5 replies to this topic

[jammerman]

I have a Collins i3 eyepiece I purchased years ago directly from Collins. I have never used the unit other than a few hours to look at the night sky. I want to try to use the unit to film the night sky but not as a telescope. I want larger field of views. I essentially have this kit below. The Serial number on the unit is  #G31103447. I am trying to figure out how to video with it or put it into another housing that makes it easier to use. I am willing to pay for the service if there is a company out there that does it, or do it myself ( I am a novice). I will attempt to attach the pic of the unit that I have. I don't have the astrovid camera.  Any help is appreciated... thanks

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[sixela]

Well, what *do* you have right now? The eyepiece side is the least of your worries if there's the 25mm eyepiece installed: it has a T2 thread on top, so you can screw any camera objective as the "relay lens" onto a camera (you should pick the focal length to image 40° on the sensor).

At the top image that Pentax C-mount lens is perfect for 1x viewing. It came locktited to an adapter to the threads of the I3. If you can unscrew it it shouldn't be hard to see what thread it has on the I3 side (ditto if you unscrew the 1.25" nosepiece if you have only that). Then you'd need someone to make you an adapter to C-mount (or anything that has a larger flange to focal plane distance.)

Edited by sixela, 10 February 2025 - 09:08 AM.

[Eddgie]

I have a Collins i3 eyepiece I purchased years ago directly from Collins. I have never used the unit other than a few hours to look at the night sky. I want to try to use the unit to film the night sky but not as a telescope. I want larger field of views. I essentially have this kit below. The Serial number on the unit is  #G31103447. I am trying to figure out how to video with it or put it into another housing that makes it easier to use. I am willing to pay for the service if there is a company out there that does it, or do it myself ( I am a novice). I will attempt to attach collins.jpg the pic of the unit that I have. I don't have the astrovid camera.  Any help is appreciated... thanks

You do not need to put in into another housing. 

The Collins used a C mount thread to mount the objective lens, and this means that you can use almost any kind of common SLR lens in the place of the original objective.  To do that, you would use an adapter that goes from C mount to the SLR lens of your choice.  Adapters are available for Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and most other brands. This is just an example that shows a Nikon lens and a C mount to Nikon adapter.  The device is not the same, but it uses the same Cinema lens interface. 

 

 

 

 

 

Many people here are using cell phone cameras. These cameras are typically mounted to the eyepiece using an afocal camera mounting bracket for cell phones. This clamps to the eyepeice and the camera lens simply aims down into the eyepiece of the device. Most pictures you see on this forum were taken using simply afocal means. 

 

This is just for example purposes to show what I am talking about.

 

https://www.amazon.c...,97&sr=8-6&th=1

 

 

Have fun out there!

Edited by Eddgie, 12 February 2025 - 01:46 PM.

[sixela]

The trouble is that:
-the Collins I3 was not always sold with an objective, but sometimes merely with a 1.25" nose.
-when it was sold with a Pentax C-mount objective for 1x viewing, the adapter to go from the (non C-mount) internal threads that also accepted the 1.25" nose to C-mount was often Locktite-redded to the Pentax objective.

[jammerman]

Thank you both for the help:

 

I am a complete novice at this so I may have to ask additional questions if you dont mind.

 

I have everything in the pic I posted. I do have a Pentax 50mm TV lens 1:1.4 on one end of the and a big glass eye piece on the other. It is the image in the bottom left of the pic I posted. However my unit does not have that Silver looking adapter on it like it does in the picture of the Collins unit. 

 

I have the "Relay Lens" part.

 

Not seen--I have a Pentax 25mm TV lens also that has an adapter on it to make it fit the unit. The 25mm is lock tight on the adapter (made by Collins) as I tried to remove it and unable without damaging the piece.

 

Additionally, I also have an adapter of some type that fits on the lens side (not the eyepiece side) and it screws into the unit. It has a different screw pitch so that I am assuming it allows me to attach a different larger screw pitched lens to it. It is not marked but it was made by Collins to attach to the lens side for something. I am wondering if it is lens adapter of some type.

 

I am not sure what size the C mount is. Is there a way I can check it?

 

I purchased the Phone mount you listed on Amazon and will see if it works. Is there any device that I can purchase to hold this Collins i3  to a tripod? I can make some goofy redneck device I am am sure, but would be better to try to buy one. 

 

Looking at your pictures Eddgie, I am not sure if I have a "C Mount" as the C Mount on your unit looks too small to me in your photos. But I am not positive and I might be wrong. 

 

I have never been able to get in touch with Collins over the years after I purchased the unit.

 

Another dumb question, What would yall recommend I clean these lens with?

 

thanks for all the help

Edited by jammerman, 16 February 2025 - 09:17 AM.

[chemisted]

The 25 and 50mm lenses will work for you to give you 1X and 2X respectively.  CN member jdbastro had a number of adapters made that convert the Collins to C-mount.  He has sold quite a few over the years.  Send him a PM to see if he has any left.  I'll bet he does, and it is indispensable for expanding your capabilities.  Not only will it open up all camera lenses to you, but it also sounds like you don't have the standard telescope adapter and this would enable you to get and use one.