Moon Tour Using Modified Microsoft Lifecam Cinema HD & 20 Inch Starmaster Telescope

Tour of Moon movie made with a modified Microsoft Lifecam Cinema HD webcam and 20 inch Starmaster telescope by Gary Honis. The Microsoft Lifecam HD webcam used was modified for astro imaging and infrared photography as detailed here:

http://ghonis2.ho8.com/lifecam/lifecam1.html

Resolution used was 1280X720 pixels at 15 frames per second. After the movie was made I figured out how to capture 30 frames per second using a lossless codec. See my website for details.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Moon
• Modified
• Microsoft
• Lifecam
• Cinema
• HD
• Starmaster
• Telescope
• Astro
• Imaging
• Infrared
• Astrophotography

[hallobaaaby]

Wow very nice guided tour, Gary! By the way the air turbulance doesn't look too harsh on slow motion.

Since you have a canon 1000D too, do you think i should mount it on my scope (omni celestron 127 xlt) without any lenses (with eyepiece adaptor) or keep the eyepiece on the scope and then attach the camera behind it (have this metal fixture that's kind of metalic steady)? I start to get the impression that galaxies one shouldn't use too much magnification for photos, while moon is ok.

[ghonis]

With your 1000D, for lunar imaging, it would be best not to image through a telescope eyepiece or camera lens but instead image at prime focus. You would need a Camera T-ring and a T-thread to 1.25" adapter. If you wanted a higher magnification image, you can add a barlow lens. Yes, a higher magnification is good for the Moon since it is bright and your exposures will be short. For Galaxies, imaging at prime, or even using a focal reducer will allow you to take better long exposure images.

[sweetypie000]

i got a Microsoft Lifecam Cinema HD spare and wanted to try the mod. I looked at your great page on how to do it but the eyepiece extenders where to get ? Can you recommend a UK ebay please due? I don't want to get the wrong ones !

p.s worth modding the camera if I dont have one? are the results that good or should Ipay out for a proper one?

tnx

[ghonis]

Wayne Weedon was making and selling special housings for the Lifecam HD modification on ebay and I think he is in the UK. 1.25 inch eyepiece extenders have a standard size outer diameter but the inside diameter can vary a little. If you get one that is too tight, you could always file or sand it a little. Couldn't advise as to how a "proper one" would compare. I understand Microsoft recently released a 1080 resolution version of the Lifecam HD.

[MVT7100]

Great tour....

1 question. What is that ambient u using in the background? It sounds wunderfull.

[ghonis]

kraterkid,

The ambient sound in the video is just a single note on an old Korg DW8000 midi synthesizer with some bending of the oscillator joystick. The DW8000 is a digitally controlled analog synth hybrid that I modified with a turbo mod from Germany. It's an old synth with some great spacey analog sounds.

Gary

[silentsmokey]

how did your entire set up cost ya!? where can i buy it?

[Neueregel]

great tour !1

[sukamugen]

12k views?? kanye west or lady gag have over a million?? society im telling you...

[fdosdesign]

@ghonis Thanks for the mention. Yes it's true I do make these occasionally and there's about 40 or so in use out there.

[The1FlyingHigh]

Thanks for good instructions!

[Huey1H]

Tremendous tour. Just the right amount of narration and orientation graphics.

All was well 'til you mentioned you took it through a 20 incher. Ahhh. Instant aperture envy. Makes my 80mm apo, 127mm Mak and 200mm SCT look weedy. HeHe.

I'll have to look into the HD webcam. Just off to visit your site.

BTW I've subscribed.

[hallobaaaby]

@ghonis Thanks alot for these advises!! Can't wait to get back at home and try it (provided there are clear skies since there is quite intense chemtrails-activity lately there, France)!

In any case spring is coming and it will be good time go outside with a telescope in a weather that's neither freezing nor too heat-wavy :D

Clear skies to you!