Glossary | Telescope accessories | General | Type | Camera mount

A camera mount can be used to attach a camera to the telescope or the mount. Unlike an adapter, the camera is simply held in place, not screwed tight or inserted into a socket.

If a camera with a camera lens is attached to the telescope, this is referred to as piggyback photography. The camera rides, as it were, on the telescope or the mount, but the actual photography takes place through the camera lens and not through the telescope optics.

A second very important variant are smartphone holders, also called smartphone adapters. They are used either also for piggyback photography or to firmly attach a smartphone to an eyepiece. With the latter method, you can achieve surprisingly good Moon and planetary images.