Connecting a Camera to a Skywatcher 200P

[Vortexical]

Hi all,

I've tried scouring these forums for an answer here, but my simple brain can't come to grips with it!

I've been using a Skywatcher 200P on an EQ-5 for over six months and I absolutely love it.  I'm now ready to take the step to start attempting some astrophotography.  In the near future I'll try to upgrade my mount to be guided for better tracking of objects, in the meantime I just want a nice simple method of connected my DSLR camera and taking simple shots of the moon and other objects.  But I'm stuck with a couple of very simple questions!

1)  How do I actually connect the camera to the scope??  The attached file shows what 'I think' is a T-Ring adapter that came with my initial eyepiece set.  On my scope I use 1.25" eyepieces and have a Canon ESO DSLR camera with bayonet fastening.  If somebody could explain exactly what goes where and what if anything else I'd need to buy that would be great!

2)  If I connect the camera where I think I do, then a T-Ring will enable it to fasten directly where my eyepieces would usually go.  However, I don't understand how both an eyepiece and a camera can connect together - so does this mean I simply use the power and magnifications of the camera itself in place of the different powers I'm used to with visual astronomy?

Thanks in advance as always for the wealth of friendly expertise and wisdom on this forum.  You've always solved my conundrums before! 

[Steve Ward]

One of these .... http://www.firstlightoptics.com/adaptors/t-rings.html ... connects to the camera , the adaptor you show screws into that and the other end fits into the eyepiece holder.

[frugal]

2)  If I connect the camera where I think I do, then a T-Ring will enable it to fasten directly where my eyepieces would usually go.  However, I don't understand how both an eyepiece and a camera can connect together - so does this mean I simply use the power and magnifications of the camera itself in place of the different powers I'm used to with visual astronomy?

Yes. The camera becomes the eyepiece. You do not use a regular eyepiece at all anywhere in the optical chain.

[WaveSoarer]

I mount my Nikon D70s to my 200p. Mounting an SLR is actually very simple with a Sky Watcher setup. You will need to get a T-ring for your camera and if you get in touch with Steve at FLO then he'll put you right on the size you need (see later). If you have a supplied SW 1.25" 2x Barlow then you can just screw this on to the T-ring. If you look closely at your Barlow you'll notice that the part where you put the eyepiece in, and has the locking screw to hold the eyepiece in place, has an external thread. This thread is intended for the T-ring. Once you've attached the Barlow to the front of the T-ring then it will fit straight into the 1.25" adapter, in place of an eyepiece, and you'll be able to bring the camera to focus. Alternatively, you can put the camera at prime focus (to give you a wider field of view) by simply uncoupling the 1.25" adapter from the focuser using the two large locking screws on the focuser tube (these look similar to the pair that hold your eye pieces in place but are larger). With these loosened the 1.25" adapter just uncouples from the focuser - it should lift straight off. You'll notice that the part you've just removed has a tube and a larger flange. The tube just unscrews from the flange. With the tube removed you'll notice that at the point where the tube screwed into the flange there is another external thread. You can screw the T-ring on to this externally threaded part - it's best to have the camera attached for this. The flange just goes back onto the focuser and you then just tighten up the locking screws to hold the camera firmly in position. You can also rotate the camera into the orientation you need to frame the object your photographing. I prefer prime focus as it's less demanding on tracking accuracy.

I recently bought a Sky Watcher coma corrector which screws directly on to the T-ring. However, the T-ring has a slightly different thread size. The coma corrector needs the  Skywatcher DSLR-M48 Ring Adapter whereas the 1.25" adapter flange and the 2x Barlow needs a different thread size (I can't remember what that is but FLO will put you right). The advantage of the coma corrector (apart from flattening the field so that the image isn't distorted and the stars are round all the way to the corners) is that you can leave it on the camera and this keeps the dust and condensation out.

[Vortexical]

Fantastic - Thanks for the advice given

There is still one really simple and probably idiotic question in my mind.

When I have a DSLR camera connected to a T-Ring and T-Ring adapter and then fastened into my scope directly where I would normally put eyepieces, is it still possible to use different magnifications?  The focuser on my telescope and do that side of the work, but DSLR cameras can only zoom and magnify using their detachable lenses, right?  By connecting the camera in this fashion I have neither its lens, or the eyepiece for the scope to display anything other than a x1 image.  What am I missing??

[frugal]

You are not missing anything. When you connect the camera to the scope with a t-ring you are effectively using the scope as a fixed zoom lens. This is why it is called prime focus astrophotograhy, in the same way that a fixed 18mm camera lens is called a prime focus lens (as opposed to a 18-35mm zoom lens).

You can get nose pieces for the T-ring that ypu can put a lens into. However it has to be one of the little lenses, and it will have consequences for the focussing point and probably the focal ratio.

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[Vortexical]

Makes perfect sense, I've found an inexpensive projection camera adapter online that will apparently allow me to use my existing 1.25" eyepieces within the chain. What do you mean by 'consequences'? What should I expect to suffer?

[frugal]

Makes perfect sense, I've found an inexpensive projection camera adapter online that will apparently allow me to use my existing 1.25" eyepieces within the chain. What do you mean by 'consequences'? What should I expect to suffer?

To be honest I am making this up as I go along, my scope is no where near good enough to attach my DSLR to the focuser gradually slides in and out under the weight of the camera, so you can't focus it and the slow motion knobs can't move the tube around when the camera is weighing it down

Saying that, from what I have read around on these forums, I think that if you put an eyepiece in the nose piece then you might have issue with focussing as the eyepiece is a fixed distance from the camera sensor.

Also you are putting extra bits of glass between the camera sensor and the stars, so slightly less light will get through, so you will need to take longer subs.

As you are increasing the focal length of the scope you will be reducing the focal ratio (I think I have got that the right way around) which means you might change your scope from being an F5 to an F8 scope, which will also mean that you need to take longer subs.

Lastly, because you are viewing a smaller field of view, the tolerances for guiding are a lot tighter. So your mount will need to support a higher resolution of stepping as it tracks.

Of course as I have not been able to connect my DSLR to my scope I could be talking complete rubbish

[Helite]

Going back to your original question "1)  How do I actually connect the camera to the scope?? "

Wavesoarer's answer was the simplest and most common method in my limited experience, a T-ring between the camera and T-thread on the focuser adapter, no eyepiece's needed, your telescope becomes the cameras lens as such. 1 component needed (the T-ring) and away you go. You can add a nosepiece so it can be inserted into the 1.25" adaptor on the focuser, the nosepiece will screw into the T-ring, but personally I wouldn't see the point unless you were wanting to add filters into the line, I don't know of any "lenses" that can be fitted into them as Frugal mentions but there may well be, I suppose if the thread is the same some of the barlow lenses that unscrew then they may be able to be fitted but I am unsure. If I was using the nosepiece then I would just add the barlow into the line anyway. For other magnification there are also certain eyepieces that also have a T-thread, revelation do one and I am sure I read the Baader zoom has one, they would just screw to the T-ring and insert as a usual eyepiece. 

As for your second question 2)  If I connect the camera where I think I do, then a T-Ring will enable it to fasten directly where my eyepieces would usually go.  However, I don't understand how both an eyepiece and a camera can connect together.

 

If you connect the camera to the direct thread there is nowhere for an eyepiece to go. I don't know of the camera projection adaptor you mention that will work with a DSLR and eyepieces, I have seen frames that can be added to hold a compact camera to an eyepiece but never for a DSLR, maybe you could provide a link? 

My only advice would be to try and keep it all simple to start with though, either with just a T-ring and the direct thread or maybe one of the projection eyepieces. The more "bits" you add into the equation the more difficult and frustrating it can become.

[frugal]

Going back to your original question "1) How do I actually connect the camera to the scope?? "

Wavesoarer's answer was the simplest and most common method in my limited experience, a T-ring between the camera and T-thread on the focuser adapter, no eyepiece's needed, your telescope becomes the cameras lens as such. 1 component needed (the T-ring) and away you go. You can add a nosepiece so it can be inserted into the 1.25" adaptor on the focuser, the nosepiece will screw into the T-ring, but personally I wouldn't see the point unless you were wanting to add filters into the line, I don't know of any "lenses" that can be fitted into them as Frugal mentions but there may well be, I suppose if the thread is the same some of the barlow lenses that unscrew then they may be able to be fitted but I am unsure.

The nose piece I got was this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0039ZDYWY/ref=ya_aw_oh_pit'> http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0039ZDYWY/ref=ya_aw_oh_pit

The lens in question was the little 10mm lens that came with the scope.

Of course I have since learnt that this is probably not the best way to do it; probably not even needed for a lot of things I want to photograh and npt even possible with my little scope

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[Helite]

 Oh well I have never seen that bit of kit before, it must be very limited to what eyepieces you can put into it because of the diameter of the tube?

As for using it as a nosepiece for a T-ring I would be concerned about the length of it, looks quite long which may cause focus issues on some scopes, I think I would rather stick with the more standard style nosepiece.

I wouldn't be too harsh on your celestron, I started out with one and caught my very first image of Saturn with it using a webcam.

[frugal]

I wouldn't be too harsh on your celestron, I started out with one and caught my very first image of Saturn with it using a webcam.

For visual it is fine. The kids have seen the bands in Jupiter; Pleiades; and the craters on the moon. Later at night with a bit more patience my wife and I have seen the Orion nebula and the Andromeda galaxy.

I just want the moon on a stick I knew I was unlikely to be able to get any photos with a heavy DSLR, but I figured it was worth a punt. I am concentrating on wide field stuff at the moment. After Christmas if I am still interested I will look at getting a better mount (see if anyone got an upgrade from santa and has an eq6 for sale )

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[CowsonConcrete]

Hi, I started with eyepiece projection photography and a celestron spotting scope, my images are on my blog below. However I have just bought a 130P DS and am investing in barlows and eye pieces with threads on them as this cuts out a few issues I had. I'm hoping for a Celestron 8mm to 24mm from Santa!

Either way set up is vitally important and prepare for a lot of frustration and have realistic expectations of what can be achieved with the kit you have.

Good luck'