Skywatcher direct camera attachment

[Egor Blimey]

Evening all, my first initiated post although I've been picking all your combined brains for the last two months or so for advice and reviews of equipment. I have noticed a few references to focussing problems using the direct camera adapter supplied with several Skywatcher 'scopes, including my new 6" F5 refractor.

Maybe I'm missing something, but when I tried out prime focus photography the other night I found that the focusser would not quite extend out enough to focus through the camera viewfinder. Assuming that the 2" diagonal would provide the necessary extra light path, I moved the adapter from the focusser tube to between the diagonal and camera. The result being that now I couldn't reach focus even with the focusser tube fully racked in.

Now, if the direct camera adapter had been made about 2mm longer, OR the diagonal somewhat shorter, I could have easily focussed the camera. Design fault or what?

I've hopefully overcome the problem by sending off for a set of camera extension tubes from an Ebay shop for about £7.50 (flying-photo items - Get great deals on items on eBay.co.uk Shops!). I should be able to use just one or any combination of the extension tubes between 9mm and about 28mm to use the camera attached directly to the focusser (via the Skywatcher direct camera adapter). I'll know in a few days!

Hopefully this will solve the problem for other sufferers.

[Merlin66]

A 50mm extension piece usually resolves the problem.

[yesyes]

Yes, an extension tube should do the trick. Having the focus too far *out* is easy to resolve with extensions. Real problems start when the focus is too far *in* for a camera at prime focus, which seems to be a problem on a lot of Newtonians...

[Glider]

The barlow as supplied with Skywatcher kit also has the same thread on the end. Would it give you more travel if you took the lens off the end of the barlow, fitted the barlow to the camera and then put the barlow in the focuser.

I'm assuming 1.25" fittings and guessing a bit here as I don't see what type of camera you are using.

Just a thought that might get you up and running until your bits arrive in the post.

[kentronix]

I have the skywatcher 150 and find the focuser wont go in enough for prime focus on my dslr. Luckily my zoom eyepeice has a removable end which is basically just a T ring with no shoulders. I remove the 1.25 end part of the focuser tube and half screw this T mount in to that tube and half screw the cameras T ring adapter on to the other end. Works well but I would rather not have to take the zoom apart each time

[LukeSkywatcher]

My t-ring and 1.25" adapter arrived today. I tested it on my 70mm scope. I couldnt get the camera to focus.

No problems...i just removed the erect prism/diagonal from the focuser and inserted the adapter directly into the focuser. Focus on the camera was perfect.