Orion Universal Camera adapter

Ratings:Top:Astronomy:Equipment Reviews:Misc Accessories:Orion Universal Camera adapter

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Brand and Model:Orion Universal Camera adapter
Price ($USD):39
Type:Adapter
Description:Hollow 2 part metal tube can be used for projection or prime focus works as advertised

Vote Highlights Vote
Orion Universal Camera adapter
The design of this apparatus is sound, but for any camera of appreciable weight, this clamping assembly leaves a lot to be desired.

Much like the other voters have said, getting a firm clamp on the eyepiece or mounting for the camera is a tricky proposition!

Also, with an exposed afocal coupling, off-axis light can easily mar the quality of the pictures.

I ended up using a separate tripod and just moving the tripod periodically!

Eventually, I replaced this with the Scopetronix Maxview eyepiece and the Digiadapt for afocal work.

Stephen

Overall Rating: 3
Performance:3 Value:3
Weight: 5 (Veritable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=368539

Orion Universal Camera adapter
For a hollow tube it does exactly what it is supposed to do.

Overall Rating: 10
Performance:10 Value:10
Weight: 5 (Veritable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=175497

Orion Universal Camera adapter
I had absolutely terrible luck with this adapter, and would not recommend it to anyone.

Frist the mounting screw that runs through the support arm and screws into the bottom of the camera was too long, and did not hold any of my cameras securely. This was fixed by adding a couple washers over the mounting screw.

Secondly, the unit can only fit over certain sizes (outside diameter) of eyepieces. Orion includes two different sizes of brackets, but if your eyepieces doesn't fit in one of these, then you are just out of luck.

The eyepiece mounting brackets were perhaps the most frustrating ordeal of all. They are secured to a metal rod by a single nut. If this is nut is not perfectly tight (really, really tight!), then the whole unit twists and turns under the weight of the camera. The nut is located down inside an rectangular bend in the bracket, where it is impossible to fit a wrench, so even tightening it is a trial of patience. When you try and tighten the nut, the whole attaching rod turns with it, and there is no where to grip it. In order to get the nut tight enough to use, I had to grip it with a pair of pliers covered with a rag (to prevent marring). Even that was barely adequate.

If you want to change the bracket just to change to a different size eyepiece, the whole mess must be repeated again. What a nightmare! Even if you just want to change between eyepieces of the same size, you still have to remove the entire unit, change the eyepiece, and then set it all back up again.

I have not used the ScopeTronix EZ-Pix, but it appears to have the same bracket and mounting design as the Orion model.

After this experience, I went out and bought a Universal Camera Adapter from Siebert Optics. It's costs a lot more than the Orion, but is a much better deisgn which solves all the problems I have noted above.

Overall Rating: 2
Performance:2 Value:3
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=348128

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