ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY - TIPS
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Last updated: 30 June 2004

This page documents astrophotography comments, tips, and photos. Contributions welcome. Be certain to see the other articles on the main Astrophotography page.


Subject:	Astrophotography
Sent:	Wednesday, June 30, 2004 19:10:42
From:	SAYHELLO2003@aol.com (SAYHELLO2003@aol.com)
I am having problem getting clear photo using my Canon Digital Rebel
SLR. I attached my digital rebel to T-ring to ETX-125 via prime focus
method.  When I look at the view finder of the camera, it's clear. but
the picture it appears to be out of focus.  Any advise will be
appreciate.

Thank you,

 Henry
Mike here: Try making a "Hartmann Mask"; details on the Helpful Information: Astrophotography page.
Subject:	ETX or LXD for piggybacked astrophotos
Sent:	Wednesday, June 30, 2004 14:31:34
From:	Emoticon Fury (EmoticonFury@comcast.net)
I've been playing a lot with my barn door mount for deep sky
astrophotography and now and I'm looking to take it to the next level.
For the last month of so I've been looking at all sorts of scopes and
mounts and I've narrowed it down to an ETX series scope or the LXD55
SN-6". I read the manuals on both scopes and meade seems to stress that
the ETX mount isnt accurate enough for long exposures. Is it possible to
attain acceptable images from a camera piggybacked on an ETX series
scope at focal lengths up to 300mm @ f\6 for 30 minutes? The reason I
ask is that I like astrophotography as a hobby but spending $800+ is a
little steep considering I only get about 100 clear nights a year. I've
seen the excellent photos on this site but I would like to know how well
piggybacking on an ETX works with a DSLR as opposed to a high gain CCD.
 
Thanks,
 
Stephen Streit
Mike here: I have done piggyback astrophotography with both a 35mm camera and a digital camera. I've used telephoto as well as normal lenses. The thing to keep in mind is that with small image scales on the film/imager, minor tracking errors are less noticeable. But that with a telephoto lens and its larger image scale, longer exposures will be required and more tracking errors will become evident. HOWEVER, you can use a high power eyepiece or a reticle eyepiece (see the Accessory Reviews - Eyepieces page for "Celestron Guide Eyepiece" and "Rigel Systems PulsGuide") to aid in making guiding corrections using the slew controls.

And:

Thank you very much! I appreciate the prompt response!

Subject:	Invitation to New Webring
Sent:	Wednesday, June 30, 2004 06:28:26
From:	LarryHarrison (lbharrison@bellsouth.net)
So many times I have desired to find tutorials on astrophotography. Many
sites are not on a search engine - mainly to the cost.  I have opened up
a new WebRing to localize the sites into one.

It is called Astrophotography Tutorials.

To sign up (I am hoping) go to:  http://dir.webring.com/rw

Go to Science/Astronomy/Astrophotography

Short summary:  This is a ring intended for those who have an interest
in astrophotography, whether through the usage of film, digital, or ccd
cameras.  If your interest lies in the field of astrophotography, and
you have a tutorial, or you just have a desire to learn
astrophotography, this ring is for you.

Hope you join.  Thanks.

Larry Harrison

Subject:	Jupiter
Sent:	Thursday, June 24, 2004 06:19:59
From:	Lou (louw@prefer.net)
Last night I was able to see Jupiter and 4 moons.  Great image.  I can't
wait until I get my more powerful eyepieces.

I tried to photograph it but with little success.  I realized that
mounting the camera on the back of the scope limits the magnification I
can get.  How does one increase the magnification for photography?

Warm Regards,
Lou
Mike here: Use a Barlow Lens or eyepiece projection. However, the increased magnification also magnifies any telescope motion/vibration. You can also zoom the camera lens if doing afocal photography and the camera has a zoom.
Subject:	Piggyback mount for my ETX125
Sent:	Wednesday, June 23, 2004 10:38:36
From:	Tommy Lim (kangwen@tm.net.my)
Can you give me some idea where can I get or buy the piggyback mount for
my ETX125 since most of the dealer or seller in US are banned shipping
and online purchasing from Malaysia?

