Digiscoping - Magview vs. Ollin

[trogers861]

I have read pretty extensively about both (more so the magview). Below are a short list of the pros/cons that are important to me for each product.

Magview Pros:
1. No odd shaped phone case
2. Works with binos and spotter
3. Very 'quick'

Magview Cons:
1. I don't like how its not indexible--seems like you would have to fuss with it each time to get the perfect alignment and if you bump it, you have to re-align.
2. My swaro stay on case won't work with the enlarged eyepiece.

Ollin Pros:
1. Indexible. Snap it on and its ready to go--no realignment, etc.

Ollin Cons:
2. Odd shaped phone case more inline with past digiscope products.

QUESTIONS:
1. Does anyone have hands on experience with both of these products? Any feedback?
2. Are my concerns about the Magview not being indexible warranted? Is it that big of a deal to line up?

 

[cornfedkiller]

I only have a magview, but the indexing was my main concern with it as well, and I will say that its not as bad as I thought it would be. Look through your camera at your phone screen, find the light spot through the scope, follow it down until the magnet clicks, and then you maybe have to adjust it 1mm... and not always.

 

[sneaky]

Ollin doesn't make anything that fits Kowas so I have zero interest in theirs.

 

[bigsky2]

Ollin doesn't make anything that fits Kowas so I have zero interest in theirs.

Does Magview fit the Kowa's? I am still trying to figure out if it will fit on my TSN-554. Still waiting to hear back from Kowa about if the eyepieces are the same diameter on all of their spotters.

 

[ldrathman]

I'd urge you to check out scopecamadapter. It's a smaller mom & pop shop kind of a business out of Utah, but I have been using their adapter since its first iteration a couple of years ago and cannot recommend it enough. The adapter is machined out of aircraft grade aluminum and uses collapsing/expanding jaws that enable it to fit just about any optic imaginable with a small twist. The greatest part is the new 'mag plate' attachment that allows you to adhere a small magnet to any phone case imaginable and it become instantly compatible with the universal adapter. I'm in no way affiliated, but like I said have been using it from the original iteration and when the new version came out I just texted the owner directly and he helped set me up with the parts I needed to run the new mag plate. Stand up guy and company, and I honestly think its a way more effective/durable product than the plethora of adapters that have suddenly flooded the market.

 

[trogers861]

I'd urge you to check out scopecamadapter. It's a smaller mom & pop shop kind of a business out of Utah, but I have been using their adapter since its first iteration a couple of years ago and cannot recommend it enough. The adapter is machined out of aircraft grade aluminum and uses collapsing/expanding jaws that enable it to fit just about any optic imaginable with a small twist. The greatest part is the new 'mag plate' attachment that allows you to adhere a small magnet to any phone case imaginable and it become instantly compatible with the universal adapter. I'm in no way affiliated, but like I said have been using it from the original iteration and when the new version came out I just texted the owner directly and he helped set me up with the parts I needed to run the new mag plate. Stand up guy and company, and I honestly think its a way more effective/durable product than the plethora of adapters that have suddenly flooded the market.

Thank you. I will check this out. Any videos online you recommend that demonstrate their product well?

 

[ldrathman]

Thank you. I will check this out. Any videos online you recommend that demonstrate their product well?

No problem. If you go to their website and click on any of the products, you should see an 'install video' tab on the lower left of the page. Those videos will show how the adapter is attached to the phone as well as how it interacts with the eye piece of the binos/spotter.

 

[sr80]

i dont have either, but have heard from two guys that the magview sucks

 

[Wheels]

I have the MagView and like it, downloaded their app and they have a target dot that you line up with the light thru the eyepiece, very little adjustment needed. Fits great on my Kowa 774. Switched from a Novagrade and like the convenience of not having to attach the phone adapter every time.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

i dont have either, but have heard from two guys that the magview sucks

I’m not sure what would make them feel that way. A handful of us here in Alaska use and love using them on our Kowa 55, 77, 88 and Swaro ATS spotters.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[307]

i dont have either, but have heard from two guys that the magview sucks

Did they happen to be from Utah and wear flat brims on their YouTube videos?

