As I blogged before, I did some research into a smartphone adapter. The Carson HookUpz 2.0 arrived. I read the manual and set it up with an iPhone 5C. I tried it first with the Meade ETX and a 1.25” eyepiece. The initial image was just a circle but that makes sense considering the iPhone is a difference aspect ratio. I zoomed in and image looked fine. It was very easy to focus by just tapping the screen. I took a picture using the headphones with the microphone to avoid motion. I had already connected the OneDrive app so the camera roll would upload to my computer. I looked at the images and they were fine but not as crisp when looking through the eyepiece with my eye. Definitely needs more testing.
I next tried on the LightBridge with a 2” eyepiece. The HoopUpz manual does say it doesn’t work with certain optical interfaces and a 2” eyepiece was definitely at the limits. I was able to get it to work and similar results on image quality.
Overall, definitely an interesting adapter for afocal astrophotography. I like the smartphone much better than a point-and-shot camera. The DSLR should have more controls but need to research the options on the iPhone 5C for photography controls.
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