Using a sky-watcher 10inch dobsonian to photograph high flying aircraft with a nikon D3200

[liammccarthy]

Hi everybody, as my topic suggests , can someone give me some advice as to use a nikon camera with a dobsonian 10inch telescope to take pictures of high altitutude aircraft . Focusing is my problem , I have a 2inch Barlow adaptor. Most people that does this kind of photography use canon cameras, can anyone advise me. Thanks liam

[oldpink]

going to be very tricky to track & focus at the same time without knowing the flight path
and Altitude will effect your focus and a Dob isn't the best for imaging

[liammccarthy]

going to be very tricky to track & focus at the same time without knowing the flight path

and Altitude will effect your focus and a Dob isn't the best for imaging

. Thanks for you input, any recommendations?

[Charic]

liammccarthy........Hi, check this link http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/199508-telescope-for-planespotting/page-2 and the link in thread #22 by astromonkey., which connects you too http://images.extremespotting.com/ Should help a little. I haven't tried this since November, but have the adaptors, and  as the nights are getting lighter now , maybe I should uncover the telescope and try some daytime tracking ?

[happy-kat]

You mention elsewhere you run out of inward focus.

I am absolutely no expert so hopefully you will get other replies.

Inward focus is harder to manipulate you have options like moving the primary mirror more up the tube. How much more travel do you think you need?

[Avocette]

Have you tried focussing on something that doesn't move quickly as a first step? The Moon is a good target for locating prime focus with a DSLR and the SW 250px Dob. Initially I found that my primary mirror was rather too close to the end of the tube. I released one collimating screw until it was freed from the mirror cradle and then screwed it back in one and a half turns. Then moved on to the second one, and the third so that the mirror was still well captured but as far away from the tube end as I dared make it. Then I recollimated the mirror. These adjustments had moved the prime focus far enough that my (Canon) DSLR fixed to the 1.25" eyepiece T thread with a suitable adapter had a few spare mm of inward travel.

You've now got the equivalent of a 1200mm telephoto lens on your camera and a rough idea of where you'll need to set the focus. Once you've found focus you've only got to steer the Dob very fast to track an aircraft. I presume the Nikon 3200 has a 'live view' mode using the LCD display to see what's happening on the sensor.

[liammccarthy]

Thank you. Will take on board

[liammccarthy]

You mention elsewhere you run out of inward focus.

I am absolutely no expert so hopefully you will get other replies.

Inward focus is harder to manipulate you have options like moving the primary mirror more up the tube. How much more travel do you think you need?

I will wait until I get a clear sky and start practising on the moon, thanks for your reply

[radiostationx]

You have come to the right place Liam.

The members on SGL helped me so much when starting out and gave me a warm welcome too.

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/124029-hello-to-all-sgl-a-newbie-with-a-new-angle-on-telecopes/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/45436646@N08/

Send me over a pm glad to help.

[liammccarthy]

Thanks for your input, ever since I was a child, maybe still a child I was always looking up at aircraft passing overhead. Every time my relations arrived home from the uk or the USA . the trip to the airport was the main thing , to see the planes as we called them on the runway and at the terminal, was to a child in the sixties brilliant. Ever since anything flying overhead is like wondering where it's going , etc. nowadays with the internet I know where they are exactly due to flight radar . Photographing aircraft in full flight and at high altitude is something that is a reality nowadays . That is why I want to try to get the best pictures that is possible, that's why all the information I can get about photographing these aircraft will be so important, so any info to photo aircraft at altitude is so important to me.

[oldpink]

I also use flight radar, great app

[radiostationx]

Hi Liam,

Here is how to attach your Nikon SLR /Barlow Lens Combo for Contrail Photography.

Canon owners please look here

http://www.skystef.be/scope-setup.htm

For Nikon SLR setup First you need the 2 inch eyepiece holder/adaptor most telescopes are supplied with this accessory from the factory.

Put this to one side as you will need it later.

You will need to separate the Barlow element itself (the black bit) by unscrewing it from the stainless steel tube of your 2 inch Barlow assembly. This part is the only piece you will need for Contrail Photography with Nikon Camera.

Next take the Barlow optical element, the SLR camera nose piece and your Nikon T Ring and screw them together. In this order.

Do not over tighten these parts.

Mount the whole assembly onto your Nikon body lens mount .

It should look something like this (my d3100 shown)

[/url'>

Now mount the 2 inch eyepiece holder directly to the scope focuser tube.

Tighten securely on the scope/focuser end.

Slide your camera with the optical chain attached into the eyepiece holder as far as it will go.

You will note that it will stop when the barlow element reaches a lip inside the eyepiece holder. When the camera is fully in adjust the thumbscrews on the camera end of the eyepiece holder so that you can twist the camera body quite easily.

The whole lot looks like this

 

You will need this swivel movement when tracking aircraft and keeping them in the frame .

 

You will have to do some focus experimentation on static objects first if possible or try the moon on a clear night. Make a note of how much silver focuser tube is showing..this gives you an idea of where it should be for next time/quick set up.

 

With the barlow, the aircraft will be bobbing around all over the place in the frame.

Contrail spotting / Dot Spotting is not easy !

Some things you will not have any control over and no matter what you do warm air turbulence will kill your photos on” bad air days”.

