Feedback on a digiscoping comment "most is done at 20-25X" read here (1 Viewer)

[cjmassey]

Hello:

I'm in the process of buying a new scope and I'm interested in Digiscoping. I had read a comment on Birdforum by a poster that "digiscoping will be done at 20-25X magnification." I assume this comment was made assuming most scopes sharpness is not the best at full zoom and the difficulty in keeping the scope/phone combo steady enough to get a sharp picture at 50 or 60X. Is this 20-25X comment been your experience? Assuming nice glass and a steady tripod without wind, are nice photos at the higher magnifications possible? Thanks.

 

[lmans66]

The 20-25 range is what I have settled on as a nice digiscoping magnification. Now, not so much as 'sharpness' but more to do with lack of light at the higher magnifications. Light is real important and even in the higher end scopes, you lose light at higher magnifications, not to mention the low light found in other scope models. Other issues might be a poor eye-piece, or...the camera itself. All of those variables have to be taken into account regarding light.

I have found thru years of digiscoping (20 years or so)....that the 20-25 range works well and best to use with a point and shoot camera (using a scope adapter for steadiness and accuracy), and use a point and shoot camera with 3-5 digital zoom. That little bit of zoom eliminates vignetting. For instance I use a Cool Pix 310.

An important facet to take into account when digiscoping is the 'messiness' of your gear. Try-pod, scope, adapter, camera etc...and they have to be put together to give you a fairly quick response time from finding the bird, to actually taking a picture. So using a point and shoot, works best as it doesn't add too much to your gear. jim

See my digiscoping page here if you haven't already:

Digiscoping

DIGISCOPING....

www.atlanticaudubonsociety.com

 

[cjmassey]

Thanks for the advice. I just looked at your page. It is great!