What is digiscoping?

Digiscoping is a form of photography that involves using a compact digital camera in conjunction with a telescope or spotting scope. Using some basic equipment, amateur photographers can get incredible shots of nature and other things that rival professional photographs! All it takes to get unique, crystal-clear close ups is a bit of patience and a lot of practice! It may sound time consuming, but when you get to load these awesome shots onto your computer and share them with friends, it will be well worth the effort.

What do you need to start?

The only thing you really need to start is a digital camera and a spotting scope. Other equipment that may be worth purchasing includes an adapter and tripod. An adaptor helps to keep the camera steady and prevents blurring. A tripod allows you to keep a camera in the same position for a long length of time without tiring your arms. If you are serious about getting the best digiscopy shots, particularly in wildlife, then the award winning Swarovski Optik spotting scopes should be your first product stop.

The best for all applications...

Perhaps when you hear the name Swarovski, you think of Austrian crystal, and you would not be wrong. Swarovski Optik is the brain child of Wilhelm Swarovski, son of Daniel Swarovski, who founded the very successful Swarovski crystal company. Using his father's resources and superb glass-cutting techniques, Wilhelm Swarovski developed a pair of binoculars to feed his astronomy hobby. Wilhelm moved on from his first pair of binoculars to build many more telescopes and binoculars, and started the Swarovski Optik company.

You can find more information about the contest at swarovskioptik.com

Like his father's crystals, Wilhelm's optics are known all over the world. Except, instead of being a house-hold name in the circle of jewelry lovers and makers, Wilhelm Swarovski's last name is well-known among nature lovers and digital photography enthusiasts. Bird-watchers in particular seem to favor the Swarovski brand, and one can easily find dozens of bird-watching sites who endorse the top-of-the line scopes and optics.

With a philosophy that drives unbeatable quality and a claim that they provide the best product for each application they attempt, Swarovski Optik has risen to the top of the market. They provide telescopes, rifle scopes, binoculars, and other optic equipment. And they also provide digiscoping kits.

Digiscoping Kit

Swarovski offers several digiscoping kits that include a scope, a tripod, and an adaptor. Generally, the scopes offered in these kits are angled, allowing the photographer to attach the scope to a tripod and use the camera in a comfortable, downward angle while the spotting scope can be pointed just about anywhere. The adaptors included in these kits attach to a variety of digital cameras, allowing for quick alignment with the spotting scope. An adaptor saves precious alignment seconds, allowing the photographer to get spontaneous shots. This is especially important with photographing wildlife. You can't expect that rare bird to sit waiting while you get the camera aligned perfectly with the scope!

Will I have to buy a special camera?

Individuals and nature lovers new to the idea of digiscoping may think they need special camera equipment. While it is true that not every digital camera lends itself well to digiscoping, if you have a good quality camera, you are probably okay. Swarovski scopes and adaptors can be purchased that are compatible with hundreds of cameras, including cameras made by Canon, Fuji, HP, Kodak, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony.

Tips for getting the best shots

When digiscoping, remember: all movement is bad. In fact, even touching the camera may provide too much movement. If your camera has a self-timer, you may consider using it to time a picture several seconds after you've stepped away.

Practice, practice, practice

As with any worthwhile hobby, digiscoping takes practice. But, once you've practiced on many shots, and you've finally got that perfect, one-of-a-kind close-up, consider entering Swarovski's annual Digiscoper of the Year contest. Winners and runners up in the contest win some very nice products from Swarovski.