Scope advice please

[Denis J]

Hi ..I have been using a Kowa 821 with 32XW lens for 3 years now and started digiscoping earlier this year my results have been ok but not quite right and I put this down to me being inexperienced but on saturday I bought a pair of leica 8x42 ultravids and now find the image quality of the scope lacking.
Would the flouride Kowa be good enough to solve this problem or do I need to go the expensive route and buy a real top end scope, if so any recomendations?

[digi-birder]

Denis, first of all let me welcome you to Bird Forum on behalf of admin and all the moderators.

What a question to kick off with! I'm sure you'll get many answers to this one, and possibly end up as many different opinions. It certainly is a minefield when it comes to choosing a scope for digiscoping.

I suppose the other questions are: which camera are you using? Do you use an adapter to hold the camera to the scope?

I had quite poor results at first (well, for about a year actually!) and thought it was my scope at fault (Opticron ES80 with 23x eypiece). Before I rushed out and bought a Swarovski, I did a few tests with my Coolpix 995 and came to the conclusion that the focusing was faulty. Since changing to a Canon G3 my photos have improved considerably, although I haven't been out digiscoping very much lately.

[IanF]

Hi Denis,

On behalf of Admin and the Moderators let me officially welcome you to Bird Forum :t:

As regards your query, I'm no expert on such matters, though I did take up digiscoping earlier this year myself. I use a Kowa 823 32x or 20-60x whihc has the fluorite glass and I'm pretty happy with the set-up. i used to own a Kowa 611 which had the ordinary glass and whilst a nice scope to view through, photo wise it just didn't cut it for me. The images were always too soft. It could have been down to several causes, but I have never had the same problem with the 823.

[Denis J]

Thanks for the swift reply. In answer to your question I have a coolpix 4500 with a home made adapter here is an example of the shots i'm getting

[digi-birder]

Thanks for the swift reply. In answer to your question I have a coolpix 4500 with a home made adapter here is an example of the shots i'm getting

This was the type of photo I was getting, more often than not, with the Coolpix 995.

It could be your scope, but I'm not sure if this result is a typical example of non-fluoride glass. As Ian says, he uses the Kowa with the fluoride glass and he gets some excellent shots.

It could also be slight camera shake (I was advised to use a lower powered eyepiece to counteract that) or just the camera not hitting the correct focus point, which is quite common when relying on the autofocus of the camera.

Try looking through Andy Bright's camera settings post in this section of the forum and see if you need to make any adjustments to the settings you are using.

If you still think it's the scope, take the camera to a store and try shooting a few photos through various scopes and see if the results are any different.

[christineredgate]

This may not really be a very helpful reply,but I have a pair of Swar ELs bins.The main reason they were bought for me was beacause they were light and easy to handle.I then thought a scope would be helpful and a Kowa scope was recommended as it was small and again quite light in weight.This scope arrived,I looked through it,so did hubby,and he made no comment at all,unusual,as if it had been really different,he would have commented.I kept thinking that compared to the bins,the scope was lacking.Not because of its make ,but something just did not click.The quality of the bins was far superior to that of the scope.this was not due to the quality of the Kowa scope,they are excellent scopes,but the quality of the bins,so I eventually changed scopes.Again,I have to pick equipment which is not over heavy,and is easy to use,but somehow there is a difference in the various products which can be noticed very easily.
The only thing to do is to go to a reputable dealers and check all equipment before buying.Brand names are not always the best,but in some cases it does pay to go for higher quality,as it will last longer,as one will never need to change or upgrade,
Christine.

[IanF]

Hi Denis,

I'd say that was a pretty decent result actually, far better than I ever managed off my 611. I'd be inclined to say the slight softness and CA could be more down to the non-ED glass. If Andy picks up on this thread then he'll have a better idea.

[postcardcv]

As I don't digiscope much I can't help on that front, but... If you are looking for a new scope it is vital that you try them out first. A good dealer will be happy to set up a few scope for you to look through and try out fully before you make a decision. Also try to test on a day when conditions are poor - the quality of a scope will be far easier to judge.
Last year I got an Opticron ES80 - after trying many scopes on numerous occassions and am very please with it - it was the best within my budget. However having used top end scopes in the last year I now want to upgrade. So my advice would be set a budget, buy the best you can afford (in your own opinion - don't worry about brand names - it's you that's got to use it), and then don't start looking at other peoples.... I can be dangerous!

[stevo]

Hi Dennis

Until about a year ago I used the Kowa 822 scope,same glass as used in your scope,plus the 32x wide eyepiece.I found that I was getting chronic CA plus some soft images.I now use the Opticron ES80 scope this has HD glass in it & I`ve found I get sharper images & far less CA.So yes I think the HD glass helps a lot.

Regards Steve.

[Ragna]

Dennis if you can afford it go for the APO77mm Leica with 32x eyepiece.Ace optics in Bath sell this for under £900,it is a bit heavier than some of the other scopes but at this price is excellent value for money.I use a Swarovski ATS80HD which at £400 more than the Leica is a bit expensive.

[Denis J]

Thanks for the advice people its been helpfull i'm going to Norfolk for a week next may and I think I will wait until then and try out some scopes at the in focus shop at Titchwell hopefully the flouride kowa will be good enough so I can keep my 32 and 50x lenses and the skua cover if not..damn the expense
The annoying thing is I was quite happy with it until I bought the leica ultravids I was short of cash when I got the scope so have been using a pair of pentax 8X21 bins I got for 60 pounds and when I was considering the leica's it never crossed my mind that they would show up the scope as much as they do anyway thanks again for the advice and good luck in your birdwatching :@)

[postcardcv]

If you want to look at scopes in Norfolk it's worth checking out a shop called Cley-Spy - located in the village of Glandford (a couple of miles from Cley).
They have an excellent range of scopes (and bins) and have always been very helpfull when I've been in there. They were quite happy to set up many scopes together so I could compare them all.

[Bubbs]

Hi ..I have been using a Kowa 821 with 32XW lens for 3 years now and started digiscoping earlier this year my results have been ok but not quite right and I put this down to me being inexperienced but on saturday I bought a pair of leica 8x42 ultravids and now find the image quality of the scope lacking.
Would the flouride Kowa be good enough to solve this problem or do I need to go the expensive route and buy a real top end scope, if so any recomendations?

Hi Dennis, Go to www.birdingisrael.com They have some fantastic digiscoped photos, along with advice. Athough I own a Canon G3 (brill) I don't use it with my scope.

John Barclay