Need some help with imaging

[staringin2space]

I bought an Orion Observer 70mm EQ a few weeks ago and a Orion Steady Pix Deluxe camera mount. I took some pictures of the Moon and I am not happy with how they turned out. When using the 10mm eyepiece I get an effect like I am looking through a tiny hole. When I look at the Moon through the eyepiece with just my eye I can see quite a bit more of the moon than I can in the pictures I took. The views of the Moon with just the eyepieces using my eye look great. But not so much with the pictures. I don't know what I am doing wrong if I am doing anything wrong. Do I have the camera to close to the eyepiece? Not far enough away? Do I need to use the cameras zoom feature. Other than the disappointment with the pictures I am enjoying my first real telescope very much. I even saw Jupiter a few nights ago. Though I have no pictures of it. Any help would be appreciated. Also I am using a Sony Cyber Shot I bought last year. This problem with the small hole view also happens in videos which I will post as well.

This is a pic with the 25mm eye piece. The res will be of pictures using the 10mm eyepiece.

[staringin2space]

Also here is the video I made using the 10mm eyepiece and my camera.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLcF4zphLFE

[ronin]

Taking a picture with a camera via an eyepiece is not simple.

Also the camera I suspect cannot be set to manual so the camera could well be altering settings during the taking of the image.

When you look through the eyepiece you are adjusting the eyepiece position to match your eyes, so what comes out the eyepiece is probably not at infinity, which is where the camera would like the image to be. So what goes into the camera the focus is "wrong".

The camera can therefore be hunting for or changing focus.

With the 10mm the image is dimmer, so again the camera will hunt for focus.

No idea what the metering is set to but for what you are doing it needs to be centre spot - if it can be set to this

Otherwise the camera reads the moon and say's 1/100 sec, then reads another bit of the sky (darker) and 1/10 second is determined. The averaging is then wrong for exposure length.

You likely need to set the scope and camera up and get a preview and at that time adjust focus with the shorter eyepiece.

Also set the ISO to say 400, this should reduce the exposure length but as the exposure gets shorter the aperture will increase and this leads to less distinct images.

You could easily end up with an iso down at 100 or less.

You are going to have to guess what the camera will do, but if exposure metering cxan be set to centre spot then I think this is the first thing. But as I think you cannot in effect override the camera it will to an extent fight against you.

If you changed ISO from 400 to 200 does the camera extend the exposure length or open the aperture? Whatever it does will alter the final image. It may do a bit of each.

The other thing is the eyepiece is usually not great and you may need better. This is a compound lens and is part of the optical chain. Also make sure everything is central and nothing is tilted - this should probably be first.

[Stargazer33]

The 25mm eyepiece gives you a wider field of view than the 10mm eyepiece. This combined with the fact that your eye gets a lot closer to the eyepiece than the focal plane of your camera explains the difference in the view you are getting. Don't forget the camera doesn't focus at the front of the lens but where the chip is in the camera which is towards the back. The only way to get the same sort of image that you see with your eyes through the eyepiece is to mount the camera directly onto the scope where the eyepiece goes and adjust the focus accordingly.

Goggle Eyepiece Projection or Afocal imaging and Prime Focus.

HTH

[happy-kat]

Using a barlow with the 25mm I think would keep the fov but raise the magnification for the camera.

[staringin2space]

Taking a picture with a camera via an eyepiece is not simple.

Also the camera I suspect cannot be set to manual so the camera could well be altering settings during the taking of the image.

When you look through the eyepiece you are adjusting the eyepiece position to match your eyes, so what comes out the eyepiece is probably not at infinity, which is where the camera would like the image to be. So what goes into the camera the focus is "wrong".

The camera can therefore be hunting for or changing focus.

With the 10mm the image is dimmer, so again the camera will hunt for focus.

No idea what the metering is set to but for what you are doing it needs to be centre spot - if it can be set to this

Otherwise the camera reads the moon and say's 1/100 sec, then reads another bit of the sky (darker) and 1/10 second is determined. The averaging is then wrong for exposure length.

You likely need to set the scope and camera up and get a preview and at that time adjust focus with the shorter eyepiece.

Also set the ISO to say 400, this should reduce the exposure length but as the exposure gets shorter the aperture will increase and this leads to less distinct images.

You could easily end up with an iso down at 100 or less.

You are going to have to guess what the camera will do, but if exposure metering cxan be set to centre spot then I think this is the first thing. But as I think you cannot in effect override the camera it will to an extent fight against you.

If you changed ISO from 400 to 200 does the camera extend the exposure length or open the aperture? Whatever it does will alter the final image. It may do a bit of each.

The other thing is the eyepiece is usually not great and you may need better. This is a compound lens and is part of the optical chain. Also make sure everything is central and nothing is tilted - this should probably be first.

The camera I have is capable of manual settings. It has auto and manual. I just have to select one. I saw these ISO options you are talking about. Thanks everyone for the answers so far. Also would getting eyepieces with a larger field of view help? I plan to get some anyway. A 15mm and a 5mm.

[style121]

I tried this myself and battled, but I was using my smartphone. Managed to snap one or two decent shots, but holding a wobbly phone into a wobbling telescope eyepiece (and that's with a sturdy mount) didn't help matters. Wouldn't one of those variable eyepiece projection extenders work a little better? Your camera lens would at least stand a better chance of focusing since you can alter the distance from the lens to the eyepiece.

[Leveye]

Orion and Vixen both sell an afocal eyepiece camera adapter for a point n shoot or phone now if you go this route. Then you can line up your lens better.

[dph1nm]

This is all down to the interplay between the exit pupil and eye-relief of the eyepiece, and the effective aperture of the camera (and its location in space). In other words, a completely black art!  I would tend to use the largest aperture on the camera and a fairly long FL eyepiece - I would also try zooming the camera.

NigelM

[staringin2space]

Orion and Vixen both sell an afocal eyepiece camera adapter for a point n shoot or phone now if you go this route. Then you can line up your lens better.

Would you be talking about the Steady Pix adapters? I already have one. I bought it when I bought my scope. I have the Steady Pix Deluxe.

[staringin2space]

Thanks for the answers so far. I thought this would be simple but it looks like it will be bit harder than I thought. But I will stay with till I get some good pictures.