Digi/phonescoping

[1badDart]

I'm new to the idea of phonescoping and would like to explore it more. I have a Kowa TSN-663 with a 20-60 eye piece and an iphone 12 mini. Is phone scoping worth the initial investment, $100 minimum from what I've found?

Thanks, Justin

 

[Joker9937]

I have enjoyed phonescoping. If you do not mind being limited to static shots and manual focus, I think, you can get some decent stuff. Kowa is a great brand, and they have a good group of guys that are willing to give advice on phonescoping.

As far as I know, though, most of the phonescope "pros" from Kowa are not hunters. Not a big deal, but just FYI.

I started with a Zeiss Diascope 85, then Kowa Prominar 88, and currently have a Swarovski STX95. I have been trying to sell the Swaro, because I started down the "real" photography rabbit hole. But, I am on the fence at the moment, regarding selling the scope or not. Zeiss was a great scope, Kowa different excellent, and now the Swaro is excellent too.

So, all of that to say, the "$100" investment is just a start. You can get great results, but you also will likely end up spending more. LOL.

This merganser is one of my very first digiscoped photos. It was with the Zeiss ($650 used), an inexpensive tripod and head, and (I think) a Samsung Note 10. Less than $1k in equipment, not including the phone.

The GHO is with the Swarovski, a different Samsung phone (S21 Ultra?), and a much more expensive carbon tripod and fluid head. Probably $6k or so in stuff, not including the phone.

I don't think there is much difference. The merganser is cropped more, and there are things that are better about the GHO, but I do not think there is $5k difference.

The point is, you can get good stuff with a minimal expense. Don't get sucked into the gear addiction like my wife's husband. And, yes, $100 is worth it, if you buy stuff like Phonescope, etc.

PSX_20200407_091648 by Scott Straub, on Flickr

Great Horned Owl by Scott Straub, on Flickr

 

[peterk123]

Yup. Kowa 88, android, scopecam adapter. The company that makes the adapter is out of utah. The quality is incredible. Check them out.

We also have an adapter for our nikon mirrorless camera. Takes incredible pics.

Now I'm considering a magnifier. The kowa 88 provides incredible quality. Digiscoping is an area where the flourite glass is worth the cost. These bison were several hundred yards away. Taken with my phone.

This setup lets me "hunt" year round.

 

[1badDart]

Thank you, gentlemen, great photos.

 

[tmattywaggs]

I think this is the way I’m going to go. Especially while backpack hunting


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[Roy_H]

I have digiscoped in the past with Swaro and several different camera bodies as well as won some awards for wildlife photography with normal gear. If you are already carrying the scope and the tripod, then the small connector to hook up a phone or small camera is not a signifcant money or weight investment. But I never got good at it - requires a very steady tripod, careful focusing technique and a lot of envrionmental factors to use the extreme magnification - minimal wind, low heat distortion, etc. While I got pictures to share/document what I saw, nothing was of the quality that I would want to frame on the wall. A lot fo the best Digiscoping images (those that win the awards) seem to be shot with Panasonic Cameras, Swaro scopes, heavy tripods and the scope is outfitted with a lower poer fixed image eyepiece like 15x-20x.
As an alternative consideration, a person could purchase a Nikon P1000 and get an equivalent 60x spotting scope magnification through the lens with no scope, and also have Autofocus, Image Stabilization and much more control over Aperature an shutter speed making it much easier to capture images. The P1000 still wont compete with the IQ of a DSLR and large lens, but for me, I got a lot more keepers with a lot less learning curve, and I can carry the camera/lens combo in a single compact case that was much easier to deploy.

 

[1badDart]

Thank you sir.

 

[ShotsByScott]

What’s the benefits of digiscoping aside from taking cool pictures? I’m interested in this, I keep seeing mentions about it all over the place.


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[RoseAllen]

I have digiscoped in the past with Swaro and several different camera bodies as well as won some awards for wildlife photography with normal gear. If you are already carrying the scope and the tripod, then the small connector to hook up a phone or small camera is not a signifcant money or weight investment. But I never got good at it - requires a very steady tripod, careful focusing technique and a lot of envrionmental factors to use the extreme magnification - minimal wind, low heat distortion, etc. While I got pictures to share/document what I saw, nothing was of the quality that I would want to frame on the wall. A lot fo the best Digiscoping images (those that win the awards) seem to be shot with Panasonic Cameras, Swaro scopes, heavy tripods and the scope is outfitted with a lower poer fixed image eyepiece like 15x-20x.































































As an alternative consideration, a person could purchase a Nikon P1000 and get an equivalent 60x spotting scope magnification through the lens with no scope, and also have Autofocus, Image Stabilization and much more control over Aperature an shutter speed making it much easier to capture images. The P1000 still wont compete with the IQ of a DSLR and large lens, but for me, I got a lot more keepers with a lot less learning curve, and I can carry the camera/lens combo in a single compact case that was much easier to deploy.




















































Which panasonic cameras?































Which

 

[Matt Cashell]

What’s the benefits of digiscoping aside from taking cool pictures? I’m interested in this, I keep seeing mentions about it all over the place.


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It’s a great way to document your scouting.

You can have multiple people simultaneously view through the same scope.

It is an awesome way for kids to easily see images through a spotting scope.

Record your shots at the range and in the field.

Provide ultra-telephoto images/video for creative content.

It’s fun.