Attaching ZWO camera to telescope

[Bugdozer]

I have been unable to find the answer to this question but I'm sure someone here will know.

With ZWO cameras, I know they can be attached to the telescope in the same way as an eyepiece can. However, can they also be attached to a T thread, for example if I wanted to use it with extension tubes? Or would I need some sort of adapter for that?

Please do not tell me to buy a different telescope. 😛

[Elp]

Yes

[Elp]

What camera, ZWOs usually come with one of two different types of front ends. Screwing them all together is how it's done otherwise you won't have the correct backfocus for the camera sensor to be aligned to the focal plane for deep sky imaging. Unless if you're doing planetary with a planetary camera as those are compatible with the 1.25 inch nosepiece adaptor so they fit into your diagonal just like an eyepiece and you focus the telescope as normal. The pitch of the thread will be slightly different as they're m42 normally if you're using the zwo 11mm female to female coupler ring, Tring is a slightly different pitch.

Edited November 9, 2023 by Elp

[Bugdozer]

2 hours ago, Elp said:

What camera, ZWOs usually come with one of two different types of front ends. Screwing them all together is how it's done otherwise you won't have the correct backfocus for the camera sensor to be aligned to the focal plane for deep sky imaging. Unless if you're doing planetary with a planetary camera as those are compatible with the 1.25 inch nosepiece adaptor so they fit into your diagonal just like an eyepiece and you focus the telescope as normal. The pitch of the thread will be slightly different as they're m42 normally if you're using the zwo 11mm female to female coupler ring, Tring is a slightly different pitch.

I don't have to worry about back focus because I am not using a reducer/flattener and I have an SCT. I have used my SLR at a variety of distances with extension tubes at prime focus and never had any problems getting the focal plane on the sensor. 

Although your first post said Yes, the last sentence of your second post looks like a No to me. I have no idea what the 11mm female coupler rings are of which you speak. 

[Elp]

I've just checked the ZWO website, regardless of which camera it is, the coupling thread is m42 x 0.75 pitch. If you look at their website at the 224 and the 585 for example you'll see the differences if you look at the technical drawings of each camera. The 224 terminates with a female m42 connection whereas the 585 terminates with a m42 male connection. Each camera is then adapted. The 585 type cameras have a black m42 female to female ring which converts the male thread into a female, you can see the black 11mm ring I'm talking about in most pictures of the camera, the majority of the cooled cameras barring the more expensive ones with tilt adjustment plates all have this coupler ring. I've used all my ZWOs planetary type cameras with refractors, newtonians and SCTs no problem. I would assume you simply connect the camera in replacement of your dslr adjusting for back focus distance.

Edited November 9, 2023 by Elp

[bosun21]

1 hour ago, Elp said:

I've just checked the ZWO website, regardless of which camera it is, the coupling thread is m42 x 0.75 pitch. If you look at their website at the 224 and the 585 for example you'll see the differences if you look at the technical drawings of each camera. The 224 terminates with a female m42 connection whereas the 585 terminates with a m42 male connection. Each camera is then adapted. The 585 type cameras have a black m42 female to female ring which converts the male thread into a female, you can see the black 11mm ring I'm talking about in most pictures of the camera, the majority of the cooled cameras barring the more expensive ones with tilt adjustment plates all have this coupler ring. I've used all my ZWOs planetary type cameras with refractors, newtonians and SCTs no problem. I would assume you simply connect the camera in replacement of your dslr adjusting for back focus distance.

The 585 doesn’t come with anything other than a 1.25” nosepiece. If removed it’s just a M42 female thread on the camera body.

Edited November 9, 2023 by bosun21
Photo

[Elp]

That black ring is removable. It's amazing how many people don't realise this. In this instance you wouldn't need to remove it though, just attach to any m42 spacers you use for backspacing factoring in the 17.5mm taken up by the 11mm black ring and the 6.5mm from front of camera body face to sensor.

Edited November 9, 2023 by Elp

[bosun21]

15 minutes ago, Elp said:

That black ring is removable. It's amazing how many people don't realise this. In this instance you wouldn't need to remove it though, just attach to any m42 spacers you use for backspacing factoring in the 17.5mm taken up by the 11mm black ring and the 6.5mm from front of camera body face to sensor.

Darn it, I didn't know this either! You can tell that I'm relatively new to this planetary imaging/EAA game. I did own a previous 585 all set up on a Starfield 102 with the reducer/flattener and the back focus set at 55mm taking into consideration the 17.5mm of the camera and black ring. I also had a smaller black ring that screwed inside the one on the camera which held 1.25" mounted filters. Once I get back into the EAA I'll probably advance onto a bit of AP.

[LandyJon]

Have you got an M42 thread on the back of the scope yet ?

Depending which SCT you have, you may need to remove the visual back and get/find in the box an SCT thread to M42 adapter.  Some its just a matter of unscrewing the 1.25" adapter and its there.

Also be sure there's no corrector/flattener lens built in to the scope, the EdgeHD have this, SE don't (that I'm aware of)

Hope that helps

[michael8554]

Get a Celestron SCT to T2 Adapter.

Michael

 

[Bugdozer]

14 hours ago, Elp said:

That black ring is removable. It's amazing how many people don't realise this. In this instance you wouldn't need to remove it though, just attach to any m42 spacers you use for backspacing factoring in the 17.5mm taken up by the 11mm black ring and the 6.5mm from front of camera body face to sensor.

OK I have extension tube spacers which attach to the T ring that attaches to my SLR at one end and screw directly onto the prime focus thread on the scope at the other, so presumably these spacers are the right thread to attach directly to the camera. Thank you.