Máistir Nádúraí: D-SLR options for Swarovski Digiscoping

9.20.2005

D-SLR options for Swarovski Digiscoping

From the Digiscoping Chat listserv, here’s an excellent explanation by Clay Taylor of Swarovski regarding D-SLR options for use with the Swarovski spotting scope.

With the Swarovski scope, you have two basic options:

The TLS 800 Camera Adapter (part # 49313) which turns the scope into an 800mm f/10 telephoto lens. This uses a standard T-mount, and if used with any of the D1 or D2 series cameras, makes the unit perform like a 1200mm f/10 (if a D2x is used at the high-speed mode, a 1600mm f/10). The image quality is outstanding, yielding 11x14 and 16x20 prints with ease.

The D-SLR + a Nikkor 50mm lens attached to the scope's 20-60x eyepiece via the DCA-Zoom Adapter (# 49206). This allows the power of the zoom eyepiece to be multiplied by the D-SLR's crop factor of 1.5x to yield image magnifications of 30x to 90x. Quite honestly, the image quality for fine prints goes away at higher than 60x (that's 40x on the eyepiece), but the overall image quality is surprisingly good through the zoom range up to 40x.The drawbacks show up as the light transmission drops, making shutter speeds drop and placing a premium on stability, and atmospheric imperfections (heat shimmer, dust, moisture, wind, etc.) all become much more apparent.

You can contact me directly if you want to find out more about these and other options.

Clay Taylor
Naturalist Market Manager

Swarovski Optik North America LTD
2 Slater RoadCranston, RI 02920
Tel. 800-426-3089 x 2959
Fax. 401-734-5888
ctaylor@swarovskioptik.com
http://www.swarovskioptik.com/

Bio:

Mike McDowell has been documenting southern Wisconsin’s flora and fauna since 1987 and began leading field trips in 2002. Prolific at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, other highlighted natural areas include Pope Farm Conservancy, Spring Green Preserve, and the Baraboo Hills. His nature photography has appeared in various publications, newspapers, magazines and was even featured on a Wisconsin Endangered Resources license plate, a Capital Brewery beer label, and a National Geographic publication. He began journaling nature observations on this blog in 2005. He's the recipient of the 2012 Bronze Passenger Pigeon Award from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their local communities or state to promote the field of ornithology. He was a finalist in Swarovski’s Digiscoper of the Year photography contest several times. His other interests include insect macro-photography (especially tiger beetles, treehoppers, and robber flies), fossil collecting, amateur astronomy, botany, natural history, and marksmanship with long-range firearms. Once a gigging musician, collecting Fender Stratocasters is a recently revived interest—most prized being a 1957 Vintage Custom 'Mary Kaye' White Blonde. A former IT Professional, he's spent the last 24 years employed in the sport optics industry and has more binoculars than you.