Photos through a spotting scope
Don Henise (deheni@ark.ship.edu)
Thu, 08 Jan 1998 11:36:24 -0500
I have received a few comments and questions about taking photos by
holding your camera up to a spotting scope.
First, my camera (Nikon N2000) has an automatic programmed exposure
mode, but I rarely use that when photographing birds. The Say's phoebe
photos were taken in manual mode at either 1/125 or 1/500 sec. I used
the camera's built in light meter to adjust the aperature. It would
probably work just as well on automatic, but for some reason I like to
operate it manually.
Second, when holding the camera lens up to the scope's eypiece, you need
to roll down or push in the rubber or plastic eye-relief spacer if
possible.
Third, put the camera up to the eypiece and use the SCOPE'S focus wheel
to focus in the object. I have just reread Bob Augustine's article
"Every Birder a Photographer" (Birding 23(1):30, Feb 1991) and he
recommends setting the cameras focus at a close focus setting of 1.5
feet. I'm not sure that I do this, but it may make focusing through the
scope a little easier.
Depending on the camera lens/scope eyepiece alignment you may get some
blackened corners and a circular image on your print. The photos taken
through my Kowa with zoom lens had dark corners. I cropped them out when
I scanned the prints. The photos I took through the Leica Televid with
wide angle eyepiece did not have that effect. I use ISO 400 print film.
You may get better results with even faster (ISO 1000 or 1600) film.
The Say's Phoebe photos are at the URL:
http://www.ship.edu/~deheni/phoebepics.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Don Henise Mailto:deheni@ark.ship.edu
Information & Computing Tech Center Voice:(717) 532-9121 ext 3170
Shippensburg University Home:(717) 776-6550
1871 Old Main Drive Fax:(717) 532-1427
Shippensburg, PA 17257 http://www.ship.edu/~deheni/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------