Showing off Spotting Scopes

Last weekend, we had a booth at the Adirondack Sports & Fitness Summer Expo.  We were there to introduce local outdoor enthusiasts to our Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop, especially our great optics selection.

We brought a great selection of binoculars by Eagle Optics, Vortex Optics, Stokes, and Leupold, and we introduced many show attendees to digiscoping, which is taking photos with a digital camera through a spotting scope.  The cardinal image below was digiscoped in my yard.

At the show, we highlighted two spotting scopes.  We showed the Vortex Skyline scope with the optional MK1 QR Digital Camera Adaptor. 

The scope has a fantastic 20x-60x magnification, and the 80mm objective lens ensures bright, sharp images.

The digital adaptor fits the Skyline scope (only) and provides a quick-release feature that allows you to switch from using the scope to digiscoping in seconds.  Watch this 5 minute video on YouTube showing the Skyline scope and digital adaptor in action.

The other scope we showed and are especially excited about is the Stokes Sandpiper scope. 


This scope was recently included in "Living Bird" magazine's Scope Quest 2008.  Here's a little of what they had to say:

"An even nicer surprise was the Vortex Stokes Sandpiper, which at $359 or less could be the best buy of any model we tested."

"With so many fine scopes on the market, choosing the right one should be easy and fun. Your selection should be based on budget— how much you can really afford—and the kind of birding you do most, or hope to do more of with a new scope. If you’re on a tight budget and want decent optics in the least expensive package, I’d try the Vortex Stokes Sandpiper."

Here's a link to the full Scope Quest 2008 article.  And read what Don & Lillian Stokes themselves have to say about the scope.

This is a great mid-priced scope that can help get you into the digiscoping hobby. Digiscoping with this scope is accomplished with the use of a Vortex Universal Digital Adaptor. 

The universal adaptor can work with just about any scope.  The adaptor seats the camera securely behind the scope eyepiece to provide the stability required to enhance your digiscoped images.

On Saturday, I conducted a seminar called "Capturing Images of Your Backyard Birds" to help attendees attract birds to their feeders and to take photographic or digiscoped images of the birds.

NOTE: If you know of a local group that would be interested in this presentation or other optics or bird-related presentations, please contact us at wbu@nycap.rr.com.

It was fun talking about binoculars, spotting scopes, and digiscoping to a whole new audience.  Stop by Wild Birds Unlimited - Saratoga Springs to check out our great optics selection.

Comments

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Lana - glad the information will help you get into digiscoping. I've been using my set-up a little more lately and promise more digiscoped images.
Don & Sheryl - glad you're liking your new Sandpiper. Keep working with the adaptor. What you'll find is that you set the adjustments once and typically don't need to readjust each time you put the camera on. That's a time saver. I promise - you do become more efficient in the use of the adaptor.

[Don and Sheryl]

We love the Stokes Sandpiper that we purchased from you guys. It is light weight and easy to use.

I have used it with a Nikon Coolpix P50 and my DSLR Nikon D50 by using a SER-VII 52mm adapter ring I found in an old camera bag. With this adapter my camera lens fits around the eyepiece.

To be honest I have the Vortex digital adapter but I am not thrilled with it, though it does seat the camera well to the lens, it takes to much time getting it on.

For now I use the scope by the old Laurence Poh method of placing the camera up to the lens, it does work but it takes, practice and patience.

[Lana]

You have NO idea how glad I am that you posted this! I've seen "digiscoping" blogs before, but they've never detailed what "digiscoping" is. Now that I have the info, I can work on getting into it, myself. You rock!

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Lori - generally, DSLRs are too large for digiscoping. Its hard to match the lens on the camera to the small eyepiece of the scope. Even when you're able to line them up, vignetting is a major concern.
In fact, digiscoping requires only a small point & shoot digital camera with 3-4x zoom! You'll even find that most images you take, you aren't even using the upper ranges of that zoom. You'll also use the lower ranges of your scope's zoom.
Good luck in your research - if I can help with your selection of equipment or taking images, let me know!

[Lori]

I'm glad you wrote on this; I consider this my next step in the process of taking waterbird shots. First, my hubby would love a good scope and I can turn it into another lens! How cool is that? I'm glad you specifically mention products that work well with cameras. Question; is there an adapter for DSLR cameras? Specifically the Canon DSLR's?