Celestron Firstscope Camera Mount

Celestron FirstScope - Mounting a Phone Camera

The Celestron FirstScope is a telescope sold at toy companies. It has serious astro abilities when upgraded. For astrophotography and astro imaging, a camera mount is needed to steady the camera and stop motion blur.

No ordinary camera mount will work, as the telescope does not have a tube that can be rebalanced. This means finding and   using a very light weight camera mount is necessary. For example, the Celestron NexYZ camera mount may be too heavy for the small firstScope.

There are several good low cost mounts cast from polymer that weigh almost nothing. The mount in the illustrated example cost $6.98 including shipping and fits the iPhone Xs Max.

The camera is firmly held in place with spring loaded sides that tightly grip the phone sides. A screw adjusts to hold the ocular which carries the entire mount. The phone position is infinitely adjusted with a tightening knob after the phone is positioned directly above the eyepiece, or before attaching to the telescope (an example in the video). The photos are self explanatory. As the camera will add the majority of the weight, increase the tension on the Dobsonian mount. Make sure to mount the camera along the telescope tube and optical axis for best balance and to minimize any rotational imbalance. Experiment with other mounts, brands and sizes of phones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8EIyocVRJI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoT44STXUhU