Just how do you focus a 300D / 10D on a telescope???

[haitch]

I'll keep it short - I wrote a nice long post about struggling to focus my filter removed 300D as the screen is too small to be useful and it won't talk to Windows 7 other than through PTP then IE crashed when browsing for the photo to upload.

Here's my solution - I realised it has a video out and looking it up it is just composite and I happen to have an old screen from an in car DVD that doesn't get used any more. Opened it up, traced Live & Earth (oh yeah the black and red ones at the end ) chopped off the custom cable, stuck a standard power plug on. I ignored the video feed as it also has a 3.5mm jack on the front for video in which will suit the 3.5mm plug on the camera meaning it only needs one of those cables with the green plugs for linking speakers to computers (probably only needs a mono/2 conductor cable anyway). Plugged in the power. Set camera to hold image preview, connected the camera and there it goes (ignore the fact I'm using a lens in the photo - that's just for testing... it won't focus to infinity on that). Just turn off the monitor when finished and it being plugged into the camera disables the internal screen so no worries about changing camera settings because of the image previews lighting up everywhere when imaging.

Now to adapt the headrest mount to fix to a tripod leg.

[Steep]

Ingenious solution, there are still loads of 300D cameras out there and small AV input monitor screens can be very cheap on eBay.

[haitch]

Yep, this and a timer remote shutter release (got one for the 10D but not the 300D) and I can focus and do shooting sequences in the field without a laptop. Nothing serious but my curious side overcame my aversion of spending more time in front of the pc and now I'm snapping away!

I picked the modded camera up for about £50 a short while back so you can't get a much cheaper way into imaging other than a webcam (and they seem to top out at higher prices than the Canon!

[nightvision]

That's a great idea, I have a 300D, thought it wasn't much use with no live-view but this changes things! What mode/setting are you using to get the video out view, is it a live view or better way of reviewing the images captured? I currently use the zoom mode on the small screen but it's very difficult to check the image quality.

[Steep]

Remote releases for the 300d are very easy to make if you have a maplin like shop nearby and can solder, I made one years ago from instructions on t'web.

[JamesF]

Very neat

James

[haitch]

That's a great idea, I have a 300D, thought it wasn't much use with no live-view but this changes things! What mode/setting are you using to get the video out view, is it a live view or better way of reviewing the images captured? I currently use the zoom mode on the small screen but it's very difficult to check the image quality.

Sorry for not responding sooner - I missed your post when I scanned down the page before. You plug it in with a 3.5mm jack into the video out plug under the rubber flap and it just diverts the internal screen to the monitor. Not live view nor the image quality of live view but much easier on the eyes than the internal screen for reviewing your shots! Also being on Win7 it saves the hassle of having to d/l the images to a pc by either removing memory card or turning on ptp mode to see them on anything other than that tiny screen!