature The World https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013D2ULO6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_9uiUCbAAV14NN

I use this one personally. Works great.

Nice. A televue powermate is great. Do you have a local astronomy club you could get involved with. It's sort of hard to suggest a camera without trying things out given your scope and its limitations. Even if you don't have a nearby club, I would suggest finding someone who will lend you their DSLR. Get a cheap t-ring/ nosepiece adaptor for it (Canon example) and try it with the powermate. Try focusing on the moon.

I looked it up ( Gosky Adapter for Phone ).

Most reviews are for using with telescopes or binoculars to look at wildlife or for astronomy.

The 2 things that stopped me from ordering one right now were:

>(1) Review for Microscope: "It's really difficult to get it set up right. On our microscope scope you really need to hold the phone further from the objective than this allows. Nobody in the lab uses it."

So I thought I would order it and see how it does with a microscope to photograph cells, & just return it if the images were bad or adapter was difficult to use. Buuuuuut...

>(2) No Returns: " Terrible design squeezes the sides of the phone right where the buttons are located, making it useless for my OnePlus 5T. Further, the way it clamps onto the eyepiece is pretty weak and will not support a steady setup, even if it doesn't compress your phone's buttons as it does mine. I wanted to return this item but Gosky has a "gotcha" return policy. They never even responded to my return request.
STAY AWAY from this bad product and disreputable seller."

I will see if I can find a different one that allows me to return the product though. I'll share if I find one.

Edit: Many of the 3rd party vendors on Amazon (if not all) do not offer free returns or even returns. I contacted Amazon (after reading they their epically long policies) - if you file a form called "A to z form" with your Amazon account, then Amazon sends you a box with prepaid postage so you can send it back, then Amazon refunds you. Customer service also said "usually a phone call to make a complaint, especially if you have Prime, is enough to get Amazon to refund you without having to file a form and send the item back". Coolio!

I have this Barlow which, combined with this t-ring adapter allows me to shoot with my Nikon at prime focus with an additional 2x magnification.

I think the way the magnification is going to work is you take the focal length of the telescope divided by the size of your camera's sensor, which is the magnification you'd get with just the camera and the telescope. So with that 500mm focal length scope and your camera's 35mm sensor (although I think the sensors aren't exactly 35mm) then you'd end up with 500/35 which is a 14x magnification. So with the 2x Barlow I linked you'd get 28x, although you'll also have to compensate with the slightly dimmer magnified image.

Plus one on the Y adapter. I just set up my Z10 with one; reflex sight on one arm, finder on the other. Works great.

Edit: here's the Y I bought: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EZLW6W4

I should note that it wouldn't quite fit in the dovetail mount on my Z10, so I replaced that with this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013Q40RTA/

Here are 2 shots from the first night with the scope set-up below.
http://imgur.com/a/GVg3O

Here is the Scope used: 499.00 (Purchased a returned scope that had damage in shipping for 300.00...)
https://www.astronomics.com/astro-tech-8-inch-imaging-newtonian-optical-tube_p17402.aspx

Here is the mount used: 1,119.99
http://www.telescope.com/Mounts-Tripods/GoTo-Mounts-Tripods/Orion-Sirius-EQ-G-Computerized-GoTo-Telescope-Mount/pc/-1/c/2/sc/36/p/24336.uts

1618.99 total

You obviously will need a dslr camera with an adapter for the lens, but you can buy an adapter for cheap off of Amazon. For example.

http://www.amazon.com/Opteka-T-Mount-Adapter-Digital-Cameras/dp/B000KNCB7C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368734650&sr=8-1&keywords=canon+t+adapter

And

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93625-Universal-1-25-inch-T-Adapter/dp/B0000665V6/ref=pd_bxgy_p_img_y


It can be tricky learning how to align the scope, but plenty of resources online for learning. Also, you'll need to know how to set up your camera properly with the right ISO and accessories to allow for bulb exposure and mirror locking first... But... Holy shitballs it's worth it!!

You will need a T adapter for your eyepiece holder (20$ at most) and a T mount to EOS adapter (10 to 15$). You can find both on Amazon: let me know if you have any trouble finding them (I'm on my phone on a train atm, sorry) see the links above. You can then use the free EOSMovrec software (on Sourceforge) to tether your camera to a PC and use the central part of your sensor to acquire near native resolution 1024x600 video. Beware: the binary Mac version is very outdated, you'll want to use the Windows version (or compile from the source). You'll then want to stack the video (e.g. in Registax).

EDIT: added links.

I've just gotten my first telescope and am trying to figure out what else I need for astrophotography. I have an Orion 8" and a Nikon d7000. The scope came with the camera adapter ring, but apparently I also need a t-ring for the specific DSLR.

