Eyepiece camera

[mark1969]

Hi. I am new to astrophotography and want to start using an eyepiece camera with my Celestron eq130.

Can anyone recommend a decent camera for a small budget, say £50.

Also, do these type of cameras just fit into the telescope, or do they fit into a Barlow lens ??

[Yamez]

Hi, you'll need to get a special camera adpater called a T-Ring make sure that the ring fits the camera as they are different for Nikons, Canons etc. I dont really know any cameras as my dad supplied me with his old one. You can also buy an extension tube ring so you can fit your camera to the telescope with your normal eyepieces. This is the adapter i have purchased: https://www.amazon.co.uk/XCSOURCE-Telescope-Adapter-Extension-DC619/dp/B011U8FU6O/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1463429914&sr=8-9&keywords=telescope+camera+adapter You can also attach this to a Barlow lens.

When i first started taking photos i had troubles with focusing my telescope but there are plenty of tutorials on how to focus the telescope correctly with the camera attached on Youtube and around the internet.

This isnt probably the most in depth advice but im still new and trying to work things out aswell. Enjoy photographing

[Stub Mandrel]

As Yamez says the cheapest route into DSO photography is a second hand DSLR (Canon are good for this) and a T-mount adaptor. i started with a 10D but I woudl recommend the 450D as a better starting point for all sorts of reasons.

I started on the moon and planets using a webcam. I bought a used Microsoft Lifecam off ebay. They are easily modified by taking away the microphone, stand & lens and destroying or painting over a blue LED. They will then fit inside a suitable tube (I used the body of a cheap and useless barlow with the lens removed). It benefits from using an IR filter with it. You can also buy adaptors that replace the lens of ordinary webcams. Very cheap on ebay with IR filters built in. Examples of what the lifecam can do:

[Stargazer33]

Hi, there isn't really a decent camera for £50. Good budget cameras like the QHY5L II and the ZWO ASI120MM or MC start at around £139. A lot of people get good results with web cams.

[mark1969]

Thanks all.

Would any of you recommend the Orion Star shoot ?? Or the generic copies ?? 

I just need something cheap at the moment, im just need to "dip my toe" before i take the plunge . ?

[RT65CB-SWL]

If you have a digital compact camera, you could try that... There are various bits 'n' pieces & brackets etc to attach the eyepiece to the camera. There are tutorials on the internet too. I keep on meaning to try this route of astrophotography, but I do not seem to get the time to try it.

[mark1969]

Tried the compact camera up to the eyepiece method. Cant seem to get the focus right. Thought it would be easier if the camera was inserted into the lens tube. 

 

[Louis D]

There's the Kenko KDE-20D that might work for what you want.