Long Range Video

Lionhill

Lionhill

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South Okanagan
Greetings.

I was asked to post about a system I created to take long range video for shooting at distances up to a mile. The scope is an inexpensive Bushnell spotting scope. I am positive that the video would be better with quality glass. This works for the moment.

(click for larger image)
The is the set-up. I tripod (near the ground) is a must. Shake is terrible when shooting these distances. The gear is basic manfrotto parts from a good camera store, but if I had the time I would make a jig for putting the camera and scope on a flat surface. Again, this works for the moment.




This was the first demo working with some long ranges.



This was taken (quickly) out the window at about 20 yards from the camera. The birds were less than cooperative, but you get the idea.

LH
 
Thanks for the write-up and photo's LH!

The results are quite impressive. I'm definately going to try setting up a similar rig!
 
The only tripods I've used in the past have been $30 pieces of trash. Would you care to recommend some good brands for this type of thing? Unfortunately I'll probably end up buying one off eBay so I won't get to inspect it first.

It's pretty windy around here too so I'm thinking a really short, stout one would probably work best. At the very least a short one would make it easier to use a range bag, backpack or a car as a wind break.

Thanks again Lionhill!
 
i want to try this with the scope on my rifle. have the scope set to 9x, then the camera to 9x and it'd have pretty decent magnification, plus it'd be neat replaying some positive gopher hits. i assume that the slight recoil from a .22lr might be too much for cameras though. what do you guys think?
 
CanFire said:
The only tripods I've used in the past have been $30 pieces of trash. Would you care to recommend some good brands for this type of thing? Unfortunately I'll probably end up buying one off eBay so I won't get to inspect it first.

It's pretty windy around here too so I'm thinking a really short, stout one would probably work best. At the very least a short one would make it easier to use a range bag, backpack or a car as a wind break.

Thanks again Lionhill!
Click to expand...

Tripods are very important for both good photos and good video. A good work around is to get the manfroto super clamp with a tripod mount, which you then attach a lite tripod head. The clamps can be attached to pipes, trees, doors, etc. and are very rigid. I use 5 in various configurations when shooting outdoors.

If you want a good tripod, look at
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this size. Smaller is useless, and heavier - while can help stabilize an image - will break your back in the woods.

Nice thing about photography is there are a ton of people getting into it and getting out of it. I have a constant search on CraigsList for buzz words like Hasselblad and manfrotto - you'd be surprised at what people will sell for peanuts.

SSJChar: I think this would kill the scope and the video. Speaking to the subject of taking video of shooting game, best solution is a buddy with some video skills, a tripod and some luck. You'd be shooting at 100-300 yards, so the lens of the video camera should be enough.

I've seen guys that take their own video while hunting alone. When something great happens, it's justified. It is a lot of extra gear to tote if you want to do it right.

LH


LH
 
I just bought a very nice tripod from London drugs. Made by a company starting with a V but I know the model as Sherpa. Well made, stable, metal head which actually moves smoothly and locks solid. Tall enough for me to use my spotting scope standing up. Quite light so carrying is not that big a deal.

The locking mech seems strong enough for a larger spotting scope. I hope to save some pennies and get a digicamcorder to do some digiscoping with. I feel the head will support and lock this much weight.

LH, maybe we can try with your gear just to make sure it is up to the task.

They were just on sale for $100 so that is a great price. I bought mine without the sale but they used the last sale price which was $100.

Jerry
 
dude you gotta bring that setup over to my house! I want to get some good looks across the valley to finally see what's happening over there.
ever thought about mounting the video cam to your riflescope and shooting it from a rest, using a screen to line up the reticle?
and just think what kind of image you could get with some fancy Euro glass in front of that camera!
 
Lionhill.
If you get a good quality tripod and as heavy as it can be,( old high quality steel ones shoud be cheap and rigid),Tripods and heads, have camera weights that the heads can carry, so try to get something that will hold more than the weight of your camera and get a bag if sand to hang under the head,of your tripod your pictures will be steadier , the other thing is. reinforcing the legs, and then some filters, a ,polarising filter will help getting the haze put of your pics, and if your still having problems the white ballance and the speed you shoot (faster steadier)will help too.
There are alot of magazine articals on digiscoping, which is hooking a digital camera to a spotting scope, but it shouldn't make any difference if it's a movie camera, and they make all sorts of direct mounts that will screw your movie camera with all the filters needed either betweeen the mount between your canera and the scope, or that will screw onto the end if your spotting scope, but be carefull the front end of a spotting scope can be 105 mms.My bauschand lomb is 77mms, so the glass for the front is about , well it starts at about 200, and goes up signifacantily, and plastic glass ain't any cheaper, and does'nt last as long, but is more versitile, till it's scratched
Look up didiscoping, and apply the same things to your movie camera, and if you would like to PM me, please do, as I can make up more lies ...till it will make your credit card spin, and in 604 land as soon as I figure out where that is, I can tell you where to look, I am in 250 land, oh ya and this is how I got to spend a house or 3 in Golden,on camera stuff.
all the best, this could be a cool project
Wasabi (Dave)
 
Tripods, scopes, and Cameras

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At one time, Bushnell used to offer adapters that would mate a 35mm camera to the older Spacemaster spotting scopes. It allowed you to get about 35x magnification. I still have one for my Spacemaster and 35 mm Canon AE-1 cameras.

This adapter allowed you to remove the rear lens of the spotting scope, and focus through the camera. It also allowed you to vary the power by moving the sliding tube back and forth. It worked well.

Perhaps a similar system could be home made for a digital or small video camera. I would definitely use the biggest tripod I could, and anchor both the scope and camera to a base. You might have to shim up the base for the camera.

My little Canon ZR 800 Mini Digital Video Camera has an optical zoom of 35x and a digital one of almost 1000x. I find I can get very good quality recordings at the 35x level, but when you go over that, the heat mirage, etc, degrades the images. The only hunting videos we have tried with this little camcorder has been on Prairie Dogs, but we are getting great video at out to 150 yards, with large size images. We take turns shooting and using the video camera, and use a tripod.
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