Powermate

[Eggmoon (Geoff)]

Hi,

I have been taking some pictures of the Moon, of Jupiter... even tried a little deep space stuff. But still in my early days.

I have been wondering what it would be like to include something like a Powermate 2.5x between my scope and my DSLR... just to see how it goes.

Now... my question is this... how do I include it? I currently remove the diagonal and srew my DSLR via it's T-Adapater straight on to the back of my LX90... but from what I see of the Powermates (And other items like it) you can't include them this way. Do I need to set up another way... via the diagonal... some other form of adapter? Or can you adapt them with T-Threads at either end so they sit between scope and Camera? I like the way the camera screws on the scope... it's nice and secure... would like to be able to just include the Powermate in there via the same method.

Any hints from you experts out there?

Geoff

[Screwdriverone (Chris)]

Hi Geoff,

Can be done, simply buy one of these.

http://www.bintel.com.au/Eyepieces-a...oductview.aspx

I used my Powermate 5 x with the DSLR on Saturn here

Cheers

Chris

[Eggmoon (Geoff)]

Thanks Chris...

Ok, firstly... lovely picture of Saturn...

Secondly... saw those... dont they just replace the eye peice part, so you can attach a camera there? What about the other end? Can you screw that on to the base of the scope? Or is it held there by the little thumb screws? They are what scare me... that I'd lose my camera crashing to the ground if it isnt all securely screwed in.

Geoff.

[Screwdriverone (Chris)]

Hi Geoff,

Thanks.

No, the barrel of the powermate unscrews and then the lens element screws into the Powermate adaptor which in turn screws into the screw thread of the T ring.

As a back up plan, I wrap my canon strap around the base of my finderscope bracket so it catches it if I loosen the focuser screws and the camera decides to slip out. Hasnt happened yet, but I always do it, just in case.

Make sure you try Backyard EOS too, if your camera doesnt have movie mode, this simulates it by capturing the live view from the camera, PLUS gives you the 5x planetary mode....its great.

Cheers

Chris

[Eggmoon (Geoff)]

Ok... let me get this right...

So the Powermate screws onto the t-adapter that screws onto the barrel of the scope... so how is the camera attached to the Powermate? It screws on that end as well? Thats what I was hoping for...

And yes, I am using BackyardEOS with my Canon 60D, and using Movie Crop mode in the Canon. Have had a lot of fun with the images I am getting, even though I am still very new and still experimenting. Have been trying out both Registax 6 and AVIStack 2, Registax is easier, but I seem to get better images with AVIStack... maybe I am just not using Registax right.

This was Jupiter from my backyard on Monday night... not played with saturation levels for the colour yet, but it's my best Jupiter image yet... and wasnt even at my dark site, just in my light polluted suburban home.

Geoff.

[naskies (Dave)]

Originally Posted by Eggmoon

Secondly... saw those... dont they just replace the eye peice part, so you can attach a camera there?

Yep, the female 1.25" eyepiece socket is removed and replaced with an adapter to a male T-thread.

What about the other end? Can you screw that on to the base of the scope? Or is it held there by the little thumb screws? They are what scare me... that I'd lose my camera crashing to the ground if it isnt all securely screwed in.

It's a male 1.25" eyepiece socket that connects just like any 1.25" eyepiece. If you look carefully at the photos, you'll see that it's actually slightly recessed where the thumb screws go - which prevents it from slipping out.

I'm often surprised by how much metal contracts when the temperature drops. I'll often re-tighten the screws during the night to reassure myself that it's secure.

[naskies (Dave)]

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

Make sure you try Backyard EOS too, if your camera doesnt have movie mode, this simulates it by capturing the live view from the camera, PLUS gives you the 5x planetary mode....its great.

Yep, BYE is great. The normal LiveView down samples the entire field of view of your camera, but the 5x mode gives you 1:1 pixels which are a 100% of the centre pixels (i.e. it's like the Movie Crop Mode on some of the more recent cameras).

[Eggmoon (Geoff)]

Naskies... So what your saying is I need an adapter for the telescope to be able to use eye-pieces directly on the scope rather than through the diagonal? Or I could put the powermate and the camera on the diagonal as an alternative.... getting a bit long and precarious though like that...

And yes, had guessed what thar recess was for, the non-slipage factor... was just liking the idea of threads at both ends for security....

[naskies (Dave)]

Originally Posted by Eggmoon

Naskies... So what your saying is I need an adapter for the telescope to be able to use eye-pieces directly on the scope rather than through the diagonal? Or I could put the powermate and the camera on the diagonal as an alternative.... getting a bit long and precarious though like that...

And yes, had guessed what thar recess was for, the non-slipage factor... was just liking the idea of threads at both ends for security....

Where do your 1.25" eyepieces go on the scope at the moment? If you need a diagonal to reach focus with eyepieces, you'll most likely also need it for the Powermate too.

Imagine that you have your scope set up with a 1.25" eyepiece and it's in focus. You would first connect up the pieces in the following order:

PowerMate (with female 1.25" holder removed) --> Powermate to T-ring adapter --> T-ring to EOS adapter --> DSLR.

Next, you'd remove the 1.25" eyepiece from the diagonal. Then place the entire PowerMate and DSLR assembly from above into the diagonal where the eyepiece used to be. Turn on the camera and re-focus the image (either LiveView or through the computer).

I hope that explains it?

[chaffingbuttock (Matthew)]

do you connect a dslr to such a small eyepiece-sized thing? i think the 2 inch ones would be better suited for attaching a camera

http://www.bintel.com.au/Eyepieces-a...oductview.aspx

maybe if you were using a webcam or wanted to use it for visual then 1.25 sounds like it would be alright.

[Eggmoon (Geoff)]

Naskies...

LOL... yes.... I understood... and yes, my eyepieces are in the diagonal at the moment. But when I use my DSLR I remove the diagonal and the camera goes directly on to the back of the scope... via t-thread nice and secure.

I just tought that perching a camera on the end of a powermate... which is on the end of the diagonal... would be a little unweildy and unsteady.

Thats why I liked the idea of scope-powermate-camera in a single, screwed together train.... but seems it wont work that way.

SO then I was thinking that an eye piece holder on the back of the scope to the powermate would at least be a little more steady the via a diagonal.

As for the focus... I can reach focus either via diagonal to eye-piece... or just the camera being directly on the back of the scope... so that isnt an issue.

But thank you all... you have answered my questions about how to go through the set up.

Much appreciated... I am sure I will be back to pester people about other things another time....

Geoff

[Eggmoon (Geoff)]

Got the Powermate 2.5x and am LOVING it....

Geoff.

[EricB (Eric)]

I got the X2.5 PM a couple of months ago, mostly for astrophoto. Love it. It's been great on the Moon. I have used it a bit on Jupiter and it makes a substantial difference it terms of Jupiter's size. I also got the x5 PM a few weeks ago, but, dew to poor seeing here in Adelaide, i haven't been able to use it any meaningful way (it looks like it will only been used on exceptional nights, which I very few and far between where I live).

[Eggmoon (Geoff)]

EricB... Feel free to post it to me if you cant use it!!!!

[EricB (Eric)]

....With my luck, the day I part with the TV x5 is the day the seeing will be wonderful!

As a matter of fact, I have just used it tonight. The seeing was a bit better than usual. The seeing wasn't good enough for the x5 though.

Cheers,

Eric