Using the Swarovski UCA digiscoping adapter: Universal Camera Adapter

Last year we made a couple of little video to show digiscopers how to set up and use the new Swarovski UCA digiscoping adapter.

The Swarovski UCA digiscoping adapter was developed with two core principals:

• universality
  
• stability

Canon EOS 350D set up for digiscoping on the new UCA adaptor

Practically any camera suitable for digiscoping can be mounted on the Swarovski UCA using the camera's tripod thread. This is particularly important because camera technology is changing so quickly that it makes sense that people will want to have the option of changing their cameras every few years, without having to change their entire digiscoping setup. Many people also start digiscoping with the small compact point & shoot camera they have at home already, but would like to have the option of changing camera in the future, or possibly even purchasing a DSLR for digiscoping. This is when the Swarovski UCA comes in really handy.

To set up the Swarovski UCA for a compact camera:

• align the supporting platform such that there is just a small area (suitable for a compact camera). If you have a DSLR, you would rotate this platform around to give a much larger support area (see video)
• attach the camera on to the removable base plate. note: if your compact camera has a tripod thread that is not directly under the objective lens, then you will want to move the screw to the off-center position on the removable base plate
• turn the camera on and extend the zoom lens out (normally in wide-angle position)
• slowly slide the camera on to the mounted UCA making sure the camera lens does not bash up against the telescope's ocular lens
• adjust the height by loosening the screw on the right and watching the camera's display screen
• now loosen the large black screw underneath the platform to adjust the horizontal and distance alignment. Ideally, you want to position the camera so that there is either no vignetting (the black ring around the image), or until the vignetting ring is a sharp, centered circle
• If you still have a little bit of vignetting, then use a little bit of camera zoom to remove the vignetting completely. As a general rule of thumb, always use as little camera zoom as possible (and then only optical zoom, not digital). Using your telescope's zoom on the lowest magnification will give you the brightest image (biggest aperture), making it easier to take sharp photos. If you need to zoom in more, then rather use the spotting scope's zoom than the camera zoom (the quality of the former is likely to be much higher than the latter)
• now that your camera is set up physically, you can use your normal camera settings to go digiscoping (Aperture priority, smallest f number, suitable ISO, macro focus mode, count down timer...).
  
• For tips on taking sharp digiscoping photos, see this video
  

watch in HD!

To set up the Swarovski UCA for a DSLR camera:

• align the supporting platform so that you have a large area, big enough to support your DSLR, as opposed to rotated and made more compact for a point and shoot camera (see video)
• attach the camera on to the removable base plate, making sure that the screw is in the centre position on the base plate (as opposed to the off-set position for many compact cameras)
  
• the type of camera objective lens you use is important for mounting and using your DSLR for digiscoping. Normally, your best bet would be to use something like a fixed 50mm f1.8 lens (aperture wide open). Pancake lenses are great as they keep the camera's weight as close to the telescope's eyepiece as possible. It is possible to use a small kit zoom with some small DSLRs. e.g. with a Canon 1000D setting the 18-55mm zoom to 37-55mm should give you a vignetting free image. The problem with zoom lenses are twofold: they generally do not have the quality of the fixed lenses, and they are longer so there is greater leverage holding the weight of the (comparatively) heavy DSLR far away from the attachment point and the scope's eyepiece.
  
• slowly slide the camera on to the mounted UCA making sure the camera lens does not bash up against the telescope's ocular lens
• adjust the height by loosening the screw on the right
  
• now loosen the large black screw underneath the platform to adjust the horizontal and distance alignment. Slowly move the camera until the front of the camera's objective lens fits snugly and centered against your spotting scope's eyecup
• TURN AUTOFOCUS OFF! you do not want to burn out your objective lens
  
• If you still have a little bit of vignetting, then adjust your objective lens's zoom to remove this. Using your telescope's zoom on the lowest magnification will give you the brightest image (biggest aperture), making it easier to take sharp photos. If you need to zoom in more, then rather use the spotting scope's zoom than the camera zoom (the quality of the former is likely to be higher than the latter)
• now that your camera is set up physically, you can use your normal camera settings to go digiscoping (Aperture priority, smallest f number, suitable ISO, count down timer...)
  
• For tips on taking sharp digiscoping photos, see this video
  

watch in HD!

Remember, there is a general rule in photography:

In order to get a sharp photo, use a shutter speed greater than the focal length

i.e. if the focal length is 50mm, use 1/60s shutter speed or faster
if the focal length is 1000mm (as is typical in digiscoping), use 1/1000sec or faster

This rule can be bent a bit, but the more you bend it, the harder it will be to get sharp digiscoping photos. This is where understanding ISO and choosing an appropriate ISO will really make a difference.

