Bad Phone Camera Mounts

Bad Phone Camera Mounts
Beware of numerous cheap phone camera mounts that fail because they grip the side of the camera exactly where the side function buttons are located.

The key is knowing the position of the phone's side buttons and the finite distance to the eyepiece center relative to where the mount grips the phone.

Another shortcoming is the grip tension is far too much and not adjustable. One way or another, this firmly depresses the side button(s) and the camera fails to operate correctly. Maybe these work with mobile phones other than Apple brand - the key is knowing the position of the phone's side buttons and the finite distance to the eyepiece center relative to where the mount grips the phone.

Units tested are seen in the photos - one that tightens around the top of the eyepiece by turning it and other that uses a screw to tighten the tension around the eyepiece (bottom photo). Both mounts pinch the side buttons on the Apple cell phones with too much force, thus activating the buttons and their respective functions.

The next mobile phone mount to be examined and tested is the Celestron Nexyz. This has adjustments along all three geometrical axes and according to the photos, the gripper is at the lower section of the phone, away from the live buttons.

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