On Digiscoping

As digiscoping is going to be one of the primary facets of this blog, it seems appropriate to begin with a post about what I love about this blend of birding and photography. It's simple and fun.

Simple in that you can just hold a camera up to the scope and shoot a picture. My 7 year old could do it if I gave her a scope and camera.

Fun in that it has really enhanced my enjoyment of wildlife observation. I find that when I'm digiscoping, all the movements and body language of my subject become so much more important to capturing the picture. I tend not to focus so much on how many birds I'm finding, but rather what the birds in front of me at any given moment are doing. This observation and appreciation of behavior has certainly made me a better birder and photographer. I've also found it to contribute to a higher quality birding experience overall.

Digiscoping equipment runs the gamut of costs and complexity. Among the easiest, ready to use set-ups out of the box are offerings from Zeiss and Nikon, though almost any camera and scope combination can be put together with a simple, universal adapter.