Digital Camera through spotting scope

[TheHuntHC]

I have a a cheap 200 dollar spotting scope. If I put the lense of a average digital camera up to the viewing lense of the spotting scope will it take an average viewable picture? Has anyone ever done this? I will try it out but I wonder if anyone has tried this?

 

[Elkwhisper]

Been looking for an excuse to show some of these off. All of the below pictures were taken through either my spotting scope or my binoculars. I have a Cannon A95 and by coincenence the objective lens of the camera, mates perfectly with the eye piece of my binoculars. I can remove the eyepiece from the binos and use it as an adapter to take pictures through my spotter as well. Pretty amature, but it does work. You will notice by my pics, that focusing and holding the whole setup steady is difficult. Though you probably won't get a picture worth framing, you can really gather some cool shots of animals. I use my camera as a scouting tool to document critters to reference later. Often times by taking the picture on a very high resolution, I am able to zoom in even further when I crop the photo on the computer.

Elkwhisper

 

[Elkwhisper]

Here are a couple more....

 

[Bambistew]

I've taken quite a few just by how you describe. I want to make a little bracket or by a universal adapter to attach the camera and spotting scope together. The tricky part is you need the camera to be absolutely still when you take the picture or else they turn out blurry. Also you need to use the timer on your camera. With out the bracket they pictures turn out so so.

 

[elk_hunter]

Oh man! Fantastic pics! Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[TheHuntHC]

Good information elkwhisper. The idea of a bracket would be good. That made me think that if it is a plastic adaptor I can make it go over the spotting scope and I just insert the camera. The idea that a plastic adaptor would be tough, light weight, easy to use.

My initial idea is to get some pottery clay and align the the scope and camera pack the clay around the the joint. Then pull it apart gently then bake it to harden it. Then melt some harden plastic and fill the mold then drill the lense hole with a drill press. This would give me a good model of the joint what would needed to be built. I could then build a real part from that...

What are your thoughts?

Jim

 

[Bambistew]

What are your thoughts?

I'm pretty sure you can find what you're looking for online somewhere with out the hassle.

 

[Tom]

Those are great pictures.

 

[ashersdad]

Those are great pics. I've been wanting to try the same thing. Thanks for the info.

 

[Don Taylor]

Just thought I would throw out there that this is known as digiscoping and is quite popular with people who are into birding.(whatever that is). Iv been checking into it myself and have found that there are several companies on the net that sell packages with the adapter and everingthing in it. They are using swaros sts 65 and leupold hd alot, have also seen several nikon versions.

 

[TheHuntHC]

Just thought I would throw out there that this is known as digiscoping and is quite popular with people who are into birding.(whatever that is). Iv been checking into it myself and have found that there are several companies on the net that sell packages with the adapter and everingthing in it. They are using swaros sts 65 and leupold hd alot, have also seen several nikon versions.

Do you have any links?

 

[Funter]

AKA Digiscoping

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

Why not take a fitting of PVC and adapt it with some wing bolts to anchor both camera and spotting scope? John

 

[elk_hntr]

Awesome photos!

 

[Don Taylor]

There are several sites if you just do a random search but here are 3 good ones. www.spottingscopes.com www.eagleoptics.com www.opticsplanet.com

 

[Idaho Ron]

Here are a few from a CHEEP camera and a Leupold 30x60. The last picture was taken at about 3 miles away. Ron

 

[jtnm]

This was a 1 1/2 mile or so thru the spotter in the evening.

 

[elk_hunter]

Great pics!