Digiscoping advice needed

Hi all,

I'm trying to get pictures of some nesting birds but even with my 100-400mm lens they are still too far away for any detail.

I'm using a Canon EOS 7D and had thought about using a 1.4 extender - my other option is to try and connect the camera to my Opticron ES80 GA ED field scope (currently with Opticron's HDF zoom 20-60 eyepiece).

Anyone had any experience with connecting a DSLR to an Opticron fieldscope?

Any tips for the right adaptors?

Thanks,

Pippa

  • Hi Alan - yes, Opticron even helpfully have a page on it: www.opticron.co.uk/.../digiscoping-guide but as there are several options of eyepiece and adapter I'm hoping someone has some experience so I can learn from them!

    (Saw both birds again today, the female on the nest at first then the male turned up and they both did a lot of swooping and calling - it was marvellous!)
  • I have a digiscoping DSLR adapter for my Kowa scope, but it's not always as useful as you might think. In my (admittedly fairly limited) digiscoping experience, I've had more success using something with a smaller sensor than a DSLR (ie a point & shoot or a phone). The DSLR is a bit heavy hanging on the back of the scope, unless you have a really strong tripod & focussing is a bit of a faff. You don't get massive amounts of light through the scope either - from memory, f/11 or worse equivalent is not unusual (so high ISO and/or slow shutter speeds). Using a simple adapter for a phone & a little Bluetooth trigger (to avoid vibration), both available from your favourite online store, is often the best answer. This can give you good results, especially if you're using the images on the phone (blown up on a PC screen, you will show up the deficiencies). Try your phone on the back of the scope before doing anything else, even just holding it without an adapter will give you a feel for how good it will be (tip - phones with central cameras are better than those with a camera in the corner).
    The alternative is an extender on the 100-400. With a 7D, you'd lose autofocus, though it will still AF on Liveview should you not get on with manual focus through the viewfinder (best on a tripod). Otherwise, as Alan suggests, try the second hand market for a 600mm zoom, that may be your answer. However, if the results are unusable on the 100-400, you may find little improvement with the longer lens. At longer distances, atmospherics become a problem (ie heat haze and the like), so you may simply be too far away for a nice pic.
    Do you have an example of the sort of shot you're getting currently?
  • Hi

    as Bob says the current MO is to put your phone up to the scope using an ( expensive) adaptor :
    However they do work well :)

    I'm still slamming a Leica fun size D-Lux 3 onto my scope with the B&Q adaptor:
    Will be taking it to Lesbos again this Spring along with the Lumix.

    S
  • Nice Alan! Atmospherics definitely an issue - the quarry is quite close to the coast so we get a bit of sea mist... Not so much heat haze yet this year!

    Big thumbs up to Matt at Sherwoods Photo Ltd - I emailed him asking about the poor seating of the photoadapter and he called me right back to help fix it! All sorted now and I may try some tests in the garden across the field after dinner to get some practice in.

    I'll have to put a rangefinder on the distance to the peregrine nest - it's pretty far, you can't see the bird at all with the naked eye...

    Pippa
  • At those sort of distances, you're always going to have some trouble. Practice with the setup as much as possible, but keep the shutter speed up if you can (minimise the blurring effect of tiny movements), use a remote release for the shutter (or the self timer) - again, minimises vibration from you pressing buttons. Weight the tripod down to stop it bouncing (hang the camera bag on it for example). All of these will help somewhat. Also think about the time of day - if you can get a chilly early morning with sunshine full on the bird, that would be ideal to minimise haze etc