Can I attach a Canon 600D to a Celestron Maksutov-Cassegrain for astrophotography?
Asked 7/19/2012
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I have a Celestron Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope and want to try astrophotography with my Canon 600D DSLR. Can I connect the camera directly to the telescope, and do I need anything beyond a Canon EOS T-ring and a T-adapter? For example, would I need extension tubes or a Barlow lens?
Also, when I remove the eyepiece and hold a small digital camera up to the telescope, I see a black dot in the middle of the view. Will that central obstruction show up in photos when using a proper T-ring and T-adapter with the Canon?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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Here is a simple how-to guide for attaching your DSLR to a telescope. With photos, and links to external information on related topics.
tl;dr: You need a T-ring (or T-mount) to adapt your DSLR to the T-adapter, which slides into the telescope in place of the regular eyepiece. As you are going to be taking photos of vary distant objects with long exposures, you will need to have a remote shutter release for best results.
This level of preparation will get you very good photos of the moon and decent photos of brighter objects. However, you won't be getting Hubble-quality photos out of it. Most serious astrophotographers end up with temperature-controlled image sensors in custom setups that they spend lots of money on as well as specialized astrophotography camera control and image-processing software (cf. "image stacking") - and they still don't get Hubble-quality photos, as there's no substitute for getting your telescope out of the atmosphere.
Word to the wise: Use your camera's strap to attach it to the telescope so it won't hit the ground should it slip out of the instrument.
Originally by user8328. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user8328
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — a Canon EOS T-ring plus the correct T-adapter is the standard way to attach your 600D at prime focus in place of the eyepiece.
In general, you should not need an extension tube or Barlow just to make the basic connection. Start with only the T-ring and T-adapter, then add other accessories only if you have a specific need.
The black dot you saw is caused by the telescope’s central obstruction showing up when the image is out of focus. For in-focus subjects, it should not appear as a dot in the final image. Catadioptric designs can produce “donut” shapes in out-of-focus highlights, but not a visible center hole in a properly focused subject.
For best results, especially with long exposures, use a remote shutter release or other hands-off triggering method to reduce vibration. This setup can work well for the Moon and some brighter objects, but expectations should be realistic compared with dedicated deep-sky astrophotography systems.
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