Photographic Use Example:
We've been asked a few times recently on how to set up the Baader UFC for use with a DSLR and a range of wide-field imaging refracting telescopes. So we thought we would write a short blog on some ways this can be done.
Baader UFC System chart - Overview diagram
Let us start from the telescope side first.
All the enquiries we have had, the wide field refractors have 2" barrel focusers, so there is our starting point. The telescope side of the UFC Base (to which everything else in the UFC system is connected to) uses Baader's S70 dovetail adaptors to allow the UFC to fit to telescopes.
Looking at the UFC main diagram above Baader do a Baader UFC S70 / 2" SC-thread (f) Telescope-Adapter (optical height: 1 mm) (#2459128 , € 25) that allows 2"/SC male-thread accessories to be used. More about our UFC Telescope Adapters can be found in our blog: The UFC telescope-side adaptors.
Baader 2" Safety Kerf nosepiece with 2" filter thread (#2408156 , € 43)
The image below shows the latter 2" nosepiece attached to the UFC S70 2"/SC adaptor. Using one of these will allow the UFC to be attached to a telescope with a 2" focuser.
UFC S70 2"/SC adaptor with a 2" nosepiece attached
Baader UFC Base (Filter Chamber) telescope-sided S70 dovetail receptor (optical height: 13 mm) (#2459110 , € 58)
For the filter slider either the 2" mounted, 2" unmounted or 50x50mm square versions can be used depending on what filters you currently have or may want to purchase. Using smaller filters (with one of the Aux holders) will likely cause vignetting depending on the size [age] of your camera's sensor). More information on the UFC sliders can be found in part 3 of our UFC blogs: The UFC Filter Slider
Next we get to the camera side of the UFC Base.
There are three possible "routes" for attaching a DSLR camera:
- Baader UFC T-2 (m) Camera-Adapter (optical height: 2 mm) (#2459115 , € 29) to allow the use of standard T-rings
- Baader UFC M48 (m) Camera-Adapter (optical height: 2 mm) (#2459116 , € 29) to allow use of wide (M48) T-rings for cameras with larger full-frame sized sensors.
- Baader S52 dovetail Camera-Adapter for Wide-T-rings (optical height: 2 mm) (#2459119 , € 30) for use with S52 dovetail accessories such as Baader's Protective EOS T-Ring (which can also be used with T-2 and M48 camera adaptors - see below) or Baader's range of S52 wide T-rings
Baader Protective T-ring with S52 dovetail (and T-2, M48 and 2" nosepiece) attachments.
So lets put all of this together. In the image below we have an example setup based on what we have written above. From right to left: we have:
- A telescope with a 2" focuser
- Baader 2" Safety Kerf nosepiece with 2" filter thread (#2408156 , € 43)
- Baader UFC S70 / 2" SC-thread (f) Telescope-Adapter (optical height: 1 mm) (#2459128 , € 25) - shown with 1 mm thick spacer ring to fasten 2" nosepieces that have a longer thread
- Baader UFC Base (Filter Chamber) telescope-sided S70 dovetail receptor (optical height: 13 mm) (#2459110 , € 58) with a Baader UFC 2" (M48) Filter Slider (#2459112 , € 45) ready to be inserted
- Baader S52 dovetail Camera-Adapter for Wide-T-rings (optical height: 2 mm) (#2459119 , € 30) - you can also use a Baader UFC T-2 (m) Camera-Adapter (optical height: 2 mm) (#2459115 , € 29) for standard T-rings or the Baader UFC M48 (m) Camera-Adapter (optical height: 2 mm) (#2459116 , € 29) to allow use of wide (M48) T-rings
- T-ring: in the example set up image below this is the Baader Canon EOS Protective T-ring (without any inserts) - (#2958550). You can use standard or wide T-rings providing you choose the appropriate UFC camera adaptor (see above).
Baader UFC example imaging set up for use with a 2" barrel focuser and a T-ring
In a future blog we will look at other ways the UFC can be used for imaging purposes, including how to set the UFC up for use with focal reducers/field flatteners.
