Originally posted by ivoire Has anyone ever tried a monocular convereter on their mirror lens? B&H has a Pentax clone for $40 and I was wondering how well it would work as a spotting scope. I'm about to visit florida for a few weeks of sun.
ivoire: Does the device in your photo simply screw onto the M42 lens mount and convert it into a spotting scope? I have believed for a long time that such things existed, but none of the camera shops or even one telescope shop around where I live are aware of such a device existing. Please tell me more, such as a specific part number or listing of the device on the web.
Originally posted by MattGunn I haven't tried a commercial one but I made a T mount eyepiece from an old Tasco telescope erecting prism and an old T mount. I can use it with one of several cheap telescope eyepieces but at present it is fitted with an old microscope eyepiece. It actually workes remarkably well - your eye is much more forgiving of poor sharpness and contrast then film of digital sensors. I imagine that a commercial one will give better image quality than my lash up so if you want a spotting scope it's probably worth a try. Also if you intend to take your mirror lens with you anyway then you have a spotting scope for almost no additional weight.
Matt: I would love to learn more about your design. I'm not too handy at metalworking myself, but I have a friend who works in a machine shop and has helped me out with various projects in the past, so I might actually have a chance of accomplishing it with your design. I have a Samyang 500mm f/8 that looks almost identical to the one in your photo, and I always thought it would be neat to be able to use it as a compact telescope.