Digiscoping Questions

[Uncle Norm]

I have a Leica Televid 77 APO spotting scope with an angled body and a Leica 20-60 zoom eyepiece. I use this for bird watching and watching deer.

Having seen some of the photographs taken with this scope, when attached to a camera, I think I may have a try.

I have been looking at the Nikon D3300 camera as a starter.

I have looked at several digiscoping items on various sites but have managed to get thoroughly confused.

What pieces of kit would I need to connect this particular scope to a modern DSLR camera ? Is there a better option than digiscoping ?

Please assume no knowledge on my part.

 

[bobjs]

company 7 make this,

 

[Orion]

Uncle Norm,

I can't help you with the digiscoping attachment for your particular scope - mine's a Swaro STM 80HD with 20-60x eyepiece and they manufacture their own camera adaptors - but I can offer my experience in getting a workable solution.

I started by using my Olympus E-420 DSLR but found that I had to use a 25mm 1:2.8 lens in order to fully remove the vignette seen through the camera - it can obviously be played with post-production in a software editing program, but it just annoyed the hell out of me and I also had focus issues with larger auto lenses.

I've found a better solution is to use of one of the current crop of digital compact cameras, my favourites are from the Panasonic Lumix TZ range (TZ40 and currently a TZ60) and they are cracking travel/pocket cameras in their own right.

Hopefully you might be able to obtain a mount that will allow the use of a full-house DSLR or a Compact and can then take your set-up along to Jessops etc. for a try out with a selection of cameras.

It might sound counter-intuitive but when researching the subject I found that searching for articles that highlighted the negatives associated with digiscoping were very helpful in forming an opinion on what would be the best set-up to aim for!

http://thebirdguide.com/digiscoping/problems.htm

Good luck with it.

 

[Uncle Norm]

Thanks Bobjs and Orion.

I have followed up the links that you provided. It seems that, as the Televid 77 is discontinued, the adapters are too. Used or old stock would seem to be the most likely source of supply.
I have found that there were two types for my scope, one for a compact camera and the other for a DSLR.
Thanks again. Best regards. U N.