The Big Digiscope / Phone / Scope Cam Overview

[carbonbased]

So a lack of reviews about digiscoping with a phone and spotter (or binos) that uses both a critical eye AND are thorough led me to collect, organize, and write up this info.

I have no biz or personal relationship with any of these fine upstanding manufacturers.

I have hands-on experience with two of the units discussed below, and have done fairly exhaustive research (including phone calls with biz owners and reps, reading reviews, and of course pouring over videos). But I expect I am wrong somewhere (let me know!) and I’m treating this as a living document.

My purpose & use
I have a iPhone 13 pro max and a Vortex Razor 27x-60x85mm spotting scope. I want to leave an adapter on the scope to be able to quickly snap my phone in. I also want to have it set up so the horizon is level each time I snap the phone in (no readjusting after the initial setup). It is a given that I would level the tripod beforehand.

I have Leica 15x LRF binos co-witnessed (if that’s the correct word) with the spotter so once I find a prairie dog in the binos, the little bugger magically appears upon the phone screen. Saves a ton of time!

Notice the spotter is rotated left 45°. That’s so one can use the binos to scan for targets and range, make one turn of their head, and quickly and easily see the phone screen. I don’t have my Phone Cam adapter on the scope because I’m using my phone to take this pic.

How the phone attaches in landscape mode in my setup

What’s the problem, man?
So, I’ve used the Novagrade (not great, thought it was going to be, but ultimately not for me) and the Phone Cam. The Phone Cam, while much better (remember, for me) had some issues in my little, tiny world.

The problem was making sure that the gripping portion (a 3-jaw chuck, basically) of the adapter grips at the angle at which you want it to (a two-hand job).

It’s at the last little throw at the end of the tightening where it’s very easy to misalign the phone + adapter to the horizon. It’s due to the adjustable eyecup of the spotter, which rotates a little as you tighten the adapter. Grrrrr.

Additionally, doing this with the spotter rotated to 45° messes with one’s internal “level”. The result is a horizon that is distractingly off. (And I’m not looking for perfection!)

“Ah!” you might say. “Just attach it when the spotter is rotated to 0°!” Well if the spotter is at 0° one has to attach the phone at a 135° angle to ultimately get a level horizon in landscape mode after you rotate the spotter left-45°.

Totally natural! (nope) You getting what I’m laying down, bruh?

Recap: I have four things going on that makes it harder to quickly achieve a level horizon: 1) the before-mentioned 45° spotter rotation that throws off one’s natural “level,” 2) landscape mode which accentuates the effect of gravity when attaching the phone (droop), 3) using the Phone Cam is a two-hand job, and 4) the spotter's eyecup, by its very design, twists and screws you up.

Criteria Used

1. Very very very fast to attach to spotter. Like sub one-second.
2. The optical alignment, ideally, must be bang on with no fiddling. In reality I could tolerate two seconds of fiddling but no more.
3. If using a case, must allow phone to ride in case at all times (pocket, car, etc)
4. Phone + case must fit in a cargo pants leg pocket (at least)
5. Must be indexable to a pre-set specific angle near instantly. See reality bit above.
6. Does not slip on angled spotter, especially one rotated at 45°
7. Does not block any physical camera function. In reality I could maybe not have access to the wide-angle lens, but…ouch.
8. Doesn’t affect GPS/compass on the spotter on or off. Reality: might accept interference while on the spotter.
9. Must work with my Hondo Garage phone car mount, which is the best most solid mount ever for off-road use, in my humble opinion
10. Nice to have:
    • would be awesome if eyepiece adapter allowed indexed angles of at every 45°. Examples below.
    • non-eyeglass scratching eyepiece that allows use without phone attached to spotter
    • ability to use factory or third-party eyepiece cap
    • doesn’t interfere with a hat
    • doesn’t interfere with wireless charging
    • if there’s a protruding bit on the case, it will be small-ish

The whole 45° fixation of mine: why???
Examples of using an angled spotter rotated left/right at 45°:

1. in a truck with spotter attached to window—spotter must be rotated left at 45° (too tall to use at 0°)
2. spotting down/up on a steep slope without drastically changing tripod height
3. my weirdo use detailed above, etc.

