You’d love to be able to capture what you’re seeing, but all you have is the smartphone in your pocket.<\/p> “Surely,” you think, “it’d be easy enough to hold my phone’s camera lens up to the eyepiece and capture an image”.<\/p> This technique is known as ‘eyepiece projection’ or ‘afocal imaging’, and requires a steady hand indeed.<\/p> As anyone who’s tried it will testify, it’s incredibly difficult to get right.<\/p> This is where a smartphone telescope adapter comes in.<\/p> For more advice, read our guides to the best smartphone astrophotography gadgets<\/a> and how to photograph the night sky with your smartphone<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p> Or find out how to photograph the Moon with a smartphone camera<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p> Read our pick of the best smartphone zoom lenses<\/a> and best smartphone tripods<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p> A smartphone telescope adaptor is a device that holds your phone in position on the eyepiece, enabling the camera lens to get a good view of whatever your telescope happens to be pointed at.<\/p> Once you’ve got it set up, all you need to do is make sure you get a good capture of your chosen target!<\/p> In order for afocal imaging with smartphone telescope adapters to work, the phone’s camera lens must be firmly supported in the same position your eye is when you’re visually observing.<\/p> This can mean it’s worth spending a bit of money on a decent adaptor, as you’ll need something sturdy that holds your phone well in place.<\/p> Also, check that the adapter you’re buying actually supports your make and model of smartphone.<\/p> But you should also think about how often you’re likely to be getting a new smartphone in future.<\/p> If you change your phone often, you may want an adapter that can suit different shapes and sizes.<\/p> Below we’ve picked out a selection of some of the best smartphone telescope adapters available to buy online.<\/p> Some telescope kits even come with their own smartphone adapter, so if you’re entirely new to astronomy and think you might want to capture what you see, these are a good option.<\/p> We’ve listed some telescopes like this below too.<\/p> The first thing we noticed when testing the NexYZ was the quality of build.<\/p> We also loved how quickly you can insert and remove the smartphone, and this is a great feature if you’re with a group of people who would all like to have a go at capturing the chosen target on their own phone.<\/p> The best feature of the NexYZ is the ability to line the smartphone up with the telescope eyepiece in three axes, X, Y and Z, as this gives you maximum control when it comes to making sure the smartphone’s camera is aligned with the optical axis of the telescope.<\/p> We used the NexYZ with a Stargate 500 GoTo Dobsonian, an Equinox 80 ED refractor and our 100mm spotting scope.<\/p> We were able to capture a range of targets including the Moon and deep-sky objects using the NightCap app<\/a>, and we were very impressed.<\/p> Read our full Celestron NexYZ review<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p> Buy now from Orion Telescopes<\/a>, B&H Photo<\/a><\/p> The TeleVue FoneMate offers a pretty nifty and convenient way of capturing images using a telescope or a digiscope. This device provides a bracket that grips the phone and then lines up the phone’s camera lens to the telescope eyepiece.<\/p> If you\u2019re wanting to capture photographs of the night sky and you have access to a range of instruments like a telescope, binoculars, a digiscope or any other optical device, it might pay off in the long run to go for something universal that can be adapted to various different shapes and sizes.<\/p> The Visionary Universal Smartphone Camera Adapter is a good option because it can fit over any eyepiece with a 26-51mm diameter. The adapter also includes a tripod thread in the phone cradle, if you happen to have a good smartphone tripod that you use for capturing long exposures or star trails<\/a> etc.<\/p> The Altair Astro self-centering smartphone adaptor is fairly easy to set up and use and it works well.<\/p> It positions the phone at the correct distance from your eyepieceand the right lateral position, enabling you to adjust the exposure and focus to get your image looking good.<\/p> It also holds the phone pretty steady to remove the risk of shakes that will affect your final image.<\/p> You adjust four rubber-coated clamping arms to hold the phone’s camera lens over the circular hole in the adaptor, then use the locking arms to secure it in place.<\/p> A three-finger gripping system tightens everything onto your 1.25-inch eyepiece body.<\/p> Read our full Altair Astro Self-Centering Smartphone Telescope Adaptor review<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p> Bresser is a renowned manufacturer of telescopes and accessories, and they also produce a phone adapter for use withboth telescopes and microscopes.<\/p> It can be used on eyepieces with diameters from 22-38mm (which, of course, includes the ubiquitous 1.25-inch eyepieces).