Is this what I need? Isn't there a lens/eyepiece part I need as well, to focus the light?

You should post this on /r/telescopes

But if you can scrape a little more money then the AWB Onesky 130 has got really good reviews.

A universal smartphone mount can be got for around 20 bucks

You're welcome, This is the cell phone mount i have

> https://www.amazon.com/Gosky-Universal-Phone-Adapter-Mount/dp/B013D2ULO6/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1549039136&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=Gosky+Universal+Cell+Phone+Adapter+Mount&psc=1

I've had a lot of luck with the GoSky adapter.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013D2ULO6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This should help you out oc!

Have a look at one of these. I have two different kinds, im liking this one best so far. The other one I have was the first Carson Universal phone mount.
Gosky Universal Cell Phone... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013D2ULO6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

If you have any questions about it, let me know.

F.Dorla Universal Cellphone Telescope Adapter Mount, Compatible with Binocular Monocular Spotting Scope Microscope for iPhone Samsung Cellphone Support Eyepiece Diameter 25 to 48mm https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077D8QHQX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kKQBCbYNQ1VN3

SVBONY Universal Cell Phone Adapter Mount for Binocular Monocular Spotting Scope Telescope Support Eyepiece Diameter 25 to 48mm https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K7M0JEM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_eLP2Db6KQYYXH

I got an adapter for my smartphone to take pics... It works really well!

Gosky Universal Cell Phone Adapter Mount
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013D2ULO6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_z9jAybYPV6G5M

I'm not op, but I use a Philips webcam too, and there are adapters like this one that you can just screw into the webcam then slide into the telescope. This isn't universal with all webcams though, so if you are looking to do this, make sure your webcam can work with it.

>T-adapter

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01788LT3S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought this for my binoculars a month ago when I'm out wildlife watching. I can use it in the lab on a microscope, when I'm at work (circuit designer). And I can use it on a telescope for the purposes here as well.

I have this one from Gosky, but I didn't check the specs. It doesn't fit my 2" focuser, (I need this one) and I have yet to try it on my binoculars, but it's very well made for a cheap phone holder. Made of metal; quite heavy, too.

I sent them an email, but then I used my Google-fu and bought this one from Amazon. We'll see how it works.

I did the same but the t adapter doesn't let you use any lense. I got mine on amazon for £23. I didn't use it much in the end.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0000665V6/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Taken with a Canon Rebel Ti1 mounted using a T adapter on a Meade Infinity 90 telescope. I used the 9mm eyepiece and took a series of photos which I stitched together using Microsoft's Image Composite Editor.

This is what the setup looked like: http://imgur.com/a/gqCT5

This cheap one on Amazon.

Here is an example on Amazon for the 1.25" kind (the type the score you are looking at will work with. It goes in place of your eye piece.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000665V6/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?qid=1413602179&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&dpPl=1&dpID=211R69YGRGL&dpPlWS=1&ref=plSrch

I use this mount and this button with mine. It can hook up to spotters scopes and binoculars, though you may want to get a tripod mount for your binoculars if you use them. It's actually called "digiscoping" and you can get adapters for phones and cameras.

Something like this will let you take pics of the moon

https://www.amazon.com/Gosky-Universal-Phone-Adapter-Mount/dp/B013D2ULO6/ref=sr_1_3/133-6757998-2915363?ie=UTF8&qid=1527358550&sr=8-3&keywords=phone+to+telescope+adapter

For anything else sorry to say but you’d need a different scope

If you find a NX to a T2 mount you can attach it to pretty much any telescope using a T-adapter.

The problem with using a camera with a dob is it is very hard to use. With no tracking only planets/the moon will be valid target and even then keeping it on target can be hard.If you need more help come vist us at /r/astrophotography.

Still, here's the hardware:

http://www.amazon.com/Adorama-T-Mount-Adapter-Autofocus-Cameras/dp/B0002E3WRC

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93625-Universal-1-25-inch-T-Adapter/dp/B0000665V6/ref=pd_bxgy_p_img_y/180-3872360-3150301

and for really high powered viewing screw this to the t-mount adapter:

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93230-24mm-1-25-Eyepiece/dp/B0007UQNV8

The t threads are under the eye cup.


In bright sun light, this telescope will work as a 1000mm lens, but telescopes, especially cheaper ones, are not as well corrected. So it's going to have more aberrations than even cheap photographic lenses have.

Do you already have a cellphone and a spotting scope?

I've been doing the same thing.

CPC1100

Luminos eyepiece set (wide FOV)

cellphone mount

Works with Microscopes too! I do it at work every day. If I have to take several pics, I bust out this thing; which is meant for telescopes, but I use it on several microscopes.

What's an iPhone telescope?

