Digiscoping Comparison: Swarovski Digital Camera Adapter vs. Swarovski TLS800 Camera Adapter
January 3, 2009
Article in: Photography
The following is a comparison of five variations of bird photography:
- Digiscoping with a point-and-shoot [Nikon Coolpix 5100]
- Digiscoping with a digital SLR camera [Canon EOS Rebel XTi]
- Telephoto with Swarovski TLS800 adapter and digital SLR [Canon EOS Rebel XTi]
- Telephoto with 100-400mm lens [Canon]
- Telephoto with 100-400mm lens and 2x extender [Canon]
The subject is a stuffed Pileated Woodpecker in our White Pine at about 33 feet. The conditions were sleeting and cold with some wind (perfect for photography!) and the purpose of this is not so much image quality as distance comparison and ease of use. Below the photos are some thoughts on what works best.
Nikon Coolpix 5100 at no zoom [12.9mm]
Nikon Coolpix 5100 coupled with Swarovski 80HD STS spotting scope at 20x zoom
Nikon Coolpix 5100 coupled with Swarovski 80HD STS spotting scope at 60x zoom
Digital SLR digiscoping – Canon EOS Rebel XTi with 50mm lens and Swarovski 80HD STS spotting scope at 20x
Digital SLR digiscoping – Canon EOS Rebel XTi with 50mm lens and Swarovski 80HD STS spotting scope at approx. 60x
Telephoto with Swarovski TLS800 adapter and digital SLR [Canon EOS Rebel XTi]
This is what the TLS800 looks like on the scope [from Swarovski's website]
Telephoto with 100-400mm Canon lens [100mm]
Telephoto with 100-400mm Canon lens [400mm]
Telephoto with 100-400mm Canon lens and 2x adapter [100mm with 2x = 200mm]
Telephoto with 100-400mm Canon lens and 2x adapter [400mm with 2x = 800mm]
Summary
The Nikon point-and-shoot does a surprisingly good job at digiscoping but has the drawback of not being able to shoot successive shots (quickly) and takes a long time to focus on the subject (an obvious problem with non-stationary subjects).
The Canon SLR method works well especially at lower magnification (on the scope) and allows for rapid shooting and fast-focusing.
The Swarovski TLS800 is a bit hard to use. It requires removal of the spotting scope’s eyepiece making the scope useless for searching for birds. Once the TLS800 is attached to your camera, you have to hook it to the scope which creates an awkward (and comical) bit of maneuvering.
Once the whole setup is ready we found that the camera settings had to be adjusted a great deal more than with digiscoping. We never could get the settings right and the photo shown was the best we could get after numerous attempts.
The shots with the 100-400mm lens are more for comparison. This method of bird photography is better for general hiking or birds in flight shots as it allows for free movement and less adjustments.
Overall, we prefer the “true” digiscoping setup over the TLS800 telephoto adapter. The Swarovski Digital Camera Adapter can be used with virtually ANY camera so even if you upgrade, you’ll be ready to digiscope.
TLS800 Rating: 3 of 10
Swarovski Digital Camera Adapter Rating: 10 of 10
Phriday Photo (and Video) – Pine Siskin & American Goldfinch
January 2, 2009
Article in: Photography
Side-by-side comparison of an American Goldfinch (left) and Pine Siskin who were hanging out on our thistle feeder. This was digiscoped with the Birdfreak Swarovski Digiscoping Setup through a window. Camera was our Nikon Coolpix 5100 (point-and-shoot).
Video clip also through the scope and Nikon camera.
View all our videos which include not only birds but the world famous, Arizona Doberman (and some other stuff as well).
Phriday Photo – Eastern Bluebird and the Sunrise
November 14, 2008
Article in: Photography
Everyone have a grand weekend!! We have a lot of projects in the works plus a NCIOS field trip so this looks to be a busy weekend.
