Digital Telescope Eyepiece Cameras for Android 2019 Reviews
Do you lot need an expensive DSLR or mirrorless camera to capture the night sky? No, y'all exercise non; your smartphone is capable of much more than you think, and we've picked some of the best gadgets that will help y'all get the nearly from the emerging hobby of astro-phoneography.
The items beneath volition assistance yous capture phenomena from the wider genre of nighttime sky photographs: from sunrises and sunsets to the Moon, planetary conjunctions, constellations, star trails, the International Space Station crossing the sky, the northern lights and, if you have the latest phones, even the Milky Way (just, it'southward of import to emphasise, not a close-upward of the Orion Nebula or other deep-sky objects).
For more communication, read our guide to smartphone astrophotography and stargazing with a smartphone. For more high-end imaging equipment, notice out which are the all-time cameras for astrophotography.
Or if yous're on the chase for presents for astronomers and space fans, read our guide to the best infinite gifts.
For more than detailed astro imaging advice, discover our choice of the all-time telescopes for astrophotography.
three smartphone tripods
To take any kind of paradigm of the dark heaven means a long exposure, which ways stability. So you first need a tripod, and then a subclass that holds a smartphone.
Nosotros've gone for relatively small and portable tripods hither (if you lot don't care about portability, go a DSLR!), just information technology'southward the bracket that's arguably the nearly important bit.
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Joby GripTight ONE GP Stand (£37.95)
This malleable tripod has an adjustable grip that fits most phones, and its rubber feet grip on to any surface. Though you'll likely demand a flat surface for information technology, as a bonus its legs can wrap around a handrail or tree to help you lot gain a little height without having to travel with a large tripod.
More info:https://joby.com/uk-en/griptight-one-gp-stand-jb01491-0ww
Where to buy:
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Manfrotto PIXI with Universal Smartphone Clamp (£39.95)
You'll need a difficult surface to put it on, simply if you lot want a small and portable all-in-1 tripod expect no further than the PIXI Mini. Very solid and compact, information technology has a well-fabricated ball head for attaching compact or DSLR cameras that can exist locked in identify using a unproblematic push-button locking mechanism. This version comes with a smartphone clamp that grips any phone in any phone case.
More info:https://www.manfrotto.com/united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland-en/mini-tripod-black-with-universal-smartphone-clamp-mkpixiclamp-bk
Where to purchase:
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Benro 3XS Lite smartphone gimbal (£xc)
If you desire something actually posh to support a phone, consider this: a three-axis gimbal for smartphones that'south really designed for amateur filmmakers. However, too as enabling you to zoom using a push button on its column, and take manual photos via its app, the unabridged matter has a one/4 inch tripod thread on it so can be mounted on a full-size tripod.
More info: https://xseries.benrogear.com/en/x-series-3xs-lite
Where to buy:
three astrophotography apps
Whether or not your smartphone has a sensitive enough sensor to have good quality long-exposure images of the night sky volition depend on what model you have.
Beneath are just a few of the long exposure apps bachelor that volition give y'all full manual control. Some even accept special astro modes.
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Photographic camera+two for iOS (£3.99)
The latest version of one of the most famous and well-loved manual phone photographic camera apps, Camera+ 2 allows y'all to gear up shutter speed, ISO and white balance, and there'due south a dull shutter mode for exposures of up to 30 seconds. It also lets you capture in raw formats for mail-processing.
More than info:https://camera.plus
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Camera FV-5 for Android (£2.49)
If you've got an older Android phone, consider Camera FV-5, which too gives you lot full manual command over your telephone'due south camera in a DSLR-like viewfinder. That includes exposure bracketing and a congenital-in intervalometer too as manual exposure times up to xxx seconds, ISO and white balance. It records photos in a raw format called DNG.
More than info:https://www.camerafv5.com
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NightCap Photographic camera for iPhone and iPad (£two)
A well thought of app for low low-cal and night photos, NightCap Camera is 1 of the few focused on astrophotography. There are presets for Stars, Meteors, the International Space Station and even a Star-trails fashion. As well equally transmission control of a phone (and an ISO booster) it provides built-in noise reduction and an intervalometer for dark-sky fourth dimension-lapses, recording everything every bit a TIFF file for post-processing.
More info:https://world wide web.nightcapcamera.com/nightcap-photographic camera
3 smartphones for astrophotography
Phone-makers are currently obsessed with creating smartphones that tin can take great photos in depression low-cal. That means long exposures and high ISO, which along with manual modes brand these pricey flagship phones capable of taking images that begin to bear witness the Galaxy.
The manufacturers volition say you don't need to use a tripod but ignore them; for whatsoever kind of astro shot you definitely exercise!
Since these phones do still have relatively tiny sensors compared to big cameras, be careful non to button the ISO higher up 800 (otherwise you'll likely see a noisy mess), and note that you volition have to edit them afterwards in Photoshop or similar to really get the all-time out of them.
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Samsung Milky way S10 Plus (£899)
Its huge 6.8-inch 'cinematic infinity' display aside, the camera on Samsung's latest flagship phone has 2x optical zoom and a 'pro' style that lets you shoot in the raw DNG format, set ISO as high equally 800, shoot with an aperture of f/1.5 and open the shutter for upwardly to 10 seconds. However, y'all tin't utilize its wide-angle lens in pro way. Doh! Still, you can capture star fields and the Galaxy.
More info:https://www.samsung.com/uk/smartphones/galaxy-s10plus-sm-g975-hybrid-sim/SM-G975FZWDBTU/buy
Where to purchase:
- Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus at Iii
- Samsung Milky way S10 Plus at Tesco Mobile
- Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus at Amazon
- Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus at Mobile Phones Direct
- Samsung Milky way S10 Plus at EE
- Samsung Milky way S10 Plus at Carphone Warehouse
- Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus at Argos
Apple's latest flagship phone comes with a triple-camera assortment. It boasts 2x optical zoom and digital zoom upward to 10x, has an aperture of f/i.8 and a 'night' mode. Sadly, you don't have much manual command, you lot cannot save in raw, and like the Samsung you can't employ the super-broad angle lens at night. But you can capture stars and the Milky way.
More info:https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/purchase-iphone/iphone-11-pro
Where to purchase:
- iPhone 11 Pro at EE
- iPhone eleven Pro at Carphone Warehouse
For nighttime-heaven astrophotography, this is the phone to get. The 6.five-inch P30 Pro has the biggest zoom around. The maker says, "it can bring the Moon correct earlier your eyes." It actually can. The P30 Pro has a 5x optical zoom and a 50x digital zoom. Equipped with f/1.6 aperture, it also has a 'star trail' mode that allows the wide-angle lens to be used. At last! This is the phone to get if you want to meet the Milky way in your phone photos, though you'll always need a tripod, and be prepared to post-process.
More info:https://consumer.huawei.com/uk/phones/p30-pro/
Where to buy:
- Huawei P30 Pro at Mobile Phones Directly
- Huawei P30 Pro at O2
- Huawei P30 Pro at Three
- Huawei P30 Pro at Carphone Warehouse
3 zoom lenses for smartphones
In one case widely available, zoom lenses are on the wane now that flagship smartphones now have decent digital zooms.
However, there are a few that tin assistance you get an excellent image of the Moon if used with a tripod and smartphone bracket.
This entry-level kit comprises an 8x zoom telephoto lens with transmission focus ring (among others) that's swell for photographing the Moon. It also comes with a tiny tripod, a phone bracket and a example for attaching the zoom lens. However, it's but bachelor for specific models of phones. It's great for beginners.
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Olivon 8-24x40 Zoom Monocular
If you want to become a little more than serious with your Moon shots but don't want to increase the size of your astro rig, consider digiscoping. This monocular, which has a magnification range of 8x to 24x, can be used with one of the telescope eyepiece adaptors below.
More info:https://www.opticalhardware.co.united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland/product/olivon-8-24x40-mono-zoom
Where to buy:
- Olivon eight-24x40 Zoom Monocular at Amazon
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Sony DSC-QX10 Smart Lens
An unusual choice is this standalone 10x 28-100mm zoom lens. Packed with Zeiss optics, it fixes to a phone via a cable, or can exist used separately and connected via WiFi. It's got an 18.2 megapixel sensor.
More info:www.sony.co.uk
Where to buy:
- Sony DSC-QX10 at Amazon
4 telescope eyepiece adaptors
Welcome to digiscoping! If you've got any kind of telescope information technology's so tempting to try and get an image using a smartphone. What's more, it works really well if you can proceed information technology very still. Cue a smartphone adaptor that fits around the eyepiece. Some work on binoculars as well, though you'll have to put them on a tripod.
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Bresser universal smartphone holder palatial (£13)
With suction cups to keep your phone deeply in place and the ability to arrange its elevation, this universal holder allows you to perfectly position your smartphone to take the all-time photos.
Where to purchase:
- Bresser United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland
- Amazon
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Visionary Universal Smartphone Camera Adapter (£19.99)
If you've got admission to a telescope, a pair of binoculars, a digiscope and any other kind of optical device, become for something universal similar this device, which fits over whatever eyepiece with a 26-51mm diameter.
More info:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Visionary-Universal-Smartphone-26-51mm-Eyepiece/dp/B07QL9LK6S
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Tele Vue FoneMate Smart Telephone Eyepiece Adapter (£79)
Here'due south some other convenient manner to accept images through a telescope or a digiscope: most likely of the Moon. A bracket that grips a telephone and and then lines up with the phone's camera lens, information technology fixes to the eyepiece of either a telescope or a digiscope. Beware of vignetting around the edges.
More info:http://www.televue.com/engine/TV3b_page.asp?id=73&Tab=_phone
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Celestron Inspire 80AZ Refractor (£209)
How well-nigh a telescope with an integrated eyepiece adaptor for smartphones? That'due south what yous get with this simple three-inch/80mm refractor on an Alt-Az mount. Information technology's plenty to start taking photos of the Moon. A further accessory is bachelor to attach a DSLR camera.
More than info:https://world wide web.celestron.com/products/inspire-80az-refractor-telescope
Where to buy:
- Celestron Inspire 80AZ at PicStop
- Celestron Inspire 80AZ at Amazon
And if you're really serious …
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A quick guide to the Vaonis Stellina Smart Telescope (£3,570)
Welcome to the first – and incredibly expensive –WiFi-enabled phone-scope that stacks multiple six megapixel images of deep-heaven objects to produce photos on your phone. Designed by professional astronomers, the French-made Stellina gives you a clearer image the longer it tracks an object, and the results are incredible. Controlled and used via a smartphone, yous don't even have to stay outdoors. Is this the ultimate astrophotography toy?
More than info:https://vaonis.com/stellina
If you do happen to capture amazing astrophotos with your phone, we'd love to meet them. You tin become in touch with us via Facebook, Twitter, or simply by dropping u.s.a. an email. Happy snapping and articulate skies.
Source: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/top-astronomy-kit/best-gadgets-turn-smartphone-into-astrophotography-camera/