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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Evostar 80ED DS-PRO (1 Viewer)

foxtango said:
Just going back to the technical stuff - I understand where the extension tube goes - could someone very kindly clarify how / why people are using the macro tubes and how they could be useful for me. Do I purchase these or have they been cannibalised from old camera lenses?
Many thanks
Jont
Click to expand...


A macro tube could be considered a variable extension tube. They can be useful sometimes for mounting a telenegative element in to make a sort of teleconverter. The cheap macro tubes off ebay are usually good enough. I have a couple of sets and they have been fine. I may use them for extreme close ups where you need maybe 200mm of extension to focus down to a couple of metres or less. I tend to just keep a 50mm extension tube in the scope and for anything else I vary the extension with macro tubes.

Paul.
 
Hi Dan - Re the Piper, very informative. Thank you. At Manchester International Airport they do a combination of booms and bird-of-prey calls through mobile loud speakers. They work for a short period - but the birds do get used to this and return pretty quickly. We love birds, but they are, potentially, very dangerous in this environment - not their fault I know, they're just being birds.......

Thank you again Paul, are the macro tubes of the same diameter as the 50mm extension tubes (i.e. 2")?

Jont
 
The macro tubes attach straight to the camera or straight after the teleconverter. Everything else then attaches to the macro tubes. The macro tubes basically have a male and female bayonet fitting and so are there just for extension but nothing else. The diameter is roughly that of a regular T-ring.

Paul.
 
Jont,

Usually the extension tubes come in sets of three so you can combine them to achieve desired length. For example 5, 10 and 20mm. Alternatively you could combine 2" tubes, standard lengths seem to be 50 and 80 mm.
 
You can get all the parts in the UK.

A 50mm extension tube http://www.telescopehouse.com/acatalog/Revelation_50mm_Extension_Tube_2__.html

An 80mm extension tube http://www.telescopehouse.com/acatalog/Revelation_80mm_Extension_Tube_2__.html

Depending on what camera you go for you would need a standard T-ring in the correct bayonet mount. Into the T-ring you would screw this part. http://www.telescopehouse.com/acatalog/Revelation_T_Adaptor_2____1962.html

You can also get one piece adapters such as this one here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DSLR-came...t=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item1c39f206eb

Or this slightly more expensive one from CNC Supply which some people here use http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Telescope...666?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a54e67d4a

Canon 500D should be ok. I used a 450D for a couple of years until the shutter broke. I was taking up to a couple of thousand images per day though and quite often used continuous shooting. :)

Paul.
 
Hi Paul
Many thanks indeed for your help here. I think everything is very clear now. You have all been immensely helpful to me and I hope that I haven't been too much of a burden to you.
Many thanks again.
Jont
 
Thanks Dan - will do - it will be on this thread as well - but obviously I mustn't turn this forum into an aircraft spotting one - even though there is more than a tenuous link to birds (just think how many metal birds are named after our feathered friends!!!.....).
Jont
 
So is plane spotting sort of like train spotting? Don't know anything about it. Funny though, if I am out "shooting" birds and one of those BIG birds flies over, I can't resist taking a picture of it.;)
 
foxtango said:
Hi Tord
Thanks for that and I guess this is the sort of thing I'm after http://agenaastro.com/blue-fireball-2-eyepiece-extension-tube-80mm-3-15-extension.html - although this is an 80mm and I understand that 50mm should be enough. I don't have my camera yet - but have decided to go for a Canon 500D - pretty sure that this camera will be ok. Wild weather expected here this evening and tomorrow!!
Jont
Click to expand...
Jont,

Paul provided a list of the bits and pieces you need. Please note that some DSLR adapters e.g. the one from CNC supplies come with an "undercut" (the section with a slightly thinner diameter) whereas some don't. The undercut is a safety feature, should the screws on the 2" tube not be tightened there is a risk of the adapter slipping, and in worst case scenario dropping the camera. The undercut prevents this from happening. I move around quite a lot with the setup over shoulder so I personally think this is a valuable feature.
 
DanC.Licks said:
So is plane spotting sort of like train spotting? Don't know anything about it. Funny though, if I am out "shooting" birds and one of those BIG birds flies over, I can't resist taking a picture of it.;)
Click to expand...

Hi Dan - I guess train spotting is like plane spotting is like bird spotting. It's all about seeing fascinating machines and wild-life. I don't collect registrations of aircraft - but I am always on the look out for that one 'rare' aircraft. Like birding - move to a different geographical location and the types often change - it happens with aircraft - but this is much more to do with different airlines. Sometimes a rare airline or colour scheme or aircraft will find itself over NW England and I probably find that as interesting as others would a 'rare' bird in their location. Flight Radar 24 allows me to have some advanced notice about their whereabouts - but not always, as some will not transmit this data (eg Air Force One). I think that aircraft are at their most graceful when in flight - that is driving me to capture them on 'film' (SD card, of course!).
Jont
 
Agreed Dan - and if my memory serves me well - those big Airbus A380's, when maxed up, are something like 590 metric tons and they frequently cruise at around 12,500 meters. Not bad eh?
Jont
 
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