Beginner scope for photography (1 Viewer)

[JamesUK]

Hey

Do you have any recommendations for scopes I could use with a Nikon D3100? We've just moved nearby a lake and I'd love to take some photos. Ideally I'd like a scope that: I can mainly look through, often take photos of the birdlife, and occasionally take photos of the moon.

I'd really appreciate some help as I really dont know anything about scopes and I dont want to buy one that's incompatible or requires some kind of adapter that costs more than the scope.

I'm looking sub £300/$375.

Thank you for your help.

 

[jring]

Hi James,

first of all, welcome to birdforum!

At the given budget it will be next to impossible to get a complete digiscoping setup with tripod, head, scope, eyepiece and camera adapter. Even if we are just looking for a scope and EP, things are difficult new.
With Opticron (who are well known for delivering good optics at competitive prices and also for having a very helpful employee on here called Pete Gamby), the only option in budget (apart from the Adventurer II models with non-removable eyepieces) would be the MM3 50mm with either the HR2 zoom for 250 quid or with the newer HR3 zoom for 280 quid. Not sure whether they offer a camera adapter for your DSLR though for that EP - you might have to get the body along with another EP...

Or one could go used which gives more options... the one linked below would be my current pick from the usual suspects (Cleyspy, In Focus, London Camera Exchange) in your situation - it has a 65m aperture for a brighter image, ED glass for being usable beyond 40x and the better HDF zoom resulting in 18-54x magnification and for which a camera adapter to T mount exists (part number 44108).

London Camera Exchange

The London Camera Exchange supplies second hand cameras, new cameras, digital cameras and other camera equipment and provides a camera part exchange in photographic shops all over England, UK.

www.lcegroup.co.uk

Btw. the adapter costing more than the scope you meant is a so called telephoto adapter which allows you to use the scope body w/o an eyepiece on the DSLR as a manual fixed focal length tele... but that is not strictly digiscoping...

Joachim

 

[JamesUK]

Thank you so much for your response.

I could up the budget slightly if that made a significant difference or I could buy things one at a time if needed.

I have a camera tripod, so hopefully I dont need to get another one. Is it the same screw connector for a scope?

Can you explain what a 'head' is? When I searched google I got a lot of information on mounts...

So could I start off getting a scope and eye piece? I assume they commonly come together?

Then get a camera adapter later?

Also would a nikon fieldscope ed50 more easily attach to my camera because it's a Nikon, or doesn't it make much difference?

Thanks again for your help.

 

[jring]

Hi James,

tripod usually means just the legs - there is usually another part on top which allows you point your camera in a certain direction - this is called the head. It could be a ballhead (not great for scopes unles they're very small), a 3 way head (can be used in a pinch) or a so called video or fluid head (that would be optimal for use with a scope).

Scopes and eyepieces are actually most often sold as separate units but sometimes as a set too. Depends usually on the number of eyepiece options the brand has... Nikon with their huge Fieldscope series has over 10 different eyepieces for them, so forcing the buyer to get a specific one didn't really make sense. Of course, that didn't keep vendors from advertising body and scope together at a good price at times... and used kit often comes with an EP too.

As far as I know there is no special provision for the old Fieldscope (ED or not) series (which the ED50 is the last part of still being sold new) to be directly fitted to Nikon DSLRs. You would need either an EP with an adapter to T mount plus a T2 ring for your camera - or a telephoto adapter (which might well cost a few hundred quid, if it is available).

Joachim

 

[JerryLogan]

Hello James,

Lots of good advice here - it’s hard to go wrong listening to Joachim. I just want to add that you might consider purchasing a smaller astronomical refractor instead of a spotting scope. Given your intended uses, you’ll be paying for features such as armouring and waterproofing that you’re unlikely to need. Really remarkable quality APO doublets in the 60 to 72mm range are available at less than $500. Most similarly priced spotting scopes will be sad by compare particularly when it comes to photos.

Best luck to you,
Jerry

 

[JamesUK]

Thank you for your help.

So I need a head/mount. Is that specific to scope or will a video/fluid mount fir any scope?

Then I need the scope.

Then I need and adaptor. Can I get one that will fit my Nikon and any scope? Something like this?

Thank you for all your help. I'm now off to find out about eye pieces...

 

[GeorgeL]

Another option is a small catadioptric like the Celestron C90 or C5 which are generally labeled as spotting scopes but are also good on the moon and planets. A T-adapter is used to mate your camera to the visual back of your scope for photos.

 

[jring]

Hi,

tripod heads pretty much always have a 3/8" female thread at the bottom and a 1/4" male thread at the top (usually in a quick release plate). In the rare case that a tripod has a 1/4" thread only (they usually have both, so you can mount a head or a camera directly), an adapter from 1/4" to 3/8" is very cheap.

Joachim

 

[pete_gamby]

Or one could go used which gives more options... the one linked below would be my current pick from the usual suspects (Cleyspy, In Focus, London Camera Exchange) in your situation - it has a 65m aperture for a brighter image, ED glass for being usable beyond 40x and the better HDF zoom resulting in 18-54x magnification and for which a camera adapter to T mount exists (part number 44108).

London Camera Exchange

The London Camera Exchange supplies second hand cameras, new cameras, digital cameras and other camera equipment and provides a camera part exchange in photographic shops all over England, UK.

www.lcegroup.co.uk

The scope in that link isn't ED - this one is and has a fixed magnification eyepiece which is probably a better option for digiscoping with a DSLR:

OPTICRON HR66EDA C/W 28XHDF :: In Focus

Good condition with stay-on-case.

www.at-infocus.co.uk

You'd need a push fit adapter:

41111 Photoadapter Push Fit 44 for use with selected HDF T, HDF, HR2 & IS eyepieces | Opticron

Click to view this page on www.opticron.co.uk

www.opticron.co.uk

and a T-mount:

T Mount - Nikon | Opticron

Click to view this page on www.opticron.co.uk

www.opticron.co.uk

IMO the amount of used optical equipment on the market at the moment is unusually low thanks to lock down. It might be worth waiting a week or two for stock to build up again as people return to the shops to trade in.

HTH

Cheers, Pete

 

[JamesUK]

Thanks. That's all really helpful. I'll wait a bit and come back for recommendations on good deals in a couple of weeks.

 

[jring]

Hi,

I agree with Pete - the HR66EDA with the fixed mag EP from in focus is better for imaging - I had seen it too - just wasn't sure if they had an adapter for that EP... but of course Pete knows his products...

I must have gotten confused with those two offers...

Joachim

 

[JamesUK]

Okay, so all the goslings have started wandering about and I dont want to miss the chance to photograph them while they are little.

What are my best options for a £300ish scope at the moment that I can use with my Nikon D3100? Is the HR66 still my best option?

I'll probably be mostly at 50-150m.

Thank you so much for your help! I really appreciate it.

 

[JamesUK]

Okay, thanks for all the advice. I went with pete_gamby's suggestions in the end. I've taken a few photos now, which has been great. It's incredible looking through the scope in comparison to the cheap binoculars I had. I'm finding it really hard though to get a good focus, when looking through the camera. Any tips?

 

[Binastro]

An eyepiece magnifier, usually about 2.5x or maybe the camera can provide magnification.

It is possible the user's eyes are not in perfect focus also.

Focus on the eyes of the bird.

Regards,
B.