Opticron BC-2 Hide Clamp (1 Viewer)

Hello guys. I am thinking about getting a Hide clamp & the Opticron BC-2 In particular. The clamp has the 42800 3-way pan head, basically Its all set-up. As anyone got one of these & are they ok for digiscoping use. The hides where I go & the times when I go dont really get that many people so vibrations wont be much of a problem..

Thanks.

Sean..

It depends on where you would attach the clamp. I don't like to extend any part of the scope/lens out of the window as the movement keeps the birds at least twice as far away in my experience. I usually sit back about 1 metre if I'm in the hide on my own and I've had Temminck's Stints at 7 metres. Also it has to be high enough to be comfortable for viewing without "scrunching" down.
I will be interested in hearing your experience with it.
Neil.

I have one which I use with my Nikon ED50 scope. I actually have the Opticron tripod, which has the removable centre column used in the hide clamp. Most of the time I just use it as a hide clamp. It works well with the little Nikon scope but I'm not sure it would work so well with a larger model. I also used to do a bit of digiscoping with the ED50 and it worked quite well although it was a bit back heavy with the camera attached.This meant that I would get the bird in the frame and lock the head up but sometimes when I let go of the scope and camera it would drop down a minute amount. It might struggle even more with a heavier or longer scope.

The other thing is that you are dependent on having a sturdy shelf in the hide. They vary a lot and a flimsy one will allow the scope to move about quite a bit, which can be a factor when digiscoping. One annoying thing I found was that I would sometimes be looking through the scope when something interesting appeared. Everyone in the hide would immediately lean forward with their elbows on the shelf and I would find myself looking at the sky.

Overall, I think the Opticron is probably as good as most hide clamps and mine works well with the ED50. They have their limitations for digiscoping, especially with a large scope, but they take up a lot less room in the hide than a tripod and are lighter to carry. I hope this helps.

Ron

hi guys, my OPTICRON BC-2 hide clamp arrived today & Im impressed, It looks & feels sturdy. I know Its not the same but I clamped it to my computer desk with the scope & camera on & It was rigid & felt fine, but I will be testing it out for sure next week (wednesday/thursday) most people will be at work so the hides should be empty, unless theres a school trip. Will let you know later on..

Regards.
Sean..