Help Needed Please With Digiscoping With Canon 350d

[MGMAD]

Please forgive me if you find this confusing, but I am as good with computers as I am with digiscoping.
I have been given as a gift a Konus Konuspot 80. I have a Canon 350D DSLR which I am able to attach using the adapter fitted over the Konus eyepiece and removing the camera lense. However, finding the subject to photograph through the camera view finder and focusing is a bit of a nightmare.
The end results are also quite disappointing.
Can anyone help please.
Thanks. Adrian.

[Paul Corfield]

I have a version of the Konus Konuspot 80. Mine was branded under a different name which is common for this type of generic scope. I modified mine to take my own eyepieces which improved the photos I got from it considerably. For ease of use the best results were with a point and shoot camera although I did experiment to a degree with a dslr as well. As with any angled scope, finding the subject is the hardest thing, a straight scope is much easier to aim.

Rather than doing the eyepiece projection method with the 350D you might get better results with a low power lens on the camera, something like a 28mm and photograph through the eyepiece.

Took these photos just now with my Canon 450D and a Tokina 28mm lens through the 17mm Baader hyperion eyepiece I have attached on my version of the Konus scope. Not sure what the standard eyepiece is like on the Konus as mine came without any eyepiece at all, hence I got it very cheaply on ebay with a view to modifying it anyway.

Also see the thread on the link below for some of the experiments I did with the scope and a Fuji F31fd digital camera.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=94091&highlight=inpro+optigra

Paul.

[MGMAD]

Hello Paul.
Thanks for your time and advice. This is just the sort of help I need. I did at one time think about changing the DSLR setup for a smaller fixed lens camera. Do you fine you have a problem with camera shake?
Many thanks again.

Adrian.

[Paul Corfield]

I didn't have any trouble with camera shake for these images. They were at 1/100 sec shutter speed on ISO800 so the shutter speed was quick enough not to give me any shake. Plus I've been digiscoping many years which helps too I suppose as you get better at doing everything smoothly.

What sort of shutter speeds were you getting with the eyepiece projection method?

Paul.