Camera hook up

[markyap73]

Hi all,

I hope all is well?

n00b question time..... I would like to hook up my wife's Nikon D3300 DSLR to my scope, Skywatcher 130 Eq2, and see what pics we can take. What would be a good purchase for this?

Take care and enjoy

P.S..... sorry if this is in the wrong page

[Uranium235]

Is that a 130p or a 130pds?  Here are your options:

P = Focus will only be reached by using a barlow lens, that will severely limit what you can shoot (Moon and maybe a couple of planets).

PDS = Can be used for prime focus photography (using a 2" pushfit - bayonet adaptor) - and no limit to what you can achieve.

Either way you wil need one of these:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/t-rings.html

The scope side of the above adaptor will attach to either the t-thread on the barlow (if is has one, it will if its the skywatcher 1.25"), or to a t threaded 2" pushfit adaptor (if using the 130pds) http://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/flo-2-inch-t-mount-camera-adapter.html

[markyap73]

I'm sure it's 130P

[happy-kat]

The 130p you may find you run out of inward focus travel which is why the barlow is needed. The primary mirror is too far away to focus without the barlow.

[markyap73]

Thanks for the info

Love the FLO web site..... plastic at the ready

[Uranium235]

Please bear in mind that if you are using 1.25" adaptors, you will get vignetting (darkening of the corners) in your images due to the light cone being cut off. But for basic stuff, it will give you a taste of what AP is about.

Be cautious though.... if you get bitten by the imaging bug, it can get quite expensive   But one sure fire way of keeping the cost down would be to use the pds version of that telescope, it really is a remarkably capable instrument (when sat upon a good mount).

Examples here:

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/210593-imaging-with-the-130pds/