How do you mount a DSLR on a Seben Big Boss?

[RichardjJones]

I am very new to astrophotography & astronomy, please forgive my ignorance.
I just purchased a Seben Big Boss telescope and would very much like to have a go at astrophotography. I have a few questions.

(1)What is the best way to attach my DSLR (Canon 550D) to the scope?
(2)Is there a special T-Ring adapter specifically for my telescope & camera?
(3)If so can anyone point me in the right direction of where I might find one?

After reading through some of your forum posts would I be correct in saying that this is called the “Prime Focus” method?

Thank you kindly for your assistance.
Richard

[mswhin63 (Malcolm)]

I used to have a SEBEN, unfortunately there is no way to mount the DSLR on it. They have a 1.25" focuser. The only thing you can connect are webcam or cameras with 1.25" adapters. DSLR's only have 2" lens adapters.

Generally these are visual scopes.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

From a Seben website:

* Extendable for Astrophotography, solar observing etc. because of its 1,25 accessory-hole.

Just what we all need. An accessory hole

[Cosmic (Daniel)]

Hi Richard,

T-ring and adapters come in 1.25 and 2 inches ...im new to but im not sure why that wouldn't work for you. I belivile theres no need for 2 inch as the sensor not big enough to warrant a 2 inch anyway.

Yes prime focus is what they call it.

[BlackWidow (Mardy)]

Hi Richard. I just had a look at your scope on Google. It seems it deos not have auto tracking. That will make it difficult for you to take pictures with DSLR. You will be able to take some shots with very short exposures, but you will be limited. You can get adaptors to put you Canon camera onto your scope. You will need a T-Adaptor to suit your model camera and a T-Thread to 1.25 Eypeice adaptor. You can get them from shops like Andrews Communications. You can find them on the net, and they will post the items out too you. They will give you assistance on the phone. The other Company is Bintel, also on the net.

If you are wanting to take picures of Planets like the Moon and Saturn Etc, you will be far better off with a Webcam and a piece of software called RegistaX. The program is free on the internet and allows you to take a video shot of the object. It then devides it into images and stacks them into one shot. Thier is a bit more magic to it than that, but thats it in the basic form. The best Webcams are the Philips SPC900NC and they can be found also on the net. Thier are two verisons avaliable, modded and un-modded. Modded Webcams allow you to take longe exposure, but you can already do that with your Canon. You will just need a standard out of the box one. You will find most nice planet shots you see on the net are taken with Webcams and not DSLR's. I have a larger telescope and use a 1.25 adaptor with my Canon camera. I do also have a 2" version but trust me you can purchase what you need I would guess for around $40 - $50..

I hope I have been some assistance and I hope you enjoy using your new telescope.

Seeing Stars
Mardy

[RichardjJones]

Thanks all for your response to my post, you have been most helpful.

To answer you question Martin, Big Boss does have a basic motor that tracks objects, I have yet to attached it.

I am glad to hear that it may be possible to get a t-ring for my DSLR & 1.25" scope, I will attempt to track one down.
Does the t-ring have it's own lens built in? Or is it kind of like an empty adapter tube/ring? I ask because I have attempted to test some cameras on the scope without the eyepiece & it appears that the t-ring would need a lens to focus the light onto the camera sensor.. (apologies for the silly question but I am curious to know).

I have had some luck with an older Digi camera (smaller lens) attached to the eye piece, is this how you would set up a Webcam? Or would a Webcam work without the eyepiece?

Apologies again for asking so many questions off the bat..

Much respect,
Richard.

[steve000 (Steve)]

Whats with all the nay sayers! .

It looks like you need the following.

This is a ring it attaches to your camera and will provide a thread to work with nose peice
http://www.myastroshop.com.au/produc...sp?id=MAS-054B

This is the nose peice, this is inserted in your 1.25" eyepeice hole. Have a good close look though my focuser has a thread for a ring already on it. I dont think yours does but just check anyway.
http://www.myastroshop.com.au/produc...sp?id=MAS-026H

You dont use a lense, you focuse the light straight onto the sensor using the scopes focuser.. the scope basicaly becomes a big lense.. a 1400mm lense ( a bit more actually cause of the small sensor and etc.. )

Your DSLR will be good for deep sky images and the moon.
Without a motor for tracking deep space wont be possible, well.... you need to be REALLLLLLLY good at manual guiding.. in reality though we never are.

The moon however requires a very short exposure time as its so bright, so its a good target.

For planets dont bother they are small. you need a barlow and a high power one at that, you start to treat planets at high power as deep sky, you will need tracking again.

For planets a webcam and adapter is much better idea, like this. http://www.morgancomputers.co.uk/sho...SubCategoryID= and http://www.morgancomputers.co.uk/sho...SubCategoryID=
You can then download software to upgrade the cameras firmware to a better model with more abilitys and win vista / 7 support.

Over time, start saving and upgrade to a decent goto scope allowing longer exposure of deep sky.. depending how extreme you go it could cost you $1000's

[BlackWidow (Mardy)]

Hi again Richard. Once you connect the T-mount to your canon camera it gives you a T-Thread to attach all sorts of things. You can attach a 1.25 Eyepeice adaptor that will allow you to slide it into the Eypeice holder of your telescope. You do not need an eypeice at all. However you can also purchase an eypeice projection unit that has a tube between the T-Mount adaptor and the Eypeice nose. It allows you to insert an Eypeice between them. This allows you to extra things. however I would suggest the use of a barlow to increse the mag of your target, you will get better results and they only cost about $35 for a 2x (starting price). do a Google on the items we have been talking about to see what they look like, it will make mores sense. Or give the boys a call at the telescope shops I mentioned.


Seeing Stars
Mardy

[RichardjJones]

Thank you very much Steve & Martin for your time responding to my post.

Thanks for the links Steve, very much appreciated. I will order the parts you linked to.
The eyepiece hole's do not have treads only the stainless steel base that is used to attach the mount that holds the 2X barlow (I have a barlow)

From the link you sent it appears I can inserted the T-ring adaptor into the 1.25" eyepiece hole & barlow hole so that should be fantastic. Thank you very much for that.

I will have a play tonight to see how I go getting the motor to track. I talked to an astronomer friend who said I shouldn't get a goto as I needed to learn how to do it the "old school way".. Maybe I should have gone with the goto.

Thanks again for your time,
Kind regards,
Richard

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Added extra, you will probably need to turn off the Mirror Lock. Otherwise the DSLR will indicate no lens and therefore will not work. Frustrating lesson learned just recently.

Oh! ... and and good luck.