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01-18-2020, 06:17 PM   #1
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pf-65ed2a spotting scope help

Hello
This is my first post on site so I thank you all for your patience.
If some one can help a newbe with attaching a camera to SMC XW 8mm-24mm eyepiece. Specificly which type of adapter from 43mm dia,,75mm TP to dslr . or mirrorless
I understand each camera has its own adapter , I m trying to decide which camera body to buy .
Also PF-65 ED2A has prism so can I us a mirrorless camera ? or is DSLR better.
My thinking is to remove eyecup on XW pentax eyepices screw on adapter with camera style adapter. T or F for example.
Also all comments regarding a camera body with moderate price tag are appreciated.
My hobby is birding
thx

01-18-2020, 07:20 PM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by glider Quote
Hello
This is my first post on site so I thank you all for your patience.
If some one can help a newbe with attaching a camera to SMC XW 8mm-24mm eyepiece. Specificly which type of adapter from 43mm dia,,75mm TP to dslr . or mirrorless
I understand each camera has its own adapter , I m trying to decide which camera body to buy .
Also PF-65 ED2A has prism so can I us a mirrorless camera ? or is DSLR better.
My thinking is to remove eyecup on XW pentax eyepices screw on adapter with camera style adapter. T or F for example.
Also all comments regarding a camera body with moderate price tag are appreciated.
My hobby is birding
thx
Google using keywords “eyepiece projection prime focus”.

Good luck.
01-18-2020, 08:26 PM - 1 Like   #3
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I would ask if you have seen digiscoped results before? Just something to look at before you spend a lot of money. A few years ago while visiting Magee Marsh during the warbler migration I had the opportunity to connect my camera to a Swarovski scope and take a couple of images of a nest the Swarovski reps had sighted. They were not keepers, but of course I'm sure you could do somewhat better with some practice. Here's also a comparison article. That article is a little dated, and maybe some advancements have been made.

I'm sure you know about the Pentax PF-CA35 K mount adapter, but you already have an eyepiece that you would like to adapt. You might need to get somebody to make an adapter to go from the 43mm to an M42, which is adaptable to many camera mounts.

Good luck, hopefully somebody here may have some experience.
01-18-2020, 08:44 PM   #4
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direct attachment of K-mount cameras to spotting scope

A related but somewhat different and older approach to "digiscoping" with Pentax spotting scopes is the use of the now discontinued Pentax PF-CA35 K-mount camera adapter. It replaces the eyepiece and allows the direct attachment of a K-mount camera (obviously without any lens) to the spotting scope. The image magnification is not as high as when using the eyepiece and an external camera but with a PF-65 scope the focal length would be 780mm with a full frame camera (K1, K1ii) attached and 1,190mm with an APS-C Pentax Camera (both at f12). I would be interested in anyones experience using the PF-CA35 adapter.

01-18-2020, 09:13 PM   #5
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perhaps the posts in this thread might be of interest;

spotting scope adapter? - Page 2 - PentaxForums.com
01-19-2020, 07:08 AM   #6
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One of these:

Opticron 411112 digiscoping camera attachment (t-mount) reviews - Pentax Camera Accessory Review Database

Not cheap new, browse auctions and get a s/h one.
01-19-2020, 07:18 AM   #7
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Thanks for all replies.
I guess a direct question is can a camera body be used when mounted directly to eyepiece via 43mm dia x.75mm TP steped down to 42mm t thread which is very low profile and available. Is there going to be an issue with image upside down and image focal point to far in scope body to focus camera ?
Otherwise it seems best to find a point shoot with 3x zoom 18ish +MP. With a .25cm lens something to replicate a human eye. Scope tech has a digi pix mount .
Im really trying to understand if there is possibility to use threads on pentax XW eyepice .

01-19-2020, 10:26 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by glider Quote
mounted directly to eyepiece via 43mm dia x.75mm TP steped down to 42mm t thread
Using the opticron adapter cited in my post aboveplaces the front of the camera is less than the t-mount thickness from the top of the eyepiece. My experience with eyepiece projection with K5/K3 on opticron HR66 and HR80 scopes with best HDF 27x and 38x eyepieces is that there is no difficulty covering the sensor with the image - no vignetting - and focus is done using the scopes focus, best judged using 10 x live view. Image is the right way up (it's upsidedown using non ep projection methods). 38x ep didn't give good images, nor was I impressed with the results from the HR66, the HR80 + 27x was better. Sample pics in this thread, however the duck below was more usual iq. Overall I would say only the best scopes give results competitive with decent long lenses, but as R Cicala says (link above) being able to digiscope can be a useful option to have.

