ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS 5264 User manual

Universal Combined
Camera Adapter
#5264 (1.25")
#5268 (.965")
#5262 (1.25")
For terrestrial, deep-space and planetary photography
through reflector and refractor telescopes that accept stan-
dard slip-fit eyepieces.
A T-ring (sold separately) is used to match the universal adapter
to your particular brand and type of 35mm camera. The adapter
attaches to the telescope focuser or eyepiece holder where the
eyepiece or diagonal prism would normally be placed. The adapt-
er includes two separate pieces which may be threaded together,
the Prime Focus Adapter and the Eyepiece Projection Body.
Prime Focus
Prime Focus (or direct focus) is photography using the tele-
scope objective as a replacement for the camera’s lens,
without additional magnification. In this configuration, you
use only the Prime Focus Adapter and your T-ring; the
Eyepiece Projection Body is not used. Prime focus is the
method nearly always used for long-exposure deep-sky pho-
tography and for most terrestrial photography. Photographic
focal length and f/ratio are identical to the specifications of
your telescope.
Eyepiece Projection
This method is used for very-high-power photography. It is
popular for planetary and lunar photography, and for daytime
terrestrial photography of extremely small or distant objects
under favorable atmospheric conditions. It is rarely used for
long-exposure deep-sky photography.
Insert an eyepiece in the adapter before attaching the cam-
era. The eyepiece must be secured tightly with the
thumbscrew. Caution: Loosening the thumbscrew while the
camera is attached may cause the eyepiece to drop loose
and damage the camera and the eyepiece! The use of low-
to-medium power eyepieces (32mm–1.2mm) is
recommended, as the magnification effect of eyepiece pro-
jection is very pronounced.
Focusing
It can be quite difficult to focus the telescope, especially
when using eyepiece projection. In fact, with most cameras,
the image in the viewfinder can be so dim that it may be dif-
ficult to find the focal point at all. Use a bright object such as
the moon or a bright star for focusing; find and center this
object in the telescope’s field before installing the camera
adapter.
We recommend the use of a special replacement camera
viewing screen to increase the image brightness and to ease
focusing, as standard viewing screens are not designed for
the long focal lengths obtained during eyepiece projection
telephotography.
If You Can’t Reach Focus
Some telescopes have insufficient focus travel to reach focus
using the camera adapter. With these telescopes, using a
barlow lens between the telescope and the camera adapter
may extend the focal plane sufficiently to allow focusing.
Alternately, it is sometimes possible to move the primary mir-
ror on some reflector telescopes forward an inch or two to
extend the focal plane.
Filter Photography
The 1.25" model tubes are threaded to accept Orion 1.25"
color filters eyepiece and Orion light-pollution filters.
.965" Universal Camera Adapter
The internal eyepiece projection tube adjusts with a separate
thumbscrew to accommodate various lengths of .965" eye-
piece barrels. Be sure you do not confuse the eyepiece
securing thumbscrew with the sliding eyepiece holder thumb-
screw. Where the size of the eyepiece allows, the eyepiece
IN 008 Rev B 03/09
Camera
T-rings

position may be varied to change the effective magnifying
power of the eyepiece.
Variable Model
The Variable Universal Combined Camera Adapter works
just like the standard model, but with one added feature. The
distance between the eyepiece and the camera film plane
can be adjusted, which changes the effective magnification,
without having to change eyepieces. Simply loosen the larger
two chrome set screws on the upper part of the adapter body.
Slide the camera forward or backward until desired magnifi-
cation is achieved when looking through the camera focusing
screen. Slight refocusing of the telescope may be necessary.
Then, tighten the set screws and you are ready to take a
picture.
Calculating Magnification
Use the following formula to calculate approximate apparent
focal lengths and focal ratios when using eyepiece projection
with either the #5264 or the #5268 camera adapters. All
measurements are in millimeters.
EFL= TFL • (DF– efl) EFR= EFL
efl D
FL = Effective focal length
EFR = Effective focal ratio
TFL = Telescope focal length
D = Diameter of objective or mirror (Telescope aperture)
efl = Eyepiece focal length
DF = Distance between eyepiece lens and camera film
plane
Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975
Customer Support [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Corporate Offices [phone]
89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076
One-Year Limited Warranty
The Orion 1.25" Universal Camera Adapter and Orion 1.25" Variable Universal Camera Adapter are war-
ranted against defects in materials or workmanship for a period of one year from the date of purchase. This
warranty is for the benefit of the original retail purchaser only. During this warranty period Orion Telescopes
& Binoculars will repair or replace, at Orion’s option, any warranted instrument that proves to be defective,
provided it is returned postage paid to: Orion Warranty Repair, 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076. If
the product is not registered, proof of purchase (such as a copy of the original invoice) is required.
This warranty does not apply if, in Orion’s judgment, the instrument has been abused, mishandled, or
modified, nor does it apply to normal wear and tear. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you
may also have other rights, which vary from state to state. For further warranty service information, contact:
Customer Service Department, Orion Telescopes & Binoculars, 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076;
[phone].