Weasner's Nikon DSLR Astrophotography Discussion Page

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY WITH NIKON DIGITAL SLRs
Last updated: 25 September 2009

This page documents Nikon D70 and other Nikon DSLR camera comments, tips, and photos. Search the site for "nikon dslr" for other items about the Nikon DSLR cameras. Contributions welcome.

Subject:	D-70
Sent:	Thursday, September 24, 2009 12:43:55
From:	Mike Quinn (mike@quinnspot.com)
It's been a long time since I sent you a question or comment, probably
since 04.

I was looking at your deep sky pics and saw that you had some done with
a D-70 on a 125. How on earth, due to weight, did you mount a 70 on a
125? I have both and would like to try it now that I am getting back
into using my scopes/cameras. Do you by chance have a picture of the 70
mounted to the 125? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike Quinn
Manistee, MI
(formerly San Diego, CA)

Mike here: I don't think I've posted a photo of the Nikon D70 DSLR mounted on the ETX-125. I have posted on of it piggyback on my ETX-90RA. I've not any weight issue with the D70 on the ETX125, although I did when it was attached at prime focus on the ETX-70. For most purposes on my ETX-90/105/125 and LX200, the D70 is mounted in the normal eyepiece hole using a 1.25" adapter and T-Mount. No weight issues for me.

And:

Thanks, MIke!

Subject:	Re: Etx-80 & nikon D80
Sent:	Friday, July 24, 2009 19:01:12
From:	Robert G von Giebel (rgvg@comcast.net)
Trees about 100 yds away, 4:30pm,ISO 100 all the way up & including 1600
@ "M" setting.

Mike here: OK. What shutter speed did you use?

Subject:	Etx-80 & nikon D80
Sent:	Wednesday, July 22, 2009 10:01:52
From:	Robert G von Giebel (rgvg@comcast.net)
In addition to the night sky, I use combined  devices to photograph
wildlife. That is I photographed wildlife with an ETX-60 with no
problems. I have gone thru a two(2) year saga with Meade where the
electrical aspect did not work & they upgraded with a defective ETX-80 &
it's replacement was equally defective. I now have a working unit except
I'm unable to take any photo's. No matter what the setting all I get is
white snow. I get a view thru camera viewer but that's it! Meade
referred me here as Nikon couldn't/wouldn't help because Nikon didn't
make telescope. I'm using correct adapter & T-ring. The telescope focal
length is 400mm & recommends f4.4 as photo speed. Nikon doesn't have
this focal ratio as a setting but has 4.2 & 4.5. Any suggestions would
be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Frustrated :(

Atch'd are wat I get with subject devices. Meade referred me to your
site. Would appreciate any suggestions.

Manual recommends f4.4. Nikon only has f4.2 & f4.5 but get same results.

Thanks 
I AM, 
Robert G von Giebel

Mike here: When you view through the viewfinder, do you see an infocus image? If so, what happens when you try an Auto exposure with the camera? Is that the same white image?

And:

Yes can see & focus thru telescope. can also see thru camera viewer.
Will not function in auto mode.

Mike here: Try setting the M/A switch to M to turn off AutoFocusing.

And:

Pixs I took origi& sent to you were "M" setting. I've also updated
firmware & reset camera settings.

Mike here: OK. The AutoFocus was off. I take it you used the fully Manual exposure mode. What was the object, time of day, and exposure settings (f/stop, shutter, ISO)? [Oops, "f/stop" should not have been in the list since you don't have a lens attached to the camera.]

Subject:	Need help
Sent:	Tuesday, June 2, 2009 09:15:14
From:	C. S. Broward (cbroward@ufl.edu)
I was looking at your web page and noted that  you were using a D-70
with a barlow.  I have had no luck doing this---I end up with a hotspot
instead of a image!

Can you tell me how you have your system configured...

thanks

Chuck in N. Florida

-- 
Chuck Broward
GhastlySky Observatory
Gainesville,  Florida

Mike here: First, please see the Email Etiquette item on my ETX Site home page; your message was originally marked as SPAM due to the ambiguous subject. Thanks for understanding.
As to using a D70 with a Barlow Lens, I presume you are having difficulty focusing. I have used the D70 on several of my telescopes, with and without a Barlow Lens and with and without an eyepiece. If you can not reach a focus, it could be that your telescope focusing mechanism does not have enough "back focus" movement to allow focusing at the focal plane of the D70. Can you focus without a Barlow Lens? What adapters are you using?

And:

Thanks for responding so quickly...

I use my D-80 at prime focus with a 1.25 inch adapter.  This focuses
fine with my C-8, Vixen 102, MAK, etc...

