Digiscoping with the TeleVue 85 (1 Viewer)

I have just bought a TeleVue 85 having read favourable reviews and find it to be excellent compared with my old spotter scope (which appears to be anonymous.)

I am on the 8th Floor overlooking Gibraltar Harbour so most of my photos are of ships but with a fair number of birds, not to mention bugs and people.

I have a Panasonic DMC-FZ18 which is extremely good for the money - it is handy to carry round and you can just fire it off and it usually works! Even at 18 times magnification it is pretty stable but out here we have intense sunlight so that helps a lot. As an example here is a seagull and some storks shot with it:

http://www.thingysoft.com/myblog/2008_week010.asp#22

http://www.thingysoft.com/myblog/images/final/lg_P1050710_R01.jpg

Anyway, here is my question. I have tried digiscoping through the TeleVue 85 and the best I have managed is this:

http://www.thingysoft.com/myblog/2008_week013.asp#12

I think I need something more sophisticated and actually need a proper SLR using the TeleVue 85 like it was a lens - I believe this is called Prime Focus

Any comments on the best Camera for this etc?

Hi,

The Televue 85 is a fine refractor scope for digiscoping. One of my friends uses one and he has fantastic results.

IMO, the FZ-18 will get you nowere with it. I suggest you get a proper DSLR that you will use without a lens. Fore more magnification, you can use a teleconverter. You will also need a T adapter to attach the scope - Televue makes some and they are also readily available from many suppliers.

Look at this thread for more info on this subject.
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=100519

Choose a DSLR that is known good at high ISO, like the Canon line, and that has a good viewfinder.

Regards
Jules

I agree with Jules. With a scope like that you will get the best out of it with a dslr and as Jules says, go for a canon.

The digiscoped shot you linked too shows something called kidney beaning and that refers to the dark area in the top half of the photo. This happens with lower quality eyepieces and certain multi coatings or ED elements. You would need to experiment with moving the camera nearer or further away from the eyepiece to try and correct this unwanted optical effect but may not get rid of it totally. Better quality eyepieces will normally say if kidney beaning is eliminated in their particular model. I've found the Baader Hyperion range are very good and free of this and they are digiscoping friendly.

Paul.

fantastic result wavering

did u test the video mode with you fz-18 through your scope ?

hows the quality ?

Paul Corfield said:

The digiscoped shot you linked too shows something called kidney beaning and that refers to the dark area in the top half of the photo. This happens with lower quality eyepieces and certain multi coatings or ED elements.

Click to expand...

Thanks Jules and Paul
That particular shot was made just holding a Panasonic DMC-FX50 in front of the eyepiece.

I will get some proper kit as suggested and report back in due course!

horukuru said:

fantastic result wavering

did u test the video mode with you fz-18 through your scope ?

hows the quality ?

Click to expand...

Well thank you! The latest attempt (this morning) is here:
http://www.thingysoft.com/myblog/2008_week014.asp

Not tried video. Actually, as my blog makes clear, I don't use the FZ18 through the scope as a I cannot make it work so I use a pocket camera. Here is a direct shot of the setup:
http://www.thingysoft.com/myblog/images/final/lg_P1110777.jpg

For people interested in the FZ18 there is a nice discussion here:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=115851

To see the range of the FZ18 see this:
http://www.thingysoft.com/myblog/images/final/lg_P1010036 and P1010039.jpg