Digital Camera Telescope Mount

Here is a quick an easy way to mount your digital camera to any telescope or optical viewing device.

What you will need:

x2 brackets (I used photo frame hangers)

x1 Telescope or optical viewing device

x1 Digital camera (I used a Samsung PL55 12.2 megapixel)

x1 Piece of wood ( i used a wood slat 90mm x 15mm x 1000mm and cut the length down to desired size)

x1 1/4 inch UNC bolt 40mm long or anything longer is fine

x4 long bolts any thread you desire, minimum of 70mm long (i used 1/4 UNC thread x 80mm long)

x12 nuts , x9 large washers and x4 small washers to match the long bolts you are using (in my case 1/4 UNC)

x1 nut and x1 large washer to suit 1/4 inch UNC

Firstly, you will need to prepare your wood.

Cut your wood down to size using a hacksaw or whatever means you see fit. Size should be roughly 170mm long x 90mm wide x 15mm thick (your sizes can be different but these are the sizes I decided to go with)

Next, using one of your brackets; mark the holes onto your cut piece of wood using a pencil - you will use these marks to drill the holes later. I place my bracket 30mm from the end of the wood but, again, this does not have to be exact as we will have plenty of adjustment later.

Once you have marked the bracket holes; you will now need to mark a 'bore line' to drill out later, this is where the 1/4 UNC 40mm long bolt will sit to screw into the bottom of your digital camera to hold it in place. My bore line was 35mm from the other end of the wood but yet again you do not have to be exact because of the adjustment we will have later.

Now using the markings on the wood from the previous step; drill the four holes into your wood using whatever size drill bit will suit the long bolts you are using. I am using 1/4 UNC bolts so my drill bit was a 1/4 inch HSS drill bit.

Next, bore out along the bore line your marked in the previous step; I used the same drill bit and drilled numerous holes then used a file to create the slot. This slot should allow your 1/4 UNC 40mm long bolt slide along the slot; this will allow for left and right adjustment when the camera is screw down.

Now to put the bracket together.

Slide the x4 long bolts into the four holes on the bracket with the bolt head facing upwards and with small washers in place. Using x4 nuts and x4 more small washers screw them up under what will be your bottom bracket plate (the one opposite to the bolt heads, as the pictures show).

Slide the unit over the eyepiece for your telescope and tighten into place. A size 10 spanner will tighten those 1/4 UNC nuts.

Now using your 1/4 inch x 40mm long bolt and a large washer; push the bolt up through the bottom of the bored slot and screw into the bottom of the camera. Lightly tighten the camera in place.

Now we want to be attaching the wood to the bracket and telescope.

using x4 of the nuts and x4 of the large washers you have to suit the long bolts; screw them on the four bolts pointing out from the bottom of your bracket. This will act as a top adjustment point for your wooden shelf.

Then slide the wooden shelf onto the four long bolts right up to where the four nuts and washers sit that you just screwed on.

Underneath the wooden shelf; put x4 large washers onto the long bolts and x4 nuts and lightly tighten it all up.

Nearly there!

Now this is where you can make any adjustments to get the camera lens lined up with the eyepiece of the telescope.

Once you are happy with the alignment then tighten everything up.

Flip it over, and there you have it!

I intend to cover the shelf in some sort of material and even paint it later to make it look a little more visually pleasing.