A bit of detail: assuming the spotter is straight up at 0°, if you want to shoot vids in landscape mode and rotate the spotter:

• left-45° spotter rotation: needs phone at 135°
• right-45° spotter rotation: needs phone at 225°

Hard to explain but easy to see. Try it.

“I don’t like this review because…”
You’ll notice I don’t address extreme compactness, weight, straight spotter use, astronomy use (iPhone Lidar messes with image but see this fix and to a lesser extent, this), cost, universality, and infinite other factors that you, gentle reader, might care about. But hopefully this overview/comparison gives you a starting point to make your own list.

A side note about cost, since cheapsters abound:
So, for me, a relatively low price (~$200) isn’t really a constraint once I factor in:

1. gas to get to the prairie dog fields
2. tons of ammo
3. pricy optics and rangefinders
4. 4-5 rifles
5. cost of the darn phone
6. etc
7. my one good long vacation a year doing something I really enjoy, and honoring memories with my son/my friends by preserving in memorandum our many various prairie dog explosions and cackling BLAMMO all the way home ho ho ho (now I’m Santa Claus)

(Review continues below. Photos and videos below all from manufacturers.)

 

[carbonbased]

MagView (talked to rep, read Rokslide review, watched Rokslide video and manufacturer’s vids but analysis contains some conjuncture):

• Pros:
  • very low profile, can use “normally” with adapter on
  • doesn’t block any lens or flashlight/flash
  • Eyepiece adapter has great grip due to allen key tightening
  • You can use your own case
  • Other people with the thin metal plate on their case could digiscope too
  • Eyepiece adapter doubles as a cap
  • Magnets in spotter adapter and not on phone, so no effect on GPS (at least when phone is detached from spotter)
  • Has/Will have app that stops auto lens switching
• Pro-ish:
  • not exactly indexable per se, but the flip open cap provides a rough idea as to the angle to align your phone.
  • Can change between regular and tele lenses by sliding the phone while attached to spotter
• Con-ish:
  • to go between regular and tele lenses you have to push it and go by feel and visual feedback.
  • Ditto when snapping the phone onto the spotter
• Cons:
  • Metal plate on your case affects wireless charging
  • If set up in landscape mode at 0° and then rotate spotter to 45° your ballcap hits flip-out magnet
• Neutral/Unknown
  • The part the attaches to the spotter tightens via an allen key (solid). But it would be slow to change the orientation of the unit. (switching between 0° & 45°)
  • Will adapter scratch glasses?
  • I prefer to use a separate case for hunting, but if you don’t the metal plate glued to the case of your choice might look a bit out of place. But maybe all the chicks will dig it?
  • Phone specific fit; spotter fit has some universality to it but slow to adapt
  • One user reports light-leak and clarity issues
  • Might get blown or knocked off a tad bit easier than mechanical attachment methods?

Phone Cam / PhoneCam by Scope Cam (technically called the Otterbox PhoneCam Kit with Universal Adapter). I own this. They make a bunch of other models, see my commentary at the end):

• Pros:
  • Robust and precise aluminum construction
  • Really good grip on eyepiece, nonslip
  • Very good alignment, no fuss once tightened
  • Otterbox case with adapter is pretty low profile and not obnoxiously large with huge protrusions
  • Flashlight is largely usable, but blocked a tiny bit
• Pro-ish/Con-ish
  • It’s indexable, but not in a quick way. I didn’t think it was possible but I discovered a workaround today by goofing around (leave adapter on scope, spin phone on, use built-in eyecup adjustment to start the threads)
• Cons:
  • especially at a 45° rotation, a bit fiddly to get horizon level
  • Slowish to attach
  • Blocks other lenses (uses the regular iPhone 13 Pro Max lens)
  • If left on spotter (like I want to do to preserve indexabity), a bit bulky and hard to use spotter “normally”
    • Also if used this way, no great way to cover eyepiece in the bag
  • If taken off spotter each use, would get cold in winter due to metal construction
• Neutral
  • Phone specific fit; spotter fit is universal fit

