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| If you are interested in astronomical digiscoping, whether digiscoping distant galaxies or closer to home objects like the moon and planets, Phil Sokell from Optical Hardware has written this interesting article on digiscoping the sky at night.
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Do your research
If you don't own any digiscoping equipment like a spotting scope or digital camera, search the web and get lots of advice on the correct tools for the job before making a purchase.
Get to know your gear
Before you start digiscoping, make sure you can operate your scope and camera individually making it easier when you combine the two.
Don't run before you can walk
Practice makes perfect, before you even think about taking an image of wildlife, test your camera and scope settings in your back garden. Use a tree or bush as a subject and experiment until you are confident you are using the best settings.
Don't expect too much
In my experience, possibly 90% of images taken on a digiscoping session will be thrown away, don't be disheartened, that's the beauty of digital photography, we can take as many pictures as we like, and only keep the good ones! - play with your settings to get the best picture. The buzz you get when going through your images and finding one that's just right is fantastic.
Image manipulation
All your images will require further work on your computer. This is perfectly normal. It is important that you purchase and get to know your way around your image editing software, it's just as important as your scope and camera, and will vastly improve your images. See the my technique pages for more help.
Enjoy it!
Don't get too bogged down and frustrated if you are out on a days digiscoping and your images are disappointing, there are many factors including the weather that can hinder your performance, remember why you are there - because you enjoy experiencing nature!
The right conditions
A lot of factors will determine the results of your digiscoping, not just your equipment, good light is important, allowing for faster shutter speeds in order to freeze bird motion and limit camera shake. Hot days can cause heat haze which will vastly reduce the quality of your results. Strong winds will increase the chance of camera shake, no matter how stable your tripod.
Take Care
Viewing the sun can cause permanent eye damage. Never view the sun with any optical equipment or even with the naked eye.
Always follow manufacturers instructions when attaching adapters to your optical equipment.
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Updated 23.06.08 - Big thanks for all contributors
This months readers gallery digiscoped featured shots:
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| Photographer |
Pete Jackson |
| Subject |
Juv Meadow Pipit |
| Date |
4-6-08 |
| Location |
Rainham Marsh RSPB |
| Equipment |
Nikon Coolpix 5100, Swarovski ATS80HD |
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| Photographer |
Noel Barnes |
| Subject |
Wren |
| Date |
14.05.08 |
| Location |
Essex - Leigh On Sea |
| Equipment |
Kowa TSN 823M + Nikon coolpix 4500 |
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Derwent Water from Dodd Wood Osprey View Point
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| Digiscoping is the art of attaching a digital camera to a spotting scope to create powerful telephoto pictures.
Perfect for wildlife photography, especially bird watching, digiscoping lets you use the powerful zoom of your spotting scope, coupled with the ease of use and convenience of your digital camera - enabling you to get right in to your chosen subject and capture amazing images of wildlife, without having to get to close and risk disturbing your subject matter, all at the fraction of the cost of using an SLR camera with a large telephoto lens.
A keen birdwatcher, I have always wanted to capture close up images of birds, after a lot of research on the net, in my opinion, digiscoping is the perfect method.
This website aims to help anybody who is interested in digiscoping, whether a beginner or more advanced, the site features my digiscoping pictures, information on digiscoping equipment and techniques, hints and tips, plus useful digiscope links for further reading. All the advice on this website is written by myself, by no means an expert, that's the beauty of digiscoping, as long as you are confident enough using a spotting scope and are familiar with the basic settings of your digital camera, you can achieve fantastic images. If you are a beginner, I recommend you read my beginners guide to digiscoping before proceeding to the more detailed information available on this website.
The site is also an area for me to share and record my digiscope experiences throughout the year with other enthusiasts. Success and failures and anything I learn along the way can be found on the digiscope diary page.
The 'my gear' section features articles and reviews on the digiscoping equipment that I use, including information and findings on digiscoping digital cameras, digiscoping adapters, digiscoping accessories, spotting scopes, tripods and digiscoping image editing tools.
The internet is packed with many digiscope websites, where you can discuss digiscoping, see inspiring pictures and learn the best techniques, the digiscoping links page is a great place to start.
If you would like to share any of your digiscoping experiences, images and advice on this website, please contact me.
Hope this site is of some use, all the best, and happy digiscoping,
Rob Wilton
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Visionary | Digiscoping Adapter
Optical Hardware has just released a new range of exciting digiscope adapters under their Visionary Brand.
The new range of Visionary digiscope adapters are designed to make digiscoping easy. The range is priced from just £19.99 for the A adapter designed for SLR cameras and up to £59.99 for the full universal L adapter designed to work with all makes and models of compact cameras and spotting scopes. Not only are they fantastic value for money - they do their job extremley well...
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Olivon | Universal Digital Camera Adapter
New digiscope adapter from Olivon offers maximum flexibility and convenience to digiscopers.
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| As both a birdwatcher and digiscoper, I want the flexibility to be able to choose whether to digiscope or view the subject myself.
The new universal digital camera adapter from Olivon gives me this choice, simply rotate your camera in to place to take a shot, then move to the side for normal viewing. No need for specialist cameras or lens adapters, the new Olivon Universal Digiscope Adapter allows you to use almost any compact camera with your Olivon spotting scope.
A 50mm threading tube is included with the adapter for easy connection to the scope.
Weighing less than 0.8lb (0.36kg), the Universal Camera Adapter is a pleasantly lightweight accessory for digiscoping.
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Latest editions to my digiscoping image library,
click on a thumbnail below
for a larger picture.
Or click my pictures to see all images.
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Please feel free to use the images on this website for educational, private study or personal use.
All copyrights are retained by Robert Wilton.
Please contact me for enquiries about commercial use of images.
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This is a non-commercial website.
The content is my own diary and findings. I accept no responsibility or liability if you choose to follow my advice.
The advice, reviews and opinions expressed in this website is based purely on my own preferences. You may find other settings work better for you and your equipment.
The owners of this site will use reasonable efforts to include up-to-date and accurate information in this Internet site, but makes no representations, warranties, or assurances as to the accuracy, currency, or completeness of the information provided. The owners of this site shall not be liable for any damages or injury resulting from your access to, or inability to access, this Internet site, or from your reliance on any information provided at this Internet site.
This Internet site may provide links or references to other sites but the owners of this site have no responsibility for the content of such other sites and shall not be liable for any damages or injury arising from that content. Any links to other sites are provided as merely a convenience to the users of this Internet site.
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