The following is a review of Swarovski’s Universal Camera Adapter (UCA). When coupled to a Swarovski spotting scope and a camera (or video camera) you have a super powerful way to capture excellent shots of birds and other wildlife. At a mere 12 oz., the UCA will not add any undue weight to your photography
Continue reading Review – Swarovski Universal Camera Adapter (UCA)
Despite a heavy fog we were finally able to view a group of five Whooping Cranes that had stopped over at Nygren Wetlands in the northern part of Winnebago County here in Illinois. Here are the best shots amongst the fog. All images were digiscoped with our new Swarovski 25-50x eyepiece. Oddly enough, I was
Continue reading Phriday Photo – Whooping Cranes at Nygren Wetlands
The following photos are digiscoped with our Swarovski Digiscoping Rig and are of one of the year’s few LIFE BIRDS. These American Golden Plovers were hanging out at a sod farm along a hidden gravel road. Please note that the distance was far and the lighting poor but using high powered optics helps to manage
Lost Mound is located where the once vibrant Savanna Army Depot once was (still there, just not operational). It is part of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge and is a birder’s paradise, yet still fairly unknown. The signs and sights tell you otherwise, but Lost Mound is unbelievable when it comes to birds.
Continue reading Digiscoping Among Ghost Trains at Lost Mound
Digiscoping is the combination of a spotting scope and a digital camera to take long-range photography. The technique is best done with high-quality optics because they have better coated glasses which help increase clarity and reduce light loss. However, just about any scope and digital camera will work for at least identification/proof shots, so long
Digiscoping1 requires a lot of practice to get the hang of. Some amazing photographers have mastered this technique and can produce some unbelievable shots of birds that are normally beyond the range of traditional digital cameras. However, the concept and execution of digiscoping is rather easy once you get a little practice in. I took
Digiscoping Tip: Setting the aperture to a low F-stop number is best for digiscoping, keeping the bird in focus at a long distance. Choose the Av (Canon) or A (Nikon) mode to enter aperture priority. This allows you to decrease the F-stop as far as your lens will allow you (F/1.4 for our Canon lens).
Continue reading Digiscoping Tip – Aperture Priority or Av Mode
Whether or not Winter 2008-2009 is “officially” an invasion year for winter finches can be left to the experts. But northern Illinois has been inundated with beautiful birds from the far north. Pine Siskins have been so numerous the resident House Sparrows have been delegated to the front bushes, forbidden from the backyard. Here we
