Photographing M45 - help, please!

[employee2-4601]

Hi folks,

decided to try my hand at photographing the Pleiades last night. I've got a Celestron T-adapter with 2x Barlow. With the camera attached to the scope, I found I was struggling to get a large enough FOV in the images. I unscrewed the Barlow, thinking that by reducing the magnification, I'd achieve the results I wanted. However, I couldn't get the stars in focus (not enough travel on the focuser). Can anyone offer any advice/suggestions?

[Demonperformer]

Common problem with Newtonians - the point of focus is too close to the OTA for imaging without a barlow.

There are lots of other threads on SGL about this, but basically your choices appear to be: (1) replace the focusser with a shallower one or (2) moving the primary mirror 25-50mm up the OTA (but then you will need an extension tube to get your eyepieces to focus for visual).

A recent post suggests there might be a T-thread if you remove the eyepiece adapter, to which your camera could be attached directly, so might be worth checking that first.

HTH

[cosmojaydee]

Its a problem for "SOME" newts, there are some which are setup for astrophotography by means of moving the primary mirror closer to the secondary. With your type of newt people have been able to achieve focus by using a barlow. Regarding your field of view, if you use this it will show you what you would expect to capture 

I could not find the canon 1300d but a 1200d would show this 

 

Edited October 24, 2016 by cosmojaydee
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[ronin]

As DP says the scope needs some "adjustment". Oddly the easy one is to move the mirror upwards as indicated, then recollimate. Then buy a short extension tube for the focuser+eyepiece.

The DSLR should then be able to reach the prime focal plane, and for visual you drop the extension tube in then an eyepiece to go observing.

If you read the bit that says"for attaching a DSLR", then yes you can but it doesn't say attach and get images, just attach. Bit sneaky.

If you continue to use a barlow then the image is bigger and so dimmer, also the focal length is "increased" and is more sensative to movements of the tube.

[alacant]

Hi. You may be lucky; slacken each of the 3 main mirror adjustment screws -turn them anticlockwise- by an equal amount. Go 1/4 turn at at time. Check focus after each trio of turns. Ensure the focuser holding the camera is racked in as far in possible. Worth a try? HTH.