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The
Universal Camera Mounting Adapter [Patent Pending] is an all purpose
camera adapter. It allows the use of any type of camera, [35mm,
digital cameras with fixed lenses, video cameras, CCD cameras]
with any type of eyepiece [regardless of size] on a telescope. Using
a camera with a lens for astrophotography through a telescope
is known as afocal photography. This is combining the camera lens
with an eyepiece on a telescope, to acquire an image. While there
are some adapters that will permit attaching various types of
cameras
to eyepieces and telescopes, adjusting the distance between the
lens of the camera and the eyepiece can be difficult if not impossible
or impractical, but not with the UCMA.
One of the unique things about this adapter is that it is totally
flexible in adjusting the distance between the camera lens and
eyepiece. Between the camera lens and the eyepiece there is
a specific area that will provide the optimum imaging results.
This area is commonly referred to as the spot zone. The spot zone
is where the image formed by the eyepiece will occur. And for
fixed lenses on cameras or even non-fixed lenses, one must place
the entrance pupil of the camera lens within this zone. If
one does not place the entrance pupil of the digital camera [as
an example] within this zone, shading can occur on the image,
a dark round spot can occur, and color imbalance can occur at
various places on the image.
The UCMA has three principal components, a Telescope Adapter,
a Rail, and a Camera Platform. The Camera Platform is where the
camera or imaging device is mounted. And all that is required
for a camera to be used on the UCMA is a ¼”-20 mounting
hole or also called a tripod adapter. The Camera Platform slides
on a Rail. The Rail is used for positioning the Camera Platform
for image composition, or finding the spot zone.
The Telescope Adapter consist of two parts. For SCT type of telescopes
a threaded collar attaches to the telescope. Then a "T"-shaped
brace fits around the collar. The "T"-brace clamps onto
the collar.
The UCMA is modular.
The Rail and Camera Platform can be quickly removed for changing
out eyepieces, or for checking the focus of the eyepiece. The
Camera Platform is unique in that once you have it centered for
a camera, you are done and it will be ready the next time you
want to do some imaging, you won’t have to re-center it each
time you go to use it. And if you have more than one camera that
you wish to use, additional Camera Platforms can be used, one
for each camera. So it makes changing from a digital camera to
video camera or to 35mm film real easy.e
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