connecting a Sony DSLR to a Celestron nexstar 4!!!???

[neutronstar24]

Can anybody give me a hand? I want to connect my 55mm Sony alpha DSLR to my 4" Celestron Nexstar. The telescope has an extra opening and flip mirror at the end of the tube to attach a 35mm DSLR but Celestron doesn't make any mention of t-adapters or T-rings for 55mm cameras. I'm hoping I wont have to settle for afocal photography and instead was wondering if anybody knows the best way to attack this problem!

My current thinking is to by a 35mm T-adapter from Celestron and a 55mm T-ring from Sony and hope that some clever sod out there has made an adapter socket that fits these two things together...

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

You should be able to get a standard T ring to take the place of your lens. Then all you will need is a T-1.25" adapter. You shouldn't need any special adapters. The 55mm specification is only for the filters that screw onto the end of your lens, isn't it?

You will get a lot of vignetting though using a 1.25" adapter.

[neutronstar24]

I don't know much about cameras, only just bought this one. Does that mean that the 55mm DSLRs and the 35mm DSLRs have the same diameter "hole" when you take off the camera lens?

Also do you know how I can reduce vignetting effects?

Cheers,

Rach

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

The 35mm relates to the film size while the 55 mm relates to the outer end of your lens. I have a 135mm lens (focal length) but it takes a 72mm filter. But the lens fits neatly into the Canon 300D which has the standard bayonette lens fittings. If you can remove your lens then you can get a T adapter for it to fit the 1.25" adapter to.

You won't be able to get away from the vignetting problem if you are shooting through an 1.25" opening. The only way to reduce it is to take flat frames but for the degree you will get I don't know how effective it will be.

[neutronstar24]

Thanks a lot! I will give it a go and hopefully it wont be too bad.