Imaging with Eos40D - no image

[spacedog]

Hi i have Skywatcher 150p which i am happy with,now i decided to take some photos then my problems strarted.My camera is rather old it is a canon 40D.I attached camera to view finder 2inch,set camera on M and live view but can see nothing at all on camera screen,i have no idea what i am doing wrong,any idea guys.please keep it simple.

[Kyle Allen]

Can you post a picture of how you’ve attached your camera?

The camera will need to be further in than an eyepiece to be able to reach focus. You might not be able to achieve focus with a DSLR with the 150P as it’s designed for visual observing. 

[spacedog]

36 minutes ago, Kyle Allen said:

Can you post a picture of how you’ve attached your camera?

The camera will need to be further in than an eyepiece to be able to reach focus. You might not be able to achieve focus with a DSLR with the 150P as it’s designed for visual observing. 

Yes i will do this tomorrow,al i can say is itake the eyepiece out  and attach camera direct into the 2 inch hole

 

[carastro]

I used to own a 150P and could do imaging with it, I used a CCD camera but pretty sure it's previous owner used DSLR for imaging.  Mine was the Skywatcher black livery version.

I must confess I was dubious as to whether I would be able to achieve focus with it, but I was allowed to try before buying.  I also used a coma corrector with it, the baader version pushing the camera our even further. 

https://www.astrobin.com/267550/?image_list_page=4&nc=&nce=

Carole 

 

Edited November 10, 2020 by carastro

[spacedog]

37 minutes ago, Kyle Allen said:

Can you post a picture of how you’ve attached your camera?

The camera will need to be further in than an eyepiece to be able to reach focus. You might not be able to achieve focus with a DSLR with the 150P as it’s designed for visual observing. 

Yes i will do this tomorrow,al i can say is itake the eyepiece out  and attach camera direct into the 2 inch hole

 

[spacedog]

Ok managed to do quicky 5 photos showing how i attach camera,must admit camera leaves a lot to be desired.

[spacedog]

15 minutes ago, carastro said:

I used to own a 150P and could do imaging with it, I used a CCD camera but pretty sure it's previous owner used DSLR for imaging.  Mine was the Skywatcher black livery version.

I must confess I was dubious as to whether I would be able to achieve focus with it, but I was allowed to try before buying.  I also used a coma corrector with it, the baader version pushing the camera our even further. 

https://www.astrobin.com/267550/?image_list_page=4&nc=&nce=

Carole 

 

I do like that image you put up i can only dream of doing that at the moment

[Kon]

Have a look here, it might help:

 

[Kryptic]

Live view - try cranking up the ISO

Edited November 10, 2020 by Kryptic

[carastro]

Quote

can see nothing at all on camera screen

Have you tried looking at a distant land object in the daytime with the camera in the scope?  Can you get focus with that.

I have to say the DSLR does not have a tendency to show anything on live view except for the brightest stars and only when your focus is correct.  Your best bet would be to point the scope at the Moon as that is bright enough for something to show, then see if you can focus with the Moon.  Note your focus position on the draw tube and then use that position when pointing at stars and nebulae.  Nebulae are dim and unlikely to show until you have done a long exposure and even then you may have to do several and stack them together and stretch them inpost-processing.

Carole 

[MylesGibson]

I use a 150p for visual alongside my imaging setup. I have tried to use it for photography before, and I was unable to achieve focus unless I used a barlow lens. Then it was fine. The other option is to move the mirror up the tube, or get a low profile focuser, both of which to me I didn't want as I already had an imaging setup, so a Barlow worked fine!

[spacedog]

3 hours ago, carastro said:

Have you tried looking at a distant land object in the daytime with the camera in the scope?  Can you get focus with that.

I have to say the DSLR does not have a tendency to show anything on live view except for the brightest stars and only when your focus is correct.  Your best bet would be to point the scope at the Moon as that is bright enough for something to show, then see if you can focus with the Moon.  Note your focus position on the draw tube and then use that position when pointing at stars and nebulae.  Nebulae are dim and unlikely to show until you have done a long exposure and even then you may have to do several and stack them together and stretch them inpost-processing.

Carole 

Yes i am going try that in daylight when weather breaks it is bit wet at the mo.

[maw lod qan]

I use a Canon SL1 attached like you do with your camera. I have an 8" orion telescope. You have to play with the ISO a lot to get so you can see liveview.

