Swarovski Scope/Tripod Kits
&
Swarovski Digiscoping Kits

Swarovski is making a remarkable offer, which will last only until the end of June, 2008. You can get a Swarovski HD scope, either 65mm or 80mm, straight or angled, with 20-60x zoom eyepiece, PLUS your choice among three excellent tripods. And the kit will cost you less than you would normally pay for the scope and eyepiece alone!

Or you can get a whole digiscoping outfit, also at an unusually low price. Savings on these packages range up to $811!

See the tripods by clicking here:

• Tripod 1
• Tripod 2
• Velbon Carbon Fiber

There are 12 combinations of scope and tripod, and 24 additional combinations of scope, tripod, and camera adapter. We have emphasized the combinations we consider best. (Why?) Please consult the chart to select a combination, and click on the Kit Number to proceed to the shopping cart.

Now for the Swarovski Digiscoping Kits

They are based on the 12 combinations listed above, but to each one you add one of three digiscoping adapters:

• DCA plus Balance Rail (for cameras with threads in lens housing)
• DCB-A (for angled scopes and cameras with no threads)
• DCB-S (for straight scopes and cameras with no threads)

Please consult the chart to select a combination, and click on the Kit Number to proceed to the shopping cart. We have emphasized the combinations we consider best. (Why?)

Why we recommend the ones we emphasized with bold print

Scope: available in angled (ATS) or straight (STS) styles. We prefer the angled, as they are more versatile. More about angled vs. straight scopes.

Tripod: three models are available. Tripod 1 and Tripod 2 are Swarovski's own brands of tripods and are thus well known and trusted items. We prefer Tripod 2 because of its FH101 head. We have no hands-on experience with the Velbon Carbon Fiber tripod. It is not made by Swarovski.

• Tripod 1 has a maximum height of 74.8 inches and hence is good for use with a straight scope by a tall person.
• Tripod 2 extends to 62.3 inches, which is adequate for most people using an angled scope. Tripod 2 has the FH101 head, which is an extremely smooth-turning head. Tripod 2 is our best selling Swarovski tripod.

Camera Adapter: three styles are available. We recommend the Digital Camera Adapter.

• Digital Camera Adapter (DCA) is a lovely solution to the digiscoping challenge. The adapter screws into the threads in the housing of the camera lens. You can then drop the camera and attached DCA into your cargo pocket and go birding with your Swarovski scope. When you see something you want to photograph, you pull the combination out of your pocket and slip the open end of the adapter right over the eyepiece of the scope. No alignment problems. No fussing around. You're ready to shoot! In the kit it comes with a Balance Rail, which lets you slide the camera forward or back to achieve perfect balance.
• Digital Camera Base (DCB) comes in two configurations, depending on whether your scope is straight or angled. Both are designed to hold a camera that does not have threads in the lens housing. The DCB lets you carry the camera suspended over the camera like the tail of a scorpion. When you want to take a picture, you swing the base down, positioning the camera in front of the lens. It looks cool, but it's not so problem free as the Digital Camera Adapter. It can sometimes be tricky to get the camera aligned, as things can go out of adjustment when you have the camera weight suspended while you go tromping around with your scope. If your camera doesn't have threads, you would need the Digital Camera Base. If my camera didn't have threads, I'd just go get a different digital camera!

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