Telephotography Overview

OVERVIEW
The nature of image capture with digital compact cameras means Opticron telescopes can be used as high magnification telephoto lenses for wildlife photography. There are some limitations to this  conversion however as viewing eyepieces are not specifically designed for taking photographs with digital cameras. As a result it is often difficult for a viewing eyepiece to project a large enough dia. path of light into the camera lens and onto the CCD within. This results in a partial image being  created in the camera and a condition known as vignetting or circular image within the available rectangular image frame. Vignetting can be 'cropped out' of the final image using photo editing  software but the final image will be equivalent to using a very narrow field eyepiece.

To get the best results:
Choose a camera with a small lens diameter. The smaller the lens diameter the more of its' surface area will be covered by light exiting from the eyepiece. Commonly camera lenses of diameter less  than 20mm give best results and camera lenses over 30mm in diameter will require at least 3x optical zoom to attain a 'full frame' image

Use the optical zoom function on the camera or camcorder to effectively reduce the aperture of the lens to 'match up' with light exiting from the eyepiece. Remember the higher the optical zoom setting, the higher the magnification of the final image.
E.g. 20x eyepiece plus 3x optical zoom = 60x [assuming 1x setting = 1x magnification.]

Note. In addition to eyepiece magnification and camera lens diameter, variables such as eyepiece eyerelief and field of view plus individual camera zoom-lens mechanisms all play an important role in  achieving the best overall 'set-up' for this type of telephotography. There is therefore no substitute for  individual testing.

Eyepieces As a general rule, the following eyepieces provide the best overall images with a wide range of different compact digital cameras. To help they have been graded according to particular requirement.

1. Overall image quality: HDF T / HDF 40810 or HR 40812

2. Flexibility across the widest range of different magnifications: SDL 40935 zoom or HDF T 40862 zoom

3. Taking pictures at lower magnifications: HDF T 40937 or 40929 DTL

 

LOW MAGNIFICATION EYEPIECES

Brand & Model

Opticron 40937 HDF T

Opticron 40929 DTL

Eyepieces

Price (£) incl VAT

129.00 incl VAT

79.00 incl VAT

Features

Eyerelief (mm): 25
Eyelens dia (mm): 28
Length (mm): 45
Weight (g): 115

Eyerelief (mm): 38
Eyelens dia (mm): 31
Length (mm): 45
Weight (g): 122

LOW MAGNIFICATION EYEPIECES
HDF T 40937 · 40929 DTL (DIGITAL TELEPHOTOGRAPHY LENS)
These eyepieces are designed to maximise the diameter of the path of light exiting the telescope
and being projected onto the lens of the digital compact camera/camcorder. As such they allow full
frame photographs to be taken on more types of camera when used at their lowest magnification setting.

Eyepieces screw directly into current HR, GS and ES bodies as well as HR66, HR60MT, IMAGIC,
CLASSIC IF-2 MT, IS** and MM2 models.

Notes.
The 40929 DTL cannot be fitted to the following Opticron models: HR 60/80 pre 1998, Classic IF,
Classic IF MKII, Piccolo 60.

* Due to the large aperture of the DTL eyepiece, the image projected from it with some of the smaller prism scopes is rectangular and not circular as with normal viewing eyepieces.
This condition does not affect the overall quality of the image for Telephotography purposes.

** ME/MT adapters for use with 40929 DTL and IS 50, IS 60 & IS 70 models are supplied free of charge on request.

Models 40937 40929 HR80 22x 14x HR60 MT, HR66 16x 10.5x ES100 25x 16.25x GS815, ES 80, IM80* 19x 12.5x GS 665, IM65* 15x 9.5x CLASSIC IF-2 75MT* 15x 9.5x IS60* (use ME/MT Adapter)** 14x 9x IS50* (use ME/MT Adapter)** 11x 7x IS70* (use ME/MT Adapter)** 15x 9.5x MM” 52* 11x 6.9x

Digital Compact Camera Adapter

Brand & Model

Opticron 50065
DCC adapter

Opticron 50064
SDL DCC adapter

Camera Adapters

Price (£) incl VAT

35.00 incl VAT

49.00 incl VAT

Features

50065 DCC adapter
A 2 piece locking ring in aluminium combined with a flexible delrin insert. Camera side, the adapter features a 28mm screw thread connection to a suitable camera. Eyepiece side is a push fit connection over suitable HDF T, HDF or HR eyepieces with anti-clockwise lock down. Inserts are available in a choice of internal diameters;

· 50066 Ø51mm


· 50067 Ø45.5mm


· 50068 Ø41.5mm*


· 50069 Ø33mm**


* 50068 insert only fits in combination with 50067 insert.
** 50069 insert only fits in combination with 50068 and 50067 inserts.

50064 SDL DCC adapter
A 2 piece locking ring in aluminium fitted with a flexible delrin insert. Camera side, the mount features a 28mm screw thread connection to a suitable camera. Eyepiece side is a push fit connection over the 40935 SDL eyepiece with anti-clockwise lock down. Ø52mm dia.

Note. The 5mm spacer supplied should be fitted when using the SDLeyepiece at its lowest magnification.
 

DCC ADAPTER (digital compact camera adapter)
The 50065 DCC adapter provides a secure direct connection between suitable compact cameras and
selected HDF T, HDF an HR eyepieces. The 50064 SDL DCC is a larger version of the DCC designed
for the 40935 SDL zoom eyepiece.

Suitable cameras are generally those that feature either a 'fixed position' camera lens with integral
thread to accept a lens hood thread/tele-converter or a 'variable position' camera lens that is supplied
with an optional lens hood or extension tube that covers the lens as it extends and retracts.

Step rings needed to connect a hood or tube to the 28mm external thread featured on both
versions of the DCC adapter can be obtained separately from specialist accessory suppliers.