Would it be possible to point a DSLR straight up for a picture of the stars with this tripod?
1748639
Yes it is, I just attached my Fujifilm s3pro to it (albeit without a lens) to verify; I would tilt the camera toward the single leg with the logo on it for balancing, and perhaps have the bracket (which has two pivot points) pointed upward to bring the camera closer to the tip of the tripod legs. That way it extends outward less. being a camera with a built-in grip it only sticks out about two inches past the long leg and is perfectly stable. I just stacked my Nikon FE with a 50mm 1.8, AND my 35mm 2.8 manual lenses on it and it's holding here on my desk just fine. :) so yes, two cameras and two lenses worth of weight, straight up, just fine. I recommend a cable or remote release in any case, but especially in this one (it is plastic after all). OR just use timed release if you have the patience and don't mind 2-5 seconds between shutter press and activation. You'll have to compose carefully or place the pod on a surface that let's you compose, but it will work. cheers!
291919
From what I understand it is not tripod ready, and that is a design flaw. One reviewer mentioned that he had drilled and tapped a section of the mount for a tripod, but that may not be an option for you unless you are handy with tools.
596249
I would just hold it steady. For me, it works fine, and, I don't have no tripod! I got a lovely view of the Orion Nebula without that much shake. And, after viewing for a while, I would put it down and rest my arms. And for uses with telescopes, OH YES:D
450605
With an adapter of some kind you should be able to, but because of the added weight you will have to balance the telescope again with the camera attached. To use a DSLR you would need a T-Adapter and T-Ring I think. For a normal digital camera with a tripod mounting hole you can use something like a SteadyPix mount, but it is quite heavy and combined with the weight of the camera may be a bit too much for the focuser on the telescope. Also, this scope is a "slow" F/10.1, so it may not be ideal for astrophotography, but I have taken some pics with my phone attached to it and they aren't horrible, but they aren't anything special either (except to me, haha) With an adapter of some kind you should be able to, but because of the added weight you will have to balance the telescope again with the camera attached. To use a DSLR you would need a T-Adapter and T-Ring I think. For a normal digital camera with a tripod mounting hole you can use something like a SteadyPix mount, but it is quite heavy and combined with the weight of the camera may be a bit too much for the focuser on the telescope. Also, this scope is a "slow" F/10.1, so it may not be ideal for astrophotography, but I have taken some pics with my phone attached to it and they... » Read More With an adapter of some kind you should be able to, but because of the added weight you will have to balance the telescope again with the camera attached. To use a DSLR you would need a T-Adapter and T-Ring I think. For a normal digital camera with a tripod mounting hole you can use something like a SteadyPix mount, but it is quite heavy and combined with the weight of the camera may be a bit too much for the focuser on the telescope. Also, this scope is a "slow" F/10.1, so it may not be ideal for astrophotography, but I have taken some pics with my phone attached to it and they aren't horrible, but they aren't anything special either (except to me, haha) « Show Less
1190356
No problem at all. I got this unit so I can leave the camera on the tripod all night while using a timer (intervalometer) for taking star/meteor shots.
674237
Yes. Tripod does allow camera to point straight down (and straight up) nearly 360 with the exception of when pointing down, where the camera lens lines up with elevation lock screw or when pointing up, where handle lines up with tripod leg.
1213076
Can't really say. But it's likely the tripod that you have to buy separately may be set up to mount on top of a DSLR.
776199
You could but they are really heavy and would be difficult to hold on target by hand. You'll want some kind of mount like a tripod or a monopod. I've had aircraft fly through my field of view while looking at the stars and was able to follow it along. If you mean looking at them when they are high in the sky, you'll want some kind of parallelogram mount so you can get "under" the binoculars. There are probably binoculars out there that are better suited though. I had no collimation problems with mine.
1701105
that would be unlikely ... there is no mounting point and the tripod base is not really wide enough. It is still a great deal though
727069
yes. Though I would hope it would be a very very light tripod..... or maybe even a monopod. By the way, I use my Inverse a lot. As shoulder bag in town. As a fanny pack on the trail.
415442
The correct answer should be "Well, Maybe Yes***, kind-a / sort-a". Attempting to use this with an astronomical telescope will present plenty of "challenges". 1. Getting the imager congruent with the image plane. The camera comes with a 30mm OD adaptor, which should fit a 1-1/4" eyepiece holder. 2. The f/speed of the system, and imaging speed of the device, may limit what you can capture with this system. Since this is made for microscopes, the lighting in usually adjustable by the user. But for astrophotography, you might be able to capture the moon, and larger / brighter planets may be within reach of a moderate size (8"+) objective. However as there is little or no real integration time, stars and nebulae are unlikely targets. 3. Resolution may disappoint you. This device only records 2 megapixels. That may seem like a lot, but I'm used to more. Also dynamic range is in question here. Ultimately, it depends on your needs, expectations, pocket book, and willingness to make it work in an application it wasn't designed for. But if you think you are up to the challenges, go for it!
1872294
No. This wouldn't support a DSLR very well. A pocket/point and shoot camera or a gopro would match well with this.
1528885
Yes. Using the tripod is the only way to get a steady shot without propping the lens on something else.
571681
My motor got burned when i tried using an ac/dc adapter, at the moment i can slew manually by hand if the target is the moon, if your targeting distant planets like jupiter or saturn, you can still see it but its gonna be very difficult keeping it on target if slewed manually by hand. The tripod is not that stable
802211
You can pull the pole out of the tripod legs and it is pointed. Hope this helps.
1372446
Most likely not. It is slow and has no stabilizer. You'll need a good tripod and a very well lit place. Even though, fast moments will likely be fuzzy.
500162
You need to get a wedge from Celestron if you want to do astrophotography. It essentially converts the 8SE mount to an equatorial mount.