The SPACE LAUNCHER series of telescopes was designed for visual observing. After looking at the night sky for a while
you may want to try your hand at photography of it. There are a few simple forms of photography possible with your
60AZ, and 76AZ telescope for celestial as well as terrestrial pursuits although celestial photography is best
done using an equatorial mount or computerized altazimuth mount. Below is just a very brief discussion of some of
the methods of photography available and suggest you search out various books for detailed information on the
subject matter.
As a minimum you will need a digital camera or a 35mm SLR camera. Attach your camera to the telescope with:
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Digital camera – you will need the A focal Camera Support Adapter (# 01110). The adapter allows the
be mounted rigidly for terrestrial as well as prime focus astrophotography.
camera to
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35mm SLR camera – you will need to remove your lens from the camera and attach a T-Ring for your
specific camera brand. Then, you will need a T-Adapter
(# 01102) to attach on one end to the T-Ring (# 01103) and
the other end to the telescope focus tube. Your telescope is now the camera lens.
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Short exposure prime focus photography is the best way to begin imaging celestial objects. It is done by attaching
your camera to the telescope as described in the paragraph above. A couple of points to keep in mind:
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You can image the Moon as well as the brighter planet s with very short exposures. You will have to
experiment with various settings and exposure times. Much information can be obtained from your camera
instruction manual which can supplement what you can find in detailed books on the subject matter.
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Do your photography from a dark sky observing site if possible.
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Remember, this is just very simple photography. Fo r more detailed and serious astrophotography you need
an equatorial mount or a computerized altazimuth mount.
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During the last few years a new technology has evolved which makes taking superb images of the planets and moon
relatively easy and the results are truly amazing.
what professionals were doing with large telescopes just a few short years ago.
You can capture planetary images your first night out which rivals
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Special cameras have been developed for taking images of deep sky images. These have evolved over the last
several years to become much more economical and amateurs can take fantastic images. Several books have been
written on how to get the best images possible. The techno logy continues to evolve with better and easier to use
products on the market.
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Your telescope makes an excellent telephoto lens for terrestrial (land) photography. You can take images of various
scenic views, wildlife, nature, and just about anything. Yo u will have to experiment with focusing, speeds, etc. to
get the best image desired. You can adapt your camera per the instructions at the top of this page.
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