I have a DSLR and a Scope: What do I need to digiscope and is it worth it? (1 Viewer)

Hello all,

As a total noobie to digiscoping I was wondering as to what equipment set up I'd need to connect my Canon 7D to my Swaroski scope?

From my understanding I need to get a lens and camera ring of appropriate thread plus either a Swaroski DCA adaptor or Swaroski UCA.

I already have a 100-400 lens for the 7D which is fantastic for bird photography and videos.

However, from what I've read you need really good light to get videos if you use a telescope lens and it is vital for me as I will be recording feeding shorebirds for my Ph D (so open habitat with the potential for a lot of glare...). So will it be worth it or would getting another camera be a better solution?

Any advice is appreciated.

Dimitris.

Hi Dimitris,

Welcome to the digiscoping forum.

What is the main purpose? Still photography? Video?


I don't have a Swarovski scope myself, I however have a Nikon ED82 scope and FSA-L1 adapter but most of the experience I have gained the past 1.5 year digiscoping should apply.

To connect the spotting scope to the DSLR you will need an adapter with optical elements that you mount instead of the eyepiece for observation and renders a focal length suitable for DS. I am not familiar with Svarowski product line but they seem to have a DSLR adapter TLS800. This one transform the scope in a 800mm FL lens. With a front lens diameter of 80mm you will get lens speed f/10. Not fantastic, but useful in good light conditions. Angled scopes can be a bit tricky to use, quickly framing the target in the viewfinder can be a challenge.

An alternative is to purchase a compact P&S camera with good optical performance, 3X zoom (max 4X) and a feature set that meets you expectations. Check out the digiscoping camera thread. There are a number of popular cameras from Canon, Nikon... check out the Digiscoping Camera forum. To use the camera you will need an eyepiece that is suitable for DS, with an angle of view wide enough to eliminate vignetting. Most people will agree that useful magnification is in the 30X magnitude (when used with a scope with 80mm front lens). You will also need a mechanical bracket. Swarowski seem to have a number of camera brackets (same link as above). You can also use a third party bracket, I use the SRB Griturn swing adapter myself. DS with a P&S camera is quite easy since focusing is less of a challenge using the LCD. Image quality can be very good as long as you avoid zooming in. A major advantage is that a swing bracket allows to alternate using the scope for observation and photography within a few seconds only. Check out the Digiscoping Adapter section

The third option is to keep the DSLR body and purchase a refractor scope + adapters and extension, effectively using it as a high grade super telephoto lens, fixed FL (600mm F/7.5 is a popular choice and reasonably light weight and portable) and fixed aperture providing prime focusing (i.e. image directly projected on the camera sensor). This is probably a cheaper option than buying Swarowski adapters or new camera. Good scopes start at 300-400€. Check out the Digiscoping using Astro Telescopes forum.

Lastly, you will need a solid tripod and suitable tripod head.

The path I followed the past 1.5 years is the following:
1. DS using cheap P&S camera
1.1 Upgrading the P&S camera and bracket to better
2. Spotting scope with DSLR
3. Digiscoping with DSLR and refractor scope

3. Is by far the best tool from a photography point of view.
2. I use on occasion when in need for extreme FL (1200mm).
1.1. I use when the main purpose is observation.

HTH

/Tord

+1 to what Tord said, with a bit of an addendum.

You can also consider the Swarovski UCA adapter. It can take your DSLR with a small lens. Preferably the lens would be a fast prime for maximum light gathering as digiscoping inevitably results in very slow shutterspeeds. A good write up can be found here http://www.dannysdigiscoping.com/swarovskiucathereview.htm

If you find that the 50mm f/1.8 lens gives a too narrow angle of view (80mm on an APS-C DSLR), the 28mm f/1.8 or 35mm f/2 should do the job just fine.

For more info try messaging Dale Forbes who is also on this forum. His review can be seen here http://alpinebirds.blogspot.com/2009/06/swarovski-uca-universal-camera-adapter.html.

Hope this helps :t: