If you want more resolution on a CD try SVCD (480x480 for NTSC
or 480x586 for PAL, MPEH2!). Nero is the product to burn such
stuff. Otherwise a DVD burner comes to mind.

EF adapters and telescopes
 

Dumb question # 36425, 35mm cameras are used for astrophotography, can the XL1S be used with an EF adapter and telescope. could a video camera catch it and display it. Is it possible to hook a video camera to a telescope. A star party from the middle of your living room, remote viewing. I have never seen such a rig so it must be impossible, right?

Not only is it possible, it's easy. Any telescope that can accept a 35mm camera mount (in line, not at 45 or 90 degrees) can be hooked up to an XL-1 or s. (Shop Orion telescopes for hardware).
The problem is mounting the two pieces of equipment on a stable surface, and keeping the telescope ABSOLUTELY in step with the movement of the star, moon, planet, etc. This would require a good alt-azimuth mount and an accurate clock motor. Without such a set-up your subject will fly across the field like a race horse, its movement magnified by the telescope and the camcorder. Hardly seems worth the trouble just to let people avoid going out and enjoying the night air!

Steve Siegel
Miami, FL

Yes easy but dangerous!

You can build a setup by yourselft with the right parts.

This works without the XL-1 to EOS converter but it is rather tedious.

First you need part number YA1-1681-000. This is the reciever that a normal XL Lens connects to on the XL-1 body. That little silver ring that has about six screw holes in it. BTW Canon doesn't normally provide the replacement screws. Also you need some little screws that will fit nicely into the lens mount. Then get some black plumbers pipe. About 2" so you can place the mounting ring on the center (absolute) pipe and screw the little screws in.

Second you need the standard attachments that you would normally use when attaching a 35MM Lens. Mount them to the opposite end of the plumbers pipe. Remember to make the pipe long enough to pass your focus knob on yr telescope.

Now that you have these things put together, gently put the pipe on the camera body and attach to the telescope and balance real good while holding the telescope to the body.

Now you must have a bracket to hold the camera in place or you will bust the mounting ring on the "body" and Canon will charge you $1500 to fix it. So measure and build that mount and have it so it afixes to the camera body quick release screw hole.

So now you have your mount for the camera, mounting ring, T-Ring, and T-Adapter.

So there ya go. Now you are shooting at about f5.6 & what ever your telescope is in MM.

You can use other adapters with a Star Diagonal etc.

Now, I did all this stuff. But there is an easier way. Buy the appropriate camera that adapts to your telescope and hook it to your computer just like the pros do.

Call http://www.sbig.com/ up on your computer. These guys are sometimes hard to get along with. I don't like doing business with them. But they do know their business. They just "talk down" to most everyone that doesn't know what they want first. They are not help for the novice.

Regards,

EF Adapters and Telescopes
 

I would suggest that you try the Sky & Telescope website. The ad's there for CCD items, that attach directly to your scope with out the necessity of all that costly hardware, will probably appeal to you.

Yes, they are expensive. But, so is coustomising the scope with the add ons.

Also, a CCD, is a better connection to your 'puter. It dosen't eat up your entire memory.

Image Stabilizer power source on eos lenses??
 

Hi ive got a ef converter and a canon 100-400 IS USM lense set up for my xl1s could anyone tell if the image stabilizer is powered by the battery in the ef converter or from the mainbattery on the camera itself?
thanks

Per the EF adapter documentation:

"Power is supplied by the camera for EF lens/EF adapter control. A 2CR5 lithium battery inside the EF adapter supplies power for driving the EF lens aperture"

"Current supplied by the came: 100 mA or less. Current supplied by the lighium battery inside the EF adapter differs depending on the lens."

" Unlike the Adapter VL, this adapter does not have an AF function, so focusing must be performed manually."

DOF - EF mount.
 

I know I might get blasted for posting this, But I can't find
the answer in any post. It's just a quick question!

I know the DOF on the XL1 is not equal to 35 mm film. And I know why too:)
But if I buy a EF mount and a EF lens, (with shallow dof) will the extender
mess upp the shallow dof, or the picture I get with my EF lens on a SLR camera is the picture I get on the XL1? (with x 7.2)

Hi,

do a search for "dof" and you will find an article called "The Ultimate Depth of Field Skinny". This should answer you queries.

Cheers
Andrew

I've done the DOF search :)
I've read almost everything there is, But still I can't figure out
how this will apply to the EF adapter. I can be honest and say
that I might not be the sharpest tool when it comes to calculating
physics. But I was looking for a simple answer to a "simple" question.

A yes or no would be quite enough if someone really knows.
I don't know if there are many people here using the EF adapter.

Regards,
Andreas

The lens should have the same DOF for the same aperture and object distance but because the field of view of the formed image is very different (by a factor of 7.2) it will not look the same.

See also our web page about DOF at http://www.dvinfo.net/articles/optics/dofskinny.php

As Don points out, the main drawback of using the EF adapter will be the extreme difference in Target Size (details on article at link above). Hope this helps,

macro
 

I was just wondering about the use of the macro lenses with the EF adapter. How would it look and how would the DOF work? Granted they dont make a wide angle lens, but I was just wondering.
Thx for that link chis good infomation.

Rob

Canon 100-400mm EF Lens on XL1
 

I thinking of buying the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens and with the adapter using it on my XL1 for a filming trip to Kenya.
I use a Manfrotto 501 Head.
Has anyone tried this combination before and if so what extra plate or support brackets did you use or do I not need any?

Gareth

My goodness, you'll need that 501 head. You do realise the magnifications you're takling about? yes, I'm sure you do, but for the others, that's like shooting 35mm through a 700mm to 2800mm zoom. It introduces all sorts of problems but with one big plus - you'll be using the central part of the lens' image, and - should the air be clear enough - you should get some spectacular telephoto compression distortions.

tom.