Scope/Camera query (1 Viewer)

I am looking for a budget scope to try digiscoping with my Nikon D50 DSLR attached via a T2 adapter.

I am looking at the Hawke Nature Trek 20-60 x 80 as it looks like about the best in my budget.

My questions are: When looking through the viewfinder of the Nikon (there is no live view facility on the rear screen) how bright will the image be-I am thinking of focusing etc.

And secondly: is it best to shoot in JPEG format or RAW and make the adjustments in photoshop?

The T2 method can give quite poor results and you would likely be unhappy going this route, shutter speed is also poor with this method. You are basically projecting from the eyepiece directly onto the camera sensor. The image leaving the eyepiece is projected back in a cone shape which is always increasing in diameter the further it is projected. By the time it hits the sensor it has magnified the image by quite a bit which results in quite a high F number, something around F14 for example. The image might be quite dark in the viewfinder. Eyepieces don't project a flat image and you can find that only a small central portion of the image is in focus while the rest of it is very blurred. You won't know how bad it will be until you have it all set up but it can vary from ok to awful depending on the eyepiece. Zoom eyepieces are usually not as good as a fixed length eyepiece for projection and certain designs of fixed length eyepieces work better than others.

Best results will be obtained photographing through the eyepiece with a lens on the camera and a small point & shoot camera works better because it is lighter/easier to line up with the eyepiece.

With a dslr RAW is always better but sometimes you have to wait for the buffer to empty if you are shooting in burst mode. A smaller P&S can give acceptable results in jpeg mode.

Paul.

Thanks for the info Paul, I really appreciate it.

I think I may have to have a total rethink and perhaps look at a system similar to the one you show in your gallery to get the standard of images I would like-ideally suitable for camera club use.

I can but hope to reach a standard anywhere near yours!

Never mind, onwards and upwards! Thanks again.

Hi,

If I got you right you are looking for a scope with the main purpose photography? Or are you planning to use the scope for observation as well? What image quality are you requiring?

If the purpose is both then you should probably use a P&S camera as Paul writes, and a suitable bracket to position it over the eyepiece. There are quite many P&S cameras that are capable of delivering good results, I suggest you have a look at all posts written about this subject on this forum.

However for good image quality you will need a high quality scope fitted with ED glasses, and I am afraid there is no scope in this category that qualifies for "budget scope". Next you should consider using not a zoom but a wide angle eyepice specially designed for digiscoping to avoid vignetting.

I have used (and still use sometimes) my spotting scope (Nikon ED82) coupled to a DSLR by the means of an adapter that replaces the eyepiece. It can produce great results, focal length is about 1000mm but the disadvantage is cost (scope and adapter are expensive).

If the main purpose is photography you could look at using a refractor scope instead of a spotting scope and couple it to the DSLR body using cheap adapter and extension tube. The advantage is capability of superb results at a fraction of the price. Distanvantage is length of setup and less portability, but weight is less than a supertelephoto lens (~3kg). I adopted this method a good year ago and am hooked.

Have a look at this forum and sub-forums:
http://www.birdforum.net/forumdisplay.php?f=657

Start by looking at the "setup" thread to get an idea what this is about and the "gallery" thread to get a feeling about the results possible to achieve.

Hope this helps
Tord

If you want to use your Nikon SLR camera there really isn't a budget way of attaching it to a scope as ideally you will attach it to the scope with a photoadapter and T mount. However, some makes of photoadapter are a lot cheaper than others. I would recommend an Opticron scope, which start at around £299 for a decent body, either the GS52 or GS665. I'd go for the 665 because of the bigger lens. Then you can get a variety of eyepieces, though the best zoom is around £180 you can get cheaper. Their photoadapters are only about £50 and the T mount £15 ish.
Depends what you count as budget, but in my experiece you might as well not bother than buy a really cheap one as the results will be very disappointing.

Thanks for the advice guys. I was hoping to be able to get halfway decent pics but it very much looks like I will have to have a rethink and wait until I can get an ED scope and go from there.

The old adage that you gets what you pays for is always true and I would rather wait and get what I need later rather than have to buy it again.

This may be coming a bit out of left field, given that I'm far from an expert on the topic, but I've attached a photo of my rig, and a sample photo taken on my third time out with it. (No accounting for luck!)

• Nikon Coolpix 4500 camera (4MP)
• Celestron C90 scope (standard 32mm Plossl eyepiece)
• Ravelli AVTP tripod (with fluid drag head)
• DigiMount adapter
• Powerex PowerBANK external battery pack
• Nikon MC-EU1 remote shutter release

I would consider this fairly "budget" all things considered.

To be fair, this setup is heavy. I bring it along using a Brompton bicycle (my commuter) and a Travoy trailer. Though my ICE Adventure will be ready in a couple weeks, that will be alot nicer and allow me to get off the paved trails.

The "finderscope" on the side has turned out to be a wonderful tool for trying to track moving animals, much easier than trying through the camera monitor.

I should also note that in my area, the best photography is off the trails--where you aren't allowed to be. No setting up hides, no wandering into the brush, it's all locally, state, or federally protected. So photography at-range from a trail or near a trail is really the only option to catch animals not being scared-away by passers-by. Which is why I got into this to begin with.