Digiscoping with the Kite APC IS Spotting Scope

When it comes to optics with image stabilization, I have found that the best way for me to convey just how effective it is (or in some cases, is not), is to demonstrate it in action by taking video footage through the instrument (digibining with binoculars or digiscoping with a spotting scope). So, before I even unboxed it, I knew that I was going to be doing at least some digiscoping with the Kite APC Stabilized 60 ED Spotting Scope.

However, with this scope, I quickly discovered that it became more than just something that I had to do for the review; it became something that I really enjoyed doing, meaning I have more footage than normal.

So, because of this, I thought I would just showcase some of it in a video whilst I talk about the reasons why I enjoyed digiscoping with the Kite APC, many of which, I think, make this scope an interesting choice for digiscoping:

Now, as a slight proviso, I will be the first to admit I am far from what I consider to be a digiscoping or photography expert, but I do have plenty of experience trying to get better using a lot of different scopes, binoculars, cameras, and adapters, which I think does offer some weight to my thoughts.

1. Image Quality

For a relatively small scope, I found both the image quality and brightness to be excellent:

• Color Reproduction is vibrant, but at the same time, it remains true to life.
• Image Sharpness: Once you get the camera properly aligned with the ocular lens and you are correctly focused in on the subject, the image remains sharp right from the center of the view to the edges with very minimal vignetting right around the edges
• Color Fringing: The level of color fringing along the edges of contrasting objects is extremely minimal

2. Ease of Use

Once again, for a small scope, I found digiscoping relatively easy, especially at the lower magnification settings:

This scope has a good amount of eye-relief (18-17mm) and an excellent quality twist-up eyecup, both of which mean you can get your camera set at the ideal distance behind the ocular lens in order to get a full field of view.

Digiscoping at the minimum 17x magnification is the easiest, as the reasonably large exit pupil (3.5mm) at this setting supplies your camera with a decent amount of available light and is large enough to fairly easily line your camera up with it.

However, as you increase the magnification, it does get progressively more and more difficult, and I have to say that at the maximum 35x zoom setting, the 1.7mm exit pupil is challenging for the camera, both in terms of image brightness and lining up the camera with it.

So, for long-range digiscoping, and especially when using higher magnifications in very low light, it is still possible to use this scope, but it is quite a bit more difficult to get a decent image than if you had a larger scope that not only captures more light, but will produce a larger exit pupil at equivalent magnifications.

3. Hand-Held Stability

Before using this scope, I would have said that to get any sort of a usable, half-decent digiscoped image or video, you would most certainly have to have it mounted on something stable like a tripod or, at the very least, a monopod in order to get the view steady enough.

With the Kite APC 60 ED, the image stabilization is so effective that it is definitely possible to take pretty decent, handheld digiscoped footage that I feel is usable as is, but which you can then stabilize even further in post-production if you wish.

Here I will admit that it is still easier to use a tripod, mostly to take the weight off your arm and to free up a hand, however, there are times when shooting directly from the hands really was an advantage.

Firstly, it allowed me to be far more spontaneous with my digiscoping as I did not have to plan beforehand and carry my tripod wherever I went, and because of this, I just did much more digiscoping as a result.

Indeed, I think I captured some of my best ever digiscoping footage with this scope, when I was just sitting outside on the verandah, talking to my family one afternoon. The birds got bored of waiting for us to leave the area (where the bird feeder is), and because I had the scope and my phone on me, I was able to get some really nice close-ups with some perfect lighting.

I can see uses like capturing some moving objects, being much easier with the hands, so airplane spotters, for example. This scope would be really fun to take along to an air show or even some sporting events.

Here once again, I found that the included mini-monopod was very useful. Firstly, from the hands, it is much easier to hold onto the scope with it attached. Then I also found myself often using the monopod to take the weight off and by simply resting it onto a tabletop, or even the arm of a chair, which just adds even more stability to the setup.

Conclusion

So, in conclusion, yes, I would still say that for digiscoping, a high-quality, large 80mm or 100mm spotting scope mounted onto a tripod would be ideal, especially at longer distances and/or in challenging light conditions.

But I feel the versatility that the stabilization adds, combined with the portability and overall excellent image quality of this 60mm scope, does make it an interesting option, and therefore, just like my favourite compact binoculars, this is probably the scope that I would reach for and bring along with me most often and so because I also almost always also have my phone with me, and you can keep the magview adapter attached to the eyepiece, this would be the scope that I would end up doing the most digiscoping with.

Related & Further Reading

• Kite APC Stabilized 60 ED Spotting Scope – Full Field Test & Review
• Kite APC 60 ED Stabilized Spotting Scope – Unboxing & First Impressions with Video
• Digiscoping & Digibinning – Main Hub Page – Guides & Reviews
• MagView B1 Binocular Digibinning Adapter
• MAGVIEW Digiscoping B1 System for Binoculars – Setup & Installation