Commentary on new product so the following contains more conjecture than the rest of this piece. Didn’t talk to owner about this one. Scope cam has a few new products, but the following is of the most interest to me: https://scopecamadapter.com/product/new-mag-plate-universal-digiscoping-kit/

• Additional Pros:
  • Doesn’t block flashlight
  • Can use your own case
  • Popping off mag arm allows a low profile and unblocks other lenses
• Pros-ish:
  • A bit more easily indexable than my unit as I imagine the little arm could be spun onto the adapter on the spotter quicker than the whole phone (in my case)
• Cons:
  • See above rundown for my unit (excepting the lens blockage issue)
• Neutral/Unknowns:
  • Can change which lens is used (tele and regular) but looks to be an allen key affair, not fast with trial and error? Maybe not a big deal if using a tele lens is the way to go (see this)
  • Will magnets affect GPS/compass?
  • Phone specific fit; spotter fit is universal fit

Ollin (talked to owner, watched manufacturer’s vids and interviews, but analysis contains some conjuncture):

• Pros:
  • Looks like it is super quick to attach correctly
  • Indexes/aligns instantly and correctly in landscape OR portrait needing no readjustment
  • Eyepiece adapter seems to allow “normal” use of spotter (but doublecheck)
  • no effect on GPS (according to company owner)
• Pro-ish/Con-ish
  • Eyepiece is push-on (quickly adjustable). But there’s always a chance of it slipping, especially with a straight spotter.
• Cons:
  • Uses only regular lens (i.e. blocks other lenses)
  • Blocks flashlight
  • Phone case flange sticks out a bit far
• Neutral/Unknowns
  • Phone & spotter specific fit
  • Not sure if eyepiece adapter would scratch glasses
  • Might get knocked off a tad bit easier than mechanical attachment methods?
  • Comes with a magnetic eyepiece cover with a lanyard (I don’t use lanyards because the caps blow around too much in the Dakota wind which causes vibration in the image)

Phone Skope / PhoneSkope - watched a bunch of manufacturer’s vids and had a short email with them about the indexability so contains a bit more conjecture. Including a couple vids because it’s pretty hard to explain with words:

• Pros:
  • Indexable
  • Large adapter comes off the case (at least with my model phone) leaving just the case with no protrusions
  • Because of the above, doesn’t block flashlight
  • Case allows switching between tele and regular lenses
  • Looks very quick to attach, some tenths of seconds slower than Ollin. Uses camera-like bayonet mount.
  • Has app that stops auto lens switching
• Pro-ish/Con-ish:
  • Spotter-specific custom eyepiece is push-on (can quickly adjust the index points if rotated from, say, 0° to 45°). But, press fit means there’s always a chance of it slipping, especially with a straight spotter.
  • They do also offer a universal attachment similar to the Phone Cam. Did no research on that option.
• Cons:
  • Case seems to expose too much of the sides of the phone to damage if dropped
  • Weird case cutouts might interfere with car mount
  • If you want the unit to be ready to go in a moments notice you have to leave the HUGE circular attachment on the case
  • Personally I think the logo design on the case is a bit much
• Neutral/Unknowns:
  • If you do switch between tele and the regular lenses, videos show it takes some effort to do this. Probably need to take phone off spotter. Probably not a practical issue?
  • Durability of case? Lots going on there.
  • Don’t think there’s a way to cover eyepiece with the custom adapter attached, but at least it is not bulky and you might be able to fashion or find something that works. I could be wrong and the adapter sits low enough so your factory cover fits
  • Phone & spotter specific fit

Novagrade Double Gripper (bought this for my brother and used it too)

• I’m not going to go into this one too much because frankly, if you use my criteria, it comes out quite poorly.
• Unless I’m totally using it wrong, it was pretty slow to attach, really really fussy to get the phone adjusted/aligned correctly, and in no way could one keep it on the phone and slide it in your pocket, etc or conversely, to leave it attached to the spotter. It would be ok for a very purposeful digiscope setup where you dedicate the phone to video/photo and don’t expect to use the phone for much anything else. Sorry Novagrade!

