Camera alignment on the telescope for digiscoping.

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When a camera is first attached to the telescope it should be adjusted to be as close as possible to the eyepiece. Though the camera lens housing shouldn't actually touch the eye lens. Camera zoom lenses move in and out as they zoom and focus. The extreme length should just clear the eyepiece. Not actually touch it.

Do not attempt centering of the image until you are satisfied the camera lens will not hit the telescope eyepiece during zooming. Nor should you attempt to zoom to expand the dark corners out of sight on the camera screen. Use the lowest power on the telescope if it has a zoom ring.

A short, camera zoom lens will move in and out less than a super zoom. Though its [normally] free movement should not be blocked or impeded by the telescope. Actual contact is likely to produce an error notice from the camera. They are simply not designed to cope with this sort of problem. Nor do you want to damage the expensive eyepiece lens by crushing dust or dirt between the approachig surfaces.

The usual first view in the camera's viewing screen is of a bright circle with black corners. Whether the bright circle is centered on the screen will depend on the accuracy of the camera's fitting to the telescope adapter.

Trees at assorted distances over 450 yards away.

Adjustment is usually provided for back and forth, height and side to side movement. The telescope stays still. The camera is adjusted on its adapter to center its own lens on the telescope's eye lens. The viewing screen is useful for monitoring the exact alignment.

The problem is usually that adjusting involves loosening something. Which undoes any former adjustments. The Vortex PS-100 has a front plate which bolts to the slotted, L-section, camera support plate. A slot is provided in the front plate for the bolt to move up and down.

Rotation of the adapter front plate provides some side to side movement. Simultaneously with height adjustment. If that sounds fiddly, it certainly is. Patience and not torquing the fixing bolt too tightly is required. I added a thin washer beneath the hex, socket head bolt to allow smoother adjustment. Only when I was satisfied with centering did I properly tighten the bolt. I then carefully checked the camera's nose clearance from the telescope at all zoom settings.

If you cheat and zoom in to remove the dark corners, before the camera is properly aligned, you may get distorted pictures, false colours or shadows in your images. Patience will be rewarded so don't give up too soon. The Larch tree in my images was about 30 yards away. Zooming to remove the dark corners adds magnification to the power of the telescope. This is inevitable but not always desirable. See the next post on the subject of power in more detail.

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