russthepig Loc: Claremont, CA

I found a small scope at a yard sale $15.00 and of course want to attach my camera on it. Any suggestions? Canon Rebel XTI, scope is 60mm X 700mm focal length. I calculate it should be about f11.7 I would appreciate any recommendations or advice about my new toy.

new toy

sarge69 Loc: Ft Myers, FL

You need a T-adapter. Lens somes out of the camera and adapter hooks in and then into telescope.

Sarge

See my earlier post
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-19924-1.html

KenOrr Loc: East Bethel, MN

I have an Orbitor 60mm x 600mm Telescope and a Nikon D3000
With the same questions.

BigBear Loc: Northern CT

I connected my D60 to a telescope like this one. The quality of the picture isn't worth the cost of the adapter. I did a whole lot better to get an adapter to hold my point & shoot to the lens and get some great moon shots.

photogrl57 Loc: Tennessee

I want a telescope for my Canon Rebel XT ... I never thought of yard sales ... duhhh ... thanks for mentioning it.

jkaye65 Loc: Chico, CA

This telescope looks like it takes an 1 1/4" eyepiece. I've never seen a "T" adapter for a scope that small. Then again, I've never looked for one that small. My Williams Optics 80mm refractor takes 2" eyepieces, which is more in line with the size of the camera lenses. It seems to me that hooking up a DSLR to a small eyepiece would not produce any decent images. But, I could be wrong because I've never tired it.

photogrl57 Loc: Tennessee

Good info to know

jkaye65 Loc: Chico, CA

The problem is........you most likely won't find any worthy telescopes that take 2" lenses at yard sales. These scopes are typically more "high end", so people selling their equipment would more likely post it on astronomy sites and such.

photogrl57 Loc: Tennessee

That's what I was thinking to begin with ... never would expect to find that at a yard sale ... estate sale ... maybe .. thanks for getting me back on the right track :)

jkaye65 Loc: Chico, CA

So I checked an astronomy site and I did find an adapter that would work for your telescope. Here is the link.

http://www.telescope.com/Astrophotography/Astrophotography-Accessories/125-Orion-Universal-Camera-Adapter/pc/-1/c/4/sc/61/p/101418.uts

You would also need one of these T rings which screws the adapter into the camera mount.

http://www.telescope.com/Astrophotography/Camera-Adapters-T-Rings/Orion-Wide-T-Rings-for-35mm-Cameras/pc/-1/c/4/sc/62/e/45.uts

I must admit, when I think of coupling a DSLR to a telescope I automatically think of night time shots of the sky. You're telescope is probably rated at f/12.5 or so, so those would be loooong night time exposures.

That doesn't mean that you couldn't use the telescope for daytime imaging. Might have better luck with that. Don't forget to counter balance the scope after the camera is attached. You camera is much heavier than a simple eyepiece.

Gary Truchelut Loc: Coldspring, TX

do a search for "digiscoping" this is the term used when taking pictures through a telescope. The larger the diameter of the optics the better as it has more light gathering ability. There a lot of info out there on this subject. Most people use spotting scopes with adapters. A good scope for this costs in the range of 2000.00, but lesser ones can be used with decent results. It sounds like a challenge and could be fun.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

The problem is........you most likely won't find any worthy telescopes that take 2" lenses at yard sales. These scopes are typically more "high end", so people selling their equipment would more likely post it on astronomy sites and such.[/quote]

I did find one, a 4' reflector... screwed up and dirty,, eye lens missing!... well cleaned up well and Edmond's Scientific supplied the eye lens. If you find one chances are that the alignment is messed up, mirror adjustment screws. Align by shinning flash light in eye lens hole and adjust screws for brightest image viewing down the tube.

Just E-bay searched "reflector telescope" ... you can get one for about $50-100....

A 4" reflector would give you eye blinding brightness of the moon, you can see rings of Saturn etc... the toy scopes not worth the disappointment, good binoculars or hunters spotting scope would be better.

I have an Bushnell Monocular designed for spotting or using a M-42 (old "Pentax") screw mount. Complete with f-stop rings that fit on the end. Took a few with old film camera, thanks for bringing up the subject; I will try with my Sony Alpha.

MtnMan Loc: ID

I recently dragged my old C8 out from under the house. I never got into nighttime pics back in the days I used to use it because we were talking REALLY long exposures with film that only went to ISO 400...and black and white only. I think the ISO capability of today's DSLRS has radically changed that.

It turned out I already had a T-adapter and for another reason had bought an adapter that converts the screw thread on it to my Nikon. My first surprise was that the moon was too big for the camera! My first image is below.

The C8 is f11. I found another adapter that converts it to f6.3 and increases the field of veiw correspondingly so it will do a full moon. Alas it has been cloudy since that arrived.

I am looking forward to some work with it this summer. It has an electric tracking motor which will still be necessary for deep space objects. I think exposure times at high ISO might now be a few minutes vs. tens of minutes.

Jkcolumbia1933 Loc: Columbia, SC

Hate to say so but you wasted your money if you are planning on using that scope to take photos.

Jkcolumbia1933 Loc: Columbia, SC

Hate to say so but you wasted your money if you are planning on using that scope to take photos. I would't think of spending for a T-mount.