Digiscoping

With a few key accessories, you can take advantage of your spotting scope kit to capture stunning photographs of wildlife, celestial bodies, and outdoor attractions.

What is Digiscoping?

Digiscoping is a method of outdoor photography that uses a spotting scope in place of an expensive zoom lens. If you’re a wildlife enthusiast or a bird watcher and you want to capture the creatures you see without needing to invest in expensive photography equipment, you may want to consider digiscoping.

All you need to get started is a spotting scope, a tripod, a small camera or smartphone, and an adapter.

Best Results for Digiscoping

For the best footage and still images using your scope, you’ll have to ensure your camera lens is perfectly aligned and seated with your scope’s eyepiece. Light leaks, misalignment, and the use of handheld cameras or phones can lead to inferior results. Investing in the right digiscoping equipment makes a big difference.

Camera Adapters

Camera adapters for digiscoping come in a few common varieties:

1. SLR or DSLR mounts that use your spotting scope in place of a camera lens.

2. Tension mounts that hold your compact point-and-shoot’s integrated lens up to the spotting scope.

3. Platform mounts for resting your camera behind your scope.

When shopping for a camera adapter, it’s important to ensure your adapter is compatible with both your scope and the type of camera you intend to use.

Once you find a compatible adapter, you can take advantage of simple, high-definition wildlife photography with a minimal investment.

Smartphone Camera Adapters

The cameras in our smartphones have come a long way, and they only continue to get better. Take advantage of improved resolution, high-quality video recording, and full-featured photo editing apps by combining your smartphone with a spotting scope.

If you own a popular phone model like an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy, check out phone case-style adapters that snap on easily and connect directly to your scope.

Brackets and Extensions

Camera-extension plates and mounting brackets use your camera’s integrated tripod mount to create a solid and secure mounting point. That sturdy connection can help you feel more confident when you’re working with your sophisticated and expensive equipment.

Best Brands for Digiscoping Equipment

Many of the best brands in the photographic and spotting scope industries offer convenient, easy-to-use equipment for digiscoping. Hawke Sport Optics, Kowa, Zeiss, Nikon, and Swarovski Optik create some of the leading camera adapters, cell phone adapters, mounting brackets, and other vital digiscoping equipment.