Question on zoom and shooting pictures through optics.

bullwidgeon · Jan 4, 2003

OK, say I have a bedded deer at 500 yards and I want to snap a picture through my 15 power binos with a 6 power optical zoom. Would the resulting photo be at 21 (15 plus 6) power zoom or 90 (6 times 15) power zoom? I hope that mkaes since, can any of you guys fill me in on this one? Or is it even possible to use a zoom lens on a camera through binos? Thanks.

Bret Mattausch

BuckSnort · Jan 4, 2003

Oh god do you want my head to expload? Seriously thats a good question that I have been wondering myself.

TheHoof · Jan 5, 2003

Bullwidgeon,
The problem with your setup is the lens size of your camera is much larger than the opening of the binoculars unless you have a brand that uses an adapter. The result will be much like you keeping your eye about three inches from the bino diopter and trying to see something through it, they just aren't the same size and you'll get overun from the outer periphery nad if you have an autofucus camera it won't know what your after.
Your other option is to buy a spotting scope that your camera will adapt to but be warned that the lens quality on spotting scopes is far inferior to that of your camera lens and there will be substantial grain and distortion unless you are anchored like a rock to eliminate any movement.
As far as the zoom question ? I think you would actually be roughly a 21 power but since I suck at that sort of math I could be wrong.

spectr17 · Jan 5, 2003

Hello bullwidgeon,

The total optical zoom would be 21x.

Do a search on www.google.com for digiscoping. There are photographers who use spotting scopes adapted to digital cameras. It's about the only way to shoot that far of a pic and get a decent image. The pics those digiscopers get are awesome.

I've done some tinkering with my Leupold 10x binos and my Olympus 2100 digital camera. The tought part is making a bracket to hold the two units together and also at the right distance apart. Spotting scopes work much better for all the time and hassle and you can buy adapters that mount right up with certain cameras and spotters.

~spectr17

http://www.jesseshuntingpage.com/forums/

bullwidgeon · Jan 5, 2003

Spectr,
You the MAN!!! That is exactly what I wanted to know. The birdwatchers got it down. They are awesome at some of the stuff they are doing. I think it can be applied with a little machine work and imagination to big game. Thanks...
Bret M.

AntlerKing · Jan 7, 2003

I took both photos through my spotting scope. I have a Nikon spotter LX spotting scope and a Nikon coolpix 990, they match up pretty good. The quality drops big time. I was over a mile plus away when I took both photos. If there with in 150 yards they turn out all right.

AntlerKing · Jan 7, 2003

Bucksnort,
I went to hit the reply button and removed your post. Sorry about that. It's in Idaho.

BuckSnort · Jan 7, 2003

No problem AntlerKing.It looks just like a ridge we were glassing elk on during our Utah antlerless elk hunt this year.

Bob D. · Jan 7, 2003

I'm new to digital cameras. Just got an Olympus C-700 w/10x optical zoom. So I'm not 100% sure on this, but I believe if you use a 6x optical zoom through 15x binos, it would be a 90x zoom. Just think about it...your camera magnifies an image 6 times, and that image has already been magnified 15 times when it gets to the camera lens. So, you should multiply 6 times 15 to get the zoom that would result. You are not adding them together. It's just like my camera which has 10x optical and 2.7x digital zoom. Put the optical zoom and the digital zoom together and you get 27x. The binocular and camera lens combined would be essentialy the same thing. Am I wrong?