What do you think?

Regards,
Tommy 
Mike here: Personally I can't say which dealers allow purchases from Malaysia. My standard set of dealers to try would be (in alphabetical order): OPT (I have a relationship with OPT), Scopetronix, and Shutan.
Subject:	camera balance and ETX-90
Sent:	Tuesday, June 22, 2004 15:33:24
From:	Lou (lou@chocoholic1.net)
I just spent some time looking at the site for help balancing my Canon
10D on the ETX-90.

I must have missed any mention of a way to balance the scope with the
camera attached.

I don't want a piggyback mount because I would like the scope as my
lens.

Any suggestions?

Warm Regards,
Lou
Mike here: There are several articles on counterweights on the Helpful Information - Astrophotography page.
Subject:	Lunar photos
Sent:	Friday, June 18, 2004 06:07:49
From:	gary.boyle@pab-cap.gc.ca
I came across your page as I am thinking of switching cameras from the
Nikon Coolpix 4500 to the 10D. When viewing your lunar shots I noticed
all the pics of the Moon are mirror imaged. This might be confusing for
new astronomers.

Clear skies,

Gary Boyle

Chairman, Light Pollution Abatement Committee

Ottawa Centre, The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
Mike here: The telescope reverses the image. So that is normal for the images to be displayed that way. Of course, you can do whatever you feel appropriate to your own photos.

And:

I know the scope reverses the image, but for a true view, you should
flip them back with horizontally. It would appear closer to the true
view such a binocular view.
Mike here: If the submitter sends them reversed I post that way. Personally I'm not always trying to show what would appear to the naked eye or a through binoculars. If the purpose is to show what the telescope shows then the image should not be re-reversed.
Subject:	RE: Piggyback photography using ETX-60
Sent:	Saturday, June 5, 2004 08:03:19
From:	Willett, Mike (michael.willett@gd-ais.com)
Thanks very much.  Have been following your website for a few years now,
even submitted a couple of pictures.  You really have done a nice job
with the website.  Thanks again.

Mike Willett

Subject:	ETX Prime Focus photography
Sent:	Friday, June 4, 2004 11:11:02
From:	Kathy Koerber (kkoerber@envstd.com)
I am the proud new owner of a scopetronix DSLR adaptor for my Nikon SLR.
I had it out for the first time the other night to try to take some
pictures with my ETX 125. I ran into the same problem as I did when I
was using just the basic Meade camera adaptor on my ETX 90. When I look
through the camera, the object (e.g., Jupiter) is very fuzzy, with
criss-cross spectrum-like patterns. It's not a focus issue (I don't
think), since I can go from out-of-focus in one direction, through what
should be focus, to out-of-focus in the other direction without the
object ever becoming clear enough for me to really see a crisp image
like I can see when I am just observing. The scope works great by
itself, so I think I am missing something when I am attaching the
camera/adaptor. I am extremely new to this and was hoping someone could
explain to me what is happening and what I can do to improve this
condition.

Many thanks!
-Kathy
Mike here: Make a Hartmann Mask (see the Helpful Information - Astrophotography page); this will help ensure a precise focus without having to deal with a fuzzy image on the camera viewscreen.
Subject:	Piggyback photography using ETX-60
Sent:	Friday, June 4, 2004 10:50:48
From:	Willett, Mike (michael.willett@gd-ais.com)
I'm considering getting one of those piggyback camera mounts for my
ETX-60 and was wondering if you could give me some quick pointers on how
to take some shots of the milky way, etc.  Do you have to set up the ETX
in polar mode, etc.