 

[passinggas33]

I’m not sure what would make them feel that way. A handful of us here in Alaska use and love using them on our Kowa 55, 77, 88 and Swaro ATS spotters.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Did you have to do anything special to get the MagView to fit your Kowa 553/4? I had read from a few other the MagView s1 didn’t fit, but I haven’t tried it myself yet. I was actually thinking of buying the binocular one and seeing if it would fit on the 553/4.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

Did you have to do anything special to get the MagView to fit your Kowa 553/4? I had read from a few other the MagView s1 didn’t fit, but I haven’t tried it myself yet. I was actually thinking of buying the binocular one and seeing if it would fit on the 553/4.

Nothing that a couple wraps of electrical tape around the eyepiece of the 55 and using the smallest adapter from MagView won’t fix.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[trogers861]

Based on the recommendation from ldrathman, I pulled the trigger on the scope cam adapter. I'll post a review once I get it and get some use it.

"NEW" MAG-1 MULTI POSITION MAG PLATE KIT - Scope)Cam Adapter

Fully universal, the MAG PLATE KIT works on all phone models. The mag plate was designed to keep your everyday case on your phone all the time and still use our universal optic adapter (uni-2), no need to change cases when you are ready to digiscope. Always have access to your phones camera...

scopecamadapter.com

The reason I decided on this route was the fact that it solved my biggest con of each the ollin and the magview. Biggest ollin con was the separate case. Scopecam solves that. Biggest magview con is that it wasn't indexible.

That and the scope cam product will work on any spotter and binos--for $120--less than half the cost of magview.

Now--we'll see how well it works.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

Another vote for the scopecam. It is a genius setup really. I have 3 spotting scopes and 4 sets of binoculars and it will work with all of them. I went with the magplate adapter version and I just use my regular phone case with it and it's pretty slick. Plus you can change between using your standard lens or your zoom lens on your phone if you want. The only con is it's a little bulky so i don't carry it in my pocket with the adapter on but its a quick snap to get it set up. I've only been using it for summer scouting so maybe after this fall i'll have more complaints but for now it's what i'm going with.

 

[Easternhunter]

I have the MagView, I haven’t been this impressed with a product out of the box for a long time. I have no issues finding the “right spot” attaching phone to scope. I was not a fan of the original phoneskope but used it because it was all i had. Only disappointment i have is that I didn’t develop this year’s ago.

 

[laltaffer]

Anyone with the magivew have it setup on a Swaro ATM/ATS spotter? I just got my magview and was wondering what spacer and outer ring people have been using.

 

[Flyjunky]

Based on the recommendation from ldrathman, I pulled the trigger on the scope cam adapter. I'll post a review once I get it and get some use it.

"NEW" MAG-1 MULTI POSITION MAG PLATE KIT - Scope)Cam Adapter

Fully universal, the MAG PLATE KIT works on all phone models. The mag plate was designed to keep your everyday case on your phone all the time and still use our universal optic adapter (uni-2), no need to change cases when you are ready to digiscope. Always have access to your phones camera...

scopecamadapter.com

The reason I decided on this route was the fact that it solved my biggest con of each the ollin and the magview. Biggest ollin con was the separate case. Scopecam solves that. Biggest magview con is that it wasn't indexible.

That and the scope cam product will work on any spotter and binos--for $120--less than half the cost of magview.

Now--we'll see how well it works.

Does the magnet being on the phone case mess with the compass of your phone…when trying to navigate with OnX?

 

[trogers861]

Does the magnet being on the phone case mess with the compass of your phone…when trying to navigate with OnX?

The magnet is not on the phone case--its in the adapter that attaches to the eyecup. The only thing on the phone case is a little piece of metal that indexes and sticks to the magnet on the eyecup adapter. Let me know if that isn't clear.

 

[Flyjunky]

The magnet is not on the phone case--its in the adapter that attaches to the eyecup. The only thing on the phone case is a little piece of metal that indexes and sticks to the magnet on the eyecup adapter. Let me know if that isn't clear.

Perfect, thank you!