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CCD & Photographic

A CCD camera is essentially an electronic version of a 35mm camera for astrophotography that saves the images in your computer, rather than on a roll of film. A CCD camera can take snapshots of the Moon and planets and long exposure photos of deep sky nebulas, galaxies, and star clusters. Because the CCD camera has to store up the faint light of deep space objects before it can display an image, just as a 35mm film camera does, a CCD can't give you real-time or instant images of deep space objects.

Because a CCD camera is more sensitive than 35mm film or your eye, it can store up more information during an exposure. Software supplied with the camera, or available separately, allows you to manipulate the image later to bring out details that would be washed out or invisible in a 35mm negative or while observing visually. CCD cameras are surprisingly unaffected by city light pollution, allowing deep sky photography from even heavily light polluted sites.

CCD cameras typically vary in price according to their image size, with large cameras running into the multiple thousands of dollars. Even at their largest, however, their image covers less of the sky than a 35mm film camera on the same scope. CCDs are best at recording small and very faint objects rather than large and bright objects, although excellent images of large objects can be recorded by taking multiple overlapping images and combining them in the computer.

It has been said that CCD cameras on amateur-size telescopes can record fainter objects than the 200" scope at Mt. Palomar could record only 10 or 15 years ago with conventional film cameras. By some measures, CCD cameras can be said to have an effective film speed (ASA or ISO rating) of 20,000, making them ideal for recording very faint objects.

Some CCD cameras can act as autoguiders to take the tedium out of guiding long exposure 35mm photos. Some CCD cameras have their own autoguider built in for recording images automatically and untended; others come with separate guiders or have them available as an option.

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$Adapter to use 2" nosepiece CCD cameras and filter wheels with TeleVue IS refractors$

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Tele Vue Adapter to use 2" nosepiece CCD cameras and filter wheels with TeleVue IS refractors

$69.00

This TeleVue adapter lets you use CCD cameras and filter wheels with 2" nosepieces on TeleVue IS refractors . . .
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Tele Vue T-Ring adapter for 2" 2x Powermate

$60.00

1 Review(s)

This threaded photographic adapter ring replaces the 2" eyepiece holder on the 2" 2x TeleVue Powermate Barlow. After unscrewing the black 2" eyepiece holder from the chrome barrel containing the optics of the Powermate, the adapter threads directly onto the chrome barrel in place of the eyepiece holder. The adapter has T-threads on the other end that allow a T-ring to be attached to the adapter so . . .
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Tele Vue T-Ring adapter for 2" 4x Powermate

$60.00

This threaded adapter ring replaces the 2" eyepiece holder on the 2" 4x TeleVue Powermate Barlow and can only be used with the newest version of the Powermate (our part #9140C). After unscrewing the black 2" eyepiece holder from the chrome barrel containing the optics of the Powermate, the adapter threads directly onto the chrome barrel in place of the eyepiece holder. The adapter has T-threads th . . .
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Afocal 28mm digital camera adapter for Radian eyepieces and some others

$55.00

This TeleVue two-part digital camera adapter allows you to attach a digital camera with 28mm filter threads on its lens to certain TeleVue eyepieces for "afocal" imaging through the eyepiece. Digital cameras with 28mm filter threads include, but are not limited to, the Nikon Coolpix 800, 900, 910, 950, 980, 995, and 4500.
The adapter is designed for use with the following TeleVue eyepieces: 40m . . .
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Tele Vue 0.25" (6.4mm) spacer ring for imaging with NP-127is, NP-101is, and TV-102iis

$36.00

This TeleVue 0.25" spacer ring provides the necessary distance between a 35mm camera and a TeleVue imaging system refractor for prime focus photography . . .
$0.8X reducer lens body for TV-102 and TV-102iis refractors$ $Tele Vue 0.8X reducer lens body for TV-102 and TV-102iis refractors$

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Tele Vue 0.8X reducer lens body for TV-102 and TV-102iis refractors

$390.00

This TeleVue 0.8x lens reduces the focal length of TeleVue TV-102 and TV-102iis refractors for wider field 35mm and CCD astrophotography . . .
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Tele Vue FoneMate Smart Phone Adapter

$113.00

The FoneMate™ smart phone adapter is a convenient way to enter the world of Digiscoping.
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Tele Vue 3.5" Clamp ring extension tube

$65.00

2 Review(s)

This Tele-Vue 3" extension tube makes up for the loss of light path photographically when a 2" star diagonal is removed from many scopes and replaced by a camera and camera adapter . . .
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Tele Vue Canon Wide-Mount T-Adapter For NP-127is, NP-101is, and TV-102iis imaging system scopes

$60.00

This TeleVue Canon wide mouth adapter reduces vignetting when connecting a Canon EOS or DSLR camera to TeleVue NP-127is, NP-101is, and TV-102iis Imaging System telescope accessories . . .
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Tele Vue SBIG STL-11000 CCD Camera adapter for NP-127is, NP-101is, and TV-102iis

$30.00

The TeleVue STL adapter threads directly onto SBIG STL11000 Research Series CCD cameras to allow wide field imaging with a TeleVue imaging system refractor . . .