Thanks for any info,

Mike Willett
Mike here: See the Helpful Information - Astrophotography page for lots of info. For photos of any duration longer than about 30 seconds (with a normal lens; shorter if using a telephoto), you will need to be mounted in polar mode to avoid "field rotation" trailing.
Subject:	Piggyback photography question
Sent:	Thursday, June 3, 2004 11:39:12
From:	Aslan9999@aol.com (Aslan9999@aol.com)
I have an ETX 90 with Meade's piggyback mount and I noticed the same
problem that you had reguarding the motor drive slipping. I took some
photos of comet NEAT recently where they came out because gravity was
assisting the drive, but any time I try to take a picture in the east,
the drive noticablyrefuses to trackover the course of a couple minutes.
I have a Pentax KX which is a pretty heavy camera and I was wondering if
you could suggest any cheap, light-weight cameras that would work with
my etx. Thanks a lot for your time. If I can ever figure out how to scan
my slides properly I would love to send you some of my photos.

      ~Collin

Mike here: You might just need to add a counterweight system to balance things out. For more on those, see the Helpful Information - Astrophotography page.
Subject:	ETX Photo Adapter
Sent:	Saturday, May 29, 2004 04:22:35
From:	B & C Ronalds (bcronalds@vic.australis.com.au)
I recently bought  a 1997 ETX being a 90mm,the same as the present ETX
90 as far as the scope goes. It is a table top type but I have adapted
it for a tripod with a wedge mount and also for an equatorial mount. I
want to get into astro photography namely prime focus. I would like to
make my own adapter for the camera which goes at the back of the scope.
I have the facility to manufacture something and I know you can buy them
but they are fairly expensive in Australia.

My question is what length should I make the adapter. The genuine Meade
comes in two parts I think. I intend to use a Pentax SLR. I would
appreciate some advice on this matter and any other related issues I
should know about.

Thanks

Bruce Ronalds
Warragul, Victoria
Australia
Mike here: Since you seem to be inventive, the best way to match your camera is to measure the position of the ETX-90 focal plane. Do this by holding a piece of paper or semi-transparent material at the rear port. Move it towards and away from the ETX until the image of a distant object is in focus. Measure that distance. That's where you will want the camera focal plane to be. Then make your adapter such that it holds the camera where the image will be in focus. For best results, try to have the focus knob turned about halfway through its full range of focus.
Subject:	
Sent:	Monday, May 24, 2004 23:06:59
From:	Christian Spangenberg (chspangenberg@yahoo.com)
I love your website Weasner.com and I had a few Questions.

I am mostly a photographer

I own a 1000mm F11 celestron model c90 that I got fro free. I purchused
a t-mount and adapter to atach it to my nikon d-100. I have shot
pictures of birds with it am am very pleased.

Howevr when using a t-mount I cannot take advantage of the TTL metering
that is in the camera. Infact I must manualy setthe time and
apature.This is easy enough to do durring the day f11 @1/60 But at night
I have absolutly no idea. I am intersted in taking pictures of the moon
but need some information about how long I should set the camera for. I
havesome great tripods and am interested in getting some shots.

Chris

http://photos.yahoo.com/chspangenberg

http://f1.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/chspangenberg
Mike here: Did you notice the item that asked first time visitors to read the Email Etiquette? Your message was originally deleted UNREAD as SPAM due to the missing Subject entry.
The Full Moon can be considered as a sunlight object so you can start with the same math you would use for daytime shots. That is, f/16 at 1/ISO sec. Bracket from there.
Subject:	Meade LPI vs. Philips ToUcam
Sent:	Sunday, May 23, 2004 05:00:15
From:	Rick Mellon (r.mellon@comcast.net)
I have an ETX-125AT UHTC and a decent laptop, and would like to use a
webcam with the PC as a virtual eyepiece (for family viewing) and do
some astrophotography. My best options seem to be the Meade LPI and the
Philips ToUcam 840.

Since they cost about the same, does anyone have any experience or
thoughts as to which is the better choice?

