Another noob digiscoping question: Am I getting the right gear? (1 Viewer)

I've been doing a bit of research, but I still have a few questions.

I have been toying with the idea for a while, but have finally decided to jump into digiscoping. One of the main reasons is that I feel I don't have much to lose, as a spotting scope is something I want anyways, as it is crucial to some birding. And of course, there's the price. I am not a wealthy man, and price is very prohibitive to me.

So I'm looking at buying a bundle from amazon (thanks to a generous gift card). I currently have a Canon 450D (that I hope to upgrade soon). So, after a little research, I am thinking of buying the Celestron 52250 80mm Ultima, and pairing it with the Slik "Heavy-Duty Tripod with 3-Way Fluid-Effect Head and Built-In Bubble Level" and the "Celestron T-Rings For 35mm Cameras for Canon Auto Focus 35mm and Digital Cameras 93419", as well as the Vanguard PH-304 PH Pan Head Window Mount .

So my questions:

1. Is this all the gear that I need? I'm confused by when one adaptor is enough for digiscoping.

2. Will the 450d be able to recognize the scope as a lens, or will i have to use a lens with it? I have a decent canon 50mm, but i'd rather not use it. And if I do have to use it, do I need another adapter?

3. In general, does anyone have any advice on any of the above mentioned products? The tripod specifically is something that I felt there were just too many options, and I settled on this one for price and because it was recommended by Amazon as a popular choice. I do worry that being 6'6" a 60" may not be tall enough.

4. Does anyone know of any pictures out there that use this setup? I havent been able to find any.

5. Can someone remind me of how to calculate the effective length and f value of this setup?

Cheers!

Hi brd

If I got you right: you plan to attach your DSLR to a Celestron scope.

If you read here you also need a Celestron T-adapter.

The T-ring is specific for the camera fitting (Canon or Nikon).
The T-adapter is specific for the scope model. The T-adapter is mounted instead of the eyepiece. You don't need a lens on the camera.

The scope will be used as a telephoto lens with fixed focal length and fixed aperture, and should be recognized by the DSLR as a "legacy lens with unknown parameters".

Scopes with 80 mm lenses usually have focal lengths around 1000mm (true, not "35 mm equivalent") and lens speed around F/12.

/Tord

I don't think you need the T-adapter that Tord linked to in his post. As far as I know the eyepiece on the Ultima has a T-thread underneath the rubber eyecup. This connects directly to the thread of the T-ring on the camera allowing you to do eyepiece projection onto the cameras sensor. Expect results to be poor using this type of projection method. Spotting scopes are generally in the 450mm to 500mm focal length and that is magnified up by the eyepiece. Plus if you are using eyepiece projection it goes up a lot higher to something like 2500mm f32 but this will be difficult to calculate without some complex maths. This number isn't fixed either because of the zoom eyepiece.

Best results generally come by using a small point and shoot camera on this type of spotting scope. Also consider the Celestron Regal spotting scope as an alternative. Much wider choice of eyepiece and connectivity with that scope.

Paul.

Kowa 500mmL F5.6 lens/scope

If your planning to get serious into Digiscoping I recommend the lens/scope I use which is the Kowa T556 Telephoto lens/scope is a compact & versatile 500mm long telephoto lens that can be adapted for use with Canon, Nikon, Pentax or Micro 4/3 cameras with optional adapters.

The lens that can be adapted for use with Canon, Nikon, Pentax or Micro 4/3 cameras and optional mount adapters can convert lens to 350 mm or 850 mm lens. Can also be adapted for use as a spotting scope so the flexibility is fantastic. It comes supplied with front and rear lens caps, lens hood as well as a lifetime warranty against manufacturer's defects. The lens itself is manual focus only, but you can AF with a digital compact body and smartphones like an iPhone.

To cap it all up, it contains fluorite crystal on its optics, so chromatic aberration is almost non-exsistent and the clarity, contrast and sharpness is on par with my Canon super tele lens! Recommended.

As an owner of the Celestron Ultima 80 I can attest that it does exhibit a good deal of Chromatic Aberration (CA) particular at higher levels of magnification and in areas of higg contrast (e.g. a bird against a sky on a branch). For that reason, if you are interested in a spotting scope I am looking at the Pentax 80 and the Celestron Regal M2 scopes. These both accept 1.25" astronomical eyepieces as Paul noted above, giving you a lot more choices when it comes to magnifications.