telescope question

[Antony hayward]

I have a question. I'm not trolling. The Gf just asked and I didn't have an answer.

If fixed focus telescopic lens are so expensive why don't people just buy a kids telescope and a mount so you can fix the camera to the telescope and use that.

 

[Box Brownie]

It can be done and the methodology is called Digiscoping

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/technique/expert_advice/guide-to-digiscoping-100214

One site that discusses Digiscoping vs a Telephoto lens. http://macrocam.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/digiscope-vs-telephoto.html?m=1

 

[MatBin]

What do you mean by fixed focus telescopic lens? A telescope doesn't have a fixed focus nor does a telephoto prime lens, I am confused as to what you mean.
Matt

 

[HoppyUK]

I have a question. I'm not trolling. The Gf just asked and I didn't have an answer.

If fixed focus telescopic lens are so expensive why don't people just buy a kids telescope and a mount so you can fix the camera to the telescope and use that.

You mean something like this? Not exactly a kids telescope but a 420-800mm telezoom for £140. https://www.harrisoncameras.co.uk/p...fGtkXXO1NtGTW_bsYRktPwjMttU_OAocaAsRfEALw_wcB

It's not that easy, and decent quality long lenses are either expensive, or very expensive. It's not just about big magnification, and those lenses - and there are lots on ebay - are hard to use (impractical maximum aperture, manual focus) and give poor results.

Digiscoping is popular among bird watchers, I think mainly for species ID etc, but again photographically they don't win many prizes.

 

[Antony hayward]

Yeah what I think what she had in mind was digiscoping but neither of us realised thats what it was called.

 

[ecoleman]

What do you mean by fixed focus telescopic lens? A telescope doesn't have a fixed focus nor does a telephoto prime lens, I am confused as to what you mean.
Matt

I think you’ll find the OP meant fixed focal length.

 

[Retune]

Nice comparison here between a very expensive tele lens and a somewhat less expensive scope:

https://wordpress.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/10/scoping-out-digiscoping/

Not surprsingly the purpose-made camera lens wins by a large margin in most respects, but the scope does quite well if you stick to the centre of the image, have plenty of light, and don't want huge enlargements or serious crops.