--Rick 
Mike here: For more serious astrophotography of most objects, including DSOs, the webcam (and patience) works best (as you can see from the many examples on the ETX Site). For brighter objects, the LPI with its included software) is a good choice for ease of use compared to what you have to do to get similar photos with a webcam. As a "virtual eyepiece" for bright objects, either should work. But keep in mind the limited FOV.
Subject:	Tracking Comet Neat
Sent:	Wednesday, May 12, 2004 14:02:34
From:	kevin keyes (fishonkevin@sbcglobal.net)
I have a question about tracking Comet Neat. I know that the comet is
moving faster than sidereal( after GoTo tracking speed) and was
wondering what Autostar speed to use to track the comet.Iplan to image
it with M44 this wknd. piggybacking my Canon 300D on my LXD-55 AR-5. I
figure a tracked M44 photo on top of a tracked comet photo will
eliminate star trails. It might not work, but that is what makes digital
cameras so great, you can delete the bad shots.

Thanks,
Kevin
Mike here: For short exposures you can just track at sidereal rate. And since most digital cameras have some upper limit on effective exposure length I wouldn't worry about it.
Mike here: I discovered a nice digital camera add-on. Check my comments on the Digital Camera Hood and "SLR" attachment on the Accessory Reviews - Astrophotography page.

Subject:	Re: Piggyback Astrophotography with ETX 125
Sent:	Thursday, May 6, 2004 16:26:50
From:	"P. Clay Sherrod" (drclay@arksky.org)
The lighter the camera the better and ALWAYS make sure that the scope is
perfectly balanced. For wide field, normal lens piggybacking, you can
get by with about 2-3 minutes exposure; anything more telephoto and you
must be in Polar.

There is a complete article that I wrote on Mike Weasner's Mighty ETX
site on piggyback: (it is not listed as such, so it is often overlooked)

http://www.weasner.com/etx/ref_guides/astrophotography.html

Enjoy!

Clay
--------------------
Dr. P. Clay Sherrod
Arkansas Sky Observatory
Harvard MPC H41 (Petit Jean Mountain)
Harvard MPC H43 (Conway)
Harvard MPC H44 (Cascade Mt.)
http://www.arksky.org/
----- Original Message -----
Dr. Clay,

I hope you are doing well. I looked at the Weasner site but I really did
not get a definitive answer. My question is, is the ETX, after you have
supercharged it, capable of doing good piggyback photography? If so,
does it have to be in polar alignment or can you get away with Alt/Az
mode? I have a Sony F717 digital camera. I am considering purchasingthe
Scopetronixpiggyback adapter and possible the Maxview 40. My only
concern is that the Maxview 40 with my big camera is too much for the
ETX to handle and track properly.Will you please shareyour experience.
Thank you.

Regards,
Dave
Mike here: Piggyback photography is definitely possible on the ETX models. There are many examples of this on the site. Most of the "sky" shots are done piggyback. Check out the Accessory Reviews - Showcase Products for more info.

And:

Thank you for your response. I like your site very much and check it
often.
Dave

Subject:	ETX photography
Sent:	Tuesday, May 4, 2004 05:53:21
From:	Kathy Koerber (kkoerber@envstd.com)
I recently just got some pictures back of the moon that I took with my
ETX-90 using prime focus photography and I was pretty happy with the way
they came out. I have since sold that 'scope and purchased an ETX-125.
Given my initial success, I would really like to continue to pursue
astrophotography with the bigger scope and my Nikon SLR. I would like to
figure out how to take pictures using eyepieces so that I can adjust the
size of the object, and hopefully get some nice planet shots. I read the
review of the basic camera adaptor on your website and was not
impressed. Are there any other options? Have you heard any reviews of
the Meade variable projection camera adaptor?

Thanks much for your help! 

