QSI583wsg to Canon Lenses

[Phillyo]

So my Lodestar is currently out of action and being sent away for repair, which means no long exposures for me at the moment. It was clear this evening so I set up my 450D with the 105mm Sigma lens to try to get some wide field orion action going on. Light pollution plus limitations of the camera means it wasn't an ideal out come so I am wondering if there's a way I can attach my canon lenses to my CCD?

I know PNJ has mentioned using an adapter with the WS front plate, but that means I can't use the auto guider so i'll be limited to 5min exposures or so right? I'd really like to be getting 30min or so to capture as much Ha as possible.

Does anyone know if this is possible? What connections I would need? Or is it impossible to get focus with the WSG cover on the QSI and a canon lens? Would I need a different CCD and filter wheel?

Thanks,
Phil.

[PhotoGav]

Phil, I don't know the answer for certain, but I remember considering this point when I got my 683-WSG. The 500/600 WSG series manual says:

WS(-8) Cover

The WSG cover is too thick to allow Nikon and Canon lenses to achieve focus at infinity. Canon and Nikon SLR lenses can be used with the WS cover (w/ lens adapter available separately). Swapping the WSG(-8) Cover for the WS(-8) Cover is easy by removing just the screws holding the cover to the body. Includes T-mount adapter, threaded cap and mounting screws.

So, I guess you would need the ws(-8) cover and to guide with a separate guide scope.

From the 500/600 series manual:

SLR lens adapter

SLR lens adapters are available for the following lens mounts:

 CanonEF(EOS)  NikonF

The SLR lens adapter provides the correct focal distance for specified lenses when threaded to the standard T-mount adapter on full-size “ws” model cameras. Standard extension tubes or T-mount extenders should be used to achieve the correct focal distance with slim or mid-size bodies. Mid-size bodies will require a 0.5” extension tube. Slim bodies require a 0.825” extension tube.

Please let me know how you get on as this is something I would like to do at some point. Good luck!

[PhotoGav]

Meant to add: Sorry to hear that the Lodestar is broken - what happened?

[GraemeC]

Hi, I have coupled my Starlight Xpress M25C to my canon lenses with one of the specific adapters from Teleskop Express. Here is a link to one of them, I actually purchased the one with a support bracket built in but I can't find that particular link at the moment.

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p4389_TS-CCD-Adapter-for-Canon-EOS-lenses-to-M48-2--filterthread---only-18mm-length.html

The combination certainly worked very well but be careful about the undersampling. I have not explored all the options yet or optimised the settings, but on my rough and ready trial runs I found I was getting quite a few intensely red stars. Looking into the detail, it looks like my focusser stars were only lighting up one or two pixels on the RGB bayer matrix (it is a one shot colour camera) and so there was a lot of false colour. Maybe the solution is to set 2x2 binning? I've put this on hold as I'm back onto modded DSLR images at the moment.

Link about undersampling :

http://www.astro-imaging.com/Tutorial/MatchingCCD.html

Graeme

[GraemeC]

Ah yes found the link.

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p2836_Geoptik-T2-Adaptor-for-CANON-EOS-Lens-with-1-4--Phototripod.html

Graeme

[Earl]

you cant get focus with the WSG body it has to be a WS and the lens adapter, which is a real shame.

However !

There are lenses out there which have a larger backfocus, its a medium format camera but I cant recall the name, that might be worth a look.

[NickMorris]

Pentax springs to mind but can't remember with one....

[JohnC64]

Its the Pentax 6x7 format. QSI have an adapter to fit this lens type to the  wsg  but the price is crazy. Ian King has it listed here http://www.iankingimaging.com/show_product.php?id=1333

But it appears to have been removed from the qsi site. (Guess it wasn't a big seller!!)

Cheers John

[Phillyo]

Hi guys,

 

Well I realised you can't get focus with the WSG faceplate so I ordered a WS faceplate from Scopes and Space in Ireland. After a 2 week wait with no word I contacted them and they said they'd look into it. Another week wait and I contact them again and they said, "Oh no sorry we can't order just one in for you as it'll cost too much..." then gave me a refund (which i'm still waiting for). If you don't have them in stock and can't order them, why have them available on your website!?

 

TL:DR I need to find somewhere that stocks and sells just the WS Faceplate but i'm having trouble locating one. I have the lens to QSI adapter from Geoptik now.

 

Gav, the solder had come away from the circuit board where the usb connects so it's away for repair, hopefully have it back soon as i've not imaged for weeks!! The night's are getting lighter soon too! boooo

 

Phil

[Horwig]

Yes, pentax 67 lenses are good, I use one, but on an sx camera, which is roughly the same kind of backfocus. The adaptor from qsi is silly money, I recall about £225 ish. I made my own from a pentax to canon adaptor bought off ebay for a few quid.

Huw