[kwb]

The moon was in a clear spot between thin clouds or so I thought. Looking at the picture the moon still looked hazy but I like it.

Pentax Q7 with 480mm f/6 telescope, stack of 2 images.


Moon, 2020 April 02 by k kwb, on Flickr

I used a teeny travel tripod that I usually won't even consider for this telescope because I left a beefier one at my work place before COVID-19 thing and I'm not allowed to go back.

This is a poor man's gimbal setup aka portrait position (see Long reach Q shooters - what type of head (+support) do you use? - PentaxForums.com). Since this is intrinsically off the balance and more so with a heavy telescope, you want to extend the legs to prevent the setup from falling on its own, OTOH the longer the legs the more they wobble, so it's a balancing act.

It was a pain to focus because the legs flexed and wobbled with the slightest touch on the focuser and I had to wait for at least 2 seconds before the vibration damped away. I lost my remote so I used 3-seconds interval mode shooting, discarding the first image.

Despite all these, I somehow got a picture I like without breaking anything .

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[barondla]

The moon was in a clear spot between thin clouds or so I thought. Looking at the picture the moon still looked hazy but I like it.

Pentax Q7 with 480mm f/6 telescope, stack of 2 images.


Moon, 2020 April 02 by k kwb, on Flickr

I used a teeny travel tripod that I usually won't even consider for this telescope because I left a beefier one at my work place before COVID-19 thing and I'm not allowed to go back.

This is a poor man's gimbal setup aka portrait position (see Long reach Q shooters - what type of head (+support) do you use? - PentaxForums.com). Since this is intrinsically off the balance and more so with a heavy telescope, you want to extend the legs to prevent the setup from falling on its own, OTOH the longer the legs the more they wobble, so it's a balancing act.

It was a pain to focus because the legs flexed and wobbled with the slightest touch on the focuser and I had to wait for at least 2 seconds before the vibration damped away. I lost my remote so I used 3-seconds interval mode shooting, discarding the first image.

Despite all these, I somehow got a picture I like without breaking anything .

Super moon shot! Not easy shooting with such an over matched tripod. Years ago, at a camera show, saw a 10lb Bogen tripod straining to hold up a Sigma 350-1200 zoom that weighed over 24lbs. I worried that someone was going to bump into the display and send the magnificent beast crashing to the ground.

Thanks for sharing,
barondla

[Minimonster]

I picked up a 110 50/2.8 to help keep me entertained during lock down. Focus is not the easiest but looks good when I hit it.

[barondla]

I picked up a 110 50/2.8 to help keep me entertained during lock down. Focus is not the easiest but looks good when I hit it.

The rim lit flowers are spectacular. Are you using the 50 wide open, or is there a Waterhouse stop closing the lens down?
Thanks for sharing,
barondla

[kwb]

Thin backlit petals of #1 are great, Minimonster!

This is Q7 and Vivitar Series 1 VMC 90mm f2.5 Macro at f~8, square crop.

[2old4toys]

Hi @kwb
What is that thing on your q on a telescope? Some contraption for magnifying the back lcd?

[kwb]

Hi @kwb
What is that thing on your q on a telescope? Some contraption for magnifying the back lcd?

It's a foldable LCD loupe called ClearViewer.

ClearViewer home

I used to use a loupe with rubber hood that encloses the entire LCD like pictured below but I lost it at some point. I wanted something more securely attached to the camera (I used bungee code to attach the hood to the camera, which was not really secure at all), and I wanted something more compact, so I ordered ClearViewer.

As far as compactness is concerned, ClearViewer wins big time, there's really no contest. The drawback is that you need to use your hand to block the ambient light, which is OK for small lenses but not for telescopes and big lenses. I'm using ClearViewer because it works well for native Q lenses and C mount lenses.

[Minimonster]

The rim lit flowers are spectacular. Are you using the 50 wide open, or is there a Waterhouse stop closing the lens down?
Thanks for sharing,
barondla

Wide open, although I'm thinking about stopping it down with a washer or sticky ring binder thing.

[hypernotactive]

Q7 with 07 Mount Shield Lens

Jpg straight out of camera with bold monochrome setting

[kwb]

I went to a bridge nearby to see cliff swallows. Q7 and BORG 55FL (250mm f/4.5 telescope), ISO 200, 1/200 sec, on a travel tripod. Cropped to 3:2.


Cliff swallow colony, close up by k kwb, on Flickr

Yellow rectangle on the cell phone shot roughly corresponds to the area of Q7's picture.

[Tony Belding]

From my backyard. 01 lens, ND filter, exposure bracketed.

[kwb]

Nice cactus flowers, Tony! Here is my backyard shot, strawberry in the morning, Q7 and Vivitar 90mm macro at about f/5.6 or so, ISO 200, 1/1600 sec.


Strawberry in the morning by k kwb, on Flickr

[murrelet]

I forgot how much fun it is to use the Q as a long distance wildlife cam. I wanted to identify this wasp/hornet tending a nest on our house. It turns out it's a non-aggressive European paper wasp, so we're going to leave it alone.Taken with a Tele-Takumar 200mm F5.6. ISO 1600, 1/125, F11.

[CarlJF]

Q7 + 07, in NYC a few days before the lockdown..

[boojum]

Driving around the back roads in my area and ran across this couple out for a joy ride. I bet the cops pull this car over.