-Kathy 
Mike here: Check out the Scopetronix Digi-T System or their MaxView products (see the Accessory Reviews - Astrophotography page for the former). Haven't seen any comments on the Meade variable projection adapter.
Subject:	CP995 blurriness
Sent:	Friday, April 30, 2004 21:28:11
From:	Ted Wilbur (ted@conlinhill.com)
I have a Coolpix 995 that I use for daytime photography and I have
recently picked up a Scopetronix Digi-T to try some Lunar and planetary
stuff. I'm using a laptop and software called The Force to control the
camera (instead of a remote cable).

I can't seem to take really sharp images. For example, viewing the moon
through the on camera display before I take a shot, the image is very
crisp and detailed. This is true, once focus is achieved, for any
eyepiece I have. However, when I take the shot the level of detail drops
off significantly. Using The Force and the bulb setting on the camera I
can take shots as fast as 0.033 second exposure. But when they show on
the camera display during downloading (and of course, in the actual
images) they just aren't as crisp and sharp as what I see on the display
before taking the shots.

I've tried messing with exposure times and the on camera sharpness and
contrast, but to no avail. Have you ever run into this with your CP995?
Do you know the cure?

I appreciate whatever help you can offer,
Ted Wilbur
Mike here: Some thoughts come to mind. At the scale of the LCD it is easy for the image to "look" sharp when it actually isn't. Some getting a good focus is definitely required. I suggest making a "Hartmann Mask" (see the Helpful Information - Astrophotography page). It is possible that when focusing the eyepiece to your eye and the camera to INFinity, the focus is slightly off. Image motion is also a possibility. Make certain the mount is stable and that there is no camera movement during the exposure.
Subject:	Recommendation of Digital Camera for ETX125
Sent:	Wednesday, April 28, 2004 19:59:00
From:	SAYHELLO2003@aol.com
I would like to start my astrophotography using digital camera. Can you
recommend a digital camera that is simple to use and can produce good
quality pictures. My main objective is taking pictures of planets, moon,
and near by nebulas for astrophotography. I would like to attach the
digital camera to my ETX-125 eyepiece. Any information provided will be
greatly appreciated.

 Thank you,

 Henry L.
Mike here: Look through the Helpful Information - Astrophotography pages; lots of info there.
Subject:	Astrostack / Registak question
Sent:	Wednesday, April 28, 2004 08:09:41
From:	"chris warburton" (C.A.Warburton@lboro.ac.uk)
I wonder if you can give me some advice. I've been looking to buy a new
digital camera and wanted one that took movies at 640 x 480 pixels as
well as stills. I found one in the Nikon coolpix 3200. The problem is
that the movie file format is MOV, which I believe is the Apple version
of AVI. Do you know if this format is compatible with Astrostack and
Registak.
Many thanks for your assistance,
Chris Warburton
Mike here: I don't think they understand the industry standard Quicktime MOV file format. They only understand the Microsoft standard...
Subject:	Starlight Xpress STAR200 Tracking Sytem
Sent:	Sunday, April 18, 2004 09:23:36
From:	"David Mann" (davemann@uk2.net)
I'm considering buying a Starlight Xpress CDD camera to use in
conjunction with my ETX105.Reading your book you wouldn't suggest
using the ETX for long exposurephotography but onthe website there is
also the STAR2000 tracking system to autogude the scope and overcome
alignment errors. I can't find enough info on their website to determin
if it is compatable with the ETX mount. All I can find is the following
statement on compatable mounts.

 'A telescope with 'Autoguider' capability. Most modern SCTs have this
 facility in the form of a 6 pin 'RJ11' telephone style connector on the
 mounting base or handset. If your 'scope is 'ST4 compatible' it should
 work with S.T.A.R. 2000'

Being the 'fountain of all knowledge ETX' (and many other things reading
your website) I was wondering if you could tell me if the ETX is ST4
compatable?

