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Swarovski UCA adapter (2 Viewers)

Neil

Well-known member
Swarovski have just sent me their new UCA ( universal -type ) adapter for the new zoom eyepiece (25 -50x ). http://www.swarovskioptik.us/en_us/products/52#
It's not a swing-away type , like the DCB , but I like it . It takes a while to work out how to set it up and the instructions help a bit. Interestingly it is reversible to handle a DSLR with 50 mm lens as well. You could leave it setup this way to quickly change from DSLR to digicam. I would have liked to have had two connecting plates to make this switch quicker. It helps to have a balance bar , like the Swarovski Telescope Rail to that you can keep the whole thing steady as a DSLR will make it back heavy.
These photos show the Ricoh GX100 and the Nikon D90 setup.
Neil.

Hong Kong,
China.
July 2009
 

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Questions on Swarovski UCA adapter

Hi Neil,
Will the UCA adapter work ok on the 20x-60x and 30x eyepiece? If it will not work on these eyepieces, does it look like you could make tubes that would fit the eyepieces and would work in the adapter?

Regards,

Robert


Swarovski have just sent me their new UCA ( universal -type ) adapter for the new zoom eyepiece (25 -50x ). http://www.swarovskioptik.us/en_us/products/52#
It's not a swing-away type , like the DCB , but I like it . It takes a while to work out how to set it up and the instructions help a bit. Interestingly it is reversible to handle a DSLR with 50 mm lens as well. You could leave it setup this way to quickly change from DSLR to digicam. I would have liked to have had two connecting plates to make this switch quicker. It helps to have a balance bar , like the Swarovski Telescope Rail to that you can keep the whole thing steady as a DSLR will make it back heavy.
These photos show the Ricoh GX100 and the Nikon D90 setup.
Neil.

Hong Kong,
China.
July 2009
 
Hi Neil,
Will the UCA adapter work ok on the 20x-60x and 30x eyepiece? If it will not work on these eyepieces, does it look like you could make tubes that would fit the eyepieces and would work in the adapter?

Regards,

Robert

Robert,
No problem with the 20-60x zoom but the 30x and 45x are tapered and so don't give a firm support. It would be possible to fit some kind of sleeve.
Neil.
 
Hi Neil, thanks for the info.
On your pic is the thread of the eyepiece protector visible. May be the UCA fits stronger, if you remove it. For the DCB-A it needs also to be removed, according to the Swaro manual.

It looks like that the zoom value cannot be changed with the UCA locked?

What is your experience with the 25-50W eyepiece compared to the fixed ones for digiscoping? The new zoom is my only eyepiece and I'm new to digiscoping, but I think it's very usable for that task.

Regards,
Frank
 
Hi Neil, thanks for the info.
On your pic is the thread of the eyepiece protector visible. May be the UCA fits stronger, if you remove it. For the DCB-A it needs also to be removed, according to the Swaro manual.

It looks like that the zoom value cannot be changed with the UCA locked?

What is your experience with the 25-50W eyepiece compared to the fixed ones for digiscoping? The new zoom is my only eyepiece and I'm new to digiscoping, but I think it's very usable for that task.

Regards,
Frank

Frank,
Thanks. Yes , I will take the eyepiece protector off.
The Eye Relief of the new zoom is stated at 17 mm throughout the zoom range, whereas the 30x is 20 mm and the 45x is 18 mm. Although you can use the DCA with the new zoom it doesn't get the lens close enough to the eyepiece for me. I'm planning to use the UCA with the zoom eyepiece , even with the 8400 as I like the idea of only one eyepiece and I like the extra magnification over the 30x which is my normal eyepiece. But the main benefit of the zoom is with DSLRs with a 35 or 50 mm lens as you can use the zoom throughout it's range. I will try and compare the zoom against the old zoom and the 30x tomorrow.
Neil

Hong Kong,
China.
July 2009
 
Hi Neil,
Are you using the Swarovski Telescope Rail in the pics I see here? If so, what plate, or plates, do you use to attach it to the tripod head? I use the Manfrotto 501 same as you. By the way, I now have a Swaro DCA-B for the 30x EP and I suppose the 45x. I didn't even know it existed until I saw it mentioned in emails on this site. I had to use your method of building up the barrel of the EP part way with racket tape, before it would work with the 30x EP. It would work its way off of the EP at the bottom. This may be why it was discontinued.

Thanks again for all your efforts and experiments and sharing with everyone.

Regards,

Robert


Swarovski have just sent me their new UCA ( universal -type ) adapter for the new zoom eyepiece (25 -50x ). http://www.swarovskioptik.us/en_us/products/52#
It's not a swing-away type , like the DCB , but I like it . It takes a while to work out how to set it up and the instructions help a bit. Interestingly it is reversible to handle a DSLR with 50 mm lens as well. You could leave it setup this way to quickly change from DSLR to digicam. I would have liked to have had two connecting plates to make this switch quicker. It helps to have a balance bar , like the Swarovski Telescope Rail to that you can keep the whole thing steady as a DSLR will make it back heavy.
These photos show the Ricoh GX100 and the Nikon D90 setup.
Neil.

Hong Kong,
China.
July 2009
 
Robert,
It's attached in the second photo but the strap partially obscures it. I just took the Swarovski plate off and attached a Manfrotto plate. With the heel support that is hidden by the strap the whole setup is very rigid. I should have got one years ago.
Neil.
 