You may wonder why being able to use your own phone case (according to me) is a Pro but not but having to buy a specific case is not listed as a Con.

Well, a fair bit of this is opinion, and I don’t mind having to buy a specific phone case because I prefer to use a separate phone case for hunting where it will be exposed to dirt, rougher abuse, and perhaps some lead. But I can see the advantage of being able to choose the case regardless if you use the case for everything or just for hunting.

Where does this leave me? A summing up.
If the specific way that magnets are implemented in a specific system is NOT a detriment to GPS/compasses, then…a future version of the Ollin would be quite attractive if faults are addressed. I really value a super quick and indexable attachment method.

What sort of cools my jets with Ollin’s initial offering is the blockage of the flashlight and tele lens. The former especially would probably irritate me a lot at some critical moment.

But in the real world with choices available right now, it’d be either the MagView or Phone Skope. It would come down to having the products in hand.

On paper the Phone Skope might win for me due to the fast indexabiliy while seemingly having few faults…Late breaking news: but just realized it almost certainly won’t work with my Hondo Garage car phone mount – SUPER solid mount btw. The phone case cutouts would force the phone too high up in relation to my field of vision. Could maybe work around it by buying more Ram mount whiz-bang stuff, but…I have enough Ram mount stuff and don't want an erector set on my dash.

But the MagView is so svelt I guess? Perhaps snapping it in there would be a piece of cake after 10min of practice.

Sorta leaning towards waiting for Ollin v2.

 

[theLBC]

i have used a cheap plastic adapter and my old cell phone with decent success. some of these fancier options look decent, but the universal ones allow you to use any or all of the cameras.

Amazon product ASIN B07PGK38M3

 

[carbonbased]

i have used a cheap plastic adapter and my old cell phone with decent success. some of these fancier options look decent, but the universal ones allow you to use any or all of the cameras.

Amazon product ASIN B07PGK38M3

Well, if your main criteria are universality and low cost, well yeah, that looks like a decent option. It would in no way work for me. Go to the first post and take a look at what I value. I really want speed, indexability, repeatability, fits in my pants, and works in my car (and more). That item you linked to just wouldn't cut it for me.

 

[GreenMushroom]

I've done a lot of digiscoping with the Novagrade and it works but it's bare minimum. I haven't seen anything that impressed me enough to upgrade. The magview looks interesting especially the bino adapter.

 

[carbonbased]

I've done a lot of digiscoping with the Novagrade and it works but it's bare minimum. I haven't seen anything that impressed me enough to upgrade. The magview looks interesting especially the bino adapter.

Yeah, even the ScopeCam is waaaay better for my use than the Novagrade.

The Ollin and Phone Skope offer easy indexability, where you set the angle you want once. For example, say I want landscape orientation with the spotter straight up (0°).

Assuming the tripod is level, then each time you lock in you get that same exact angle. And with the Ollin, you get both landscape AND portrait orientation locked in at that angle.

Sorry for the pretty dense text in the main review. I might write one from the point of view of a noob.

 

[308ftWIN]

I've done a lot of digiscoping with the Novagrade and it works but it's bare minimum. I haven't seen anything that impressed me enough to upgrade. The magview looks interesting especially the bino adapter.

In the same boat. I have a crappy old Huawei phone that never hits the Wi-Fi, but it gets dedicated use in the Novagrade while I can use my actual phone for Strelok or whatever. I bought a cheap Bluetooth remote that pairs with the phone and can start/stop recording without me having to get up. It's not exactly easy or quick to get right but it holds it on the best of any option I've tried so far.