Results with the tamron adaptall 500m mirror + 02F ep were rather similar to using the 01F 2x tc with the mirror.
Attached Images
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PENTAX K-3 II  Photo 

Last edited by marcusBMG; 01-19-2020 at 10:33 AM.
01-19-2020, 11:05 AM   #9
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Marcus Thank you .
From your reply , I understand by connecting directly to Pentax XW eyepiece using thread adapter which will allow to connect direct to camera body images will be positioned correctly.
Baader T-Adapter HTA43/T2 for Hyperion Fixed Focal Length and MkIII / MkIV Zoom Eyepieces # 2958080
Also are you on North Wales UK? or Penn. USA?
01-19-2020, 01:16 PM   #10
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OK as far as I can tell that adapter looks like a M42x0.75 thread which will allow you to screw on t-mounts (t-rings) ie a PK mount for the camera. Looks like you would need st like that that's a fat eyepiece. What's the thread on the eyepiece? might be other ways to go eg step up/down rings and reversing adapter. Which ever way you do it the image will be the right way up. That's why it's called ep projection, you're just extending the exit pupil image to the sensor.


I'm UK.
01-19-2020, 01:55 PM   #11
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Eyepiece is 43 mm x.75 TP
This adapter will allow me to mount a Nikon D3400 ( Bower T mount to F mount ) which will keep camera very close to eyepice.
My last name is Parry , we came to USA on Vermont to mine slate two generations ago . Most people were Welsh.where I grew up !
Now I dont know to many communities over here these days.
01-19-2020, 03:20 PM   #12
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Parry is a very welsh name indeed.
01-19-2020, 03:25 PM - 1 Like   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by ramseybuckeye Quote
I would ask if you have seen digiscoped results before? Just something to look at before you spend a lot of money. A few years ago while visiting Magee Marsh during the warbler migration I had the opportunity to connect my camera to a Swarovski scope and take a couple of images of a nest the Swarovski reps had sighted. They were not keepers, but of course I'm sure you could do somewhat better with some practice. Here's also a comparison article. That article is a little dated, and maybe some advancements have been made.

I'm sure you know about the Pentax PF-CA35 K mount adapter, but you already have an eyepiece that you would like to adapt. You might need to get somebody to make an adapter to go from the 43mm to an M42, which is adaptable to many camera mounts.

Good luck, hopefully somebody here may have some experience.
You need to ask, the purpose of the shots. As an armature birder, sometimes you are looking for just a good enough shot to identify the bird, or as a record shot. I have as a birder a life list of 508 species ( closer to 550 if you count sub species] I probably have record shots or 75% of them and print quality shots of 20%. But my life list is insignificant. I was talking to a local birder yesterday who has a life list of 7600 birds. (Note there are 10600 species world wide and 27000 variants and subspecies)
01-19-2020, 04:17 PM - 2 Likes   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Lowell Goudge Quote
You need to ask, the purpose of the shots. As an armature birder, sometimes you are looking for just a good enough shot to identify the bird, or as a record shot. I have as a birder a life list of 508 species ( closer to 550 if you count sub species] I probably have record shots or 75% of them and print quality shots of 20%. But my life list is insignificant. I was talking to a local birder yesterday who has a life list of 7600 birds. (Note there are 10600 species world wide and 27000 variants and subspecies)
well nature is at my back door , where i live in between Green mountain and Adirondack mountain ranges there is fertile farm lands which are bordered by hardwoods and coniferous trees lends to coyotes turkeys plethora of birds deer etc there on our property practically eating out of our hands . I am a competition long range shooter and during winter months need to do something so I have these components and want to put them to use.
01-20-2020, 03:23 AM - 1 Like   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by gavinhw Quote
Google using keywords “eyepiece projection prime focus”.

Good luck.
Buckeye
Thank you so much for directions, My character is to have a comprehensive understanding of how everything works, with diagrams it all makes sense
In general, I can not say at this time where I will focus nature photography ,counting species or trying to make prints , for now with every ones much appreciated help i have an exciting new subject to grasp .
Thank you all for helping .
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