<\/p> The device operates via a platform with suction cups to hold your phone in place, which certainly makes the positioning of the camera lens over the eyepiece a bit more of a manual job than other adapters, but it does come with a flexible locking ring to help you hold the smartphone in place.<\/p> Buy from Wex<\/a>, PicStop<\/a>, Clifton Cameras<\/a><\/p> Another offering from Celestron, the NeXGO fits eyepieces between 25.4mm – 44.45mm in diameter and is fitted with spring-loaded clamps to enable quick switching of devices.<\/p> Turn the directional knobs to align your phone so that its camera lens is centred on the eyepiece, and you’re ready to go.<\/p> The adapter might look quick clunky, but it folds up for transportation. It also comes with an adjustable platform enabling it to fit a range of smartphones.<\/p> Buy from Walmart (US)<\/a>, Orion Telescopes (US)<\/a><\/p> Another renowned brand in the world of telescopes and telescope accessories, Orion has also entered the smartphone telescope adapter market with the Orion SteadyPix EZ.<\/p> The adapter fits smartphones from 4.7 x 2.4 inches up to 8.3 x 4.7 inches, and its clamp is designed to fit eyepiece housings measuring between 1.2 – 2.2 inches.<\/p> Like many other models, this one works via a clamp system that can be adjusted to hold your phone in place, with the lens centred over the eyepiece.<\/p> If you’re starting smartphone astrophotography through a telescope from scratch, why not get yourself a scope with a smartphone adapter already included?<\/p> The Celestron Inspire 100AZ is a great option for beginners, and in particular young astronomers who are just setting out on their journey into practical astronomy.<\/p> It’s offered at a reasonable price and comes with a good, sturdy tripod, 20mm and 10mm Kellner eyepieces and a 90\u00b0 erect image diagonal (meaning the telescope is suitable for terrestrial observations).<\/p> The Inspire 100AZ also comes with a red light torch<\/a>, accessory tray\/leg spreader and a dual-purpose dust cap.<\/p> And completing the package is the smartphone holder, which is built into the dust cap.<\/p> We were able to capture a video of the Moon on our smartphone through the 20mm eyepiece.<\/p> Stacking<\/a> the results of our lunar session produced a great astro image, considering the basic nature of our setup and despite poor seeing<\/a> conditions.<\/p> Read our full Celestron Inspire 100AZ review<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p> The Mak 80 is a well-priced, compact telescope measuring just 270mm long. It offers a focal length of 800mm and a focal ratio of f\/10.<\/p> This makes it what’s known as a ‘slow’ telescope and as such is well-suited for observing the planets, the Moon and double stars<\/a>.<\/p> The Mak 80 comes in a gift box with a soft carry case, a finderscope<\/a> and two eyepieces.<\/p> It also comes with its own star diagonal<\/a> and smartphone holder.<\/p>![\"Smartphone](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/02\/1512166895712-daf3434-e1661952701349.jpg\" "\\"\\"\/")
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/08\/Q-3c273-SG500-iP7-plm-cbab5dc-e1661953364104.jpg\" "\\"\\"\/")
What to look for in smartphone telescope adapters<\/strong><\/h2>
![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2020\/04\/17-Andrew-Birbeck-6666018-scaled-e1661952680885.jpeg\" "\\"\\"\/")
7 of the best smartphone telescope adapters<\/strong><\/h2>
Celestron NexYZ 3-Axis Universal Smartphone Adapter<\/strong><\/h3>
![\"Celestron](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2021\/01\/NexYZ-3-Axis-Universal-Smartphone-Adapter-8c66b95.jpg\")
<\/figure>Tele Vue FoneMate Smart Phone Eyepiece Adapter<\/strong><\/h3>
![\"Tele](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/11\/14-Tele-Vue-FoneMate-Smart-Phone-Eyepiece-Adapter-64f74c2-e1572953429251.jpg\")
Visionary Universal Smartphone Camera Adapter<\/strong><\/h3>
Highly adaptable<\/strong><\/h4>
![\"Visionary](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/11\/13-Visionary-Universal-Smartphone-Camera-Adapter--dba0837-e1572953357597.jpg\")
<\/figure>Altair Astro Self-Centering Smartphone Adaptor<\/strong><\/h3>
![\"Altair](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2020\/01\/Altair-Astro-Self-Centering-Smartphone-Telescope-Adaptor-12d38c6.jpg\")
<\/figure>Bresser Universal Smartphone Holder Deluxe<\/strong><\/h3>
Great value<\/strong><\/h4>
![\"Bresser](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/09\/Bresser-Universal-smartphone-holder-ff4f7c8.jpg\")
<\/figure>Celestron NeXGo<\/strong><\/h3>
![\"Celestron](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/09\/celestron-nexgo-a430849.jpg\")
<\/figure>Orion Steadypix EZ<\/strong><\/h3>
![\"Orion](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/09\/orion-steadypix-11d7ac9.jpg\")
<\/figure>Telescopes with smartphone adapters included<\/strong><\/h2>
Celestron Inspire 80AZ Refractor<\/strong><\/h3>
Great for young astronomers<\/strong><\/h4>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/10\/Celestron-Inspire-100AZ-3066d61.jpg\")
Acuter Voyager Mak 80<\/strong><\/h3>
![\"Acuter](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/01\/Acuter-Voyager-MAK80-telescope-setup-eaf232d.jpg\")
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