14 replies to this topic

[caballerodiez91]

I know it's not really EAA, but why no company builds an alternative to the Evscope? 

 

I believe ZWO could add a similar eyepiece to the S50 and charge 1000 dollars for the whole thing, not 4500!

 

I assume 1) it's difficult, and 2) they might be working on it.

 

Maybe those of you who have twitter and want this to happen, can let ZWO know it: https://x.com/zwoastro

 

And btw do you think the Seestar should go to 100mm instead of 50?

Edited by caballerodiez91, 23 March 2025 - 11:04 PM.

[BrentKnight]

There is the SmartEye from Pegasus Astro.  Bring your own telescope and add a digital eyepiece to it.

[caballerodiez91]

There is the SmartEye from Pegasus Astro.  Bring your own telescope and add a digital eyepiece to it.

Thanks for pointing it out, I didn't know that one.

In spain it is 2000 euros :S

[BrentKnight]

Nobody really knows what it will do when it's finally released.  I know a lot of folks are interested though.  Pegasus Astro gear is often expensive, but it's generally been very good...

[photomagica]

The eyepiece on the EV-Scope and on mirrorless cameras is a small digital display viewed through a magnifier.

 

If you want an eyepiece on your SeeStar or similar, get one of these and hold it on your phone: https://www.adorama.com/lcdvf3c.html If you have a good phone with a high resolution screen, the results are pretty good. A bit surprising, actually. They are not in the same class as a dedicated electronic viewfinder, however, you do get an eyepiece experience - a greater sense of being right there with the object versus looking at it on a screen.

 

If you just want a sense of what's possible, there are less expensive versions on the auction sites for as little as $12 and there are some higher end ones out there with better optics as well.

[steveincolo]

I know it's not really EAA, but why no company builds an alternative to the Evscope? 

 

I believe ZWO could add a similar eyepiece to the S50 and charge 1000 dollars for the whole thing, not 4500!

 

I assume 1) it's difficult, and 2) they might be working on it.

 

Maybe those of you who have twitter and want this to happen, can let ZWO know it: https://x.com/zwoastro

 

And btw do you think the Seestar should go to 100mm instead of 50?

The ergonomics for the Seestar 50 aren’t necessarily conducive to an eyepiece.  The SmartEye has a potential advantage here, as you would slot it into an eyepiece holder from a visual scope.  Better with an alt-az mount.

[steveincolo]

The eyepiece on the EV-Scope and on mirrorless cameras is a small digital display viewed through a magnifier.

 

If you want an eyepiece on your SeeStar or similar, get one of these and hold it on your phone: https://www.adorama.com/lcdvf3c.html If you have a good phone with a high resolution screen, the results are pretty good. A bit surprising, actually. They are not in the same class as a dedicated electronic viewfinder, however, you do get an eyepiece experience - a greater sense of being right there with the object versus looking at it on a screen.

 

If you just want a sense of what's possible, there are less expensive versions on the auction sites for as little as $12 and there are some higher end ones out there with better optics as well.

The EVFs on mirrorless cameras are very nice.  

 

I like your suggestion.  Using a full screen, all the visual noise from the user interface surrounding the object is (I think) very distracting.  Even if the EAA software allows you to maximize the view without any user interface controls, there’s still the toolbar, etc.  

[caballerodiez91]

One of the downsides I spot about the SmartEye is that you need a laptop or battery to continously power it up, whereas Evscope doesn't need it.

 

I assume placing a battery inside the eyepiece would produce so much heat noise though.

Edited by caballerodiez91, 24 March 2025 - 08:40 PM.

[BrentKnight]

One of the downsides I spot about the SmartEye is that you need a laptop or battery to continously power it up, whereas Evscope doesn't need it.

 

I assume placing a battery inside the eyepiece would produce so much heat noise though.

It really requires a tracking mount - that needs some type of power connection.  I'd assume most folks would either get power from a port on the mount or from the same power source that the mount itself would use.

[photomagica]

The EVFs on mirrorless cameras are very nice.  

 

I like your suggestion.  Using a full screen, all the visual noise from the user interface surrounding the object is (I think) very distracting.  Even if the EAA software allows you to maximize the view without any user interface controls, there’s still the toolbar, etc.  

