Best Telescope Smartphone Adapter Ever Made? (And Why You'll Love It) Tridapter Reflactor

This is a review of the ACCUVIEW/TRIDAPTER smartphone telescope adapter. Previously, the Celestron NeXYZ was the only game in town for large eyepieces. Can the ACCUVIEW/TRIDAPTER supplant the Celestron's status? I also show how to connect a smartphone adapter to any telescope with this adapter to take astronomy photos. ACCUVIEW will accommodate eyepiece diameters up to 2.375 inches. NOTE: They have changed the product name to #TRIDAPTER.
#telescope #phone #adapter
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/// AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS (Note: I earn a small commission from these links) ///
ACCUVIEW/TRIDAPTER (BEST) Smartphone Adapter: amzn.to/3NkMzbx
Best Value Set Of Upgraded Eyepieces: amzn.to/3Y7MYmn
Best Overall Red Dot Finder: amzn.to/3UQVPJr
Economy Smartphone adapter: amzn.to/3WfKS2e
Bluetooth button: amzn.to/3OBpW1i (prices have risen)
Best book for new astronomers: "Turn Left At Orion": amzn.to/3PDxLo4
CHEAP 8 inch Dobsonian Telescope: amzn.to/49TH12l
NICE 8 inch Dobsonian Telescope: amzn.to/4bbxIuU
RED HOPE Adventure Scifi Novel Series:
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Paperback: amzn.to/4aPRc7Y
Audiobook: amzn.to/3WhhXOw
** My new SciFi short story prequel, right here on KZbin **
• MARS Sci-Fi Audiobook ...
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// HOW TO GET PERFECT FOCUS WITH A BAHTINOV MASK //
• TELESCOPE Bahtinov Mas...
//HOW TO FIX AN UNBALANCED TELESCOPE //
• Video
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KZbin NOTES:
1) This video complies with the KZbin Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.
2) The manufacturer provided a test unit for me to evaluate in this video.
3) Soundtracks provided by my editing software, Camtasia and KZbin's own AudioLibrary for content creators.
4) This video does not contain any children, offensive material or language.
Questions Answered In This Video?
1) How to connect a phone to a telescope?
2) How can I connect my cellphone to a telescope?
3) How do I connect a phone to an eyepiece?
4) How do I use a telescope phone adapter?
5) How do I get into digiscoping?
6) What is the best smartphone adapter for telescopes?
Summary:
This video contains step by step tutorial guide instructions for connecting a phone/smartphone to a telescope. Sometimes called digiscoping, this is a great way for amateur or beginner astronomers to step into the hobby of smartphone astrophotography. In this video I use a Samsung Galaxy, but it would work just as well with an iphone. These cellphone adapters work great on almost any telescope, binoculars, or spotting scope. This hobby is sometimes called mobileastrophotography or smartphoneastrophotography. Some popular hardware platforms are the actobot 80500 telescope, neewer cellphone telescope adapter, and the adaptér na chytré telefony levenhuk a10.
Alternate links:
#smartphone #mobileastrophotography #astrophotography
Phones discussed:
samsung galaxy
smartphone adapters for telescopes
digiscoping
cellphone adapter
neewer cellphone telescope adapter
low-cost of digiscoping with your smartphone
monocular telescope
Disclosures: All opinions are my own. The Accuview/Tridapter was provided for the purpose of a review with no promised results. Some links in the description are affiliate links that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a tiny commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

[@ADF_Cable]

Thanks mate! Great vid! Cheers

[@reflactor]

Thanks! Hope it helps. Clear skies!

[@hednik]

Great video as always!

[@reflactor]

Thank you for the kind words. Clear skies!

[@mpojr]

now that is a quality product

[@reflactor]

I've been very happy with it. That's what I use exclusively these days.

[@decibellone696]

very well explained.

[@reflactor]

Thank you for the kind words. I hope the video was helpful.

[@edf2953]

Another great video John. Astro hopper seems like a great tool. Very interesting indeed. I have a Celestron Star Sense enabled telescope. I will have to try and compare the two technologies. Clear Skies.

[@reflactor]

Thanks for watching! Clear skies!

[@Nightfire_Gaming81]

I just got a used Meade ETX 60at with a 25mm and a 9mm stock eyepiece. I was looking at the NeXYZ but after watching this I think I’ll pull the trigger on this mount as it looks like it’ll fit the neck of my 9mm eyepiece better than the bigger clamp of the NeXYZ. Thank you for the review!

[@reflactor]

Congrats on the new telescope. I think you'll find this adapter works well for you.

[@andresdelaplaza]

Well done John! Congrats! I bought the adapter and received the 2-inch version. Excellent! Now, my two cents about ISO settings: I recommend using lower ISO numbers because image quality will be better (less grain) but there's a compromise between ISO and Shutter Speed. Prefer a combination with a lower ISO for clarity. The limit is the lower shutter speed being affected by Earth's movement.👍👍🙌🙌🔭🔭🔭🔭🔭🔭

[@reflactor]

You timed it perfectly. I'm loving this two inch version. I usually use low ISO's out of necessity (the darn Moon is sooooo bright).

[@nativethings]

Thanks a lot! Just canceled Celestron purchase and thinking about buying an Accuview

[@reflactor]

I love the Accuview - it's all I use. No matter which unit you buy, use the trick of mounting the eyepiece first (I use a ruler to simulate the phone surface distance). Clear skies!

[@niteman555]

I bought a Nexyz a few years ago because I thought the idea of a 3 axis holder was great, but I returned it immediately because of the build quality being so poor. Good to see a proper, if more expensive, version is on the market now.

[@reflactor]

I've been very happy with these new all-metal ones. This is the only one that I use now.

[@John-of5sh]

Why oh why did I not see this video sooner :(. THANK YOU SIR for sharing your time and knowledge. I will be the first to admit I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer yet you managed to put this into words that even a highschool dropout like myself can comprehend! Once again, THANK YOU!!!

[@reflactor]

I'm glad it helped. There are so many smartphone adapters out there, but this is the best one. It's the one that I use exclusively now.

[@jackieblank4249]

I'm going to have to get one of those one day John. Asrophotografy not my best go at. It is fun to manipulate photos. Had a cannon 35 mms Ae1 do crazy stuff with iOS and slow r fast shutter speeds.

[@reflactor]

I actually took photography back in high school many decades ago. We developed out own film and everything. However.... I prefer digital. :) Way less nasty chemicals.

[@jackieblank4249]

Yea. Lots of chemicals. I got a taste of a dark room from my Staff Sargent when we we're in Turkey . He developed Black n white negatives that he shot. Pretty neat .

[@bradwartman3647]

I wish I'd had one of these when we were at Capitol Reef NP this past October for the annular solar eclipse. I ended up using my Canon EOS 90D with a T-adapter but it would've been much easier if I'd been able to use this adapter with my iPhone. I did buy a Celestron NexYZ DX Kit thinking that I'd use it, however since I was doing a livestream of the eclipse I needed a way to connect my iPhone to an HDMI cable as well as power and the bottom bracket of the NexYZ inconveniently covered the port on my iPhone 15 Pro. This adapter looks like it won't have that issue so I will have to give this a go and see how well it works 🙂. One thing about your method of how to align the eyepiece; on the newer iPhone models the camera lenses extend above the phone's backplane and, especially if you're using a cover to protect the lenses, using a ruler might not produce satisfactory results. Also, make darn sure to clean the camera lens; when I tried using my iPhone with a handheld solar filter I accidentally left a fingerprint on the iPhone's camera lens, which made for an interesting diffusion effect on the image 😉.

[@reflactor]

Thank you for the message. I agree - the bottom and top of the phone are still available when using this holder. Also, I appreciate your feedback about the iPhones. I've been hearing more and more from Apple users about the difficulty that the cameras are causing.

[@citylimitsphoto]

I am ditching my Celestron Nexyz for this. Placing order with your link today. I got tired of struggling with the spring on the phone holder with the Celestron.

[@reflactor]

Thank you for supporting the channel that way. Let me know what you think of the new one. It's the only one I use these days.

[@JoeJaguar]

John Thanks i think i may buy that adapter so i can use my 2" EP clear skies. Just checked amazon CDN that adaptor here is $137 cdn oh my

[@reflactor]

Wow! That seems like way more than just the typical exchange rate!

[@JoeJaguar]

@@reflactor ya thats what I thought ill wait till i see a sale

[@knight2255]

It can also double as the xyz stage for a bath interferometer

[@reflactor]

I'll have to take your word on that one (not sure what it is). Thanks for watching!

[@Hookedoncameras]

Is there a best "lense" to use with the cell phone adapters? At this time I use 20 mm - wide angle. I have tried a zoom type lense but movement with that tends to mess with the focus. I like your videos too. Very helpfull for my XT 10 I bought used and also refubishing. I added a dual focus nob to the old focuser using a Laceter kit from England.

[@reflactor]

There isn't really a best lens per se, but generally the more cylindrical, the easier it is to clamp on to. The zoom lenses won't work well because of their rotational action (for zooming). I am fascinated by the Laceter kit though - I didn't know those existed!

[@animeshkana8067]

Hi )) great channel. Quick Q. Can this adaptor work with zoom eye pieces. I have Baader Zoom 8-24 eye piece, great channel so informative

[@reflactor]

Possibly. Since it clamps onto the body of the eyepiece, there's a chance that the weight of it will cause the zoom mechanism to move (changing the magnification).

