Digiscoping is a

neologism A neologism Greek νέο- ''néo''(="new") and λόγος /''lógos'' meaning "speech, utterance"] is a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not been fully accepted int ...

for afocal photography, using a ( digital) camera to record distant images through the

eyepiece An eyepiece, or ocular lens, is a type of lens that is attached to a variety of optical devices such as telescopes and microscopes. It is named because it is usually the lens that is closest to the eye when someone looks through the device. The ...

of an

optical telescope An optical telescope is a telescope that gathers and focuses light mainly from the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum, to create a magnified image for direct visual inspection, to make a photograph, or to collect data through elect ...

. Digiscoping usually refers to using either a digital single-lens reflex camera with lens attached or, more often, a fixed lens point and shoot digital camera to obtain photos through the eyepiece of a

birdwatcher Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...

spotting scope A spotting scope is a compact high-power telescope optimized for detailed observation of distant objects. They are used as portable optical enhancement devices for various outdoor activities such as birdwatching, skygazing and other naturali ...

. The term has also been associated with the use of a digital camera and spotting scope equipped for

prime focus A reflecting telescope (also called a reflector) is a telescope that uses a single or a combination of curved mirrors that reflect light and form an image. The reflecting telescope was invented in the 17th century by Isaac Newton as an alternat ...

photography.

Origins

The portmanteau term "''digiscoping''" (= digital camera + telescoping) was coined in 1999 by French

Alain Fossé. Less notable neologisms for this activity are ''digiscope birding'', ''digiscopy birding'', ''digi-birding'', ''digibinning'' (using digital camera with binoculars), and ''phonescoping'' (using a digital camera phone with a spotting scope or binoculars). The origins of the activity called ''Digiscoping'' has been attributed to the photographic methods of Laurence Poh, a birdwatcher from the

Malaysian Nature Society Malaysian Nature Society ( ms, Persatuan Pencinta Alam Malaysia, abbrev: MNS) is the oldest and one of the most prominent environmental not for profit, non-governmental organisations in Malaysia. It was first established, as the Malayan Nature S ...

, who discovered in 1999 almost by accident that the new generation of point and shoot digital cameras could be held up to the eyepiece of a standard spotting scope and achieve surprisingly good results. He spread his findings through birding internet discussion forums and one member, French birdwatcher Alain Fossé, coined the name "digiscoping" to describe the technique. Laurence Poh is sometimes credited with "''inventing''" the technique although his contribution may be more along the lines of popularizing the idea and refining the technology. Using a camera with its lens attached at the eyepiece of optical devices such as microscopes or telescopes, creating an

afocal system In optics an afocal system (a system without focus) is an optical system that produces no net convergence or divergence of the beam, i.e. has an infinite effective focal length. This type of system can be created with a pair of optical elements wh ...

(technically called ''afocal photography'' or ''afocal projection'') had been used for nearly 100 years and digital camera afocal photography was already being employed in the amateur astronomical community. This form of afocal photography became more common in general photography in the 21st century with the spread of point and shoot digital cameras because of the ease of use of this type of setup.Dennis di Cicco, Afocal What?, SkyandTelescope.com
/ref> An industry has sprung up selling couplers and other devices for mounting digital cameras afocally.

References

External links

laurencepoh.com, website of the man attributed as the developer of “Digiscoping”

Website of Alain Fosse who coined the word “digiscoping”

{{Photography Astrophotography Birdwatching Ornithological equipment and methods Photographic techniques Neologisms 1990s neologisms

Origins

See also

References

Further reading

External links