Astro-photography made a little easier..

[GenEOS]

Check this out...
http://www.scopetronix.com/
MaxView™ DSLR Variable Projection Adapters

This is just what I am looking for...The T-adapter on the back of my scope sucks. Plus you don't get a shot of what you actually see.
With this you shoot through the eyepiece.
Make me feel more warm and fuzzy, because I bought nice eye-pieces.

I will post pics when I get this set up.

Plus, with this rig, the camera weight is supported better on my scope.
The D60 is goin gto be the test camera for this rig...

[kfong]

This is just what I am looking for...The T-adapter on the back of my scope sucks. Plus you don't get a shot of what you actually see.
With this you shoot through the eyepiece.
Make me feel more warm and fuzzy, because I bought nice eye-pieces.


Since the attaching point to the scope is through the 1-1/4" or the 2" eyepiece port, this is the weak point here. Unless your scope has the 2" eyepiece port with brass compression ring, you'll have to rely on just 1 or 2 hand tightened set screws between your scope and your camera, and there is just not enough friction to make a rigid connection.

Ken

[GenEOS]

Ken, my scope is a Meade LTX-125.
On it the eyepiece mounts in the vertical.
The 1.25" will bottom out in the socket and the screw just keeps it from comming out. This is way more stable than using the t-mount on it.
Plus you can use various eye pieces in it. I have a tele-vue 8mm that has a very large eye relief, it should work great.
I am doing some research and then purchase if it is getting good reviews...

[kfong]

Ken, my scope is a Meade LTX-125.

Do you mean the ETX-125? Couldn't recall Meade has a LTX series.
I have a ETX-90, which I used as a quick-view scope and the occasional shot of the moon, but have long given up hope trying to use it for eyepiece projection astrophoto. It's just not stable enough.

On it the eyepiece mounts in the vertical.
The 1.25" will bottom out in the socket and the screw just keeps it from comming out. This is way more stable than using the t-mount on it.

But by the time you've put the scope on a equatorial wedge( highly desirable for to maintain your sanity while trying to track and focus, and to prevent field rotation) the eyepiece port will likely to be tilted at some angle other than vertical.
Since the eyepiece projection tube is coupled to the eyepiece port with one lock screw only, there is some play around the axis of the screw. You can test this by insert an eyepiece into the port and tightening the lock screw as much as possible, then try to wiggle the eyepiece perpendicular to the axis of the screw. Any play is too much play when you attach the eyepiece projection tube and the camera.

Plus you can use various eye pieces in it. I have a tele-vue 8mm that has a very large eye relief, it should work great.
I am doing some research and then purchase if it is getting good reviews...
For planetary work you don't need a large eye relief. Say Venus now is ~60", at a focal length of 1900 mm the image height at prime focus is only 0.55 mm. What are needed are good chromatic correction and orthoscopic, oh and avoid using eyepiece with built-in barlow (TC in camera talk) as these types tend to produce more flare.

Ken

[WCannistra]

Ken, my scope is a Meade LTX-125.

I have a ETX-90, which I used as a quick-view scope and the occasional shot of the moon, but have long given up hope trying to use it for eyepiece projection astrophoto. It's just not stable enough......

Ken

Despite the claims made by Meade the ETX series of scopes just cannot do astrophotography well for the reasons you site. At best it is a portable "scope on a rope" for viewing while on the road traveling.

The ScopeTronix device is certainly good for the larger SCT scopes like the Meade LX series. The only drawback using the ScopeTronix adapter with my Canon 10-D and LX200 GPS is the vignetting that can occur using the ScopeTronix with an eyepiece of 31mm focal length or greater.

However I have used that to my advantage since it provides a natural dark frame around the image content which I have found to be a positive effect in most cases. 8)