New to birding advice on digi scoping (1 Viewer)

[Withnailer]

Hi I’m turning 50 in a week and I’m looking to treat myself to my first scope budget one
I already have a tripod from my photography slr days
I have a I phone 11
Just looking for advice on how to get started on a budget around £300

 

[delia todd]

Hi Withnailer and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators.

I've moved your post to the dedicated Digiscoping forum, as they're the ones with the right knowledge to be able to best advise you.

Meanwhile I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news. And congratulations on reaching your big milestone.

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum! I am sure that you will find lots to interest you here and I hope you enjoy your visits.

Happy Birthday for next week!

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Welcome to the forum. If you are willing to consider used kit, you will get better value for money, for example, either of the two scopes quoted below would be suitable and should last for a good few years.

this or this

If you are happy with a straight used scope, you couldn't do much better than this older Nikon fieldscope. The "DS" eyepieces come up for sale and are specifically designed for digiscoping.

I'm afraid that I'm not familiar with newer offerings in this price range, but perhaps this Hawke may be suitable.

Ideally you would require a scope with a greater than 60mm objective lens, and ED glass if possible to reduce colour fringing. A fixed magnification eyepiece is probably more suitable than a zoom for digiscoping as it will reduce vignetting.

There are numerous adaptors suitable for phone-scoping, here are a couple of budget offerings as well as a more expensive tailored option:

Dorr SA-1 Universal Smartphone Adapter The Birders Store

The Dorr SA-1 Universal Smartphone Adapter is ideal for connecting your smartphone to the eyepiece of a spotting scope and making spectacular telephoto shots from a distance.

www.birders-store.co.uk

Viking Smart Phone Adapter The Birders Store

The new Viking Smartphone Adapter is a quick and easy to use adapter ideal for capturing images with almost any model of smartphone.

www.birders-store.co.uk

PhoneSkope Case for iPhone 11/iPhone XR The Birders Store

PhoneSkope Case for iPhone 11/iPhone XR

www.birders-store.co.uk

Hope this helps!

 

[Withnailer]

Welcome to the forum. If you are willing to consider used kit, you will get better value for money, for example, either of the two scopes quoted below would be suitable and should last for a good few years.


If you are happy with a straight used scope, you couldn't do much better than this older Nikon fieldscope. The "DS" eyepieces come up for sale and are specifically designed for digiscoping.

I'm afraid that I'm not familiar with newer offerings in this price range, but perhaps this Hawke may be suitable.

Ideally you would require a scope with a greater than 60mm objective lens, and ED glass if possible to reduce colour fringing. A fixed magnification eyepiece is probably more suitable than a zoom for digiscoping as it will reduce vignetting.

There are numerous adaptors suitable for phone-scoping, here are a couple of budget offerings as well as a more expensive tailored option:

Dorr SA-1 Universal Smartphone Adapter The Birders Store

The Dorr SA-1 Universal Smartphone Adapter is ideal for connecting your smartphone to the eyepiece of a spotting scope and making spectacular telephoto shots from a distance.

www.birders-store.co.uk

Viking Smart Phone Adapter The Birders Store

The new Viking Smartphone Adapter is a quick and easy to use adapter ideal for capturing images with almost any model of smartphone.

www.birders-store.co.uk

PhoneSkope Case for iPhone 11/iPhone XR The Birders Store

PhoneSkope Case for iPhone 11/iPhone XR

www.birders-store.co.uk

Hope this helps!

Wow!
THANKYOU for all that info
Brilliant

 

[Ian Byrnes]

Hi ya...if I can add my 2 penneth.

Having made mistakes phonescaping this might help.

The IPhone 11 is excellent with great megapixels and can edit your shots brilliantly. The phoneskope adaptor is the best - using a case and collar for your chosen scope, but best fits the better quality scopes as they are made specifically for them. The generic one's are not as tight fitting as you need no gaps between the lens and eyepiece. Have a look on their website before you get a scope. Vignetting is no problem as it can be zoomed out. If you want professional photos the better the scope the better the shot and in all honesty you might be frustrated with a fixed FOV eyepiece as you need to zoom in to get closer detail- hence again a better quality zoom as cheaper ones can be suspect. If you are doing it for fun - it might not bother you.

I'm assuming you have a good stable tripod as shake can spoil the quality of the photo.

And finally a decent fluid head is needed with counterbalance if possible, as the phone & adaptor will add weight, tipping the scope.

I know you want to spend around £300 but I started with a Bresser at £150 with zoom & Opticron adapter (£50) changed to an Opticron with fixed eyepieces (used - £350) & because I got so frustrated eventually got a Zeiss with 20-75 zoom used) which allows me to get quality shots at great distance. The adaptors & collar were about £85 & I've got a quality cf tripod and Gitzo head (which I've also changed 3/4 times & gone up in quality and specification).

What I'm really trying to say is that you might spend £300 & be disappointed but you have to start somewhere. Opticron scopes are good used but get their top end zoom.

On the positive though the IPhones are brilliant👍 Good luck.

Ian