Digiscoping Equipment

August 2004
Important updates
(Complete re-writing of this page will follow soon.)

Digiscoping with CoolPix/Swarovski combination

Please take note that contrary to what is said below, I no longer use the DigiMount adapter by EagleEye to attach my Nikon CoolPix 995 to the Swarovski AT 80 HD spotting scope. I replaced it last year by a Finnish adapter made by SpiderTech. With this two-piece adapter, it is possible to install or remove the camera much faster than with the DigiMount..

Digiscoping at short distance

Since June 2004, I no longer use the 5X EagleEye OpticZoom coupled to my Nikon CoolPix 995, as described below, to photograph birds at less than 15 feet. I rather bought a second camera, a Panasonic Lumix FZ10 and its 1.5X teleconverter lens DMW-LTZ10; this equipment is exclusively reserved for shooting at short range and handheld.

You will find under the link "About Digiscoping/Lumix FZ10" a list of all pages in this checklist where you can find photographs taken with this camera.

Yves Leduc
Saint-Jean-des-Piles
Canada

Souvenirs ailés / Feathered Memories A Site by Yves Leduc
	Digital photography:	through spotting scope	and 5X telephoto lens
	Nikon CoolPix 995	Swarovski AT 80 HD	EagleEye OpticZooms

A series of photographs
to illustrate the equipment I use at this moment
for digiscoping

(Updated September 30, 2001)

My digiscoping camera is a CoolPix 995, equipped with an Xtend-a-view PRO sunshade attached to the camera via EagleEye's WING bracket. When I go in the field, my CoolPix usually hangs around my neck, with the 5X EagleEye OpticZoom attached to it.
I use this lens for hand-shooting exclusively : either targets at close range, birds in flight or anything that requires a fast reaction.

I also carry my Swarovski AT-80 spotting scope, Digimount adapter and a Manfrotto tripod (190/128RC) along with me, even when I go digi-bird-cycling.

When the Swarovski is required, I remove the OpticZoom from the camera and assemble the Swarovski-Digimount-CoolPix combo.

N.B. I took out the 28-37 mm step-up rings from both the DigiMount and the EagleEye OpticZoom and now leave the ring permanently attached to the camera, in order to protect the fragile plastic threads of the CoolPix 995.

The Swarovski is equipped with a 20-60X zoom eyepiece. The rubber eyecup of the eyepiece has to be removed for this assembly.

With this set-up in place, I'm getting better and better at spotting birds through the LCD screen. It really gives a feeling of standard 35 mm SLRs, even if sharpness of the LCD image is less than good.

When a Portrait shot is required, I slightly unscrew the Digimount, tilt the camera and retighten the screws.

There is one problem, though, when I use the Swarovski zoom at magnifications other than 20X : then, the weight of the camera will make it turn around the zoom and in this case, I have to hold the camera to keep it in place. But these situations are not frequent, because shooting at 40X or even 60X always gives bad quality and is acceptable only to get an otherwise impossible shot.

Answering John Moore's question, I have no problem whatsoever in rotating the right body of the CoolPix, in order to get a better viewing angle for aerial shots.

In my set-up, the only limit comes from the WING bracket that prevents excessive counterclockwise movement; but with the CoolPix alone, there is absolutely no limit to movements.

Detail of the Digimount - 28-37 step-up ring - CoolPix 995 - Xtend-a-view Pro - WING bracket assembly

N.B. I had to cut-out a section of the WING bracket in order to accommodate the new shape of the CP 995. I guess future versions of the WING will be specifically adapted to the 995.

When attaching the Digimount to the Swarovski eyepiece, the rubber eyecup of the zoom has to be completely removed.

With the Digimount adapter, I gained 2 mm on the lens-to-lens distance of the assembly, over my previous set-up.
(These measurements were taken with the step-up rings detached from the CoolPix.)

The Digimount with its inner sleeve weighs approximately 110 grams (or 4 oz.), thus bringing the weigh of the CoolPix from 600 to 710 grams (21 to 25 oz.); this is not a problem per se, but I always have to tighten the tripod a little bit over the target, in order to counterbalance the weigh of the camera and get it at the right place.

At this moment, there is probably a dozen of commercial adapters available on the market (and hundreds of home-made ones) that provide an adequate digiscoping attachment. The pieces of equipment above represent my own choices and give me an immense pleasure to use. It is not necessarily convenient for everybody, but I hope this list can be useful to some people, when time comes to make judicious choices.

Now, enough of this. Back to shooting birds, not cameras!

Yves Leduc
Montreal
Updated, August 3, 2001