Happy digiscoping,
Dale Forbes

Digibinning lions with the snapshot adapter and EL binoculars

I use the Swarovski Snapshot Adapter with whatever binoculars I have with me (mostly EL8,5x42 Swarovision, SLC8x42 HD or EL 8x32). The procedure for using the snapshot adapter is as follows:

Video on using the snapshot adapter to photograph a lioness (digibinning)

1. Slide the snapshot adapter on to the eyecup of the binoculars until it is firmly in place

2. Screw the eyecup back in as far as it will go

3. Switch your compact camera on so that the lens extends out of the camera body

4. Now if you play with the Swarovski snapshot adapter, you will see that it is made of two plastic rings. if you twist these two rings, the three plastic feet on the inside of the snapshot adapter will extend and retract. you want to retract these as far as possible by rotating the top ring anticlockwise. you now have a great big opening to insert your camera's zoom lens

5. Insert your camera's zoom lens in to the opening. If it does not fit in to the hole, then the snapshot adapter will not work for your camera (but I have only seen this with very few standard compact cameras)

6. Slowly rotate the upper ring of the snapshot adapter clockwise so that the holding feet come out to grip lightly against the camera's lens (you will have to holding the camera in place on the binoculars while you do this)

7. You camera should now be semi-fixed to the binoculars to form one fairly stable unit. Note: be careful that the snapshot adapter is not very tight against the zoom lens and that your camera does not turn itself off and try to retract the lens. I tend to have the connection firm but not too tight, and I usually turn off my "lens retract" automatic power off.

8. With one stable unit, you can now hold the binoculars in a vertical position, and adjust the focus on the binoculars until the subject is clear

9. Let your camera autofocus to fine-tune the image (macro mode is invariably best for both digiscoping and for digibinning), and

10. Take the photo!

Digibinning with the new Swarovski Optik SLC 8x42 HD and a Nikon P6000.
Photo by Reinhard Hölzl - check out his stunning photos here

Because I tend to expend most of my bird photographic energies digiscoping with a regular telescope, I only tend to use digibinning through my binoculars when I do not have my birding scope with me. This is especially so when I am out hiking or birding in areas where I know the going will be tough (long, long hours; climbing/scrambling; thugs about; trudging through deep snow; torrential rain...). But at these times, it is really great to have a means to get some nice bird photos.

Note: this text is (mostly) taken from an earlier post, but the info is good so I thought it well worth posting again.

Happy digibinning,
Dale Forbes

new SLC 42HD binoculars by Swarovski Optik

Last week Swarovski Optik announced a new 42mm binocular: the SLC 42HD

Me playing model with a new 8x42 SLC HD.
Photo by Reinhard Hölzl, one of my favorite nature photographers.

I first got to use a pre-serial production SLC HD near the end of last year and I really was very impressed by it. My first impression was that it was at least as good as or better than any binocular I had ever tried before (excluding the new EL42 Swarovisions, of course, which are in a league of their own ;-).

You can see the official SLC HD microsite here so I will try to limit my commentry to my personal impressions of the binocular.

Me playing model with a new 8x42 SLC HD. I am also using the new tripod head DH101 there.
Photo by Reinhard Hölzl, one of my favorite nature photographers.

My first Swarovski binocular was an SLC 10x42 (bought as a student with the money I had been saving for my first car - good choice for my fitness ;-) and I used this beauty of a binocular for many many years. It saw lots of forests, cliffs, holes, trees (falling from trees), beaches... and all round mis-treatment. And still everytime I looked through them I loved what I was seeing.

This new SLC HD binocular gave me that same reassuredness that I could take it anywhere and I would always be happy. But the most noticeable change is in just how much this binocular has shrunk. They are not just ~150grams lighter, they are a whole lot smaller and slimmer - no longer a brick around my neck. The central bridge has been compacted which makes for nice ergonomics - works well with my little girl hands, and my bear-hand-possessing father-in-law finds them the most comfortable he has used.

Optically, they are lovely. The view is not quite as incredible as the EL42 Swarovisions, but it is still impressive, with a great big sweet spot with high transmission (I think the official figure is at least 91 or 92%) despite keeping colour fidelity a nose ahead of anything from other companies There is always a compromise between transmission and colour fidelity which is why some binoculars with high colour transmission have such strong colour biases.

The SLC HD is a completely new binocular; the High Definition (HD) objective lenses mean that chromatic abberration (purple finging) is brought to an absolute minimum, close focus is 2m, wide field of view, good edge-sharpness and all the latest coatings.

New multi-function field bag. Water-resistant, well padded, comforatble to carry, space for a bird book, and removable strap.

The SLC HD is available in 10x42 and 8x42 and shipping starts in June 2010.

Happy birding,
Dale Forbes

My dream job at Swarovski Optik

After a couple of months spent in Africa, it was time to get back to the Alps (and how nice was it to sleep in my own bed again!).

But the big news is that I have just started a new job at Swarovski Optik!

And I am well pleased about (finally) getting a real job and not just that, but doing something I really love to do - think and talk about really cool optical equipment.

Guess I'll end up doing some digiscoping in some really interesting places too!