Spotting Scope
If you' are an ornithologist (birdwatcher), you may already own a scope, I use an Olivon T90 and an Olivon T90ED.
The Olivon T90 and T90ED are almost identical in every way, both have a 90mm objective lens, their optics are fully multi-coated, both have Bak4 prisms, they are both waterproof and nitrogen filled to prevent fogging and they both give fantastic sharp bright images. The T90 and T90ED are supplied with a 22-68x zoom lens, although for digiscoping, keeping it at its widest setting 22x is recommended.
The only difference, and it's a big one, is the T90ED version uses high-quality optical lenses that have a high content of fluorite, which reduces deviation in images. These special lenses are called ED (extra-low dispersion) lenses, and are mainly used in powerful telescopes. This model not only gives super clear and crisp images, but it also provides extraordinarily sharp resolutions. The T90ED version retails at around £650, whilst the T90 retails around £299.
Both are excellent scopes and are perfectly suited for digiscoping, with a range of Olivon digiscope adapters available. Personally I would always choose the ED version, but having said that, a lot of the pictures in this site have been taken on the Olivon T90 standard version. If your budget can't stretch to an ED scope, the Olivon T90 can still deliver the digiscoping goods.
Click here to view a digiscope comparison test between the Olivon T90 and T90ED spotting scopes.
Click here to view a Olivon T90 and T90ED 22x-68x zoom test.
My only advise on buying a scope, especially when digiscoping is choose a scope with a large objective lens, light is extremely important when trying to achieve high shutter speeds. 80mm - 90mm seem to be the popular choice. High resolution (ED) models do improve the image, but non ED models can offer excellent results.
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