Solar Imaging - Tech Questions

[PhotoGav]

Hello, I wasn't sure where the best place for these questions would be, so thought I would put it in here in the hope that the plethora of excellent solar imagers will see it and offer me their advice.

1. I currently use a ZWO ASI120MC-S camera, which is OK, but I would like to go mono. The question is what are my best options? My research points towards the mono version of my current camera, a higher spec ZWO such as the ASI174MM or a Point Grey, though I am really struggling to understand which of the Point Grey cameras would be most suitable. All thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

2. Back focus distances. I have to screw my ASI120 camera straight on to the blocking filter diagonal of my Lunt LS50THa so that I can bring it into focus. That is a pain as it means I can not rotate the camera to give the image the correct orientation. Does anybody know a better way to connect things up to allow rotation while still being able to achieve focus? I appreciate that this might change depending on the answers to 1., indeed a new camera might provide the answer!

2b. Related to 2 - when I use my 2.5x Powermate to get in closer, I have a very tenuous optical train to achieve focus. It is: Focuser / Meade 2x Barlow with lens removed / Powermate / Blocking Filter diagonal / Camera with nosepiece inserted into the eyepiece holder of the diagonal. Is this the best set up? Most elements are extended, so not fully inserted to their host, which means they are not necessarily orthogonal. Any ideas about how to improve the train would be most welcome and are the elements in the best order anyway?!

I look forward to your answers, thoughts and suggestions. Thank you in advance. 

[tooth_dr]

Buy a LS60THa?!  Sorry I can't help but there are plenty of 50mm owners on here so hopefully someone comes along soon. However the majority of them seem to be visual users only.

[PhotoGav]

1 minute ago, tooth_dr said:

Buy a LS60THa?!  Sorry I can't help but there are plenty of 50mm owners on here so hopefully someone comes along soon. However the majority of them seem to be visual users only.

Uh oh... is that really the answer to my 'woes'? Does the 60 not have these issues?

[tooth_dr]

14 minutes ago, PhotoGav said:

Uh oh... is that really the answer to my 'woes'? Does the 60 not have these issues?

 

In my limited experience no, I've had no issues like you mention in 2.

[PhotoGav]

14 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

 

In my limited experience no, I've had no issues like you mention in 2.

There goes next year's Astro budget...!

[Macavity]

One solution is to recover "the odd millimetres" by judicious use of T2
threaded adaptors, rather than the space consuming default method.
Rotators of minimal optical path are available from Telescope Service.

Details of the working solution for the ZWO I have used in the past:

You can even (craftily) fit in the nosepiece of certain Barlows and
still get a focus within the travel of the original helical focuser...

[PhotoGav]

Thank you Chris, a very useful thread.