 

[carbonbased]

In the same boat. I have a crappy old Huawei phone that never hits the Wi-Fi, but it gets dedicated use in the Novagrade while I can use my actual phone for Strelok or whatever. I bought a cheap Bluetooth remote that pairs with the phone and can start/stop recording without me having to get up. It's not exactly easy or quick to get right but it holds it on the best of any option I've tried so far.

Along those lines: The guys from MagView have a vid on their YT channel that talks about why they designed their product. Paraphrasing here, “We wanted our phones back.”

Lol I get it. I’m 52 but goddamnit it was irritating to not be able to easily pull my phone out of the Novagrade at a moments notice to make a call, check the weather, whatever. Especially if the app I needed didn’t flip to landscape orientation!

Prairie dog shooting with the Phone Cam: didn’t have too much “i wanna my phone back!” angst, but there was some. It’s a bit easier to disengage/re-engage the phone from the spotter, and it helped that I had dope cards set up so I didn’t need to access Strelok. And I can (and always did, like for driving nav) separate the clamp from the phone case.

I get the strong feeling that v2 of the Ollin will be one that I will buy IF it is confirmed it doesn’t mess up the GPS. I’d buy the Phone Skope right now if their case didn’t have those overly large cutouts which would force me to slide my phone way up in my car clamp. My phone would block a decent chunk of my foreword peripheral vision.

 

[GreenMushroom]

Yeah, even the ScopeCam is waaaay better for my use than the Novagrade.

The Ollin and Phone Skope offer easy indexability, where you set the angle you want once. For example, say I want landscape orientation with the spotter straight up (0°).

Assuming the tripod is level, then each time you lock in you get that same exact angle. And with the Ollin, you get both landscape AND portrait orientation locked in at that angle.

Sorry for the pretty dense text in the main review. I might write one from the point of view of a noob.

It's good info. Digiscopes aren't considered tacticool so I think they're underappreciated. The combination of good glass and the resolution and digital zoom on high end phones is a potent combination.

I'm probably being to harsh on the Novagrade. They do work and having used it a lot has taught me what I want going forward. I've needed to replace it for awhile but haven't got around to doing the homework.

The #1 conclusion I've come to is having seperate adapters for different devices vrs a universal like the Novagrade. The Novagrade works pretty good on a spotter but sucks on everything else. I've also come to the conclusion that a quick disconnect is essential if you're on foot. That's why the magview appeals to me.

Kowa 553 with a s20 ultra can deliver some nice images at very long distances.

We also use it with my wife's monovid but it's so small you have to use 2 of the compression rings and it's not super solid but delivers very nice images.

My wife recently upgraded to a s21 ultra or whatever and I want to get a dedicated adapter for the monovid so she can have her own setup. Maybe the magviews for my spotter and binos and a dedicated pvs14 eyepiece adapter. The Novagrade sucks on 14s since it attaches to the diopter and flops all over the place.

 

[carbonbased]

Totally agree on the weird lack of enthusiasm on digiscope phone adapters. I couldn’t find a guy that reviewed a bunch, even like I did with some reviews being “remote.” Informed, but remote.

And I totally agree on the universality thing; it sucks. Half-measures.

I got some great (to me) splatter vids on the trip using my setup. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but…

When I get a clamp that allows the use of the tele lens, it’s gonna put the viewer into Jim’s khaki shorts from Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom hahaha! Poor Jim, always wrestling the vicious crocs in the sweltering tropical heat while Marlin Perkins calmly narrated, the latter being ensconced within the cool confines of the Mutual of Omaha’s Fortress of Solitude.

Quick disconnect from spotter FYI: the MagView, Phone Skope, and Ollin all provide that. The Ollin’s case has a permanent bumpout while the gigantic circle on the Skope is (easily?) removable. The guy doing it in the vids makes it looks relatively easy, but he’s probably done it a thousand times.

The thing that makes me a little leery on the MagView is that it doesn’t align or index instantly. It seems to get real close but requires practice. But it’s soooo low profile and seems to work well on binos too.

