Final yr I bade farewell to an outdated good friend, or, to be extra exact, my much-loved Swarovski scope. Technically, it was an ATS 80 HD recognizing scope, along with three eyepieces, a 20x, 30x and a 25×50 wide-angle zoom; the latter was the lens I used most frequently.(The 20x wide-angle lens was nice in poor gentle within the rain forest.) I had owned the scope, from new, for 23 years, by which time it had travelled with me to 4 completely different continents and round 40 completely different international locations. I’d be fascinating to know what number of species of birds it was pointed at throughout its time with me, however it should have been nicely over 1,000.
My Swarovski ATS 80 HD, in motion on a moist day in North Norfolk, August 2022 (watching Bee-eaters)
In contrast to many recognizing scopes, it was by no means granted the posh of a zip-on cowl. It proved sturdy sufficient to take the numerous knocks and falls {that a} hard-used scope experiences throughout its lifetime. I’ve by no means fairly understood why so many individuals wrap their scopes up in little jackets, (however nor do I perceive why it’s so fashionable to decorate canine up in coats, too, as they’re already wrapped in fur. Maybe it’s a primary human need to decorate issues up.)
A pair of Sarus Cranes, digiscoped at Baratphur, India. The shot was taken with the Swarovski ATS 80 HD recognizing scope with 25×50 zoom (set at 25x), utilizing a Panasonic DMC-T27 digital camera
For a few years I used it for digiscoping, for I discovered {that a} compact Panasonic digital camera fitted neatly into the 25×50 eyepiece so I used to be capable of get remarkably sharp pictures with out the necessity for an adapter. As a bird-tour chief, the scope was an important a part of my tools, and I grew to become fairly fast at getting it on to distant birds in order that my purchasers might see them, too. Chook-tour main and severe pictures don’t combine (be cautious of any chief who turns up with an enormous digital camera), however it was straightforward to seize a digiscoped image as soon as my purchasers had loved their view of the chicken. I acquired my sharpest outcomes by by no means utilizing the zoom on the digital camera, solely on the scope.
Prize-winner: my shot of a Wryneck, digiscoped in a Polish orchard
I seldom enter photographic competitions, however for a few years the journal British Birds held an annual pictures competitors. In later years it included a category for digiscoping which I entered a number of occasions. I used to be positioned one yr with {a photograph} of little egrets, taken at Kerkini in Greece, whereas the next yr I received the category with a shot of Wryneck, photographed in an orchard in Poland (above). There was a worthwhile money prize, which I spent on a sculpture of a swimming Otter – every time I have a look at it, it jogs my memory of capturing the Wryneck shot.
This Ctretzchmar’s Bunting was digiscoped in Cyprus
Digiscoping is a remarkably efficient method of photographing distant birds, whereas the success of my pictures mirrored the sharpness of the Swarovski scope. Nonetheless, it does have its disadvantages, chief of which is the problem of photographing flying birds. I attempted many occasions with various levels of success – the Dalmatian Pelicans (beneath) had been one among my higher efforts. A profitable digiscoped {photograph} additionally takes time to arrange, as you must get the scope out, up and focussed, by which era your topic might nicely have flown away. It was the arrival of light-weight, mirrorless cameras that noticed me lastly abandon digiscoping, whereas the Panasonic digital camera I used didn’t have a terrific pixel depend.
I used to be usually shocked on the high quality of my digiscoped pictures. This Slavonian (Horned) Grebe was photographed in Estonia
Digiscoping is nice for capturing distant, cautious birds, equivalent to this Nice Bustard in Spain
I’d opted for an angled eyepiece on the Swarovski as I had discovered that angled scopes are far superior when the scope is being appeared by means of by folks of various heights. It’s a lot simpler for a tall particular person to bend right down to look by means of an angled scope than it’s for a brief particular person to look by means of a straight-through scope arrange for a six-footer. The Swarovski did have a sighting gadget to assist pointing it at a goal, however I by no means used it. Loads of apply ensured that I might normally discover my chicken in a short time.
Robust, straightforward to make use of, nice optics – there wasn’t a lot to not like concerning the Swarovski besides one factor: it was heavy, tipping the scales at round 2000gm. It wanted a considerable tripod to assist it. I used a Swarovski carbon fibre tripod with Swarovski fluid head, which labored nicely, however the mixed weight of the scope and tripod got here to greater than 4000gm (or about 9 kilos). I acquired used to lugging it round, however the actual drawback was once I was travelling. I’m an professional at travelling gentle – I can do 14 days in India with hand baggage solely – however the weight of each scope and tripod merely took up an excessive amount of of my weight allowance.
Thus I used to be delighted when, within the autumn of 2022, Swarovski got here up with the reply, a light-weight, compact journey scope. The ATC 17-40×56 appeared to be precisely what I wished. Because it was made by Swarovski I used to be assured that the optics could be terrific, whereas the load of simply 970gm (2 kilos, 2 ounces) represented a significant saving. There was just one hassle. Regardless of launching the brand new scope with a blaze of publicity, the scopes had been in such quick provide that it was virtually unimaginable to purchase one. Finally I managed to trace one down, however there was no alternative of color, and it was burnt-orange or nothing. It now generally known as the Orange Peril.
Watching Lesser Kestrels over Mértola, within the Portuguese Altentejo, March 2023
Now over a yr later I’ve come to like my orange scope, and given the selection, I’d most likely go for orange once more. Don’t ask me why, however it’s enjoyable to have one thing that isn’t black or a navy shade of inexperienced, whereas the birds don’t appear to thoughts, both. Optically, it’s simply pretty much as good as I used to be anticipating, giving a splendidly vivid picture in most circumstances. Nonetheless, at most zoom on a boring winter day it’s not so spectacular, however that’s hardly stunning. I like the massive focus wheel on the physique, whereas the zoom on the eyepiece works easily and simply. It is going to focus right down to 11ft, which is spectacular for a scope.
The Swarovski ATC recognizing scope, mounted on a SmallRig Choice fluid head
The ATC recognizing scope comes with a fairly curious plastic half shell which lets you use the scope, with out a tripod, on a flat floor such because the shelf of a chicken cover, and nonetheless use the main focus wheel. It’s a intelligent concept, however didn’t actually work for me, so the shell was eliminated and is very unlikely to ever get used.
My one mistake, having purchased the scope, was to not get a brand new tripod, so initially I didn’t actually recognize the load saving. Earlier this yr I purchased a five-section Sirui carbon tripod (an AT-125), with what’s claimed as a fast telescopic motion. It’s a intelligent and efficient design and weighs solely 930gm, or simply over 2 kilos. I’ve now changed the ball head-on the Sirui with a a SmallRig Choice compact fluid head, a small however efficient piece of equipment weighing simply 280gm. The mix of scope, head and tripod works rather well, and is surprisingly secure. There’s the choice to hold a weight from the center pole of the tripod, which is perhaps helpful when utilizing it in a robust wind, however the small dimension of the scope signifies that it doesn’t get buffeted by the wind in the identical method as a full-size telescope.
My outdated telescope as soon as spent an hour sitting, unattended, along side a Spanish highway once I’d pushed off with out it. It was solely once I stopped to scope an Orphean Warbler that I realised I had left it behind: there was an enormous surge of reduction once I returned to search out it the place I had left it. I will likely be doing my greatest by no means to overlook the Orange Peril, whereas the dearth of weight signifies that it’s a pleasure to hold, not one thing I might ever say concerning the outdated scope/tripod mixture.
