Orion Starshoot USB eyepiece camera is a great way for novice astronomers to get their very first taste of astrophotography with the help of a USB telescope eyepiece camera. Unlike a normal telescope, a telescope eyepiece camera (USB camera for telescope) actually allows you to share or capture the images you see through your telescope. A USB telescope camera can either be very expensive or reasonably affordable, depending on the quality of images, materials used for building the product and so on. If you are just getting started with astronomy or astrophotography, you probably won’t be eager to spend a small fortune on a telescope USB camera. This is where a USB telescope eyepiece camera like the Orion Starshoot telescope USB camera eyepiece comes in; this camera USB accessory is one of the most affordable USB laptop camera products in its class.
In addition to this, this exquisite accessory is manufactured by Orion, a highly trusted brand in the astronomy field. Nevertheless, this camera lens telescope accessory cannot be considered the best USB camera on the market, for obvious reasons. When it comes to telescope accessories like a CCD USB camera, the more expensive the USB camera is, the more qualitative it will be. However, is this USB camera for laptop worth the minor investment? Will this camera with USB bring value for what you pay? What pros and cons are there to the Orion Starshoot laptop USB camera? What do customers say about the Orion USB with camera? Our Orion Starshoot USB eyepiece camera review aims to cover all of these topics and more. See if this telescope camera lens is the right accessory to get you started with astrophotography below.
What is the Orion Starshoot USB Eyepiece Camera?
To put it simply, the Orion Starshoot USB eyepiece camera is a USB CCD camera that you can use to capture the images you see through observing the skies with a telescope. It is one of the smallest USB camera accessories for telescopes (at just 2 inches long by 1.5 inches wide and 2.5 inches tall), so it is very easy to carry around with you if you want to travel to certain places for observing. The fact that this USB for camera weighs a total of only 1.8 ounces is another reason it is a fine accessory for traveling astronomers.
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So how does this USB camra work with your telescope? It’s simple. All you have to do is plug it into your computer or laptop and capture the images you see, with the help of software. One review of this USB camer states that the software the product comes with will not be enough; you will have to download a second software called Registax (but don’t worry, it’s free). The Orion Starshoot USB Eyepiece Camera will work for any telescope with a 1.25 eyepiece, making the product highly adaptable for various brands and types of scopes.
How about the image quality? Now here is where one of the downsides of the Orion Starshoot USB Eyepiece Camera becomes apparent. Unfortunately, what you pay is what you get, and a USB telescope camera that costs a few tens of dollars won’t get you crystal clear, crisp images. Nevertheless, it will aid you in successfully viewing the moon and planets, but it won’t work for deep sky objects that you might want to capture. The capacity of the Orion Starshoot USB Eyepiece Camera is 24 FPS (Frames Per Second), at 640 by 480 pixels. To learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of the Orion Starshoot USB Eyepiece Camera, please look into our following section below.
Pros and Cons to Using the Orion Starshoot USB Eyepiece Camera
PROS:
- Price – The cost of the Orion Starshoot USB eyepiece camera is (possibly above all) the most appealing part of this Orion accessory. We all know how expensive cameras can get, and the tiny investment on your behalf for the Orion Starshoot USB eyepiece camera won’t leave your wallet permanently wounded.
- Value – Even though it doesn’t produce top notch images, the value that you get for the Orion Starshoot USB eyepiece camera is amazing. Customer reviews with images attached show Jupiter and other planets as you probably wouldn’t have expected them to look like with an inexpensive USB camera.
- User-friendly – Astronomy is not exactly a piece of cake. Optical instruments are typically challenging to assemble, figure out and use and the process almost becomes impossible if you don’t have a user’s manual at hand. The Orion Starshoot USB eyepiece camera can be used right out of the box; just connect it to your telescope and your computer and install the software to use it.
- Moon & Planets – As the manufacturers describe, you will be able to capture planets and the moon. Also as Orion explains, you won’t be able to see deep sky objects. However, the images that you get of planets are quite stunning for such a small price.
- Photo & Video – Not only can you take pictures of the celestial objects you view, but you can also capture them in motion. A customer review recommends that if the movie you shoot with your Orion Starshoot USB eyepiece camera does not have an .AVI extension at the end, you will need to add it manually to work.
CONS:
- Poor Image Quality – Like we previously explained, you really get what you pay for when it comes to telescopes and accessories. Several customers complain about the image quality, but don’t forget that you are spending less than 100 dollars for a camera.
- Software – Aside from the fact that you have to download a separate software for the Orion Starshoot USB eyepiece camera to work, there were quite a few complaints regarding the poor quality of the software, as well.
Where to find the Orion Starshoot USB Eyepiece Camera?
We recommend that you buy the Orion Starshoot USB eyepiece camera on Amazon, where you can also get free shipping. It is currently just a bit over $63, but you should always check for discounts and promotions.
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Extra Info:
Maintenance Advice
Take care of your Starshoot USB camera as you would with any other telescope accessories, keeping it away from dirt, water or dust.
Accessories
As the Orion Starshoot is an accessory itself, you will only need a 1.25 eyepiece telescope for it to work. Optionally, you can get an extension for the USB cord.
Warranty and Guarantee Information
You get a 1 year warranty from Orion if you order the Starshoot from their official website (Amazon warranty is not mentioned).
Customer Feedback
With a 3.4 star average customer rating, it appears that customers have different opinions regarding the Orion Starshoot USB eyepiece camera. While some are thrilled with its low price and value, others complain about its poor image quality and even a lack of cooperation with Orion customer service (please see Amazon reviews for detailed encounters).
Our Recommendation
All in all, the Orion Starshoot USB eyepiece camera offers great value for its price. As one of the most inexpensive telescope cameras manufactured by a reliable company, the Orion Starshoot USB eyepiece camera is great for beginner astronomers who want to test their skills at astrophotography, to see if this is the next new hobby for them.
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