Digiscoping with Zeiss DCA

elmer · Mar 11, 2007

I'm posting this in both the optics and photo section.

I currently have a Swarovski ATS 80 with a digital camera adapter for taking pictures. There are two drawbacks in my opinion: 1. The scope is big and heavy particularly for my back pack hunts. 2. The adapter is a pain to use quickly and easily so I end up not taking many pictures.

Zeiss has come out with a pretty neat alternative ? The DC4 that attaches to their Diascopes. http://www.zeiss.com/c1256bcf0020be5f/Contents-Frame/3040dd99ca4df2a0c12571f50023e832
For a 65mm, the power is fixed at 30x (not variable) and the unit itself will add a hefty 28 oz. to the setup -- those are the two biggest negatives that I can think of. Other than price (DCA is $1,900), does anyone have any opinion of either the scope or the camera?

Squirrel · Mar 13, 2007

Sorry Elmer I can't help you with the zeiss question but would like to pick your brain on the swarovski set up you use. I have exactly the same stuff except that I have a straight scope. I'm just getting started with this and have had trouble getting super sharp images. The scope is of course perfect by itself as is the camera but put them together and the image is fuzzy not terribly so but definitely fuzzy. My camera is a canon powershot a-540 ( a point and shoot autofocus with zoom). I'm definitly with you on the draw backs of the system you've got it's quite the handful to get it all set up, it requires a retarded subject to still be there for the photo. Any advice besides sell it??? Thanks

AZBob · Mar 13, 2007

Squirrel,
It's hard to push the shutter button without moving the camera, so try using your self timer. That eliminates the shake. It's not easy to get all set up, change your camera settings to the self timer, make sure your flash won't fire, zoom the camera up to eliminate the dark vignetting, and then find the subject in your small LCD screen. You're right it requires a retarded, or very patient subject to still be there. This is a digiscoped picture of a bird on my backyard fence that is about my best effort with my Canon camera/Leica spotter combination, photographed at 22 yards.

AZBob · Mar 13, 2007

I'll try to post one more time:

Squirrel · Mar 14, 2007

Thanks azbob, I've been doing all that- self timer and zoom stuff I haven't done anything to disable the flash. The range I have been practicing at is 300 yards to up to 3/4 mile on retard doe deer. Maybe I'll try some close range stuff and get different results. I got pretty good stuff with traditional 35 mm film last year on a minolta maxxum w/50mm lens. My wife just got the digital and of course it's not a world class camera/ just a point and shoot. The fact that I'm a digital retard doesn't help any either. I start reading that 1/4" thick manual and I feel like like brontosaurous looking up at the meteor that will wipe me out. Will the flash make a difference in the clarity? I've been photoing in bright sun on snow so I definitly don't need the light.

AZBob · Mar 14, 2007

I don't think the flash will help or hinder the clarity, I just didn't want it going off and spooking the subject.

Muley62 · Mar 16, 2007

I have the A540 with the DCA and STST-80 as well. I have had trouble with blury shots and had some grea shots. The bad ones always seem to be during the middle of the day and at long distances. This leads me to believe that most of my problems are heat waves. IMO when we look at the subject through the scope we are abe to "look through" the heat waves better than the camera does. This is just a guess on my part but it seems to be consistent.

Muley62 · Mar 16, 2007

By the way Elmer, I have played with the DC-4 on a 85mm scope but not enough to draw many conclusions. I think the "video out" feature will be awesome for capturing some great live footage.

Squirrel · Mar 16, 2007

Thanks muley62 that would tend to reflect what I've seen but I wasn't smart enough to put 2+2 together. Even though it was very cold when we were out playing there are still lots of heat waves off the snow. I'll do more in the evening and see if things improve.