Camcorders and telescopes (probably a silly question)

[Chris Stacey]

This is probably a silly question but it's bugging me so I thought I'd ask. I know nothing about imaging and all the processes so you'll have to excuse my ignorance, although this isn't so much about imaging and more about 8mm camcorders. If I was to remove the lense from a 8mm camcorder and attach to it my scope (so the scope acts as the lense) what would happen? I appreciate the viewing wouldn't be on par with a EP but would I be able to record anything worth viewing? Or am I likely to end up with a black screen?

[Doc]

I was thinking of this as well.

I bought a firewire lead and via WXAstrocapture I can record live, so turning my DV Camcorder into a webcam.

All I need now is a "C" Mount adapter to connect the Camcorder to the focuser for prime astrovideo.

It's one off my many projects and like always I start one and never finish it.

[Chris Stacey]

That's interesting Doc, just had a look at WXAstrocapture, that's bookmarked for future reference, if I ever get a DV camcorder.

I'm hoping it's possible to do something useful with an 8mm too.

[haitch]

I've managed to record the Moon & Saturn on my Sony Handycam using a couple of step rings to an adaptor for EP projection then upload the video convert to Avi and stack it.

Not brilliant results but at least as good as a webcam I'd guess. I reckon I could have done better with practice and better equipment (it was an old 6" Helios catadioptric newt handguided from the camcorder screen on a CG5 with no motors).

I've since decided I prefer real photons on my iris and got a dob but at least i didn't spend a fortune trying out imaging.

[Chris Stacey]

Haitch, did you just connect your camcorder as it was, without any mods to it?