Sometimes I get the best images of the moon and planets when I can barely see them in the live view mode.

Just have patience and experiment with the ISO and shutter speed. You'll get it.👍

[maw lod qan]

Your focused might be a bit longer than mine. I also have an adapter that let's the camera fit like a normal eyepiece, but then I have to use a Barlow to move it out more.

When I use that, the entire moon wont fit in the image.

[spacedog]

At the moment night time weather is awefull,so i am going to try to focus in daylight on a distant object.Camera settings are aperature5.6 or 11, iso 100,shutter /125.set on live view hoping the distant object will show on camera.OK took a photo of a alrm about 250 yards away,will try diff setting next time to see it will become clearer.At least i am now in the ballpark.Need a decent night now to align scope  with polaris.

 

Edited November 12, 2020 by spacedog
added photo

[toxic]

you will not be able to change the aperture on the camera as your scope has no iris/aperture blades the only things you can control on the camera are - ISO  - CAPTURE TIME .

[Matt61]

Put the iso right up high to frame and focus on what you're after.via live view then adjust iso or shutter to get exposure correct. Your photos show correct mounting .I use a 7d on same scope.

[spacedog]

1 hour ago, Matt61 said:

Put the iso right up high to frame and focus on what you're after.via live view then adjust iso or shutter to get exposure correct. Your photos show correct mounting .I use a 7d on same scope.

Thank you Matt not sure how high my ISO goes,i used 100 ISO which way is higher low numbers or above 100 ? silly question i know still learning.

[spacedog]

1 hour ago, toxic said:

you will not be able to change the aperture on the camera as your scope has no iris/aperture blades the only things you can control on the camera are - ISO  - CAPTURE TIME .

Hello toxic so basically what you are saying is the aperture is governed by the scope,no matter what i set camera on,is that correct ?

[Tiny Clanger]

26 minutes ago, spacedog said:

Hello toxic so basically what you are saying is the aperture is governed by the scope,no matter what i set camera on,is that correct ?

Aperture is to do with the lens , either a camera lens or a telescope acting as a camera lens.

The control on a camera body to change the aperture of a lens attached to it will not do anything to a telescope. Telescopes do not have the internal mechanics let alone the electrical contacts (which are specific to the camera brand) to link to the camera.

Higher ASA = more sensitivity.

Might help to watch some photography videos like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8T94sdiNjc&feature=emb_title

[Matt61]

5 hours ago, spacedog said:

Thank you Matt not sure how high my ISO goes,i used 100 ISO which way is higher low numbers or above 100 ? silly question i know still learning.

100 is very low so no wonder you didn't see anything. The 40d goes up to around 3200 .at that level any image will be full of digital noise. Upping iso makes the camera more sensitive to light. It's largely going to be trial and error . 

[spacedog]

14 hours ago, Matt61 said:

100 is very low so no wonder you didn't see anything. The 40d goes up to around 3200 .at that level any image will be full of digital noise. Upping iso makes the camera more sensitive to light. It's largely going to be trial and error . 

Hi i have got bigger probs now tok cap of camera and a plastic bit fell out in photo enclosed think it might be game over for the 40D.Being a 76 year old pensioner i will be looking on the used canon market for some thing ,i assume most will work on scope

[tooth_dr]

Please don’t discount the 40d. I regularly used mine and @MarsG76 uses one.

Its more than adequate.

Hopefully that’s just a little focusing screen and has no bearing on functionality of the camera. 

[spacedog]

28 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

Please don’t discount the 40d. I regularly used mine and @MarsG76 uses one.

Its more than adequate.

Hopefully that’s just a little focusing screen and has no bearing on functionality of the camera. 

Not sure what that part is i now find camera only works on auto,trying to focus on M and live view does not work now that bit has fell out of camera.

 

[Matt61]

It looks like a focussing screen. They're made of hard plastic. It will go back in . Try not touch it. They come with a special tool which is effectively plastic tweezers. If you google changing canon focussing screen it comes up. I think there's video too. You haven't wrecked the camera at worst it may be scratched which you may see through the viewfinder. It's a bit fiddly to do but takes no time. Make sure you work in as clean an area as possible to avoid getting dust on the cameras sensor whilst lens is off

Edited November 13, 2020 by Matt61