
Video: Moon and clouds
October 29, 2015
After much helpful prodding by Doug, I finally broke down and got a cell phone/eyepiece adapter. I had some Amazon credit and I was looking at some cheap astro gear by VITE. In particular I was checking out their cell phone adapter when I saw the link for a similar piece of gear by GoSky. The GoSky model cost a little more but the build quality looked more substantial and the reviews were better, so I bit. Got it out after work this evening for some digibirding and then some moon shots. More about that, and about the mount, in another post.
Shot this video from my driveway using the C80ED, a 12mm Plossl, the GoSky camera adapter, and my iPhone 5C. I know a horizontal aspect ratio works better on most computer screens, but I deliberately wanted it vertical to catch as much of the moon rising as possible without moving the scope. These were the last clouds of the evening, so at least for now, the New Gear curse has lifted.
Wow, this is so cool, Matt! I mean almost 2 minutes. With an iPhone. Obviously, no way to do this handheld. The video was really eerie with the dark clouds passing across the moon, reminded me of nearly EVERY full moon you see in the old 1930s b&w werewolf movies. In a word: ominous. The moon over the final 15 seconds or so was especially bright and radiant and resolved.
I am now eager to see the still photos you come up with. Maybe go wide field and try to capture an entire constellation. Or the Coathanger. Something like that. Do you have the iPhone app (camera-plus? Something like that) that gives you full Manual controls (including, I think, ISO) with your iPhone camera? You should be able to get some amazing photos with this app and the mount bracket. Whatever, this video alone justifies the 25 bucks you spent on the mount.
I can see this becoming addictive.
Post more, and soon.
Doug
Totally cool! I just posted a longer reply on 10MA.
And you did this video, a full 2 minutes, with a CELL PHONE. Who’d have thought this just a few years ago.
Doug
Sent from my iPad
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