EAGLE CORE is the latest PrimaLuceLab innovation and it was developed to reply a specific question: can I do astrophotography in a simple, fast and fun way? The EAGLE, EAGLE S and EAGLE OBSERVATORY control units are ideal for the amateur astronomer who wants to do more quickly and efficiently astrophotography
with their advanced instruments. EAGLE CORE, thanks to the EAGLE OS
integrated software, is perfect for those who start in astrophotography
and want a very simple system to use.
Thanks to ongoing photography developments, modern DSLR camera are fantastic instruments for astrophotography and they allow recording even long exposures of deep sky objects with
low noise. You just need a computerized equatorial mount and a compact
scope (or a telephoto lens) with guide camera in parallel and EAGLE CORE will allow you to record fantastic images of Universe objects!

Technical comment by Filippo: "EAGLE
CORE is the perfect solution for those who start making
astrophotography with a telescope, for photographers that want to use
their camera and telephoto lens for long exposure astrophotography o for
those that always tought that astrophotography is too complicated (and
then they made only visual use of their telescope). Personally I use is
always together with Celestron SkyQ Link 2 or Simulation Curriculum
SkyFi III to remotely control with WiFi also the mount: this way I can
control telescope position fron one app (like SkyPortal or SkySafari) to
align and slew it to the object I want. Then I move to EAGLE CORE app
to start autoguiding and images capturing!"

As for
other EAGLE control units, EAGLE CORE is installed directly on your
telescope, it powers the elements of your telescope (12V, up to 3
instruments) and it has a modular PLUS case allowing you to install it
on all telescopes and to personalize your configuration as you prefer.
It has also been designed to allow you to do long exposure
astrophotography even with telephoto lenses thanks to a special shooting
mode with the guide scope positioned at the telephoto lens side (see
photo below).

In order to use EAGLE CORE together with a telephoto lens (and guide scope in parallel) you have to add "140mm PLUS dovetail bar" to be connected under EAGLE CORE body,
in order to install everything on the equatorial mount. In the upper
part the Eagle Core has a 1 1/4" photo thread to connect a photo ball
head and then the camera. If you have an heavy photo lens (for example
with focal length higher than 200mm) you can add the "PLUS
Vixen+Losmandy dovetail clamp". Then you can connect the "PLUS 90mm Vixen dovetail bar" under the camera and then connect everything in the dovetail clamp. The guide scope is installed, using the optional 90mm PLUS guide rings, on the lateral side of Eagle Core.
In order to use EAGLE CORE with a telescope (and
guide scope in parallel) you can connect it directly above the PLUS
support rings of the telescope (below the PLUS support rings you need to
use a PLUS Vixen or Losmandy 140mm dovetail bar). Above EAGLE CORE body you can connect PLUS guide rings with guide scope (where to insert the guide camera).
WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH THE EAGLE CORE:
- Control DSLR and guide camera from your smartphone or tablet with a convenient WiFi connection: you will be able to see in real time pictures of guide stars or of the object recorded by your DSLR camera
- Remotely control your Canon EOS or Nikon DSLR camera: set acquisition parameters, then start capturing a single image or a sequence. These
are the cameras already tested and verified with EAGLE CORE (we're
testing other models, if your camera is still not in this list you can
also ship to us and we'll send you EAGLE CORE tested with your camera):
- Canon EOS 1000D (Rebel XS/Kiss F),
550D (Rebel T2i/Kiss X4), 600D (Rebel T3i/Kiss X5), 700D (Rebel T5i/Kiss
X7i), 20D, 40D, 60D/60Da, 6D
- Nikon D3300, D3400, D5600, D7000 (D7000 can't "B" mode), D600, D610, D750, D810
- Remotely control autoguide camera:
thanks to the integrated autoguide software, it automatically corrects
tracking errors of the telescope's mount (compatible with QHY5II-L and
Lodestar)
- Use dithering: in order to minimize electronic noise and get a better image when you stack more pictures of the same object (* feature available soon, it will be added with a software update)
- Power up to 3 devices (12V):
thanks to optional cables and adapters, you can power the DSLR camera,
the mount, etc directly from the EAGLE CORE eliminating the need for
other batteries and other external power supplies.
EAGLE OS: INTEGRATED SOFTWARE FOR DSLR ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY
Thanks
to EAGLE CORE you will no longer need a laptop: in fact it includes
EAGLE OS software to control autoguide and DSLR camera. You can control
all capture and guide parameters directly on the screen of your
smartphone or your tablet (compatible with iOS and Android devices)
connected to EAGLE CORE through the convenient WiFi connection.

Using the
autoguide feature of EAGLE CORE, classic tracking error of the
equatorial mounts are corrected: in the image below you can see how a
300 seconds exposition picture recorded at 200mm focal length shows
stars not well tracked if the autoguide is not activated (left) and
perfectly tracked when we use the autoguide (right).


EAGLE
CORE comes with an astrophotography introduction user manual (in english
and italian) that not only shows how to use EAGLE CORE but also teach
the basics of astrophotography like how to properly set the equatorial
mount, what is the autoguide and how to set it properly, why stacking
more pictures together, etc. For esample, here you have part of the user
manual:
Introduction to astrophotography with DSLR and mirrorless cameras
Planetary/lunar and deep-sky astrophotography
Astrophotography with telephoto lens or telescope?
Mount and sky objects tracking
Connecting DSLR or mirrorless camera to telescopes
Before starting to photograph: light pollution and power
Start taking pictures, step by step guide
Step 1: align the mount to Pole
Step 2: align the mount to the stars
Step 3: point the object to record
Step 4: focus DSLR or mirrorless camera
Step 5: start the autoguide
Step 6: advanced autoguide settings (optional)
Step 7: record pictures with DSLR or mirrorless camera
EAGLE CORE - scope of delivery:
- EAGLE CORE control unit
- Power cable with cigarette plug for Eagle (length 250cm)
- Spacers for guide rings in telephoto lens mode
- 4 M6 screws, 4 M5 screws, 2 M5 long screws, 2 photographic screws
- User manual with introduction to DSLR and mirrorless astrophotography (english and italian language)
M31 galaxy recorded with Canon EOS 7D, 200mm f/4 telephoto lens and EAGLE CORE, sum of 6 expositions 300 seconds each

Name |
PrimaLuceLab - EAGLE CORE DSLR Control Unit |
Manufacturer |
PrimaLuceLab |
Model |
PRI-EAGLECORE |
Custom Stock Status |
Ships in 1-2 Weeks |
In The Box |
EAGLE CORE control unit
Power cable with cigarette plug for Eagle (length 250cm)
Spacers for guide rings in telephoto lens mode
4 M6 screws, 4 M5 screws, 2 M5 long screws, 2 photographic screws
User manual
|
In the BoxEAGLE CORE control unit
Power cable with cigarette plug for Eagle (length 250cm)
Spacers for guide rings in telephoto lens mode
4 M6 screws, 4 M5 screws, 2 M5 long screws, 2 photographic screws
User manual