Many thanks in advance

Dave
Mike here: Since the ETX/Autostar does not have Periodic Error Correction (PEC), Autoguiding the ETX would be challenge and likely disappointing for long exposures. You would also have to use Polar mounting to avoid "field rotation" unless you added an SCT adapter and de-rotator to the CCD, which would add a lot of weight needing to be counterbalanced.
Subject:	Focal Reducer for the ETX-125
Sent:	Sunday, April 11, 2004 12:06:28
From:	"Pepper, Mike" (pepperm@umsystem.edu)
I have been around the web searching, and am coming to you for advise.

I am starting to work on Astrophotography.
I am looking for a focal reducer that works well with the ETX

Thanks for your input.

Mike Pepper
Supercharged ETX-125 UHTC
Mike here: I have used the Shutan Wide-Field Adapter; see the Accessory Reviews - Showcase Products page.
Subject:	Photographic speed
Sent:	Saturday, April 10, 2004 07:08:56
From:	"Ivar Marthinusen" (ivar_zap@hotmail.com)
Just a question about photographic speed.
If I am taking a picture through a 32 millimeter lens, and my dicital
camera is set at f/2.8. The 32 millimeter lens is then attached to an
ETX-105, which is f/14 if I remember correctly. What is then my final
photographic speed?

Ivar Marthinusen
Mike here: I forget how you calculate this but keep in mind that the f/ ratio is the effective focal length divided by the aperture. So you calculate the effective focal length of the combination and divide by the telescope aperture.
Subject: Re: Astrophotography Tips - WebCam issue
Date: 4/8/04, 07:23
From: Dieter.Wolf@DNSint.com
To: paul@wizrod.com
Hi Paul,

we all know the problem you are describing. For getting larger images of
the planets with prime focus webcams you can use a 2x ... 5x barlow
lense (you may be able to use it on some nights with stable air and
forget it on others...)  Besides Mike's tip to use a well-aligned finder
scope (which is hard to do) or make a parfocal combination of
barlow+eyepiece / barlow+webcam (you will loose the planet in the small
CCD FOV again when you change from EP to CCD) I prefer to use exactly
what you describe as the problem: the very unfocussed large spread-out
disc. Push 'gain' and 'brightness' close to maximum so that the screen
gets bright and you will be able to see the large unfocussed disc. As
you start to focus - the disc gets smaller and brighter - move the scope
to center the disc and as soon as  you're close to focus, readjust gain
and brightness. This works fine for me with an ETX-125EC + 2x/3x barlow
lense.

Clear skies,
Dieter

Subject: WebCam issue
Date: 4/5/04, 15:55
From: Paul Davies (paul@wizrod.com)
I've been using my ETX and webcam now for a few weeks, getting used to
them.  I'm finally starting to get some reasonable results.

However one big issue still remains. Using the webcam (a ToUcam pro2) at
prime focus in the camera port, I can locate the target with relative
ease. This is fine for the moon, but the image scale is a bit small for
the planets. For example, Jupiter shows about a  half inch disk on the
screen.  What is the trick to obtaining a bigger image?

I have a 3x barlow, that I have tried between the webcam and the 'scope,
but the change in focus from inserting the barlow renders the image
invisible! It is so out of focus that the image is spread out  larger
that the ccd chip, and too faint to see. On top of that, I have no
guarantee that the target is even in the field of view. So I can't
center the image as it is too unfocussed to see, but I can't focus it as
it isn't in the field of view ....you see my dilemma? I'm sure there is
a simple solution to this, but I can't see it!!

Would I have better luck with a 2x barlow (I don't think the problem is
the image magnification, so much as the focus change with and without 
the barlow) or would eyepiece projection be the solution?

Many thanks in advance, for any light you could shed, and many thanks
also for all your effort on your web site..

cheers

Paul Davies
Mike here: That's one of the challenges of astrophotography imaging! A well-aligned finderscope and a sturdy mount is really necessary. Try making a parfocal eyepiece (and eyepiece + Barlow Lens combination). Then use the eyepiece to check the centering and focusing; then replace the eyepiece with the webcam.

