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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Cheap adapter for zeiss diascope 65mm (1 Viewer)

R

Richard Wall

Well-known member
Hi All,
Can anyone tell me if there is an adapter that will fit a 65mm Zeiss diascope with zoom eyepiece and allow me to attach a small cheap digital camera to it.
I've spent out on trips recently but fancied trying my hand at digiscoping whilst i'm there ........but on a budget.
Many thanks in advance Richard
 
Richard Wall said:
Can anyone tell me if there is an adapter that will fit a 65mm Zeiss diascope with zoom eyepiece and allow me to attach a small cheap digital camera to it.
Richard
Click to expand...

Hi Richard. Try the foxfoto adapter. Just click the link below and do a search for "adapter". This one is universal.

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZmwielochQQhtZ-1

Or you could try scopetronix. They're slightly better made than the one above but all adapters seem to be camera specific (and rather old models at that). Use the digiscoping adapter wizard in the link below to find adapters for various camera/scope set-ups.

http://www.scopetronix.com/

I have both the above adpters. I bought the foxfoto one recently because I'll upgrade my digital camera soon but haven't decided which compact I'll get yet.
 
stuprice68 said:
Hi Richard. Try the foxfoto adapter. Just click the link below and do a search for "adapter". This one is universal.

Hi Stu,
Thnx for the info.
There is an F adapter that fits my current camera (52mm Panasonic FZ 30.)Is this combo suitable for digiscoping.?Would using a camera with such a large diametre lens attached to a scope with with a much smaller diametre lens simply lead to vignetting or is there a way around this.?
Any help will be gratefully received.
Cheers Richard.
Click to expand...
 
stuprice68 said:
Hi Richard. Try the foxfoto adapter. Just click the link below and do a search for "adapter". This one is universal.

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZmwielochQQhtZ-1

Or you could try scopetronix. They're slightly better made than the one above but all adapters seem to be camera specific (and rather old models at that). Use the digiscoping adapter wizard in the link below to find adapters for various camera/scope set-ups.

http://www.scopetronix.com/

I have both the above adpters. I bought the foxfoto one recently because I'll upgrade my digital camera soon but haven't decided which compact I'll get yet.
Click to expand...
Hi Stuart,
What eyepiece do you use, I've just received the Foxfoto F-adapter (large size) and it will not fit over Zeiss 20-60x, nor Swarovski 20-60x.
Otherwise it's a nice adapter, very simialr to the very old LE adapter.

cheers,
Andy
 
Richard Wall said:
Hi Stu,
Thnx for the info.
There is an F adapter that fits my current camera (52mm Panasonic FZ 30.)Is this combo suitable for digiscoping.?Would using a camera with such a large diametre lens attached to a scope with with a much smaller diametre lens simply lead to vignetting or is there a way around this.?
Any help will be gratefully received.
Cheers Richard.
Click to expand...

I don't know about that particular camera. But big lens plus small eyepiece willl lead to vignetting for sure or at least I would have thought so.

Ther adapters I use are for cheap compact cameras with no thread around the lens...............I'm no expert unfortunately.
 
Hi Andy. I use A Pentax XF eyepiece.

I don't actually have the F adapter. I only use the foxfoto univeral camera adapter (ie the platform you screw the camera onto and NOT the bit that clamps over the eyepiece) which is attached to a scopetronix Uni-T adapter (which has a 37mm thread like the F-adapter). The scopetronix piece clamps round eyepieces up to 2.5 inches in diameter.

Andy Bright said:
Hi Stuart,
What eyepiece do you use, I've just received the Foxfoto F-adapter (large size) and it will not fit over Zeiss 20-60x, nor Swarovski 20-60x.
Otherwise it's a nice adapter, very simialr to the very old LE adapter.

cheers,
Andy
Click to expand...
 
stuprice68 said:
Hi Andy. I use A Pentax XF eyepiece.

I don't actually have the F adapter. I only use the foxfoto univeral camera adapter (ie the platform you screw the camera onto and NOT the bit that clamps over the eyepiece) which is attached to a scopetronix Uni-T adapter (which has a 37mm thread like the F-adapter). The scopetronix piece clamps round eyepieces up to 2.5 inches in diameter.
Click to expand...
Thanks Stu,
Mike did send me the item you have, and it's a good little piece... just a shame about his main digiscoping adapter being a bit small for popular zoom e.p's
cheers
Andy
 
Hello Richard,
If you get a camera that has a 28 mm thread like the CP4500 then IMO the InFocus DA1 adapter is hard to beat as it definitely fits over the Zeiss 20-60x zoom (in addition to other E.P.'s) and provides a secure fitting as well as being very quick to get on and off.

It may be possible though to get a step-down ring for your existing camera, but don't quote me on that.

Jaff
 
Richard,

Here are a couple of photographs taken with a Zeiss 85, 20-60x eyepiece, spice lid adapter, and Olympus 500. The adapter is cheap, fast, small and light. The same combination was used in photographs on the website of the Ontario Field Ornithologists < www.ofo.ca/photos/ >: May, 2006: Little Blue Heron and Marbled Godwit; April, 2006: Whooping Crane; June, 2005: Sandhill Cranes.

If you have questions; for example, about making a hole for the camera lens in the spice jar lid, or vignetting and so on, I can tell you what works for me -- most of it borrowed from other respondents on BirdForum.

Mike
 

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Mike Penfold said:
Richard,



If you have questions; for example, about making a hole for the camera lens in the spice jar lid, or vignetting and so on, I can tell you what works for me -- most of it borrowed from other respondents on BirdForum.

Mike
Click to expand...
Hi Mike,
Many thanks for the info.Do you just hold your camera against the adapter or have you secured it in some way.?
I'll be in your part of the world....'ish next may when i do my first Pelee trip.
I'd really like to be able to get my digiscoping to a reasonable standard by then.I like the sound of the spice jar set up.My kind of costings.
Cheers Richard
 
Richard,

The adapter is fitted over the eyepiece, and (you're right) the camera just held in place. This can be done with one hand, while keeping the bird framed with the other. The lens fits in the adapter to the shoulder of the first lens segment, and (serendipity) clears the surface of the eyepiece. Slight extra tightening of the tripod head adjustments assists with framing. The camera is set on spot metering, its highest resolution and ISO.

With the adapter on, I focus the scope -- usually at 20x -- before putting the camera in place, relying on luck and depth of field, since the LCD screen is washed out in most daylight conditions. The camera is set at 3x optical zoom to avoid vignetting. It seems to take 30-40 photographs to get a half dozen to finally pick from.

The functional advantage of this set-up is that you can quickly and effectively go from birding to digiscoping and back again, with the camera and adapter in a pocket.

The main problem with the Olympus 500 is hand movement, resulting in relatively soft images. Our next camera will probably be a Fuji F30, in order to get faster shutter speeds.

It helps to have a cooperative bird.

BTW, you'll love Pelee; we've been going there in May for a few years. The warblers will not disappoint you. If you're not close to a sports optics retailer where you live, don't miss the Pelee Wings Nature Store on the way into the park, where you'll find all the latest stuff < www.peleewings.ca >.

Mike
 
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