Gavin Haig
Well-known member
Finally decided to try and get to grips with digiscoping, having owned a Fuji F30 for several months. I have a Nikon ED82A scope with a 25-75X zoom eyepiece, and was making do with simply holding the camera to the eyepiece. I was getting some reasonable results, but finding it very frustrating trying to centre the camera. After a chat with a friend I have constructed a very simple adaptor from a roll of pvc tape and a piece of plastic cut from an empty bleach bottle. How to do it.....
1. The camera lens (the widest diameter part) just happens to fit perfectly inside the core of the roll of tape - after some very light treatment with fine sandpaper (the tape core, not the camera lens!).
2. The next step is to cut a 20mm wide strip of plastic to length so that it fits exactly around the scope eyepiece.
3. Strip tape off the roll until it is the same diameter as the eyepiece.
4. Tape the plastic around what's left of the roll so that it forms a lip and rebate to slip snugly over the eyepiece.
5. Pop the camera in the tape core and it will then be perfectly centred.
I can happily allow the camera lens to contact the scope because the zoom eyepiece lens is of a narrower diameter than the camera lens so there is no nasty 'touching of glass'.
I only made this a couple of days back, but have found it perfect for my 'style' of digiscoping, which basically consists of birding, but with a camera in my pocket just in case a good bird or photo-opportunity comes along, when I can switch it on, offer it up to the scope, and take a few snaps. The priority for me was for a very 'simple' adaptor that just makes this opportunistic approach a little easier. It is cheap, compact, and effective. Obviously, it still means all my shots are hand held. Attached is an example from its first couple of outings, taken in quite dull conditions.......
1. The camera lens (the widest diameter part) just happens to fit perfectly inside the core of the roll of tape - after some very light treatment with fine sandpaper (the tape core, not the camera lens!).
2. The next step is to cut a 20mm wide strip of plastic to length so that it fits exactly around the scope eyepiece.
3. Strip tape off the roll until it is the same diameter as the eyepiece.
4. Tape the plastic around what's left of the roll so that it forms a lip and rebate to slip snugly over the eyepiece.
5. Pop the camera in the tape core and it will then be perfectly centred.
I can happily allow the camera lens to contact the scope because the zoom eyepiece lens is of a narrower diameter than the camera lens so there is no nasty 'touching of glass'.
I only made this a couple of days back, but have found it perfect for my 'style' of digiscoping, which basically consists of birding, but with a camera in my pocket just in case a good bird or photo-opportunity comes along, when I can switch it on, offer it up to the scope, and take a few snaps. The priority for me was for a very 'simple' adaptor that just makes this opportunistic approach a little easier. It is cheap, compact, and effective. Obviously, it still means all my shots are hand held. Attached is an example from its first couple of outings, taken in quite dull conditions.......