Widefield camera mount

[Gina]

My Manfrotto head came today - what a beautifully designed and made unit - beefy too That should make a good solid platform for my DSLR. Just need to mount it onto the scope dovetail bar. That will be more solid than the scope ring.

[Gina]

I've put the Manfrotto head on the scope ring using a 1/4" to 3/8" adapter and a large washer "pro tem". It's reasonably secure but I intend later to attach the head to the scope dovetail bar - I have some 3/8"-16 UNC HT steel Allen bolts on order. I shall need to drill a 3/8" (or 10mm) hole through the bar.

The camera is well clear of the scope dew shield due to the large stand-off of the Manfrotto head (100mm) and even with the widest angle lens I have (35mm f3.5) the dew shield does not obscure the field of view.

Here are some photos of the setup. (Terrestrial ATM but I'm hoping for a clear night RSN ) I'll post some example shots taken with the Canon 1100D shortly.

[Flying Eye]

My Manfrotto head came today - what a beautifully designed and made unit - beefy too That should make a good solid platform for my DSLR. Just need to mount it onto the scope dovetail bar. That will be more solid than the scope ring.

Those Manfrotto boys really don't mess about when they make something do they?

BTW a small word of warning about Manfrotto kit, it breeds, with them it's somewhat worse than those Tribble things in StarTrek!

[Gina]

Yes, I remember the Tribbles

[Gina]

As promised a couple of pics with the WF camera... Firstly the 55mm f1.8 stopped down to f4 and secondly the 35mm f3.5 stopped down to f8. Same scene.

Fingers crossed for a gap or two in the clouds tonight!

[Gina]

Clouds parted for a few minutes this evening and I managed to get in a quick shot of Jupiter and Venus close to each other plus a few stars. But the clouds came back and stayed so I decided to get a shot of the light pollution (Well... I'm fed up with no night images!!).

[Flying Eye]

As promised a couple of pics with the WF camera... Firstly the 55mm f1.8 stopped down to f4 and secondly the 35mm f3.5 stopped down to f8. Same scene.

Fingers crossed for a gap or two in the clouds tonight!

Looks like in the second shot (35mm) there is a greater tendency to blow out highlights, so something to watch out for with that one (at f8 that should have been less likely I'd have thought, but I could be dead wrong, as you never stop learning). The very tops of the sheep's backs have just about blown, more so the sun-ward flank of the sheep in the foreground.

Not so good for bright stuff perhaps?

[Viv]

Good & interesting thread.

Was thinking about mounting my camera & lens, seeing what result would give. Would like to still guide if I want to though .......

[Flying Eye]

Clouds parted for a few minutes this evening and I managed to get in a quick shot of Jupiter and Venus close to each other plus a few stars. But the clouds came back and stayed so I decided to get a shot of the light pollution (Well... I'm fed up with no night images!!).

I like both shots, in both cases it gives a sense of "being there" and a good photo should take you places in my view. The technical fades into insignificance if the shot takes you there.

[Gina]

Thank you