Large Eyepieces and Eyepiece Projection

[ab6110]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to astrophotography and have some questions about eyepiece projection. So far, I've taken some shots of the Moon and Jupiter using the prime focus method, but the magnification is not sufficient enough for the planets. I have a Nagler 31mm and an Ethos 13mm and 8mm. These are quite large and I've been looking at eyepiece projection adapters and they definitely wouldn't fit. I was looking at the 2x and 4x Powermates, but those are very expensive....Is there anyway I would be able to use the eyepieces I have with a camera?

Thanks

[kalasinman]

A good 5x Barlow. Not expensive.

[ronin]

You should not really have an eyepiece in the path, the method is prime focus and you image directly on to the sensor of the camera.

As the planets are bright you canincrease the image size by use of a barlow, it will all depend on the scope and the camera sensor.

The power mates are generally the best and for planets I believe that people in effect increase the focal length to around f/25 or f/30. So if you have an f/5 scope then look at a 5x or 4x.

From the post not obvious what you are using as a camera.

For planets it is again normal that a webcam is used and you get an avi file then process the file by selecting and stacking the best (say)39% of the frames, then processing this stacked result.

Which bit of Canada ?

Just checkk RASC and see if there are any clubs within reach.

[ab6110]

Im in the Toronto area and I'm using a meade lx200 10inch....I was looking into a 5x power mate (and with a camera it would equate to 7.7x) for the planets. That would increase the focal length from 2500mm to something like 19250mm...and I am using a canon dslr camera (70D)...would that be too much magnification though? 

[kalasinman]

My understanding is that one wants to be at f/20. Yes a lower power may be better for you.

[Cornelius Varley]

If the camera has a video crop mode of 640 x 480 you can use this to shoot videos using a 2x barlow to increase the telescopes focal length.

[MikeD]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to astrophotography and have some questions about eyepiece projection. So far, I've taken some shots of the Moon and Jupiter using the prime focus method, but the magnification is not sufficient enough for the planets. I have a Nagler 31mm and an Ethos 13mm and 8mm. These are quite large and I've been looking at eyepiece projection adapters and they definitely wouldn't fit. I was looking at the 2x and 4x Powermates, but those are very expensive....Is there anyway I would be able to use the eyepieces I have with a camera?

Thanks

If your eyepieces are too big to fit an EP projection adaptor a much cheaper option than a powermate would be to get hold of a cheap EP ( like a standard 10mm skywatcher EP) and use it with an EP projector adaptor.

There is no need to use high end eyepieces as you will only be using the center of the optics.

You can also use a 2x Barlow in the EP projection adaptor (without an EP ) most Barlows can be unscrewed from the 1 1/4 inch EP receiver and used in the same way as a EP in the EP projector ( the further the distance between the barlow and the camera sensor the greater the magnification).

Eyepiece projection is in my opinion a very underestimated method of Solar luna and planatary imaging.

Mike.