I agree that the visual clutter on phone and tablet screens is annoying. SeeStar isn't too bad if you use and eyepiece that is a bit smaller than the full screen, as most of the clutter is around the edges. Most real mirrorless camera viewfinders allow turning off the visual clutter, and that's often how I use my cameras.

[andriy_melnykov]

I know it's not really EAA, but why no company builds an alternative to the Evscope? 

 

I believe ZWO could add a similar eyepiece to the S50 and charge 1000 dollars for the whole thing, not 4500!

 

I assume 1) it's difficult, and 2) they might be working on it.

 

Maybe those of you who have twitter and want this to happen, can let ZWO know it: https://x.com/zwoastro

 

And btw do you think the Seestar should go to 100mm instead of 50?

I have built such a system myself, and very happy with it. It is open-source and free.

https://www.cloudyni...cular-eyepiece/
​https://youtu.be/P-4FeEkd-uA 

 

Looking into bino-eyepiece is, at least for me, much different than looking onto display. It is more immersive and more emotional. The same opinion have many others, who have tried it on my telescope. Also a great system for events like outreach.

It uses a laptop PC, but it is also used to control the mount with Stellarium - very convenient and also compact, without keyboard and with touch interface.

 

Why it is not EAA? I think, it is exactly EAA, or am I wrong?

[artik]

I assume that there is a very little market for it.

 

Most of my fellow astronomers I know either do Visual or do imaging with complex rigs. Few have smart scopes like S50 or Dwarf.

 

There are several problem with digital eyepiece on the smart telescope:

 

1. While it provides more "view" like experience watching the object on a screen or tablet gives you way more options to control the device. As an example from completely different field - microscopy - most professional microscopes use cameras and screens and/or direct optical path - nobody uses "digital eyepiece" - because of practicality

 

2. Good, small high resolution screen and good optics to show the image cost a lot and give only small gain of being more immersive - so you invest a lot in a one part that otherwise is not useful - it frequently better to spend the money on better primary optics, better sensor

 

 

So while immersion is very interesting thing it is a very-very niche product for niche smart scope area that is a nice of EAA market that is a niche on its own in AP world. So you don't have enough...

 

Probably better solution is to have some addon like Andrey works on - or even integrate with AR/VR system to project the image to VR goggles but use normal AP/EAA workflow.

Edited by artik, 25 March 2025 - 08:57 PM.

[shakafell]

I owned an Evscope (just sold it today) and never once used the digital eyepiece. You have to initialize from a phone anyway so bending down and looking at a smaller screen thru an eyepiece seems pointless when you already have a screen in your hand. I suggested they ditch the eyepiece and add autofocus instead. IMHO you can't call yourself a "smart telescope" without autofocus.

[foobar99]

Over ten years ago the New York Times sent subscribers a Google Cardboard VR headset. See https://en.wikipedia...oogle_Cardboard

 It didn’t work very well for my iPhone Plus, because the VR videos were designed to work on smaller screens, so the stereo images overlapped and weren’t aligned when you looked through the “eyepieces”.

 

it seems that rather than attach a dedicated screen and eyepiece to a telescope, you should use a similar setup (maybe monocular) to give an eyepiece-experience using your phone/tablet and a GCVR-like box attached to with a short focal-length lens attached to it. This would make looking at images on the screen immersive.

[artik]

Over ten years ago the New York Times sent subscribers a Google Cardboard VR headset. See https://en.wikipedia...oogle_Cardboard

 It didn’t work very well for my iPhone Plus, because the VR videos were designed to work on smaller screens, so the stereo images overlapped and weren’t aligned when you looked through the “eyepieces”.

 

it seems that rather than attach a dedicated screen and eyepiece to a telescope, you should use a similar setup (maybe monocular) to give an eyepiece-experience using your phone/tablet and a GCVR-like box attached to with a short focal-length lens attached to it. This would make looking at images on the screen immersive.

I actually tried to observe EAA images (simulated) on Google Cardboard VR - so while it is immersive the resolution isn't that good (I see screen pixels) and the CA is significant.

 

So while it is nice I don't think it is that important.