Camera adapter/eyepiece help?

[JB80]

Ok, I have a camera adapter similar to this one Konus SLR Camera Adapter (1.25 Inch) (1070) - Best Price at Bristol Cameras and I have a few quetions as I am having trouble getting any results with it, but then there is a big chance I'm simply not doing it right.

My main concern is when I take a photo through the eyepiece it just barely shows up, I can see it fine in the viewfinder though just the picture is nearly non existent. Is it a placement issue? How can I remedy that?

Now the other issues I have which may be related to the first one is the eyepieces themselves, some don't fit at all in the adapter (being too long) and others fit nicely. Is it normal to have to strip down the eyepiece to the basic tube and lens before placing it in the adapter?

Another thing is some EP's just won't focus at all through the camera, does that mean I will need a focus extender?

Sorry for the mess of the questions, if anybody can decipher it to figure what I mean and can help it'd be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Jarrod.

[Bizibilder]

That Konus adaptor is V E R Y long! This:

Adaptors - 1.25" T mount camera adapter

Has barely any "length" to it. It does need the appropriate "t-ring" for your camera:

Adaptors - T Rings

Hope this helps.

[JB80]

Mine is an Omegon, just that one was the first that looked similar. I have found a link to it. Omegon adapter.

But would that be one of the problems, the EP's have to be flush against the edge of the tube as close to the camera sensor as possible?

I do already have a T Ring that it screws on to.

[Bizibilder]

With the T-ring set up you don't use an eyepiece. The telescope becomes the camera "lens". You take the "normal" lens off the camera and replace it with the t-ring/adaptor. This goes into the focussing mount of the telescope.

[JB80]

Yes, I know that much I have had some good shots using the T Ring. But now I want to get closer shots using the eyepieces as well with the camera adapter that's in my last post, at least that's what I figure the camera adapter is for. If not then I'm way off.

I just want to work out why I can't get any good photos when using the adapter yet it looks fine through the viewfinder.

[Bizibilder]

To get "closer" you should use a Barlow lens rather than an eyepiece.

[JB80]

OK, let me try another way.

How do I use this bit of kit Omegon Adaptor correctly? I am having trouble with it.

Do you not use that with an eyepiece? If not then what is it for?

Here is what I am doing, putting an EP in the adaptor, connecting the adaptor to the T Ring and camera then placing the whole lot into the focuser of my scope. I can see what I am looking at(i.e the moon) fine in my cameras viewfinder, yet when I take the photo it comes out extremely dull.

[Bizibilder]

Ah! You can focus but you are getting a very dull image. OK, that is because you are using "eyepiece projection" ie the eyepiece is projecting an image into the camera. This has the effect of magnifying the image. BUT you only have the same AMOUNT of light to make the larger image. So the image will be dim. The solution is to increase the exposure time. I think (if memory serves!) that if you double the size of the image it will cover FOUR times the area so you need four times the exposure.

[JB80]

I see... I guess that make sense.

Thankyou very much:) I will give that a try then.

[mike.brightmore]

I always use the camera adaptor (empty) with T-ring to attach the camera to the scope. This takes pictures at what is called 'Prime Focus' which usually gives me all the magnification I need. I always assumed that the camera adaptor was to put the camera at the right distance from the scope. As often as not I use a focal reducer to reduce magnification. The only time I see any need to increase magnification is for lunar or planetary images. Eyepiece projection (putting an eyepiece inside the camera adaptor) never works that well for me and, as you say, a lot of eyepieces won't fit. For more magnification I use a Barlow or a Powermate. So the sequence is telescope - barlow - camera adaptor - T ring - camera. Some eyepieces such as the Baader Hyperions allow you to fit the camera adaptor into them like you would a Barlow. The picture below shows my set-up if it helps. What sort of things are you imaging by the way - that has a considerable bearing on exposure times.

[JB80]

That makes sense too, I assumed it was more for the eypiece projection.

Basically at this point I only want to use it for lunar and solar pictures as I don't have any tracking yet and wanted to try some shots at a higher magnification, but it hasn't gone well so far.

[mike.brightmore]

If you can focus what you're looking at in the camera viewfinder then it is only a case of experimenting with exposure times and/or the ISO setting to get a good picture. Are you using the mannual or 'bulb' setting to control exposure time?

[JB80]

Yeah I can get a decent focus through the viewfinder.

I have only tried changing the ISO with this problem which only made a slight improvement. It didn't occur to me to try longer exposures. Maybe I should maybe try a few different shots with the 'bulb' setting until I get it about right and then switch to manual?

[mike.brightmore]

Definitely sounds like longer exposures would help.