ZWO’S ASI120MC fisheye lens - how to set up and use???

[alcol620]

Can someone explain how to set up and use the fisheye lens provided with the 120MC? Scope is a Celestron 8SE.

Excuse my ignorance.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The fisheye lens can only really be used without the scope. You screw it into the camera and you can take ultra-wide-field shots with it. It should not be used with the C8 (I connect my ASI120MC to the C8 with a 2.5x Powermate or 2x TeleXtender for planetary imaging, using the T2 to 1.25" adapter supplied with the camera.

[JamesF]

Indeed so.  I'm not entirely sure why ZWO provide the lens with the camera unless it's with the intention of allowing the camera to be used as an all-sky camera.  I'd never used mine at all until I started writing my capture software, at which point it came in very useful because it meant I could get an image with the camera on my desk.  I ended up buying several more for peanuts on ebay so I could fit them to the other cameras I was trying to get to work.

James

[D4N]

I would imagine it makes an excellent security camera too

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[oldpink]

the ASI was originally made as a security cam

[alcol620]

Seems a waste of time then, for astro imaging?

Is there any point in connecting it to my laptop and pointing it skyward at night?

[JamesF]

Is there any point in connecting it to my laptop and pointing it skyward at night?

It's worth a go.  Who knows what you might capture with moderate length exposures.  Don't leave it out overnight and let the Sun get on it though.  That won't do it any good at all.

James

[JB80]

I plan on doing just that come the meteor showers and hopefully by then I will be in a new house with less street lights glaring on the camera.

[alcol620]

James

When you say " moderate length exposures", what do you mean.

Again, apologies for my ignorance.

[JamesF]

You might have to experiment a bit.  CMOS sensors can apparently be a bit noisy or show a lot of hot pixels with longer exposures.  I'd guess at, say, thirty seconds to start with.  See how it looks and take it from there.  If it looks good then go longer.

James

[alcol620]

Thanks for your inputs everyone. Most helpful

Alec

[alcol620]

Apologies for coming back yet again. But I need my hand held again.

Have the 120mc plugged into the laptop with smartcap running, can anyone tell me what setting I have to set? Do I turn on LX mode? What about fps setting etc etc.  

Help