Placing the barlow in the scope focuser, and then the camera into the
barlow  (2 x shorty)  produces the hotspot effect...

I have not tried extension tubes etc.

Some of my attempts at astrophoto:

http://picasaweb.google.com/GatorChuck/Astrophotos#

Any input would be greatly appreciated....I would love to get a bigger
planetary and luna image on the camera detector!

BTW,  I have followed your ETX Site for years...it was one of my first
storebought scopes....

Clear Sky
Chuck

Mike here: I haven't experienced that. See if you can determine where the image focuses with the Barlow Lens. Use a piece of tracing paper and focus the image on the moon. Then see if the distance is close to where the camera's focal plane is. That way, you can at least determine whether an extension tube would help.

And:

I'll give it a try tonight....I'll let you know what happens.

chuck

Subject:	Nikon DSLR Time exposure
Sent:	Wednesday, March 18, 2009 09:09:02
From:	Allen Pinkall (PinkallA@hutchcc.edu)
My Nikon D50 has a limit of about 15 minutes for time exposures.  I
suppose the purpose of this is to save the batteries from going dead. 
Is there a way to over-ride this limit?  If I would purchase an A.C.
adapter would the camera automatically allow longer exposures?

Thanks for any help,

Allen

Mike here: My D70 has a limit of 30 minutes, regardless of whether using the battery or AC. So I suspect it is a limitation of the sensor or other electronics.

Subject:	not able to focus
Sent:	Sunday, February 8, 2009 01:10:11
From:	Don Morris (dcmorris44@yahoo.com)
I attached my D80 Nikon to my etx 90 and was not able to reach focus I
used a Meade two piece tube and T mount

Mike here: I never tried using the "Meade Camera Adapter" with my Nikon D70, although I did use it with my Pentax Spotmatic SLR years ago. The ETX would focus with the Spotmatic. Have you tried using just one piece of the camera adapter (it separates into two pieces)? I use the "OPT Camera Adapter" (see the Accessory Reviews: Astrophotography page) with my D70 and ETX and LX200 telescopes.

Subject:	Nikon D80/Scopetronix Maxview/ETX-125 setup
Sent:	Monday, February 2, 2009 16:13:59
From:	Mike Pilgrim (mpilgrim@bellsouth.net)
I'm sure that in all your pages on astrophotography using your DSLR I
have seen at least partial answers to my question of today. 
Unfortunately, I don't recall seeing my exact answer.  So here goes.

To go with my new Nikon D80 and ETX-125AT I received today the
Scopetronix Maxview DSLR adapter and accompanying T-ring.  Except for no
indication where the included 1.5" rubber O-ring is employed, the
written user instructions from Scopetronix seem quite complete.  Within
those instructions however is the disclaimer regarding the total weight
of this configuration when coupled with the Nikon DSLR,  related to the
possible need for proper counter weights on the scope to help neutralize
the gear stress.

I recall your D70 is used with your ETX-90 and different tripod (mine is
the 884 Field model), and I don't recall any mention of counter weights
in your experience.  I wonder if you or any of your viewers know of or
have a configuration similar to what I am creating, and if so, I'd like
to hear of any counter weight issues and suggestions on how they were
solved.  I hope to use my setup with the scope in Polar alignment mode
(which obviously positions the D80 mounted in the main eyepiece at a
balance point different than if using AZ/ALT mode).  Should I employ a
counter balance system, and if so, where is a reference to understand
where to obtain and how to employ that concept?

By the way, I have on order a piggyback camera mounting strap (with
counter weight) in case I wish to use the D80 riding on top of the OTI. 
Might that strap and weight be  simply strapped around the OTI in a
position which can help offset the weight of my eyepiece mounted gear?

Looks like a cold front is moving in, so I apparently have a couple
evenings to study this situation and try to figure out what I need
before the next clear sky night.

Thanks,

Mike Pilgrim
Boca Raton, Fl

Mike here: I haven't had any problems with my ETX-125 on the #884 tripod and the D70. I didn't use my Maxview II (before it was stolen, along with the LXD75-8"SC) on my ETX telescopes since it was a 2" device. As to counterweights, yes, the can come in handy. Scopetronix (in the good old days) had a piggyback adapter that doubled as a counterweight; the weight was threaded for the camera mounting screw. You could probably do something like that.

Go to the 2008 Nikon DSLR Discussion page.

Go to the October-November 2007 Nikon DSLR Discussion page.

Go to the February-September 2007 Nikon DSLR Discussion page.

Go to the 2006 Nikon D70 Discussion page.

Go to the 2005 Nikon D70 Discussion page.

Go to my Nikon D70 Astrophotography page.

Go back to the Astrophotography Page.

Go back to my ETX Home Page.