Photos On Smartphone?

[alnab01]

Hi all

I was really please that, on Thursday night, there was a clearing in the sky for around an hour and the moon was in clear sight from my back garden. I decided to pull out the scope (this was my first opportunity since getting it on xmas day!) and have a look at the moon. I was so happy that i managed to find it and focus on it to see it in great detail, starting with my 20mm and moving through 15 and down to 6mm. I was taken aback and was pulling my partner into the cold, forcing them to look through the lens.

Anyway, I had read that it is possible to take photos through the scope with a smartphone. I set the phone to camera and lined the lense with the eyepiece - however, what i saw and the camera was not the view I could see through the eyepiece - i could see some detail of the moon but most of it was obscured by a circle of bright light. This was after much fiddling around to actually get an image on the camera screen!

Does anyone have any ideas what this could have been and how to eliminate it. I read something about a camera/smartphone adapter and polarising lense?

thanks in advance for any advice

Alan

[Stu]

Alan, it is quite possible to take images with a smartphone, and I've not heard of the need for a polarizing filter.

Mostly I hand hold my phone, but you can get adaptors which keep the phone in the correct position and make life easier. Depending upon the eyepiece used, it may be a case of pulling the camera away from the eyepiece a little in order the get into the correct place.

Here is an example of the sort of adaptor you can get, although this one seems to be unavailable it gives you the idea.

Orion SteadyPix Universal Smartphone Telescope Photo Adapter https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0090D5N00/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_YfPMwb6T8A69E

http://www.scsastro.co.uk/catalogue/orion-steadypix-universal-smartphone-telescope-photo-mount-5337.htm

[alnab01]

Your image is exactly like what I could see in my eyepiece but i just got a ball of light on my phone. Is there any particular camera settings I need to make sure are on or off?

Alan

[Neptune38]

I managed to take a few pictures with my phone, when i was playing about in the daylight, takes a bit of practice to get the phone in exactly the right place and to keep your phone still!

[alnab01]

Do you think it is worth getting an adapter for it?

[bomberbaz]

I have an afaptor and the pictures are pretty good. I aim to try some more difficult objects next time sky is clear. Oh wait