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Date: 16 Jul 2007 08:14:04
From: Fred Scharmann
Subject: Camera and telescope
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I am interested in playing with my digital camera attached to my telescope.
The camera is an Olympus c2000-z and the telescope is an old Meade 395
refractor.
The camera can take any of the following MALE threads: 41, 43, and 49mm.
The telescope has a standard 1.25" opening for diagonals, lenses, etc.
Where can I go to find out exactly what I need to attach the camera to the
telescope? I see stuff about t-ring adapters, t-mounts, extension tubes,
and even things that have an additional lenses in the adapter. Everything
is geared to sell me something as if I knew what I am supposed to get. I
need info!
I know I can not take long exposures, since nothing is motorized. I just
want to play. I have taken some handheld pictures with the telescope
eyepiece installed and they came out great, except for a terrible amount of
vignetting. Those pictures I cropped with software.
Thank you for your help.
Fred
Avon, OH
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Date: 16 Jul 2007 13:58:14
From: Chris L Peterson
Subject: Re: Camera and telescope
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On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 08:14:04 -0400, "Fred Scharmann"
<fjs3_get_rid_of_this@roadrunner.com > wrote:
>I am interested in playing with my digital camera attached to my telescope.
>
>The camera is an Olympus c2000-z and the telescope is an old Meade 395
>refractor.
>
>The camera can take any of the following MALE threads: 41, 43, and 49mm.
>
>The telescope has a standard 1.25" opening for diagonals, lenses, etc.
>
>Where can I go to find out exactly what I need to attach the camera to the
>telescope? I see stuff about t-ring adapters, t-mounts, extension tubes,
>and even things that have an additional lenses in the adapter. Everything
>is geared to sell me something as if I knew what I am supposed to get. I
>need info!
Fred-
Since your camera does not have a removable lens, you need to use a
technique called afocal imaging. This means you must use the telescope
with an eyepiece- very much like you've already done with your handheld
exposures. Vignetting and distorted fields are normal with afocal
imaging- you are usually restricted to good performance only near the
center of the field.
There are two systems used to attach a digital camera afocally. The
first uses a coaxial adapter, where one end is threaded to mate with
your camera's filter ring, and the other end is a sleeve that slips over
the eyepiece, and has some sort of locking mechanism. Most adapters of
this type are made for specific eyepiece lines (such as Teleview), or
will otherwise only work with some eyepieces. A variation on this type
of adapter is an eyepiece projection adapter. These have traditionally
been used to image at long focal lengths, but can sometimes be made to
operate as afocal adapters with some cameras.
A more general type of adapter mates to your digital camera's 1/4"
tripod screw, and has some sort of system for attaching to the eyepiece.
See, for example, this little gizmo from Celestron:
http://www.celestron.com/c2/product.php?CatID=50&ProdID=352
I'd recommend that you go with something along these lines, since it's
so easy to use.
_________________________________________________
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com
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Date: 16 Jul 2007 12:46:07
From: Fred Scharmann
Subject: Re: Camera and telescope
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Thank you Chris. That is the type of information I am needing.
Fred
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