Digiscoping

So, exactly what is digiscoping?

Well in plain terms it is the relatively new art of attaching a digital camera to your telescope, to effectively achieve a very powerful camera lens. It is proving an excellent way to attempt bird and other wildlife photography; it is a lot cheaper than the SLR alternative, although producing slightly less in terms of quality. There are a couple of closely related terms which you may come across – Digi-binning (using your Binoculars instead of telescope), and phone-scoping (substituting your camera for one of the latest camera phones!).

There are various ways in which this can be achieved and no end of equipment that can be used, but for this introduction I will stick to the most commonly used items. Firstly you will need a camera, and the camera of choice seems to be a Nikon Coolpix type (990/995/4500) – they have swivelling bodies which aid positioning as well as having no external zoom, which means they can get close to the eyepiece of the `scope, and not move. Secondly you need a telescope, any will do but the 80mm types tend to have the best light intake, and the high definition glass used in modern scopes is also advantageous (Swarovskis AT/ATS80 HD or Leicas APO77 are ideal). Thirdly you will need some way of attaching your chosen camera to the telescope. There are various ways to achieve this, from hand holding the lens to the eyepiece; buying one of several designs of adapter (there are many of different styles from tubes to hinges), to making one of your own.

However you choose to connect the two together, the important thing to remember is that stability is of the utmost importance and the closer you can get the two lenses together the better – this reduces vignetting which is getting a dark circle around the photo. You may also choose to add optional extras, such as shutter releases (electric or manual), sighting devices (attached to the end of your scope to help line up the shot) or sun shades, to improve visibility on the imaging screen. Once you have all the gear you need, then it is time to practice! Remember DO NOT be disappointed if you are not an expert from the off. I have been trying for around a year now and am still improving, although I have only this year (2004) upgraded my scope which has immensely improved the end product.

There are plenty of websites available to help you learn the best set-ups, and now there are even short courses being taught. Of course, you may just get lucky and bump into one of the experts in the field, most of whom will lend a hand if asked. As for the quality of photographs being taken using this method, you only have to look at the work of the late Lawrence Po in Malaysia [acknowledged as the inventor of digiscoping] or Paul Hackett in the UK, to discover how good they can be! If my humble attempts can turn out half as good as theirs I will be a happy man.

I was first introduced to Digiscoping in 2000, when a friend of mine, Steve Blain, was using his Sony digital camcorder to record his sightings, since then it seems to have exploded, and rarely a day’s birding goes by when you do not meet at least one digiscoper in the field. Since that first encounter I have waited patiently until I was able to purchase the correct equipment and start myself. My own set up is currently a Nikon Coolpix 4500 camera, a Swarovski AT80 HD scope with a home made adapter, and I am steadily getting better shots. Pictured with this introduction is one of my many attempts, however I intend to update it as better pictures are taken, so you will be able to witness at first hand my improvements!

The one thing you will learn is that along with the joy of capturing that elusive rarity or common bird in a perfect pose, there is an awful lot of heartbreak involved, you would not believe the number of times a leaf crosses the bird just as you shoot, or the bird moves at the vital moment, or even that the light is too poor to capture the bird. What ever happens don’t lose heart, the next shot may be the one!