Turning a Telescope to a Super-Telephoto Lens for the Sony A6500 + Sample Footage

There is a vast variety of native lenses you can mount on your Sony A6500 these days and even a greater number that you can adapt with ease, but what about mounting the camera itself onto a consumer telescope with a 2850mm equivalent focal length?

That’s obviously a bit awkward concept, to say the least, but if you consider the amount of money you should shell out to rent a similar professional super-telephoto lens even for a day, it certainly begins to make more sense.

In this particular case, Christopher Burress managed to pull this off by mounting a consumer telescope on the front of his tiny Sony 6500 using only a dirt-cheap T-adapter in between. And, here’s the result.

It turns out that with this combo you can not only enjoy detailed close-up views of the Moon and be amazed by the stunning views of star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies, but you can also film them in stunning 4K resolution. What’s more, you can also use this setup for capturing some distant objects on the ground which makes it even more appealing option, especially from a filmmaker’s perspective.

Keep in mind, though, that at this focal length even the slightest touch of your camera’s body or display will result in some tedious jitters and shakes in your footage so probably it will be a good idea to control the camera remotely in some way.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to rely too much on the built-in image stabilization of the Sony 6500 either, but you can still take advantage of the excellent low light performance the camera offers. Here’s a great example of the resolving power and level of detail this “super-telephoto lens” provides even at a distance of few miles away.

And, of course, the second video of Burress, showcasing the true capabilities of the setup in action.

Not bad for a telescope costing roughly the same amount of money you should pay for a brand new lens like the Sony E PZ 18-105mm f/4 G OSS. All in all, this combo provides an excellent opportunity to challenge your creative thinking by dipping your toes into the endless possibilities of super telephoto shooting and see what you can get without spending a fortune on that otherwise extremely expensive equipment.

[source: Christopher Burress]

B&H and Amazon Order Links:

• Sony Alpha a6500 Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only) (B&H, Amazon)
• Nikon to Sony Adapter (Amazon)
• Meade ETX 125 Observer Telescope 205005 (Amazon)
• Telescope “T-Adapter” (Amazon)
• UltraPro T/T2 Lens Mount adapter for Nikon SLR Mount (Amazon)