P and s adapter for spotting scope

[abuseddog]

Well, I've been curious too see how these things work for awhile. I borrowed a bushnell scope ( http://www.bushnell.com/general/spottingscopes_sentry_78-9332.cfm?section=General%20Use ) and a universal adapter that I found in a local science shop in the mall ( http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=330270389769&Category=74926 ),

I used my 570 with chdk and a economical tripod. The store owner and I set it up in the mall corridor...he was just as curious (a closet astronomer)

We tested it with different configurations of scope power !2x - 36x and differing zoom lengths on the camera. The best results were with the camera at about half of the zoom used and touching the back of the scope.


The first pic is just the camera at max zoom.http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa225/abuseddog/IMG_9504.jpg

The second pic is scope at 12x and camera at half zoom and no delay. The pic is of one of the flower at roof of store.
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa225/abuseddog/IMG_9501.jpg


The third pic is thee same setup with a 10 second delay.

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa225/abuseddog/IMG_9502.jpg


The fourth pic is of the flower's in the lower left of the store.

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa225/abuseddog/IMG_9500.jpg


I found the entire setup very cumbersome. Many points of focus, the lens, the power on the scope and the fine focus on the scope. The adapter blocks the power adjuster on the scope....changing the power on the scope requires removing the adapter, turning the power ring and reinstalling the adapter.

The scopes clarity is amazing actually, but no amount of adjusting can bring the clarity out in the final pic. I think the bridge between the scope and the camera is responsible....it's just not a direct link like a slr's lens to body hook up.

The scope and the adapter comes in around 200 dollars, 140 for scope and 50 for the adapter. The package is not really cheap, but I guess it's a lot cheaper then buying a nikon 300mm lens.

In the end I decided not to purchase the setup, it worked, but the clarity would never be where I wanted it to be.

If a person already had a high power scope, the adapter might be worth the money, but for now I guess I'll just put the money into the kitty for a slr package.


edit....forgot to mention, that somtimes if not carefull the lens would run out of room when extending to meet the scope. I got a lens error on screen. I would hate to see the little gears for extending the lens ruined.

[watt100]

Well, I've been curious too see how these things work for awhile. I borrowed a bushnell scope ( and a universal adapter that I found in a local science shop in the mall (
I used my 570 with chdk and a economical tripod. The store owner and I set it up in the mall corridor...he was just as curious (a closet astronomer)

We tested it with different configurations of scope power !2x - 36x and differing zoom lengths on the camera. The best results were with the camera at about half of the zoom used and touching the back of the scope.


The first pic is just the camera at max zoom.

The second pic is scope at 12x and camera at half zoom and no delay. The pic is of one of the flower at roof of store.



The third pic is thee same setup with a 10 second delay.




The fourth pic is of the flower's in the lower left of the store.




I found the entire setup very cumbersome. many points of focus, the lens, the power on the scope and the fine focus on the scope. The adapter blocks the power adjuster on the scope....changing the power on the scope requires removing the adapter turning the power ring and reinstalling the adapter.

The scopes clarity is amazing actually, but no amount of adjusting can bring the clarity out in the final pic. I think the bridge between the scope and the camera is responsible....it's just not a direct link like a slr's lens to body hook up.

The scope and the adapter comes in around 200 dollars, 140 for scope and 50 for the adapter. The package is not relly cheap, but I guess it's a lot cheaper then buying a nikon 300mm lens.

In the end I decide not to purchase the setup, it worked, but the clarity would never be where I wanted it to be.

If a person already had a high power scope, the adapter might be worth the money, but for now I guess I'll just put the money into the kitty for a slr package.

edit....forgot to mention, that somtimes if not carefull the lens would run out of room when extending to meet the scope. I got a lens error on screen. I would hate to see the little gears for extending the lans ruined.


there is an astronomer in the Flickr Canon S5 group that holds the camera to the eyepiece of a 10 inch diameter telescope for interesting pics of jupiter, moon, galaxies, etc.

[Techuser]

The scope and the adapter comes in around 200 dollars, 140 for scope and 50 for the adapter. The package is not relly cheap, but I guess it's a lot cheaper then buying a nikon 300mm lens.

If you already have a DSLR, there are some good and cheap 300mm lens, like the sigma or tamron 70-300mm, the non APO version costs less than 150U$