Getting Started
Four primary pieces of equipment are required to construct a complete digiscoping system.
1. Spotting scope
Almost any good quality spotting scope will
work. If you already own a scope, continuing to use it will
probably be your first choice. The only tricky part might be
deciding on the best approach for finding a good match between the camera and the
eyepiece of the scope.
Many spotting scope manufacturers provide optional adaptors that make
it easy to attach the camera to the scope. Check the
spotting scope page for hints on selecting a new spotting scope as well
as fo the latest review from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
2. Digital camera
A 3 megapixel (or higher) camera can produce
good-to-excellent quality images. Cameras with a 2, 3 or 4x
OPTICAL (not digital) zoom provide added range.
Costs of digital cameras have fallen rapidly while their overall
performance capabilities have risen just as rapidly. Some
of the best digiscoping cameras now fall into the low to medium price
range. The Nikon CoolPix series has been the most popular.
Cameras such as the CoolPix 950 (a popular digiscoping camera no longer
being produced) might be found on sites such as ebay.
3. Adaptors
There are a variety of ways to attach the camera to the spotting scope.
If birding is is the primary purpose for your scope, you may prefer not
to attach the camera to the scope at all. A simple ring, such as a cutout bottle cap, can be attached to the eyepiece of the
spotting scope to prevent the camera lens from touching the eyepiece of
the scope. This approach provides flexibility, making it
easy to continue to use the scope by itself for birding while allowing
you to quickly place the camera next to the scope with minimum risk of
scratching either lens.
If image quality is of prime importance (and great images can be
produced by digiscoping) then using one of the many commercial adaptors
will make attaining high quality easier.
Digiscoping can be fairly forgiving. These three images were taken by a first-time digiscoper. The camera was hand-held to the lens of a Swarovski spotting scope. The day was overcast and a light snow was falling. To make matters even worse, the photographs were taken through a window.
4. Tripod
This is the most often overlooked, yet very important part of the digiscoping system.
The great magnification available to the digiscoper requires a very
stable platform from which to shoot. A quality tripod or
other secure platform is a must for providing the stable support needed
for a quality photograph.
If you already have some or all of these items, you will probably want
to use them as you get started, even if you plan to upgrade to new
equipment in the future. Your experience will help you
select the equipment best suited to your own preferences.
Costs:
The cost to put together a complete digiscoping system depends on the
quality of each element. The following prices are offered
as a general guideline.
Economy System:
- Spotting scope: $300.00
- Digital camera: $200.00
- Adaptor: Commercial adaptor -- $50.00 (homemade bottle cap adaptor: free)
- Tripod: $200.00
- Total: $750.00
High-quality System:
- Spotting scope with zoom eyepiece: $2,000.00
- Digital camera: $1,000.00
- Adaptor: Commercial adaptor designed to work with the spotting scope -- $200.00
- Tripod: $750.00
- Total: $3950.00
