Adaptors, adaptors and more adaptors. HELP!

[Franklin]

So I've been visual all my life and have never really needed adaptors as I just stick an eyepiece in the diagonal. Then I had the crazy idea of attaching a camera to my telescope and have become somewhat perplexed!

Below is a picture of the Vixen Common camera adaptor. It has a 60mm thread on the scope side for attaching directly to the Vixen focuser drawtube. The camera is attached to an inner ring which can be rotated and locked in place with the three setscrews. The camera side of this inner ring ends in a dovetail and when using a DSLR camera you simply remove the inner ring from your cameras T-Ring and lock the outer part of that T-Ring in place around this dovetail with the three grubscrews. All works well if I am attaching my Canon DSLR but how do I connect an Astro-camera that has a female T2 thread? The only adaptor I can find is the adaptor intended for attaching an EOS lens to an Astro-camera. This would work but also adds extension. Does anyone know of an adaptor that clamps to this dovetail via three grubscrews which then goes straight to a male T2?

 

[radiofm74]

Timely thread! I'll follow it as I was trying to wrap my head around this very problem yesterday and this morning. 

Being a little puzzled by the Vixen adapter I have at least for now bought this and am waiting for delivery: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p202_TS-Optics-Adaptor-M60-to-T2---low-profile-adapter-for-photography.html

The concept is a lot clearer, and it also allows for mounting a 2" filter inside, which is a good thing (Vixen adopts a much more uncommon 52mm filter thread). No grubscrews though. 

[Franklin]

I just picked up a similar 60mm-T2 low profile off Buyee in Japan which will mean I can connect the CMOS T2 fitting camera straight to the SD reducer/flattener but as the reducer is 60mm threaded as well it leaves no provision for camera orientation which is why I bought the original adaptor in the first place. I will probably need some T2 extensions to get the reducer/sensor distance correct so will have to fit some kind of T2 lock-ring.

[Elp]

T2 is very similar to m42 other than the thread pitch. You can get female to female adaptors, zwo cameras usually come with one. You will need spacers to get the right backfocus distance from the above adaptor to the camera sensor.

[Elp]

I assume the vixen focuser is non rotatable, and/or you're not using a field flattener which usually have rotators built in or you can just orient the flattener.

Edited July 24, 2023 by Elp

[Franklin]

Just now, Elp said:

I assume the vixen focuser is non rotatable

Non-rotatable as Vixen are still in the dark ages regarding focusers😊.

[Elp]

These are the sort of things you need at hand when sorting camera backspacing:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/astro-essentials-t2-m42-extension-tube-set-4mm-5mm-6mm-7mm-8mm-9mm.html

And usually a set of 5 increment ones, and for very fine adjustment 0.2/0.5/1mm rings if needed (not usually if you're not too bothered about edge star shapes).

Edited July 24, 2023 by Elp