Meade LX200-ACF 12 inch User Manual - Page 41
Photography & Digital Imaging
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PHOTOGRAPHY & DIGITAL IMAGING 21 You may perform through-the-telescope imaging with any camera body with a removable lens. You may connect a camera to a #62 T-Adapter which is then connected to the microfocuser assembly. See Fig. 19. Using this method, the telescope effectively becomes the lens of the camera. The #62 T-Adapter (Fig. 19, 1) connects to the rear cell port (Pg. 7, Fig. 1, 5) ( or microfocuser assembly on 16" models), followed by a T-Mount (Fig. 19, 2) for the particular brand of camera being used, followed by the camera body (Fig. 19, 3). To orient an object in the viewfinder of the camera body, use a small jeweler's screwdriver to slightly loosen three adjustment screws around the outer knurled ring of the T-Mount. Rotate the camera body to achieve proper orientation of the object; then re-tighten the adjustment screws. 3 Fig. 19: LX200-ACF with #62 T-Adapter: (1) camera adapter, (2) Tmount, (3) camera body. The #62 T-Adapter permits close-coupling of a camera body to the telescope. In this format vignetting occurs: The image appears with a slight darkening (vignetting) at the corners of the 35mm frame (Fig. 20). Imaging through a long lens such as the LX200-ACF requires special technique for good results, and the photographer should probably expect to take many shots in acquiring this technique. Long-lens imaging has its own rewards, however, rewards that short-focus lenses cannot duplicate. A few tips on imaging with the LX200-ACF telescopes: 1. Use the Field Tripod for the telescope. At an effective focal length of 2000mm, even small external vibrations can easily ruin an otherwise good photo. For best results in photographing celestial objects, a wedge and One-Star polar alignment is recommended. See APPENDIX A, pages 53 through 57. Caution: With the #62 T-Adapter and a camera body mounted to the LX200-ACF photo port, the telescope can only be rotated vertically about 45°. Moving past this point may damage the telescope and camera. Fig. 20: Example of vignetting. 2. Use a cable-operated shutter release. Touching the camera body to initiate shutter operation almost certainly introduces undesirable vibrations. 3. Focus the image with extreme care. While observing the subject through the camera's reflex viewfinder, turn the telescope's focus knob (Fig. 1, 6) to achieve the sharpest possible focus. Note that some cameras may have an optional focusing screen (available from the manufacturer) for use with a long telephoto lens. This screen provides a brighter and clearer image to focus, and is highly recommended. 4. Correct shutter speeds vary widely, depending on lighting conditions and film used. Trial-and-error is the best way to determine proper shutter speed in any given application. Note: The camera used with your telescope may have an exposure meter that is still active when the standard lens is removed and the body is connected to the telescope with the T-Mount. If used for terrestrial photography, the camera meter should be acceptable. If used for astrophotography, the meter probably will not provide good results since camera meters are not made to compensate for a dark sky. 5. Terrestrial photography through the LX200-ACF is sensitive to heat waves rising from the Earth's surface. Long distance photography is best accomplished in the early morning hours before the Earth has had time to build up heat. 6. Imaging of the Moon and planets through the LX200-ACF can be especially gratifying, but points 1 through 4 should be particularly noted in this case. If you wish to take photographs using polar alignment, see APPENDIX A, page 53. - 41 -