Question on Swarovski scope plate

Robert,
It's attached in the second photo but the strap partially obscures it. I just took the Swarovski plate off and attached a Manfrotto plate. With the heel support that is hidden by the strap the whole setup is very rigid. I should have got one years ago.
Neil.

Hi Neil,

Thanks. I believe I'm going to get one myself .

Regards,

Robert
 
Neil

Can the UCA adaptor be used when the 'scope is wearing its stay-on case, or does it get in the way? And, sorry, despite searching I can't find the answer, is the Swarovski scope's footplate designed for a Manfrotto quick release?

Thanks and regards

Nigel
 
This is interesting. Could you tell me what focal length lens the universal adaptor makes the 65 and 80 scopes?

I know little about digiscoping so here's a second question if I may - I have the CTS85 drawscope with the TLS800 lens which you attach to the DSLR using a T2 ring (See page 30 of the catalogue here
http://www.hoferwaffen.com/images/optics/Swarowski_en.pdf )
So on a DSLR does it change from an 800mm f9 to a 1200mm f12/13 lens?

Also while I'm asking, my wife has just bought a Sony 200 alpha so I need to get a different T2 adaptor to fit the Sony. Will any old Minolta/Konica/Sony T2 work, AF or MF? and are there some that are better quality? - I see they vary in price from a few pounds to nearly 20.


Thanks in advance for any answers
 
Neil

Can the UCA adaptor be used when the 'scope is wearing its stay-on case, or does it get in the way? And, sorry, despite searching I can't find the answer, is the Swarovski scope's footplate designed for a Manfrotto quick release?

Thanks and regards

Nigel

Nigel,
I haven't used the UCA with the Stay-on-case but from my experience with the Kowa equivalent it always gets in the way ( I have a "thing" about them ). The UCA only needs the zoom eyepiece exposed to be fitted but does need clearance to go to the vertical position.
I use the Manfrotto/Bogen 3433PL on mine and it fits well.
Neil.
 
Last edited:
This is interesting. Could you tell me what focal length lens the universal adaptor makes the 65 and 80 scopes?

I know little about digiscoping so here's a second question if I may - I have the CTS85 drawscope with the TLS800 lens which you attach to the DSLR using a T2 ring (See page 30 of the catalogue here
http://www.hoferwaffen.com/images/optics/Swarowski_en.pdf )
So on a DSLR does it change from an 800mm f9 to a 1200mm f12/13 lens?

Also while I'm asking, my wife has just bought a Sony 200 alpha so I need to get a different T2 adaptor to fit the Sony. Will any old Minolta/Konica/Sony T2 work, AF or MF? and are there some that are better quality? - I see they vary in price from a few pounds to nearly 20.....

The UCA doesn't change the focal length of either scope.
Your right that attaching a DSLR to the TLS800 will increase the focal length by the camera sensor magnification. For Nikons that's mostly 1.5x, Canons that's 1.6x and Olympus 2x ( 1200, 1280 and 1600).

Any old T2 should work and I don't think it matters what the price is. Adapters out of Europe are much more expensive than those out of China these days but both are ok.
Neil.
 
Many thanks, I'll buy a cheap T2.
Reading around the internet I'm beginning to understand the DC/DSLR systems now and how they can be used. I guess I'll stick with the DSLR + TLS800, though zooming must be useful.
 
Hi Neil. I recently bought a Swarovski digiscoping setup very similar to yours I just got the setup now and have been trying to digiscope but when I attach the UCA and the camera I lose the view because I suppose it becomes backheavy and tips the scope up a bit. I am now thinking of buying a Swarovski telescope rail to prevent this. I would like to ask if you know if this fits on any kind of tripod head or if I need to buy any type of plates so that it will attach. Thanks very much in advance for any suggestions.
 
Hi Neil. I recently bought a Swarovski digiscoping setup very similar to yours I just got the setup now and have been trying to digiscope but when I attach the UCA and the camera I lose the view because I suppose it becomes backheavy and tips the scope up a bit. I am now thinking of buying a Swarovski telescope rail to prevent this. I would like to ask if you know if this fits on any kind of tripod head or if I need to buy any type of plates so that it will attach. Thanks very much in advance for any suggestions.

The Telescope Rail is designed to fit the Swarovski perfectly but any brands of tripod head plate will screw into it. I have mine on the Manfrotto 501 head.
Neil
 
Thanks for the quick reply. Do you think getting the telescope rail will solve my problem of losing the view on the bird because the extra weight of UCA/camera keep tipping the scope up?
 
Thanks for the quick reply. Do you think getting the telescope rail will solve my problem of losing the view on the bird because the extra weight of UCA/camera keep tipping the scope up?

Yes. It has a long travel so will do a good job of balancing most consumer cameras (up to Nikon D90).
Neil.
 
Does this adapter work with Sony DSC-HX1 ?I've got a Swarovski 80 HD scope.Will these things work ?Thanks !

EDIT:My cope is Swarovski STS 80 HD
 
Last edited:
Swarovski UCA Adapter

Robert,
No problem with the 20-60x zoom but the 30x and 45x are tapered and so don't give a firm support. It would be possible to fit some kind of sleeve.
Neil.

Neil

Can you please provide the internal diameter measurement of the UCA barrel please. If it is sufficiently large, I will get a nylon sleeve made to slide over each end of the 30X eyepiece, then slide the barrel onto them.

Thanks

Finno
 
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