Photography with Canon 350D

[trevboyd]

Hi all

I have just received my first telescope, a Skywatcher Evostar 120 on an EQ5 mount (code 728 on this page: http://www.warehouseexpress.co.uk/?/astro/skywatcher/refract.html#evostar).

I had it out last night for hours ;-) and was very pleased to have successfully found Jupiter, Alcor/Mizar, M31, M101. Having framed Jupiter nicely with all 4 Galilean moons, I thought I'd snap a quick photo with my Canon 350D by putting the camera to the eyepiece. I have both a 28mm and 200mm lens for the camera. However, I wasn't able to make the camera focus on Jupiter using either lens. The image through the telescope eyepiece was also very small in the centre of the camera view, surrounded by the eyepiece plastic.

Everything I've read online about afocal photography makes it sound very simple - put the camera to the eyepiece and snap away. I notice though that most people use point and shoot digital cameras for this, which have much smaller lenses that match the size of the eyepiece more closely. Is this part of my problem? Are the lenses on my DSLR too wide for this to work?

I intend to try prime-focus photography in future, which I think is easier. I'm not quite sure exactly what I need to buy to fit my camera to the telescope. The description of the telescope claims it has a "direct SLR camera connection." I understand a need a t-ring for my Canon to attach in place of the lens. The same site also sell a "Prime focus camera adaptor (for Sky-watcher models with direct SLR camera connection)" (item code 503 on http://www.warehouseexpress.co.uk/?/astro/skywatcher/accessories.html#ca) - do I need one of those too? I don't want to buy more than I need and have spent extra, or less and not be able to use it while I wait for more items to arrive....

Any advice or help is much appreciated! I can see myself spending a lot of time outside in the dark in future!

--

Trev

[geppetto]

Hi Trev

Welcome to the forum...

Prime focus is the way to go with your set up.

Get yourself one of these http://www.firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=tadaptor

for your Canon.

You may or may not need an extension tube to let the camera go further back to reach focus

but try without first.

Good luck with your new scope

[proflight2000]

yes there is the t adaptor and you can also get an eyepiece adaptor which fits into the t adaptor then straight into the eyepiece holder where you would normally place you eyepiece. I found it near on impossible to shoot direct straight through the eyepiece using the 350 as basically the lens is too big for it to sense the small item in the eyepiece. Go for the t adaptor and tube.

[lunator]

Trev

With the 350D get the adapter and go prime focus

Afocal works best with a compact digital camera.

Cheers

Ian

[trevboyd]

Thanks for your quick replies!

I think I have an eyepiece adaptor - there are a few bits left over after I assembled the scope, one of which fits where the eyepiece goes and looks like it has a screw thread on the end. Does that sound like it?

Thanks again

Trev