[Hannican]

Hi All,

I just picked up rifle shooting again and I'm looking to grab a spotting scope, but thinking of making it do double duty with my Pentax DSLR. As I was Googling around for information yesterday and this morning, I ran across the term "Digiscoping", and that sounds like just what I'd like to do.

Has anyone here got experience with this? I'm looking for recommendations on what scopes to consider, as well as a budget I should expect to spend. I want a high-quality scope and am thinking of spending $500 - $1000 range, but wondering if that's even worth it considering that I could pick something like the DA* 300mm lens up for not that much more.

What's the advantage of the digiscope compared to using a longer telephoto lens? What are the disadvantages? Any recommendations on a scope, eyepiece, adapter, etc.?

Any advice is MUCH appreciated!

[jbinpg]

Hi. I have a few friends who digiscope although I don't do it myself. Digiscoping is huge in the birding world and has been for many years. The one undeniable advantage of digiscoping is that you can get much more magnification from a scope than you can from a telephoto lens and DSLRs. You can get 20X easily from a scope lugging around a digiscope setup for which you would need seriously heavy telephoto lens artillery to compete. The top birding scopes go for around $3000.00 with a decent eyepiece and T-adapter these days so it is not cheap setting yourself up. Many digiscopers prefer mirrorless 4/3 since they are lighter than an APS-C DSLR and the lack of a reflex mirror means there is less potential for camera shake. The camera attaches to the scope ocular via a T-adapter which is just a hollow tube that bayonets onto the camera and then screws onto the outside of the ocular base. The big disadvantage of digiscoping is that you are forced to lug around a tripod at all times since there is no way to handhold the setup at these magnifications. So forget about taking that leisurely walk down a park trail with a DA*300 on your shoulder picking off those chickadees. The digiscope is usually used when you need to make some small dot of a bird into a full frame wonder.

Jack

[pete-tarmigan]

Hi All,

I just picked up rifle shooting again and I'm looking to grab a spotting scope, but thinking of making it do double duty with my Pentax DSLR. As I was Googling around for information yesterday and this morning, I ran across the term "Digiscoping", and that sounds like just what I'd like to do.

Has anyone here got experience with this? I'm looking for recommendations on what scopes to consider, as well as a budget I should expect to spend. I want a high-quality scope and am thinking of spending $500 - $1000 range, but wondering if that's even worth it considering that I could pick something like the DA* 300mm lens up for not that much more.

What's the advantage of the digiscope compared to using a longer telephoto lens? What are the disadvantages? Any recommendations on a scope, eyepiece, adapter, etc.?

Any advice is MUCH appreciated!

Rather than repeat what has been written in several threads on this topic in Pentaxforums I would like to suggest entering 'digiscoping' in the 'Search the forums' box.

[oeriies]

Pentax sells a scope adapter (the PF-CA35) that includes optical elements. It allows a direct connection between a Pentax DSLR and the scope and works very well with focus peaking. My Pentax PF-80ED scope and eyepiece (used) and the adapter (new) cost about $1000. If you're willing to work off a tripod and your targets are stationary birds you can get some amazing shots.

[sindbad1]

You don't need the scope-adapter (PF-CA35). Instead you can mount a DSLR with a lens (2,8/40mm) behind the eyepiece. Have a look at the first picture on this side: Digiscoping mit der DSLR - Mit dem Spektiv fotografieren. Digiskopie

Tom