Here is an example,a Lufthansa A380, focus right on the money, not a cloud in the sky at the zenith…photo ruined by W.A.T.

 

 

Conversely, there are occasions when “seeing conditions” are right and although this Air Lingus airbus a320 is a tiddler in terms of comparison of sheer size, this one made for a much clearer shot than her big sister.

 

 

Remember, seeing conditions plus  telescope collimation are both very important.

 

 Be Prepared, Contrail Photography with the barlow makes for a giant learning curve..A lot of photos will be for the bin…That plane will be bobbing around all over the place in your finder  (when and if you find it !).Don’t Give Up..Keep Trying. It has taken me best part of a year to get acceptable results.

 

 

You are in a great location Liam, right in the Heathrow arrivals/departures corridor.

Good Luck with your experiments.

 

Regards,

Radiostationx

[radiostationx]

Hi Liam , Sorry the photos did not work Properly

The camera should look like this

The a380 spoiled by W.A.T.

And the much smaller Airbus A320

[liammccarthy]

Thanks for all the info mike . Are your photos on Flickr taken with or without a barlow

[radiostationx]

Sorry Liam but I posted an incorrect photo of what the 2 inch eyepiece holder, barlow optical assembly plus camera body looks like when mounted to your scope.

It should look like this

Some tips  before you begin with this arrangement

First off with just the camera body, Set camera to manual M mode in the command dial.

Make sure that your camera viewfinder diopter adjuster is correctly set. Press the shutter button half way. You should be able to view the lcd segments of the green numbers for shutter speed etc in the lower part of the viewfinder very very clearly.

Mount the 2 inch eyepiece adaptor into scope focuser and secure the thumbscrew so that it is rock solid.

Now attach barlow/nosepiece/tring to camera body.

Slide the camera and optics into the eyepiece holder until it stops and loosely tighten the 2 thumb screws closest to camera body but leave slightly slack to allow swivel of camera.

You are nearly ready.

Next , some fine adjustments..The d3200 is not a heavy camera but with the barlow optics chain the weight acting on the focuser is similar to the largest 2 inch eyepieces.This may impair movement of the focuser tube and you may find the camera will tend to push the focuser back inwards as you put your eye to the viewfinder. My d7000 is a fair old weight in this config.

Locate the square black plate under the focuser tube (it has 4 phillips screws).

At the centre of the plate is a hole.

Inside this hole sits the focuser tension allen type hex grub screw.

The screw tip acts on a nylon bearing which is in contact with the focus wheel spindle.

Adjusting is trial and error you must tighten enough for the camera not to slide inwards and over tightening causes lack of focuser movement in any direction.Adjust until you are happy.

Set camera to M mode, try 1/500 sec @iso 200 to start with.

You will not require a lower profile nosepiece as a standard 2 inch one does the job fine.

Good Luck.

[astronymonkey]

Great thread and fab advice from rsX.

sorry I cant add much ...but im enjoying the debate. !

[liammccarthy]

Do you know It took me some time to figure out the camera set up in the first assembly . But I figured it out in the end, bits and pieces up on the table were looking a bit like a puzzle.I did experience the Allen type screw ,when the focuser fell through the the tube and landed on the floor. Was not laughing at that at the time. I am lucky to be in my location as when weather permits there is a lot of transatlantic traffic over my area westbound and eastbound morning , during the day and evenings. Everything you have sent me has been saved for reference so hopefully I can get going, thanks again . Liam

[radiostationx]

I always forget something..

Liam, make sure that your finder scope is adjusted for focus (you can do this with the finder scope removed).

More importantly,check that the finder scope cross hairs are perfectly aligned with the image in the focuser.

The best way to do this is looking at the moon or a distant static object in daylight.

Take your time with this one.

Even small adjustments here have a big effect on success rate so make sure you are entirely happy.

If you make your adjustments correctly, you will not miss many aircraft by fumbling /panning around trying to find them.

You will have a few seconds at best to grab a good photo of each aircraft that pass your viewing location.

I cannot tell you how many shots I have missed by poor finder scope adjustment.

Your viewing location ideally should be with the sun behind you or in the shade of a building ,if not think about the consequences and relocate.

The best footing is grass as this does not reflect the heat so much and spoil your photos with reaction from thermal currents & turbulence rising from the ground.

Take your scope outside and leave it for at least half an hour before any serious spotting.

This will allow the scope tube to reach the same temperature as the ambient air around it.

This will make for better results.

If you get all of the tips ticked, and some serious practice ,you should get some decent photos very soon.

Give me the heads up when you have some, or better still post some of your photos on SGL in the photography section of the members forum.

[liammccarthy]

Thanks , will do

[radiostationx]

Okay Liam, nice one.

I have been communicating via pm with Liam but tried to include most of the basics within this post to help others like me who stopped by SGL to find out more about this great hobby.

Seems like this was quite a popular post as I have received quite a few "likes" on this one.

It was very satisfying to help Liam . I think he is now all ready to go when the weather picks up.

If any other members would like to try out aircraft photography / "extreme birding" using their telescope , drop me a pm and I will be glad to help.

For those just browsing here and want to peruse the hobby, SGL is a great place to gain knowledge about how to look after your scope and get the best out of it.

Fancy some more ?

Take a look here

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/216377-contrail-photography-dot-spotting/

[mert]

Wow, that's superb.