[Hans]

As a newbie in digiscoping I'm looking into getting my first adapter. I might try to make my own adapter but if I buy one it will probably be a Foto Fennica Duo or a SpiderTech Duo. Is there anyone who would like to share his or her experiences in either of them? I use a Leica Televid 77 + 32W and a Nikon Coolpix 4500.
http://www.fotofennica.fi/osc/catalo...61&language=en
http://www.spidertech.fi/ada.htm

[Andy Bright]

Hi Hans, and a big welcome to Bird Forum from all the admin and moderators here. We hope you enjoy the site.

I'm not familiar with the Foto Fennica Duo, but I have had a brief play with the Spidertech.

I wasn't totally impressed by it's performance, nothing really bad about it.... but it doesn't seem to offer a great deal of improvement in comparison to my regular (and far cheaper) adapter tube, made by L.C.E. (see digiscoping u.k. banner ad on this site). If you have a zoom eyepiece (you haven't), there is the added benefit of being able to rotate the zoom with the camera attached so the Spidertech is good for that.

Rapid attachment/dettachment of the camera is stated as a main feature with the Spidertech but I found this wasn't always the case, with the size of the securing nut/pin (on the ring that is permanently on the eyepiece) a poor fit with the recess on the camera mounted side of the adapter (you could resize it yourself, but you shouldn't have to dot hat on an item costing so much)
Once attached, it does it's job... the poor fit may have been improved on later models, as several people have complained about it.

Remember that the Spidertech cannot be used on straight scopes as the camera is liable to fall off when pointing the scope up, although this wasn't particularly likely on the example I saw with the very tight fit between the two sides of the adapter.
Regards,
Andy

[Hans]

Thanks Andy! :-)

I just found out, after contact with SpiderTech, that ST Duo and FF Duo is the same product sold under different names.

As far as I know, the L.C.E. adapter tube isn't sold in Sweden and I'm not a big fan of international postal orders. But if the shipping costs aren't too high I will consider the L.C.E.

[digimies]

Hans

I have been using Finnish adapter with Kowa TSN-823 and now with Zeiss Diascope 85. Both with fixed 30/32WA eyepieces.

I cannot see problems with these eyepieces whatsoever: adapter is very simple, fast and useful. If you want to get good pictures, you have to be fast and you really don't want some moving parts etc.!

My condition to swap Zeiss was that I can buy this adapter system for Zeiss too, other types of adapters were out of question.

More technical info about my digiscoping gear and sample pics you can see at:

www.saunalahti.fi/~jusvakk

Best Regards,

Jussi Vakkala

[digimies]

Hi all,

In response to Andy's review, Jan Nordblad of Spirdertech gave the following comments:

>>
Some clarifications to Andy Brigth's comments
- SpiderTech Duo and Fotofennica Duo are the very same Finnish product with more
than 1.000 adapters sold.

- Poor fit with the recess ? The tolerance is always 0.1 mm on the positive
side. Please send the adapter to us to be inspected. We will measure it and tell
you the result. Address you will find at www.spidertech.fi

- For straigth scopes we can of course make screws in the same manner as in many
other adapters. Screws are not needed with angled scopes. The point is that you
do not have to tighten them before shooting even with straight models.

- This makes DUO the best and fastest adapter in our opinion.

SpiderTech and Fotofennica both consist of birders with ethics beyond most
commercial companies.

Nice birding & digiscoping

SPIDERTECH
-jan
>>

Jussi Vakkala

[Paul Rule]

I've had one of these for a week now, and am very pleased with it. I mainly went for it as unlike some of its rivals it can be used without removing the rubber from the eye peace of the Swaro ATS zoom.

I would not worry about the lack of screw for a straight scope on this particular combination as its quite a snug fit over the eye peace, unless you are going to carry it around still mounted to the tripod.

[Hans]

I wll probably get a Duo adapter. L.C.E. haven't responded to my e-mail and it will probably not be much cheaper anyways considering the shipping costs.
I really hope I won't have to remove the rubber from my Leica 32xWW eyepiece either. That would be a big loss.

[Andy Bright]

Originally posted by digimies
Hi all,

In response to Andy's review, Jan Nordblad of Spirdertech gave the following comments:

>>
Some clarifications to Andy Brigth's comments
- SpiderTech Duo and Fotofennica Duo are the very same Finnish product with more
than 1.000 adapters sold.
- Poor fit with the recess ? The tolerance is always 0.1 mm on the positive
side. Please send the adapter to us to be inspected. We will measure it and tell
you the result. Address you will find at www.spidertech.fi

- For straigth scopes we can of course make screws in the same manner as in many
other adapters. Screws are not needed with angled scopes. The point is that you
do not have to tighten them before shooting even with straight models.

- This makes DUO the best and fastest adapter in our opinion.
SpiderTech and Fotofennica both consist of birders with ethics beyond most
commercial companies.
Nice birding & digiscoping
SPIDERTECH
-jan
>>

Jussi Vakkala

I can only go by the example I used (and comments from a U.K. distributor with several years of digiscoping behind him).... The Allen head was fractionally too large for the recess in the adapter tube, resulting in force having to be used to push the tube down all the way.... taking up a few extra seconds of time and, more importantly, liable to knock the scope out of allignment with the subject.
Without doubt, these are a few rogue examples..... but QC should be better with an adapter that costs so much.

As with Mr Cheang's adapter, they are excellent for users of zoom eyepieces. But I'd still like a time trial with a Spidertech user, camera in pocket to photo taking :-)
Andy