[@liewsc]

Great video, do you know if it works with the Baader Morpheus line of eyepieces? They are tappered at the top, i wonder if the z-axis has enough room for adapter to clamp at the straight area at the middle of the eyepiece. Thanks.

[@reflactor]

I'm afraid I don't know. The Z axis does adjust quite a bit. Hopefully somebody viewing these comments can chime in.

[@michaelc4448]

Thank you very much for the vid. Very informative. I was about to get the nexyz but I'm getting this one after seeing your vid. I have to order it from Amazon US even though I'm French cause it's not offered in Europe it seems. I have a S23 Ultra which is very bulky for the small telescope I use: a Celestron SLT127. Do you have any idea which lens I should use on the phone? 0.6X, 1X, 3X, 10X ? I guess 1X is the best sensor and 10X won't work in low light but I'm a beginner...

[@reflactor]

Thank you for watching. I'm not sure why they aren't selling these in France. You may want to write the MoveShootMove company. I think the S23 might be too big for the NeXYZ. With regard to your question about the lens size, I'm not familiar with the numbers you used, 0.6X, etc. The Accuview adapter will clamp onto almost any telescope eyepiece. Clear skies! Merci d'avoir regardé. Je ne sais pas pourquoi ils ne les vendent pas en France. Vous voudrez peut-être écrire à la société MoveShootMove. Je pense que le S23 pourrait être trop gros pour le NeXYZ. En ce qui concerne votre question sur la taille de l'objectif, je ne connais pas les chiffres que vous avez utilisés, 0,6X, etc. L'adaptateur Accuview se fixera sur presque tous les oculaires de télescope. Ciel clair!

[@michaelc4448]

Thank you for the the translation! I am going to write a new comment instead of using this reply to comment further because I think what I have to say can be useful to other people and it maximizes the chances it is read.@@reflactor

[@oldiehugger]

Will it fit Pentax XW 3.5, 10 , 20 and 8-24 mm eyepieces? Thanks.

[@reflactor]

Good question. The eyepiece clamp hole will accommodate eyepiece diameters of up to 2.375 inches. Clear skies!

[@Nana27-su1wc]

Hello! Is the Tridaptor the same as the Accuview highlighted in the above video? Want to make sure I am ordering the right one? Thanks!

[@reflactor]

Yes. I'm not sure why they changed the name so quickly after launching their product.

[@Harutjun]

jikes this one is quite expensive but seems to be worth it if it's rigid / all metal

[@reflactor]

This one now has two versions. The expensive one comes with a bluetooth shutter button. For $15 less, you get it without the bluetooth button. Of all the smartphone adapters, this one is the most "rigid". It's all metal with almost no flex at all.

[@Harutjun]

@@reflactor i will probably buy it with the Bluetooth option :)

[@samimohammed1727]

Hi John, do you know if the Accuview adapter fits Explore Scientific 2” 82 degree FOV eyepieces?

[@reflactor]

Hi Sami, the only 2" eyepiece I have from Explore Scientific is the 30mm and there is no smartphone adapter that will attach to that giant eyepiece.

[@RepairEngineer_RV]

Your Bathinov link in the description doesn't link to how to use the mask

[@reflactor]

Thank you for letting me know. I've just updated it. Here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6KTYX5-mKl5q7M

[@oldiehugger]

Hi john, when i look into the eyepiece my eyes are in closeup mode right? If I put a phone to capture the image in the eyepiece, shouldn't it set to closeup mode as well?

[@reflactor]

I still have to change the manual focus to infinity for it to work on my telescopes.

[@sweetblossoms1715]

I am probably going to get this one. Although I am Canadian and… you are looking at $120-130 CAD for it.

[@reflactor]

That is a bit pricey, but it's a highly useful and valuable smartphone adapter.

[@matthewb1973]

Just curious, will this work well with binoculars as well? I have a Nikon Aculon 16x50 that I would like to try doing some photography with, and I'm looking for a good adapter.

[@reflactor]

That's a good question. I honestly don't know - this one might actually be too large, hitting the other eyepiece?

[@matthewb1973]

Thank you for the response. I'll definitely have to check around and see if I can find something similar.

[@jackg7225]

Nice video but why didn’t you use the 2 inch eyepiece in this demonstration? Also isn’t it just a business expense to buy a more up to date phone since you could use it in a video? You’re using the Samsung phone. Which is great since that is what I have but I have the S22. There are 4 lenses so I have issues trying to figure out which of the lenses to line up with the eyepiece. Also the ultra S22 and 23 have the pen that has a button on it allowing you to use the pen to snap the photo.

[@reflactor]

That's a good question. I've given that demonstration so often that I'm just used to using the 1.25 inch eyepieces. Also, I suspect there's a lot more people using that size than the 2 inch. However, I really should make another version with the 2 inch. Clear skies!

