Farpoint Bahtinov Masks are a lifesaving focus tool that makes focusing your astrophotos a snap - quick and easy to use.

Farpoint Bahtinov Masks are a lifesaving focus tool that makes focusing your astrophotos a snap - quick and easy to use.

Farpoint Bahtinov Masks Are one of the best tools for focusing your telescope available to astrophotographers. In 2005 Pavel Bahtinov, a Russian amateur telescope maker and astronomer, detailed a new way to easily focus your DSLR, CMOS or CCD camera for astrophotography. The Bahtinov mask is placed in front of the telesocpe for the duration of focusing and then removed for the main exposure. With this great tool it is possible to get perfect focus in less than 90 seconds.

How it Works

• Our masks work equally well directly on the end of your telescope scope or on the end of a dew shield.
• The mask itself does not need to be perfectly centered on the scope. Some minor decenter is ok.
• Select a bright star for focusing and gently place the Bahtinov focus mask on the front of your telescope. Gravity and the "hanger pegs" will keep the mask in place for the duration of focusing your image.
• Take a short exposure, perhaps 1-3 seconds.
• The mask will create a set of diffraction spikes protruding from the star that will intuitively allow you to focus your image. The spikes will present as an "X" with a line bisecting it.
• When in focus, the bisecting diffraction spike will be perfectly centered on the "X". When out of focus, the bisecting line will be shifted to one side or the other.
• Adjust the focus slightly and repeat the exposure. The bisecting spike will move position letting you know if you improved the focus. Repeat the process until the bisecting spike is centered in the "X".
• Remove the Bahtinov mask from your telescope, compose and frame your astrophoto and take your expoures.

Although the process sounds complex when written, it is actually very easy and very intuiative to use. You will be delighted with the results.