Meade ETX-90PE instruction manual Photography with a 35mm Camera

Fig. 31a: Flip mirror control in the “up” position.

Fig. 31b: Flip mirror control in the “down” position.

Fig. 32a: Example of a format 1 photo.

Fig. 32b: Example of a format 2 photo.

PHOTOGRAPHY

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1 2

5 3 4 6

Fig. 30: Example of photography through the ETX using the #64 T-Adapter: (1) Short

section of #64 T-Adapter; (2) Extension section of #64 T-Adapter; (3) Knurled attachment ring;

(4) T-mount; (5) Flip-mirror control in “up” position; (6) 35mm camera body; (7) Format 1.

Photography with a 35mm Camera

Photography through your ETX model requires the addition of the optional #64 T-Adapter (see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 42). With the #64 T-Adapter attached to the telescope (Fig. 30), through-the-telescope photography is possible with any 35mm camera body with a removable lens. In this way the telescope effectively becomes the lens of the camera.

For through-the-telescope photography, turn the flip-mirror control (5, Fig. 30) to the “down” position, allowing light to pass straight through the telescope and out the photo port (Figs. 31a and 31b). With the flip-mirror control in the “down” position and the photo port’s dust cover removed, you can see the front lens of the telescope when you look through the photo port. The #64 T-Adapter threads onto the photo port, followed by a T-mount for the particular brand of 35mm camera being used, followed by the camera body (with the camera lens removed).

The #64 T-Adapter consists of two sections (1 and 2, Fig. 30), which are threaded together in shipment. You may use either of the following photographic mounting formats to couple the camera body to the telescope’s photo port thread.

•Format 1: Camera Body + T-Mount + Section (1) of the #64 T-Adapter (7, Fig. 30).

ETX-90PE	1250mm at f/13.8
ETX-105PE	1640mm at f/15.6
ETX-125PE	1900mm at f/15

Format 1 utilizes only the short section of the #64 T-Adapter to permit close-coupling of a camera body to the telescope. In this format vignetting will occur; the photographic image will appear on film with a slight darkening at the corners of the 35mm frame (see Fig. 32a).

•Format 2: Camera Body + T-Mount + Sections (1) and (2) of the #64 T-Adapter (see Fig. 30).

ETX-90PE	1450mm at f/16
ETX-105PE	1830mm at f/17.4
ETX-125PE	2310mm at f/18

Format 2 utilizes both sections of the #64 T-Adapter threaded together to form a rigid unit. In this configuration there is no field vignetting; images are illuminated to the edges of a standard 35mm frame (see Fig. 32b).

To frame an object in the viewfinder of the 35mm camera body, slightly loosen the knurled attachment ring (3, Fig. 30), which threads the #64 T-Adapter to the telescope’s photo port; rotate the camera body to achieve proper framing of the object; then re-tighten the knurled ring.

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