Product Review

As easy as flipping a switch, the Imaging Flip Mirror enables the astrophotographer to find, center, and focus a target object visually with a 1.25" telescope eyepiece, then photograph it with a Charged Coupled Device (CCD) camera. All without swapping out any equipment. It's a real time saver, making the normally tedious task of focusing with the CCD camera alone quicker and easier.Rather than having to take numerous astrophotos to locate and focus your target, the 1.25" Astromania Astrophotography Flip Mirror lets you do those things visually with a telescope eyepiece. An internal mirror deflects the incoming light 90 degrees up into the eyepiece. A helical fine focus mechanism on the telescope eyepiece holder lets you set the eyepiece focus to be parfocal with the camera. Then, once you've focused the celestial object in the eyepiece, a flip of the side lever drops the mirror to allow the light to enter the camera, rendering a sharp, focused CCD image.The Astro-imaging Flip Mirror was designed specifically for use with StarShoot Deep Space imagers and similarly sized CCD cameras, for which it provides full sensor illumination. Male T-threads on the unit's metal housing allow direct attachment of the CCD camera body. The housing itself connects to a telescope's 1.25" focuser or adapter via the nosepiece, which alternatively can be removed to expose T-threads for direct coupling. The nosepiece is threaded for 1.25" filters. As convenient as it is for CCD imaging, the Astromania Astrophotography Flip Mirror also lets you enjoy visual observation when you want to take a brief break from shooting pictures. Maybe you want to catch an eyeful of that bright planet before it sets. You can do so without having to dismantle your camera setup! Why not streamline your astrophotography routine and take an occasional break to enjoy the views while you're at it? Get the 1.25" Astromania Astrophotography Flip Mirror today!