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How to Attach a Camera to a Telescope

Not only will your Nikon DSLR camera take pictures of the world around you--it can capture images of the universe beyond. When attached to a telescope, a DSLR camera lets you photograph the moon, planets and the stars. The light-gathering capabilities of telescopes and cameras make it possible to see details of the night sky otherwise invisible to the unaided eye. Long-exposure astrophotography will capture color images of star clusters, nebulae and other galaxies.

Things You'll Need

Nikon-compatible T-ring
T-adapter

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the lens from the DSLR camera. Turn off the camera, press and hold the lens-release button and turn the lens clockwise until it detaches.
- 2
  Screw the Nikon-compatible T-ring into the T-adapter. Attach the T-ring and T-adapter to the camera by screwing the T-ring counterclockwise into the lens mount.
- 3
  Connect the camera to the telescope by inserting the T-adapter into the focuser. Tighten the restraining screw on the focuser to secure the camera. Attach the camera's strap to the telescope in case the T-adapter slips out of the focuser.
- 4
  Turn on the camera. Set the mode dial to "Manual" and disable autofocus. Turn off noise reduction, as it interferes with astrophotography.
- 5
  Set the image recording quality from "JPG" to "RAW" mode. The camera will not compress the image in RAW mode, resulting in clearer, higher-quality images.
- 6
  Configure the ISO settings. For long exposures of bright objects, ConvingtonInnovations.com recommends an ISO setting of 200. However, for long-exposure photographs of faint objects, such as distant galaxies and planetary nebulae, use a higher ISO setting.
- 7
  Set the shutter speed to a maximum of 30 seconds if using your telescope with a "non-go-to" mount. A longer shutter speed will result in elongated stars due of the Earth's rotation. Set the shutter speed to "Bulb" if using a "go-to" mount, one that tracks an object by moving the telescope at the rate of the Earth's rotation. This lets you manually adjust the exposure length by pressing the shutter-release button. Longer exposures produce more vivid and colorful images of astronomical objects, such as planets, nebulae and galaxies.

Astronomy