A equatorial mount for DSLR?

[shineofleo]

I don't want to buy a complete telescope with the German Equatorial Mount,

because the Nikkor 1000mm nikkor should be enough for my amateur use...

 

Is there any equatorial mount for my Nikon D200? I can use the 200mm or 1000mm

lense as the telescope anyway...

 

I have search the internet, there are some equatorial mount, but not sure if it

can be used with DSLR directly... i.e. put the camera on the mount, not via

T-tube to a telescope.

 

 

Any idea?

 

 

 

Leon

[nikos peri]

You can get most any decent eq mount independantly from the optical tube you place on it. I have a Vixen setup, where the accessory plate is nothing other than a plate that connects to the eq mount via the standard v-tail. The plate itself is usually used to hold rings to hold a refractor, but it is covered in standard Kodak thread screws (6). These you can use to hold the camera through the tripod socket (bad idea though), or the lens through its own lens collar (much better idea).<p>

Bear in mind though, that if you intend on achieving accurate polar alignment, you will need the ability to use your 1000mm lens with an illuminated reticle eyepiece.

[richard_meyers]

You might google astrophotography.

[darren_cokin]

Do you need something with accurate adjustments, or do you just want to make it easier to track the quick moving moon across the sky?<br><br>

 

You can use any ballhead with a panning base for that, if you flip it upside down. Here's a picture of mine, with a quick-release on both sides, so it can be flipped as needed. (Upside down position also used for stitched panorama's, which need to be leveled.)<br><br>

 

Equipment shown is:<br>

Nikon 80-400 VR lens, with <a

href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00HfRR&tag=">homemade

lens scope converter</a><br>

<a href="http://www.markinsamerica.com/MA5/M10-NQS.php">Markins Q-Ball M10

ballhead, version w/o quick release</a><br>

<a

href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=258767&is=REG&addedTroughType=search">Two

Novoflex MiniConnect Quick Release Adapters (round version)</a><br>

<a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00HfRR&tag="></a>Gitzo

tripod, with <a

href="http://www.mcmaster.com/itmLookup/itmLookup.aspx?sesnextrep=520578997396946&searchstring=91525a129&tab=find&FastTrack=False&ftctlgpg=3134&FlCntxt=">big

fender washer</a> providing base for MiniConnect <a

href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=details_accessories&A=details&Q=&sku=197112&is=REG&addedTroughValue=258767_REG&addedTroughType=accessory_detail">quick

release plate</a><div></div>

[jeff h.]

Orion telescopes (www.telescope.com) has some nice German equatorial mounts at

different weight-bearing (and budget) levels, and most of them can be upgraded from

manual tracking to motorized or "Go To" operation. I use an Orion SkyView Pro GE mount

with dual-axis motors for my astrophotography with either a 500/8 lens (with 2x and 1.4x

teleconverters stacked on) or an 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (essentially a 2000mm/

f.10 lens). The SkyView Pro head uses a long dovetail bar that is readily available, and I

bolted a simple Bogen quick-release head to the bar so I can mount my camera and lens

on with a QR plate screwed onto the lens. I always remove the counter-weights when I

don't have the telescope mounted on. I forget how much the 1000/11 weighs, but you

shouldn't have to use much weight to balance the rig. Good luck!

[jeff h.]

Inspired by Darren's much better post, I took a picture of my rig this afternoon while

shooting some pictures of our friendly sun (with the mandatory, proper Thousand Oaks

Solar Filter) with my 300/4ED plus TC-14A (1.4x) plus TC201 (2x) teleconverters (for the

photo, I placed my FM2n in place of my D80). In this photo you can see the Bogen/

Manfrotto 3299 rectangular quick-release head (takes the little 3157 QR plates) bolted on

to a standard astronomical/photo dovetail bar. The little brass bolt on the top end of the

dovetail is to prevent the bar from accidentally sliding off the mount. The tripod/mount is

an Orion SkyView Pro German equatorial mount with a polar alignment scope and dual

axis motors; focusing is done manually and then tracking is automated.

 

 

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img

src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/SpeedySub/DSC_0211.jpg" border="0"

alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

[walkiria]

<p>Will this work for a a <strong>Celestron CG-4</strong>?<br>

I</p>