Noob Astrophotography Question

Hello All,

I am a noob and having trouble hooking up my camera to my scope. I have the following equipment below. I was under the assumption I hook my camera with a lense attached to the scope. Is this correct? Or do I hook up the camera with no lense to the scope? Also is there a way to shoot with my lenses through the eyepiece? If so can you point me to the piece I need for that.

Thanks and I apologize for the noob questions.



http://www.bhphotovide​o.com/c/product/352219​-REG/Celestron_11067_XL​T_Advanced_C11_SGT_w_M​otorized.html#Astropho​tography%20Aids

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com/c/product/202137​-REG/Celestron_93633_A_​SLR_35mm_OR_Digital_.h​tml

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com/c/product/276091​-REG/Kowa_TSPK_CE_T_Mou​nt_SLR_Camera_Adapter.​html

I haven't taken time to look at your links yet.
Generally, you would attach the camera to your telescope via a T adapter without a lens.

Looks like you have it all. I'll trade you my telescope for yours!
You attach the T-mount adaptor to your camera by using the camera adaptor.
The telescope should accomodate the T adaptor.
Mine has a port at the very back with a mirror that flips out of the way. I don't know how Celestron does it.

Get a dew shield or make one out of neoprene.
If this is your first telescope...take your time learning how to align it. It is a little complex but if you do a good job, your telescope will track really well.

Cool. Thanks so much for the info. I was assuming you would hook the camera and the lense to the scope. No wonder I couldn't figuer out how to do it.

Yeah getting things lined up is a real bi*ch. I found Jupitor once (musta been a miracle because I can't get it in the scope anymore) and the moon.

You will need to set the telescope up so that your are referenced on the north star. I don't know your set up so can't be real helpful.
Setting the time properly will be critical. So will knowing your latitude.
Once you are set up, you can use the hand controller to tour the skies.
That is a lot of glass you have! You should be able to see plenty of deep sky stuff.
If everything is set properly, you will be able to direct it to a target. Once acquired, it will creep along and track it for you.
You will have your best fortune by taking a number of exposures and stacking them rather than taking one long one. You later assemble the images one on top of the other. This is called stacking and if you search that term, you will find software designed for the purpose. You can do it very well with photoshop too.
Have fun....we are entering the best time of the year. Do you have a good dark sky site?

You have the hardware you need to shoot prime focus with your Schmidt-Cassegrain(C-11) and a DSLR. There's no need for a lens, the telescope will be your lens, and a hefty one at that. Taking deep sky photographs(long exposure) at 2800mm is difficult for those with experience so be prepared for some challenges but don't be discouraged. The CG-5 mount is bare minimum for imaging with an optical tube of this size/weight and focal length. The scale achieved with this kind of focal length is wonderful but with the increased scale comes the need for pin-point accurate tracking and careful balance and alignment of the scope when you set up. When focal length is increased so is the apparent movement of Earth as it rotates on its axis.

I highly recommend that you pick up the Celestron f/6.3 focal reducer/flattener. The C-11 is an f/10 scope and that's VERY slow for deep sky objects but fine if you plan only to shoot Lunar or planetary. Initially you'll have to find the exposure lengths this rig will allow you and work within that frame work. Unfortunately the CG-5, as I mentioned will be your biggest challenge. The mount used for any rig is the single most important element for long exposure work. If a mount is maxed out with weight it will make balance at set up extremely critical and will also push the internal components(gears, etc.) to their limit. I'm not saying you won't have success, just that there will be limits in exposure times, which you'll have to determine by testing.

I would suggest you begin with the Moon and brighter deep sky objects like the Orion Nebula(M42). These type of objects will allow you to get a feel for your rig as well as determine its limitations. Astrophotography has a steep learning curve, takes enormous patience and can get expensive but its extremely rewarding when you see those successes appear on your monitor.

Dark skies will be important for long exposure work. If it's not dark where you live you might want to scout a darker site within a short drive.

One other thing, you'll want to use a shutter release cable(manual or digital) for long exposure work. Avoiding vibrations will be a must. You could get by with the camera timer delay for Lunar and planetary for now but it's really not practical for multiple long exposures.

Stop by the astrophotography thread in the Nature/Animal section. We'd be happy to help you with any questions you may have.
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=553708

Awesome write up guys I appreciate it. I went with the approach to buy big instead of buying little and upgrading, spending twice the amount to get to the same place. The moon is stunning through this scope. I had jupitor, like I said before, but was unable to get it in the scope the last few times out. Alignment is def my biggest issue.

My house is the worst (wooded) so i am def on the lookout for good spots. Although a few times a month I can see the moon so next time it shows up I will be attempting to shoot it (I can atleast find that!).

Thanks again for all the help. I would still be trying to figuer out how to hook up the lense to the scope without you guys.:o

diegodog wrote in post #6197926
Thanks again for all the help. I would still be trying to figuer out how to hook up the lense to the scope without you guys.:o

Are you trying to mount the lens to look through the scope or mount your camera and lens on top of your scope? Mounting your camera and lens on top of your scope is referred to as piggy back imaging which allows you to take wider field shots and to take advantage of the tracking your mount provides? For this you'll need a piggy back mount(rail) that will mount to your scope. It has a piece that attaches to your camera base and slides forward and back on the rail. In the photo below you can see the hardware I described supporting the camera on top of the scope.