Subject: handheld digiscoping
Date: Apr 18 09:38:25 2003
From: Charles Swift - charless at moscow.com


Digiscoping can be done successfully with a hand-held digicam. Although I am
not yet doing it myself I have seen many successful images produced with
this technique. In general at least a 3X zoom camera must be used as zooming
eliminates vignetting. It also helps if the lens of the camera fits snugly
against the scope eyepiece. A simple adapter can help steady the camera
against the scope. Most birders probably use their scopes more for birding
and would prefer to have a system that does not attach the camera to the
scope. It is also not necessary to have a super-expensive camera (like the
highly touted Nikon Coolpix 4500) to get good images. There are a number of
2-3 megapixel, 3X zoom cameras in the $200 - $350 range that apparently do
quite well.

thanks, Charles.

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Charles E. Swift
Moscow, ID, USA
charless at moscow.com
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