>> View all UFC-Products <<
About the author
Dr. Lee Sproats has been interested in astronomy since watching Star Wars in 1977 and has appeared on the UK Sky at Night TV programme. He then went on to study Astronomy where he obtained a degree and then a PhD in the subject at University College London/Mullard Space Science Laboratory. He has worked in Australia in radio astronomy and used optical/infrared telescopes on Hawaii and La Palma and Lowell and Kitt Peak observatories in the USA. After working for the University of Surrey to promote the use of computers for teaching in UK higher education and then as an IT trainer for a stock market company, he went on to work for Greenwich Observatory Ltd where he ran their northern branch and then worked for David Hinds Ltd dealing with our and Celestron products. He is often involved in flight excursions that take passengers to observe the northern lights, has led trips to see the great USA 2017 eclipse near Hopkinsville and was lead astronomer onboard a specially chartered 737 to view the 2015 total solar eclipse at 38,000ft. Lee`s astronomical interests include Lunar observing, astrophotography, photometry and pro-am collaborations.
Since David Hinds stopped operation in December 2020, Dr. Sproats works for Baader Planetarium as our UK representative/consultant and is responsible for looking after our UK/Eire dealers, dealing with Baader Planetarium/PlaneWave/10Micron product support, writing articles and also is involved in our large telescope and observatory instrumentation projects.
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[…] Baader-UFC (Universal Filter Changer) - Simple photographic use example […]
[…] Baader-UFC (Universal Filter Changer) - Simple photographic use example […]
[…] Baader-UFC (Universal Filter Changer) - Simple photographic use example […]
[…] Baader-UFC (Universal Filter Changer) - Simple photographic use example […]
[…] Baader-UFC (Universal Filter Changer) - Simple photographic use example […]
[…] Baader-UFC (Universal Filter Changer) - Simple photographic use example […]
Hi everybody,
Are there any plans to extend the UFC range for adaptors and fittings for the Celestron RASA 14". I have a full set of fittings for the RASA 11" and if I upgrade to the 14" will the majority of the existing parts still be usable? (common sense says yes but you never know!)
I can imagine the initial fitment to the OTA would be different but if there are plans to produce a compatible fitting could you clarify if the existing fittings would maintain compatibility?
Thanks
Best wishes
Mark
Hi Mark, the UFC-Adapter for the largest RASA (which is called "RASA 36cm" by Celestron themselves) is already available and can also be seen on the overview-graphic on this page. Here's a direct link:
https://www.baader-planetarium.com/en/filters/universal-filter-changer/baader-ufc-s70-rasa-36-adapter-telescope-sided.html
We confirm that all existing parts are still usable. The RASA 36 UFC-Adapter is just another "telescope-sided" UFC-Adapter which is connected via S70 dovetail to the UFC base like all the other telescope-sided UFC-Adapters.
[…] Baader-UFC (Universal Filter Changer) - Simple photographic use example […]
Hi - I have the a RASA36 and the UFC system. Should the UFC spacer adapters mount flush to the telescope side adapter? When I push the 15mm adapter onto the telescope side adapter there is a gap and it does not go on all the way and mount flush to the plate. Not sure if that is normal. I would think it might introduce tilt?
Duane
According the geometry of the S70 connection it is normal that you can see a small gap. The surfaces which get in touch are inside the S70.
Simply press the adapter down by hand and screw on each grub screw just until it touches. Then tighten them properly: always the opposite screws, similar you would do to fit a car tire.
Dear Sir,
I would be grateful for some advice on filter compatibility. I have the UFC system with 2x 2" filter sliders. I have tried to use my IDAS LPS-D2 filter but it is an extremely tight fit. The only way I can fully insert and then remove the filter slider with this filter in situ is to loosen the 8 sunk screws on the UFC camera adapter. Is this a known issue? I presumed the UFC was universal and would be compatible with most types of telescopes... cameras... and filters. It is after all called a Universal Filter Changer, not 'universal camera changer' or 'universal telescope changer'. Please advise. Many thanks, Jo
Dear Mr. Bhattacharya,
thank you very much for your inquiry and we are very sorry for the inconvenince. It is true that the UFC stands for Universal Filter Changer, however not all manufacturers use the same standard when producing filters and filtercells. Some of them have a very long thread on the filter cells, which causes the filters to be stuck inside the filter basis. If this is the case, with the filter slider, inside the packaging was also a thin ring, which can be mounted between the filter and the filter slider. This makes the filter sit a little bit higher, the thread won't come to the other side, and therefore succsessfuly avoid this issue.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions or remarks.