Eastern Bluebird – digiscoped
Our Skywatch Friday submission is a morning scene in northern Illinois (in HDR)
Digiscoping with a Digital SLR Camera
November 12, 2008
Article in: Photography
Digital SLR (single lens reflex) cameras have many advantages over traditional point-and-shoot digital cameras, many of which carry over into the realm of digiscoping. The biggest advantage is the SLR’s ability to shoot numerous shots in succession with nearly no lag time. Not only that, but you have virtually complete control over every aspect of the shot: manual focus, aperture, exposure, shutter speed, etc. Of course, learning the right settings takes time and we are at the early stages of this process.
Cedar Waxwing – digiscoped
Swarovski makes a wonderful digital camera adapter (DCA) for digiscoping. The adapter has two pieces: one attaches to the scope’s eye piece and the other threads to the digital SLR’s lens. We use the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM lens with our current camera, the Canon EOS Rebel XTi.
The adapter fits snugly over the eyepiece, eliminating any vignetting and allowing for quick removal when done digiscoping. There is a tightening knob on the adapter so you can lock the camera in place while digiscoping. When not locked, you can still zoom in and out with the scope’s eyepiece.
It is important to leave the camera in manual focus at infinity and perform all the focusing with the spotting scope. Set your aperture down to as low as it goes and have at it.
Keep in mind that digiscoping isn’t easy but it is fun. Our setup weighs in at a bit over 11 pounds, which gets heavy when lugging it around for extended periods of time. But if you are into photographing birds, we would definitely recommend trying out digiscoping. And if you already own a great scope, you might as well give it a shot (pun intended).
Swamp Sparrow – digiscoped
We’ll have many more posts about digiscoping in the upcoming weeks and months. You can view many of our digiscoped shots at our brand new digiscoped lifelist page.
Review of Swarovski Carbon Fiber Tripod [CT-101]
November 8, 2008
Article in: Photography
As the saying goes, “your spotting scope is only as good as your tripod” or something to that effect. This statement holds a lot of truth but finding the “perfect” tripod is a lot more difficult than finding the perfect scope.
Swarovski Carbon Fiber Tripod CT-101
There are an unbelievable amount of tripods on the market, as paging through any birding magazine will show you. The tripod we wanted most was Swarovski’s carbon fiber CT 101 model with accompanying FH 101 head. This gorgeous tripod is incredibly easy to use and packs a lot of versatility in a pretty compact package.
The tripod’s legs are broken up into two movable segments which slide silently and are locked in place with durable latches. The height is perfect for all but the tallest of birders and the legs can spread low for extreme low-angle viewing. No matter what terrain you are birding on, the tripod can be adjusted accordingly.
Swarovski FH 101 tripod head
The FH 101 head attaches seemlessly to the tripod and provides super easy movement with one hand. The head locks two ways independently: one lock stops panning motion and the other lock holds your scope in vertical position. Both locks are located ideally and require little effort to operate.
With the locks open, you are free to move the scope in any direction, perfect for following birds and especially useful for digiscoping. 
The mounting plate can be ejected in order to attach other plates such as the Swarovski balance rail (sold separately). The balance rail (shown at left) is much appreciated when digiscoping with a large camera such as a digital SLR as the weight is much better distributed. The tripod easily handles the weight of the scope and camera (about 7.1 lbs).
Weighing in at 4.3 lbs and nearly impossible to break, the Swarovski Carbon Fiber Tripod is wonderful for digiscoping and birding in general.
Phriday Photo – Ring-billed Gull Shout Out
November 7, 2008
Article in: Photography
While gulls are not our strong suit (although we’ve added to our arsenal to improve this handicap), who doesn’t love the antics of gulls? This Ring-billed Gull was digiscoped with our Swarovski 80 HD spotting scope along the master of all rivers, the Mississippi.
Review of Swarovski 80 HD Spotting Scope
November 1, 2008
Article in: Photography
Swarovski Optik is well-known for high quality birding optics and their High Definition (HD) spotting scopes are at the top of the list for most birders. Our scope of choice is the STS 80 HD version with the Swarovski 20-60x zoom eyepiece. (more…)
Phriday Photo – Cedar Waxwing
October 31, 2008
Article in: Photography
Cedar Waxwing – digiscoped with Swarovski 80 HD Spotting Scope