[@user-lb9gw5kn9d]

정말 best 인가요 ?? Celestron NexYZ과 의 비교는 ?? 일단 가격이 3-4배 비싸니...

[@reflactor]

시청 해주셔서 감사합니다. 여기 미국의 가격은 비슷합니다. 이 새로운 모델의 제작 품질은 Celestron 모델보다 우수합니다.

[@user-fv6dc3wu1d]

한국어 번역 감사합니다

[@reflactor]

좋은 일식 하루 보내세요!

[@artyombeilis9075]

I think the Achilles heel of most smartphone adapters is: (a) it is as string and firm as your clamp to eyepiece and frequently it is problematic (b) it does not protect from stray light the comes from outside.

[@reflactor]

With the Celextron NeXYZ, the Z-axis is definitely the weak point - that's where all of the flexing happens, which is why I'm no longer a fan of it. The Accuview is like magic - the joints are rock solid and perpendicular despite being able to adjust them quite easily.

[@waynefranklin2222]

Hey my friend, I got my adapter from Amazon, after watching your video a few times, I just can't get this thing to line up with my Samsung Galaxy 20 I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but it just won't line up properly. Very frustrating.

[@reflactor]

Thank you for this message - I'm sorry it is frustrating. If I may ask, what is the focal length of the eyepiece you are using? I recommend a low-power eyepiece when first learning to use these adapters (something between 15mm and 32mm). After getting the eyepiece locked in, make sure the eyepiece covers are removed. Set your phone on it, turn on the phone app and make sure it's zoomed all the way out (1x magnification). Then it's just a matter of trial and error. NOTE: Another trick you can use to get it "pre-setup" is to lock the phone in the cradle first before installing the eyepiece, then turn the side-to-side and forward-backward adjustment screws until you see, visually, the camera lens sitting near the central area where the eyepiece will be once you install the eyepiece. Please let me know how it goes.

[@OldCurmudgeon3DP]

I align mine looking at a light source with just the eyepiece. Then I put it in the scope. Lock my zoom to 1x & focus just shy of infinity on the phone.

[@littlesunny63]

Of course they come out with a 2” model. 4 months after I buy the first model. I should have known better.

[@reflactor]

Not to worry, they both work great. I actually still use the little one sometimes. Just depends on which one is nearest.

[@littlesunny63]

@@reflactor it’s all good, it fits 3 out of 5 of my 2” eyepieces.

[@viktorbezvidkhodko2199]

Where is it made?

[@reflactor]

I suspect it's made in China. I honestly think every adapter is made in China, even the Celestron NeXYZ (that's what it says on the box).

[@waynethebarber1095]

Sorry to say, I have the XYZ, I dont have the money to run out and buy this one, and then have 2....

[@reflactor]

The NeXYZ's still have some resale value, between $30 and $40 on the local used markets (Facebook Marketplace, etc.)

[@waynethebarber1095]

@reflactor Sorry, I don't Facebook. To much crap on there. I would not know where to even start... I want to say, Your videos are the best! Now with the eclipse coming, I have been talking to my customers ( barbershop) about it. I plan to try to take pictures of it with my Meade 2045. Yes I have a filter too! That's a story in its self how I got my scope for free. I have more to ask about sun filters too, but I will save that for later... Truly, Thanks for all you do. I learn with every video you make! And I love StarHoper too!

[@jackieblank4249]

Can't take pictures. Going AstroHopping. Looking for some cheese on the moon Bud.😅

[@reflactor]

Why not do both? hahaha. Have fun!

[@B-Mike]

you make a lot of “game changer” term in your videos. Every product you make a video on is a “game changer”. Don’t get me wrong, I do watch your vids and enjoy them!!!

[@reflactor]

Thank you for this comment. I didn't realize I used it that much. I don't get paid by sponsors, so this was just how I get when I'm enthused about something. However, I will try to switch up my wording. Clear skies!

[@cl6x533]

if your using two inch eyepieces with a smart phone adapter, this is your wake up call to get a camera

[@jackg7225]

Have you tried to use a DSLR with a telescope. What a pain. I’m new to the astrophotography but while I bought an adapter for my camera, it’s not working out at all.

[@mynameisben123]

What if your goal is visual observing, and people keep asking you to see what it’s like to look through the telescope?

[@HowToGuns]

I honestly hate this adapter. It’s impossible to do it quickly. I’m a hunter, nature lover. I heard you mention you use it for astronomy? Maybe it makes more sense in that field. Nature watching you gotta be quick and this is not. It’s also very hard to find the proper height of the phone and adapter on the eye cup. You in the video level yours with a ruler, I find that even leveling it and fiddling with it it’s always out of focus.

[@reflactor]

My channel is about telescopes and astronomy. We usually have an overabundance of time, so setup time isn't usually a problem.