Basic DSLR use - a little help.

[Telescope40]

Hi All. Will shortly have access to a DSLR and am looking to try and use with my scopes. Probably my 200p is in pole position.

I;ve already bought a t ring. Question is am I best to just buy a t adaptor now to attach to the scope OR

I have some Baader Hyperion EP's that I believe are threaded so I can attach the camera directly to them. Looking to shoot just the planets and Moon for now.

Bit mixed up with terminology - prime focus photography, a focal photography and eyepiece projection photography. Not sure which of the above method is which - DOH

Which way to go. Any sound advice welcomed.

Regards as always John

[usher4566]

Ime new also so someone better will b along soon .but ime sure if you unsrew the eyepiece adapter the t ring will screw strait on to scope .

[usher4566]

Ime guessing you meen the 200p dobsonian .if so because this is not motorised will only be good on the moon maybe planets but with web cam .you can do some pretty cool stuff with jyst the dslr and and camera stand and remote for camera

[usher4566]

Ime guessing you meen the 200p dobsonian .if so because this is not motorised will only be good on the moon maybe planets but with web cam .you can do some pretty cool stuff with jyst the dslr and and camera stand and remote for camera

[12dstring]

Prime focus is attaching the camera directly to the telescope focuser with a t-ring (no eyepiece or camera lens), so that the telescope becomes the lens of the camera. This is the usual way of imaging with a DSLR.

Afocal is where the camera has a normal lens attached, and the lens is attached to the telescope eyepiece.

Eyepiece projection is where there is no lens on the camera, instead it is attached directly onto the telescope eyepiece. To do this you'll need one of these adapters to attached your t-ring to the Hyperion eyepiece. This will be like having a barlow lens and will give higher magnification than with prime focus, and if you have a number of Hyperion lenses you'll be able to change magnification to match your target. For £13 it's a simple way to add some variable magnification which will help with the moon and planets.

[BarnMiguel]

Exactly what I was going to say, lucky I checked first! I think its still an idea to get a t-adapter to allow Prime focus, if you have the Explorer I think you get a t-adapter with the scope, not one that will connect to the Baader EP's though.

You can get whole moon shots at Prime focus and also will allow you to take images of DSO's which the DSLR will be more suited too. High frame rate cameras and webcams are more suited to planets.

[BarnMiguel]

Just to add I have seen some people get good single frame shots of Jupiter using a DSLR, its just that the conditions have to be really good to achieve that.

[Telescope40]

Hi. My 200p is the newtonian version and I can use it with my CG5 Gt mount, so I will be able to track my target hoping this may assist me somewhat.

Edging toward using my Hyperions attached to the camera, looking at the advice so far.

Any more insights greatlly recieved.

Thanks again for everyones time with this John

[portobellokev]

Hi Can I add a supplementary question.looking at ebay (unless someone knows a better place) I'm unsure as to whether to buy just a regular T adapter or the one with auto focus capability? any ideas?

Meade 125EC + meade #64 t adapter + canon eos 400d