digiscoping with Dslr.....possible?

[Paulyoly]

Would it be possible to take pics through my scope eyepiece using my dslr? I've put the lens up to the eyepiece, but the camera doesn't want to focus, i was thinking maybe a 50mm 2.8 macro like the sigma or canon or would a zoom macro be more appropriate? I guess the real question is will the vignetting be a problem? I thought of using a macro prime because the lens will not extend and i normally don't do much zooming in macro mode on the cp990 anyway.

I know there are adapters to use the camera with my scope, but they work without the eyepiece and pretty much defeat the purpose.

I have the digital rebel and pentax pf80ed-a for those that don't know.

Anyone tried this with their 10d, i'm sure i could make an adapter to hold the camera to the eyepiece.

[eric s]

I've done it hand held with the 10D and the 50mm f1.8 focused at infinity. It generally works. Not amazing, but it proved that it could work. I have an AT80S-HD, and the HD part means you have to lower that scope down fairly far to get it to work (the camera/lens adds a fair mount of height to the entire system. Kinda annoying. But it works.

Eric

[Paulyoly]

Originally posted by eric s
I've done it hand held with the 10D and the 50mm f1.8 focused at infinity. It generally works. Not amazing, but it proved that it could work. I have an AT80S-HD, and the HD part means you have to lower that scope down fairly far to get it to work (the camera/lens adds a fair mount of height to the entire system. Kinda annoying. But it works.

Eric

I thought about trying the 50 1.8, but figured a dedicated macro lens would work better. I base that theory on the fact that my 990 works better in macro mode when digiscoping. I generally don't zoom past 50mm with the 990 on my scope, but on the dslr will a 50mm lens be enough to prevent a lot of vignetting, 50mm would actually be 80mm right?

What do you mean by this statement:
I have an AT80S-HD, and the HD part means you have to lower that scope down fairly far to get it to work .

[peteh]

I am assuming Eric means he has the angled scope. (Ats bit)
So when the camera is on the scope eyepiece, as you cant twist the body like on a coolpix you have to lower the scope down quite far to be able to see thru the camera.

I am interested in this topic, it would be good to see some results if anyone has some.

Pete.

[Paulyoly]

Originally posted by peteh
I am assuming Eric means he has the angled scope. (Ats bit)
So when the camera is on the scope eyepiece, as you cant twist the body like on a coolpix you have to lower the scope down quite far to be able to see thru the camera.

I am interested in this topic, it would be good to see some results if anyone has some.

Pete.


duh, that makes since, thanks, you should have the scope low to prevent shake anyway,he,he.

Pete, i will most likely try a sigma 50mm 2.8 macro lens, unless someone has a better recommendation.

[Adey Baker]

The Sigma lens will give a quite sharp image but with vignetting - i.e. you'll get a circular image. I've got this lens on my Canon EOS50E (ELAN 11E ?) camera so I gave it a go through my Leica APO/32x scope. This is a 35mm camera, of course, so the smaller imaging area of something like the Canon 10D will not be so badly affected by vignetting.

A F1.8 or possibly (not sure) F1.4 will give less vignetting. 50mm also seems to be the best focal-length to use and it must be used at full-aperture to minimise vignetting.

I picked up this tip for the 50mm lens many years ago (can't remember where) and tried it out with my Olympus OM1 camera and 50mm lens through the scope that I owned then - an Optolyth 30x80 double drawtube model.

Results were a bit 'mixed'(!), as much to do with the difficulty in holding this combination still as with the fact that the scope wasn't as sharp as today's APO-types.

I also picked up the 'camera adapter' for the Optolyth - which was basically a bracket and cradle affair for holding the scope combined with a tube which screwed onto the rubber eyecup-thread and was then mounted onto the camera via a T2 adapter.

Reasonable results were possible but again limited by stability and lack of APO-type sharpness/contrast.

The interesting part about this, and the main reason why I've mentioned it, is the fact that the scope needed no other optical device - it sort of 'projected' the image to the film straight from the eyepiece without any noticeable vignetting.

There is, therefore, a possibility that any scope may be useable if you can fashion some sort of tube to mount it to the camera - trial and error would be needed to get the right length and an angled scope would be best to help support the camera's weight.

Magnification was higher with the adapter than with the 50mm set-up. The working aperture was about F18!

Adey

[Paulyoly]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Adey Baker
[B]The Sigma lens will give a quite sharp image but with vignetting - i.e. you'll get a circular image. I've got this lens on my Canon EOS50E (ELAN 11E ?) camera so I gave it a go through my Leica APO/32x scope. This is a 35mm camera, of course, so the smaller imaging area of something like the Canon 10D will not be so badly affected by vignetting.

Do you know the specs on the leica 32x? I'm using the pentax 18x and it has a large exit pupil of 4.4mm, i guess i'll just have to buy the 50mm macro and try it. With the cp990 i get almost no vignetting at wide angle using this eyepiece.

[eric s]

Sorry, yes, I meant the "AT" part. I have to lower the scope about a foot or so below what would be normal viewing hight. Makes it rather hard to shoot over the reeds at a swamp, and its just annoying because it means I have to do more than just add the camera to make it work.

I'll see if I can dig up an example picture.

Eric

[rogerscoth]

May I suggest a method to alleviate the need to lower the ATS80HD 'scope? The 'scope body swivels either left or right at the tripod fixing band, therefore the camera may be held up to the eye-piece (albeit perhaps not very easily) to retain the desired viewing height. This method may not be convenient when a stay-on-case is used.

Roger

[eric s]

Creative. Very creative... I forgot it did that.

I like it. Worth trying. Thanks!

Eric

[Adey Baker]

I'm not sure of the exact exit pupil on the Leica 32x but dividing the 32 into 77 will obviously give just over 2mm so it's noticeably less than the 18x Pentax. So your eyepiece could be good.

The one thing to check with Sigma lenses on Canon bodies is whether the Sigma is 'chipped' for the latest Canon specs.

[Paulyoly]

Well the sigma looks like a no go, it doesn't ineternally focus so the front of the lens will move in and out. does anyone know of a macro lens that has internal focusing?

[marnot]

I have a Swarovski ATS 80 HD scope that I would like to attach to a Canon DSLR. A experienced local camera guru, who isn't that up on digiscoping, has suggested that I might be able to connect the Swarovski zoom eye piece directly to the BODY of the new Canon 300 DSLR. Does this work? Is there an adapter available? Does anyone have any experience with this combo?

I am aware of the Swarovski 800 mm adapter that replaces the eye piece. I'm also aware of the Swarovski Digital Camera Adapter that's supposedly now available with a 52mm ring and would attach the digital camera lense to the scope eye piece. Does anyone have any experience with this last setup and the 300?