Customer Reviews

Meade #64 T-Adapter for all ETX models (Except ETX-60/70/80AT)

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The ETX Camera Adapter #64 screws into the port at the back of tour ETX telescope. You can use it with the ETX90, ETX105, and ETX125 telescope or spotting scope to attach your 35mm film camera. There is one thing you still need, a T-ring for your specific camera's bayonet or screw mount. The adapter can be adjusted for a longer or shorter focal length by removing or replacing one of the two tubes that screw into each other. Due to the ETXs' long focal length and "slow" optics (f/14-f/15), exposures will need to be longer than with a normal lens, or faster telescope. This means your mount needs to be very sturdy. A cheap tripod may not be adequate. Also, since this adapter gives no provision for guiding, long exposure astrophotos (with the telescopes) will be impractical. One could mount a ETX90 piggyback on an ETX125... but a different arrangement would probably make more sense. But this adapter is great for birder, or to shoot the moon, or the brighter planets. Or tor those long distance shots, where you can't get close enough to your target. You can also shoot the sun with an appropriate solar filter (remove the finder before attempting this, or you could burn/blind yourself, as well as cook your finder).

If you buy this, also be prepared to buy Meade's t-mount adaptor to go with it. The threads on the camera adaptor are off-pitch just enough to make mating with third party t-mount adaptors hit or miss. These are supposed to be standard pitch threads but they just didn't get it quite right.

I got this to attach my digital SLR to my telescope. I got the correct T-mount, too. The pictures I got were horrible and useless. I'm very familiar with using manual settings on my camera and knew I'd have to do that, so that wasn't the problem. Very disappointing (and somewhat expensive) experiment.