Canon 20D digiscoping settings anyone? (1 Viewer)

Hi all. Just been bought a 20D to replace my trusty 4500. Using the DCA adapter onto a Swaro 65 ATS I am having a lot of trouble getting in light - and my shutter speeds are suffering!

It is possible to get somewhere by increasing ISO but this does not seem a great answer to me.

Has anyone out there got advice on settings for this camera? My missus is beating me hands down with her Contax U4R! Appreciate that many think that DSLR's are not so hot on a scope - but any help gratefully received.

Hi Gasman. I have not tried matching my new 20D to my ATS80HD, so I'd be interested to see your setup.

But I can suggest some probably-sensible settings for it (based on my experience with Swarovski + Coolpix 4500s and Swarovski + Canon A95 and 20D + 100-400).

Shoot in Av mode, as wide open as you can. Let the camera decide on the shutter speed. ISO 400 quality is near enough to perfect as makes no difference, and the 20D isn't bad at 800 or even 1600. It's an amazing camera.

don't give up

I have at the moment a opticron ES 80 GA ED /45 scope with a HTF T zoom. With this I am using a Canon D300 digital camera with a fixed telephoto adapter
On Boxing day I went over to the water park
I wanted to practice on getting the settings right with my canon
As my 1st attempt was very disappointing after spending a load of money buying a mid range scope and adapter.

I have found that the settings which was suggested to me when obtaining the scope
Did not work to well (manual mode and the shutter speed set to fast and the ISO set to 400.)
I found the light was a big problem when trying to set the ISO to (400) it was just impossible.

Back at the lake I picked out some gulls on an island about 80M away and started shooting.
A-DEP, M, AV, TV, P and auto I found the AV setting was best.
With the camera set to AV I walked over to some better locations on near by lake to test out my findings.
The result was a lot better than my 1st attempt I could even make out the colour on the birds.

Hi Gasman, Please also fill me in on how things go for you with this combination. I also have the 20D and want to use it with my Swa ATS 80 HD, but still need to buy the adaptor. Not sure if I am making a mistake by doing this, but am really desparate to start digiscoping.
From South Africa it is not easy to get the necessary adaptors for using the smaller compant digital cameras and this is frustrating and also means a lot of time waiting to get parts sent over from abroad.

If you have success then I may very well just settle with using what I have.

Regards

Robert

safariranger said:

Hi Gasman, Please also fill me in on how things go for you with this combination. I also have the 20D and want to use it with my Swa ATS 80 HD, but still need to buy the adaptor. Not sure if I am making a mistake by doing this, but am really desparate to start digiscoping.
From South Africa it is not easy to get the necessary adaptors for using the smaller compant digital cameras and this is frustrating and also means a lot of time waiting to get parts sent over from abroad.

If you have success then I may very well just settle with using what I have.

Regards

Robert

Click to expand...

Hi

Recently tried experimenting with the Canon 20D on a Kowa 663 hooked up with a 50mm 1.8 lens on a Kowa TSN1 adapter, eyepiece is the new Kowa 20-60 zoom.
It is indeed a challenge, but so far I have found there are three problems:
First, the light reading from the camera hooked up to the scope is inaccurate, generally over exposing by about two stops, possibly even more.
Next the auto focus, well, forget it, this will not function properly through the scope.
Third problem, vignetting creeps in if the aperture is set smaller than f4.
The best approach appears to be working fully manually as even using exposure compensation gives inaccurate metering.
Working like this it would appear the camera can be used on ISO 200, probably even 100, aperture f3.5 or larger and the shutter speed increased to underexpose by 2 stops or more.
Taking a test shot, then reviewing this and checking the histogram will confirm that in spite of the camera readings correct exposure is being achieved. Shooting in Raw you can then check and adjust the exposure on the computer and confirm how close you are to correct settings.
Have attached a couple of snaps; both on ISO 200. T1 using AV priority and according to metering correctly exposed (AV4.0). T2 shot on manual (AV5.0, TV1/50) and seriously underexposed and showing the vignetting.
Not sure if this proves anything, but the possibilities are interesting.

Sidor

I also have a Canon 20D which I would like to try attaching to my Swarovski ATS 80HD 'scope, however I have not been able to find out what adaptor I can use.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Regards,
Adrian

Sorry guys but basically to try and digiscope with a DSLR especially something like a 20D throws away all the advantages that that superb camera gives you. Everything whether matched to the eyepiece or by telephoto means nearly everything has to be done manually. Apart from that there is the weight balance problem and a big wieght hanging on your eyepiece. In additon if you really want to try this far better to get one of the top scopes in the first place to give your selves a decent chance.

I have yet to see any really good photos using a dslr for digiscoping either with a photoadapter or connecting to the eyepiece. Far better to get a good telphoto lens if you want to use a DSLR.

I use a 20D attached to my Swarovski ATS80HD 20-60 zoom with a DCA adaptor. I have a Canon 38-76 lens with a 52mm filter thread which fits onto the DCA. Focus has to be done manually and I use a remote release to reduce camera shake. A Manfrotto sliding plate helps to keep the outfit balanced, a steady tripod being most important. In good light, by setting the camera to Av mode and selecting a wide aperture, I can obtain a fast enough shutter speed to overcome "mirror slap". The lens performs best between 38-50mm. I am pleased with the results at 400 ISO and reasonable at 800 if needed. I have not tried a 50mm f1.8 which may allow for faster shutter speeds.

Hi,
*Robert*
some really good shots, taken with a Zeiss 85 and the Canon 350D can be seen here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/faisca/

Bye
Tobias

You only get an 'f stop of around 11 or 13. This is slow and invites blurred images. The equivelant focal length is probably about 500mm which is not as powerfull as digiscoping set ups.You will also not be able to have full control over the readings since the scope is not wired up. You will therefore need to shoot manually. You are better off getting a lens for your camera and or another camera for your scope in my humble opinion.