You could get an ordinary telescope and get a mount to attach your iPhone to it, so you can take pictures though the eyepiece.
Like this

https://www.amazon.com/Gosky-Universal-Phone-Adapter-Mount/dp/B013D2ULO6

Gosky Universal Cell Phone mount https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013D2ULO6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Appears to be this one.

With this.

I lined up my phone to the eyepiece while my scope was aimed at Polaris so I wouldn't start off chasing a moving target.

I use one of these

https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-Adapter-Barlow-Universal-T-Ring/dp/B00009X3UV


And

https://www.amazon.com/Astromania-Metal-T-ring-Adapter-Cameras/dp/B0140U9KLK/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1541163075&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=canon+t+ring&dpPl=1&dpID=410nlYU2LYL&ref=plSrch

Couple bucks cheaper here.

There are cheapo mounts that will clamp down onto the eyepiece and then clamp onto your phone, like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Gosky-Universal-Phone-Adapter-Mount/dp/B013D2ULO6/

You will have to line up the camera with the eyepiece first though, which can be a tad difficult in the dark.

The barlow is built into the adapter

I keep this one in my range bag.

Gosky Universal Cell Phone Adapter Mount - Compatible with Binocular Monocular Spotting Scope Telescope and Microscope - For Iphone Sony Samsung Moto Etc -Record the Nature of the World https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013D2ULO6/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_NpmIwbD3K88BW

Cell phone mount: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013D2ULO6/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AHQ6VCR020F8X

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B013D2ULO6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There are two parts that work together. There's the T-ring, which is particular to your camera; and there's the T-adapter, which is not. As a general rule, T-adapters are not specific to the scope - they either have a 1.25" barrel or a 2" barrel, so it's really a matter of what size focuser your scope has.

I'm not familiar with the particular T-adapter you've linked to, so perhaps someone else could offer more definitive commentary on it. If I understand correctly how it's intended to work, the wide end would screw into the rear cell on your SCT, where the narrower end would screw into your T-ring. I'm more familiar with this other model, which works as I described and should also, as far as I know, be able to work with an SCT.

I went ahead and looked up the adapters you would need to hook up to an Orion telescope, the t-ring and the camera adapter. However, this looks like it can total to over $60 for adapters. Apparently the Orion T-ring and a Celestron camera adapter are most frequently bought together. I'm not sure of how the two different brands will work together.

another option is to buy binoculars and buy a phone to binocular adapter ,zoom will depend on the binoculars not the best choice but it is an alternative option

I use this one. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B013D2ULO6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478576632&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=gosky+universal+cell+phone+adapter+mount&dpPl=1&dpID=41Syg5BOS4L&ref=plSrch

It's okay, it can be a bitch to line up the camera with the eyepiece in the dark. It will probably make your scope heavy on one end so if you can adjust the scope so it doesn't drift all the time it will help.

My scope just has a twist helical focuser which tends to be kinda loose (it's just a threaded tube that goes up or down basically) when you have to crank the focus so that can wobble a little bit too but that's mostly an issue with my scope.

GOSKY this clamps to eyepiece, less likely to drop off when inverted

Here are a couple pics. These are screenshots because I was having trouble uploading CR2 files. I'm using a Celestron C8 with the Canon 450D. I'm using a T ring adapter with this barlow but I take out lens so I don't get the 2x magnification. I was using BackyardEOS and was doing at both ISO 800 and ISO 1600. I was also varying the exposure time between 30 seconds and 1 minute (I even tried a few at 10 seconds). DeepSkyStacker kept telling me I only had 1 frame to stack, even when the threshold was set as low as possible.

You’re welcome! I can’t find mine at the moment, but it’s very similar to this one. You can find ones that are electronic but they can be crazy expensive.

Vankey Cellphone Telescope Adapter Mount, Work with Binocular Monocular Spotting Scope Microscope for iPhone, Samsung, HTC, LG and More https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01788LT3S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vYhzCb3MVZW20

I have an old basic go to scope from Mead. I believe it's a 4.5" Meade refractor. I bought this eyepiece adapter for it but my Olympus micro4/3 camera needs to be closer zoomed in. I mean it needs to be closer into the scope. The focus knob needs to be more screwed in. I need less throw on it.

Celestron 93625 Universal 1.25-inch Camera T-Adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000665V6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wRACDbC77S135

I don't know how to describe it. I need the focus point less deep than this item allows. Do they make things like this?

You generally get one of these to adapt from the telescope eyepiece tube to the "T-mount" standard (a dead simple lowest common denominator camera lens mount originally used by Tamron – basically just a threaded ring), plus a T-mount to whatever your camera takes – e.g. Nikon F mount, or Canon EF mount in the OP's case – adapter ring.

So about $15 for the telescope to T adapter and $9 for the T to EF ring.