Subject: Web cams for the ETX user
Date: 4/5/04, 07:43
From: KirbyWm@aol.com
First, let me congratulate you on an excellent site.  I enjoy my ETX
125, and I believe the craftsmanship is very good for the money. 
However, I am less sanguine about Meade's lack of solid technical/user's
manual writing.  For a while there, I was treading water with the new
scope.  Now I am having fun.  Credit goes to your website, which
possesses one of the rarest attributes found on the web -- useful
information!  I have printed out pretty much every technical article and
piece of advice found on your site.  I hope you keep up the good work.

Recently, I started experimenting with web cameras and most especially
with Meade's LPI camera.  I have two bits of information other webcam
folks might make use of.

First, I know a lot of people out there use PDAs (such as Blackberry and
Palm) and synch these devices with their computers.  Please be aware
that the synching software in these machines "grab" the RS 232 comm port
that your webcam will most likely connect to.  When you try to talk to
your webcam through the port, Windows will give a "Cannot Open Comm
Port" error -- not the most informative bit of info.  If you see this
exasperating error, don't panic.  You must free up the comm port by
logging off or otherwise shutting down the auto-synch function on your
PDA's software.

Second, Meade's LPI comes with a parfocal ring to adjust the focus via
an eyepiece before switching to the webcam.  If you wish to avoid long
minutes of frustration, you need to make use of this most helpful
device.
 
Hope this will be of help.
 
William S. Kirby
kirbywm@aol.com

Subject:
Date: 4/5/04, 03:07
From: Bill Bruck (bill@collaborationarchitects.com)
Last night, I tried to take my first pictures (of the moon) with my
Meade ETX 90EC and a Canon Digital Rebel EOS. I used the Meade #64
T-Adapter for what I believe is the prime focus method. Unfortunately, I
cannot focus the telescope/camera combination. I turned the focus
control completely clockwise, and the moon started to come into focus,
but the result was still blurry (see attached photo). Any hints?
 
Bill B
Moon

Mike here: PLEASE read the Email Etiquette item on the ETX Home Page; your message was originally deleted UNREAD as SPAM due to the missing Subject Line.
When doing photography at Prime Focus you must remove the camera lens. I presume you did that. Have you tried both lengths of the Adapter? It is possible that not all cameras (due to their size) will be able to reach a focus.

And a confession:

1. I am a computer techie. It clearly says put in a subject line. I feel
really stupid.

2. I am pretty mechanical. I never noticed that the damned thing comes
apart. I feel really, really stupid.

3. You have the best site in the known world - your dedication and
generosity is absolutely wonderful!

4. I just sent in a contribution for $50.

All the best.
Mike here: Thanks. We all miss various things at times. Pressures of the moment, expectations, or whatever, we usually can't all be perfect (even though we try)!

Subject: piggyback mount for ETX125
Date: 4/3/04, 19:18
From: Tommy Lim (kangwen@tm.net.my)
is it very hard to build one? I have tried, but hard to get the
parts.......

Thanks anyway....

Tommy
Mike here: There are several ideas on the Helpful Information - Astrophotography page.

Subject: ETX-90 RA and 2X Converter
Date: 4/2/04, 19:50
From: Thom Tapp (thomtapp@cotcd.com)
I've been reading your excellent site's information for the past few
days and I am amazed at the depth it contains! Thanks for doing this! My
question is this: I've read that some do astrophotography through their
etx 90 using a Barlow lens. Why not just use a 2X converter or a 3X
converter on your camera body instead? Wouldn't this provide a better
quality image? I will be getting my ETX 90 RA in the mail next week, and
I'm not sure which way I should go.
 
Thanks!
 
Thom Tapp
Mike here: If you have a 2X or 3X converter, definitely give it a try if you can still attach the camera to the telescope (unless you plan on handholding it).

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