Mounting DSLR & lens on CG5 (vixen style plate)

[mistuk]

My poorly CG5-GT is about to go winging it's way to be serviced, but when (if) it returns I'd like to first try it out using a DSLR and lens. Could someone walk me through setting this up?

I've got a Vixen Style Photo Dovetail from Modern Astronomy, but when I screw this into the bottom of my camera it just won't stay tight and the camera ends up sliding along the dovetail- am I missing something here?

If I'm wanting to try this setup - how do I go about aligning the mount and setting the goto with the DSLR attached?

I'm using a Nikon D600 and I have live view, but it seems almost impossible to accurately align the stars to set the goto.

Again, I must be missing something!

Any help much appreciated!

Regards,

Kev

[Alien 13]

Hi Kev

I have a few thoughts first the photo dovetail is it the all metal one? if so it might work better with a thin layer of rubber/cork/felt i had a similar problem with a modified skywatcher one it needs some compliance.

I dont know the Nikon camera but you could fit a RDF to the hotshoe or try a right angled viewfinder (the eyecup helps with the image) failing that the only other option is a longer dovetail that can hold the camera and a finderscope.

Alan

[mistuk]

I like the idea of the cork/felt- will give that a go - thanks for the suggestion.

Kev

[Physicist13]

yep bit of packing material needed. Do you need to set the GOTO???? with v field of view using DSLR and lens, its a matter of point and shoot, more or less

Remem you need to polar align but again not to a great degree is your using fairly short focal length lens.

[rob0971]

I started out with my 600mm f4 on a cg5. All I did was screw a vixen dovetail on the tripod foot & slide it into the clamp. I never had a problem with it coming loose. As for aligning, I used the focus box in the centre to align a star through the view finder, or you could use live view. This was more than accurate enough for the focal length.

[Alien 13]

If you intend to do a lot of imaging with a camera on an EQ mount it might be worth getting a camera ball head and fix that to the dovetail, this gives you more freedom when framing shots the camera can end up in odd positions sometimes.

Alan

[PorkyB]

Non-slip rubber matting, the sort of thing for lining the cubby holes in your car, is good for this purpose and can be found in Poundland.  As for lining it up, try this...

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/206638-a-couple-more-from-my-camera-and-lens-m8182-and-m31/page-2

[mistuk]

Thanks for all the tips!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GuillermoBarrancos]

I bought a GP style photo dovetail bar for mounting on my New NEQ6 Pro.

This is a similar one Vixen style:

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p237_TS-Dovetail-Mounting-Bar-Vixen-Style---buttonhole-and-1-4--Screw.html

[MattGoo]

I'd agree with Alan, a camera ball head mounted onto a short dovetail is very useful for aligning the camera/framing the image when it's on top of an equatorial mount.

[mistuk]

Will look at getting a ball-head... thanks