New, and a few questions about capturing

[JohnnyTWB]

Hi There

New to the forum so hello. I'm Johnny, i have just purchased a Skywatcher 130/900 Telescope and i am looking to get a webcam for it.

I have read that the Phillips 880 ones are the best however i cant find these anywhere at the moment and do not fancy paying 80 -100 quid on Ebay for one.

I found these two at PC WORLD, would either of these be any good?

HP HD-2200 Webcam at cheap prices | PC World

SANDSTROM SW72011 HD Webcam at cheap prices | PC World

also, how would i connect these to a telescope?

i have heard people connect it straight into the scope without any eyepieces or barlows, but could i not put the webcam on an eyepiece and barlow then into the scope?

sorry for all the questions, just eager to get going.

best

Johnny

[Capricorn]

Sorry about this reply but:

i have heard people connect it straight into the scope without any eyepieces or barlows, but could i not put the webcam on an eyepiece and barlow then into the scope?

You could stick all that in front but I have no idea what the image projected on to the sensor would be like. I would guess with a high degree of certainty that you would not get an image just a slightly illuminated sensor.

When playing with optics and photography can I suggest that understanding a little about the process of forming an image from the optical side is learnt?

A webcam is not the eyeball, the eyeball has a lens in front of it that creates the image "seen" by the retina, The webcam is simply the equivalent of the retina - no imaging system in front.

An eyepiece in a scope delivers collimated light to the eye, this is not an image until the eye lens performs the imaging. This eye lens is absent in a webcam.

Point being setting up a webcam as if it were an eye means no image.

Best and most used method is to place the webcam sensor at the prime focus, no barlow, no eyepiece.

[Freddie]

Using a barlow would be fine, but no eyepiece needed.

[JohnnyTWB]

thanks guys.

any advice is much appreciated.

Would either of those webcams i mentioned above be up to the job? and would i need to buy some kind of adapter for it?

best

Johnny

[RikM]

First Light Optics - 1.25" nosepiece to webcam adaptor (ToUcam 840K)

This is the type of adaptor you need. You take the lens off the webcam and screw the adaptor on instead, then it fits in the focuser like an eyepiece would.

I don't know if this particular adaptor would fit either of the webcams you listed though, sorry.