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Opticron MM3 60mm & Moto E. (1 Viewer)

Gander

Well-known member
I had my first attempt this morning at digiscoping. Bit of a learning experience to say the least. I had not fully realised I would not be able to use the zoom lens above minimum setting - Is that correct?

It was a very dark day and tipping down for most of it, so it would be unfair to expect too much. A couple of shots attached for critique.
 

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Gander,

Not bad for a first attempt. The images are a bit pixelated. What size photos does your phone take pictures in? And/or were the images cropped from a larger image? Either might explain that particular issue.

You should certainly be able to use your scope above the minimum (15x) setting. I am guessing it has to do with eye relief. Eye relief changes as you move through the zoom range so I find I have to somewhat move the eyecup in/out from fully collapsed depending on which adapter I am using and which magnification.
 
Hi Frank,
The photo size is 1,152,873 bytes (1.2 MB on disk). Dimensions are 2560x1920. Neither photo was cropped.

I'll play about with the eye relief next time and see what that does.
 
Nice first attempts :) You do get better with practice.
Some advice: you can indeed use the zoom way beyond the minimum setting. I'd say I can use it with a fair degree of confidence until x35 or so; pass that, I do get blackouts if I'm not ultra-carefull. At that focal length you need more eye relief, which you can gain simply playing a bit with the smartphone (trying no to hold it directly against the eye cover; very flimsy, I know). Alternatively (and low-cost) simply try to use a thick piece of plastic/cardboard (a glass coaster would do) with a hole in it, with this, you gain a couple of mm, enough to regain control and a clear picture (quite vignetted, on the other hand). A much better option seems to be an adapter, Frank can surely give plenty of advice there. :) I'd say past x37-40 you do notice a great lose in quality (specially brightness).

Check the image below, a blackbird around 20 m (60 ft) away. Cropped to avoid vignetting and processed with Snapseed within the phone itself. I guess that was around x30, handhelding the smartphone (Nexus 5; probably a slightly better lens than the Moto E, but worse than any iPhone or the like). Also a nice idea is to take several pictures as burst, since a single one might be blurred, but one will show all the details properly (I had a Moto G, I think that if you kept your finger pressing the screen it took a series os pictures as a burst).

Also the light conditions in the pictures do seem pretty challenging to say the least. I'd say good light makes great pictures when it comes to MM3 and a regular phone :)

Good luck :) Keep us posted.
 

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