Good evening Stargazers

[Interplanaterycraft]

Hi, newbie here. My son bought a Meade LX90 ACF 8" telescope around Christmas time. Today he took possession of the Meade 4000 eye piece kit. Clear sky's have been limited since January but we have enjoyed gazing together whenever possible. Now I have joined Stargazers lounge tonight in order to glean some information about imaging. We purchased a T ring and adapter for use with my camera which is really my hobby but so far pictures haven't been that great if I'm honest. The likes of Saturn and Jupiter are very small on the screen and quality of images are a bit hit and miss. My main question is how do I get better sized images on to my camera? Is there anything I can purchase to fit between camera and adapter to increase image size. Viewing through the new lenses and filters in the kit has made such a difference, it seems a shame that we can't capture the same on camera. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give but please keep it simple bearing in mind we are raw beginners:).

[Rottweiler]

Get yourself a 3x or 5x barlow lens, they arent too expensive and will make the image appear bigger on the chip (by a factor of 3 or 5 )

[Interplanaterycraft]

Thankyou for the quick reply. Now, are these Barlow's camera specific ie. different for Canon and Nikon mounts? I'm guessing they are?

[Rottweiler]

I think you camera adaptor probably has a 1.25" nosepiece just like a normal eyepiece? In this case any 1.25" barlow should fit it. The camera adaptor is only camera specific on the end that fits the camera. Pretty much all modern telescopes have 1.25" or 2" fittings (or both), and of these most hobbyists use the 1.25".

Here is an example TS ED Barlow 3fach - 1,25' - ED Element für bessere Korrektur

[Interplanaterycraft]

It doesn't seem like we have the correct connections as your description just doesn't seem the same as what we have. The connection we have is seen here Meade #62 T Adaptor For LX90/200 and fits directly to the rear of the telescope and then straight on to camera. I didn't think a simple connection could be so confusing.:rolleyes:

[david o]

Hi there Interplanetarycraft, Welcome to SGL

For astro-photography you'll find the book Making Every Photon Count (by SGL's very own steppenwolf & now onto it's 2nd Edition) helpful in getting started. Easy to read, it's full of advice aimed at the imaging novice, including choosing the right equipment, tips 'n' tricks and lots of other vital stuff.

The imaging section, too, is full of experienced, talented folk who, I'm sure, will be more than happy to share advice and guidance with you.

[Interplanaterycraft]

Thanks for the welcome David. I'm looking forward to exploring the different sections of the forum.

[Interplanaterycraft]

Has anyone notice my spelling mistakes in my username? It should read Interplanetarycraft. If any mods are in need of doing their good deed for the day then I would appreciate the change. :rolleyes: