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Video Afocal Imaging and Processing: Simply stated, afocal imaging is a system in which a lens or telescope with attached eyepiece is coupled to a camera with its own lens lens. With the telescope sharply focused and the camera lens set on infinity focus, the resulting image should be in focus. My first attempt with afocal imaging was in the mid-'50's during a partial solar eclipse. I set up my dad's binoculars on a tripod, with a piece of exposed X-ray film taped to the lens for a solar filter, then set up his Exacta 35mm SLR camera with, I think, its 50mm lens at infinity, behind the eyepiece. Lo and behold, an image of the crescent sun appeared in the camera's finder, and I took a series of halfway presentable slides. It was not until the African solar eclipse of 6/21/01 that I got back into afocal imaging. I was pondering how, in the very limited time of totality, I could record the overall corona as well as details of the chromosphere and prominences, my main interest - with a single setup in those all too short three and a half minutes of wonder and sheer panic. I concluded that this was best accomplished with an afocal digital video setup and use of the wide range of a zoom lens. The technique proved so successful, including two images published in Sky & Telescope, that this is the technique I have used to date for the great majority of my solar system astronomical imaging.
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email: Peter E. Berry Sr. - peter@pbsr.peterberry.us webmaster - webmaster@peterberry.us All text and images © 2004, Peter E. Berry Sr. This website is hosted by:
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