Often something is too far away to photograph. Why even bother to get the camera out when all you will get, even with a long lens, is an undiscernible blob. A follower photographer and I were discussing just such a situation when we were watching Crossbills the other day. They were miles away. He used the expression ‘Leave it to the digiscopers’
I used to digiscope quite a bit. It started in the early nineties. The first time I saw a digital camera placed on the back of a spotting scope (digiscoping) was on the Isles of Scillies; the well-known wildlife artist, Ian Lewington, was photographing a Red eyed Vireo. I was amazed he could get such frame filling photos from so far away (and I don’t think he would mind me saying) with such a Heath Robinson set up. Everything was screwed to an aluminium plate bolted to a tripod and was to be fair very much hit and miss. I immediately went out and bought some kit. Digiscoping, with patience, can give excellent results over long distances exceeding the capabilities of traditional photographic equipment. A telescope can make a very good camera lens. Despite all this I found digiscoping highly frustrating and have and will still prefer traditional methods of photography; but it does have its place.
How did I put it in the last post? … ‘things have moved on’. I recently bought a digiscoping kit for an iphone. It fits both Kowa and Swarovski scopes and various iphone versions are available. Rather than describe all the detail the following video explains everything. A picture does indeed paint a thousand words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQHqarmPVh0
… and hey, get this. The guys and gals at Kowa have even developed a free app. downloadable from the app store for your iPhone called ‘Telecamera’. It enables you to independently alter the autofocus point and autoexposure point within the frame; as well as colour balance. Shutter speed and f stop selection has to be just around the corner… doesn’t it?
I shall no doubt publish a few digiscope photos as and when the occasions arise.
Letter From Norfolk 