 

[carbonbased]

View attachment 7921958

That contraption looks like some steampunk’s wet dream!

 

[Crews]

I have only messed with Phone Skope. Started out with the universal objective adapter, which you mentioned you haven’t tried yet. I will save you some time, don’t mess with it. I found it to be a royal pain in the ass.

However, if you get the dedicated piece that matches the OD of your optic objective, I think it’s a pretty good system and I’ve been very happy with it on a spotter. The big circle on the phone case is a non-issue for me because I only put the case on when I’m out in the field, which means my phone is being carried somewhere other than my pocket to begin with.

 

[HaydenLane]

I made a similar comment on RS, but the MagView system looks so close to compatible with Rokform cases that it seems silly they didn’t just decide to utilize them, or at least make it workable. It’s a popular, existing magnetic phone case. No-brainer imo.

 

[abn31c]

I use a S21 ultra on a BTX with phone Skope, it works well enough.
FWIW.

 

[GreenMushroom]

That contraption looks like some steampunk’s wet dream!

It actually does a good image but I'm not confident that the monovid couldn't fall out so I don't wear it around my neck and having it in my hands all the time gets old. We use it in the winter to take pics and vid of critters spotted with our thermals. The magview bino adapter appeals to me because it will allow me to ditch a device and plus allows the wife her own setup once we get her an adapter.

 

[chevy_man]

I use a S21 ultra on a BTX with phone Skope, it works well enough.
FWIW.

This is where I run into a wall.

I use Motorola phones because they have massive batteries and are cheap. I think I put 4 new screens in my last one for $30 each, and used it for 4 years. It cost me $180 new, and took me about an hour to replace a screen every time I broke one.
My current one I haven't broken in a year, and it works great.


The only phones I can find that have dedicated scope cases are the Samsung and Apple. I'm not spending $1200 on a damn phone! I'll spend $1500 on a decent Canon camera first.

 

[carbonbased]

This is where I run into a wall.

I use Motorola phones because they have massive batteries and are cheap. I think I put 4 new screens in my last one for $30 each, and used it for 4 years. It cost me $180 new, and took me about an hour to replace a screen every time I broke one.
My current one I haven't broken in a year, and it works great.


The only phones I can find that have dedicated scope cases are the Samsung and Apple. I'm not spending $1200 on a damn phone! I'll spend $1500 on a decent Canon camera first.

The killer thing about phones that have stopped me from buying, say, the Nikon P1000 is how easy phones can organize, store, share, and transfer (to the next phone).

Big cameras (of which I have and love) have so many file-handling hassles. Backup, sharing, transferring to a laptop, organizing…Jesus it’s a whole huge pain in the ass. Plus they’re huge and heavy.

You don’t need to buy the biggest Apple/Samsung phone either. Smaller be way cheaper.

And how are you breaking a screen a year??? I used an Phone 6s Plus forever (in phone years) until I bought a 13 Pro Max. I think that’s at least eight years and never had to replace anything. (wait…maybe a battery?)

 

[Pbjunkiee]

I went with a novagrade too but went full on with an Olympus TG-6 and it is magnificent!

 

[Digetydog]

I just want a cheap adapter for my iPhone

 

[chevy_man]

The killer thing about phones that have stopped me from buying, say, the Nikon P1000 is how easy phones can organize, store, share, and transfer (to the next phone).

Big cameras (of which I have and love) have so many file-handling hassles. Backup, sharing, transferring to a laptop, organizing…Jesus it’s a whole huge pain in the ass. Plus they’re huge and heavy.

You don’t need to buy the biggest Apple/Samsung phone either. Smaller be way cheaper.

And how are you breaking a screen a year??? I used an Phone 6s Plus forever (in phone years) until I bought a 13 Pro Max. I think that’s at least eight years and never had to replace anything. (wait…maybe a battery?)

I work construction. Phones get dropped on gravel/rocks/concrete at least weekly. I bet I replace OtterBox cases every 4-6 months because they get tore up (of course they don't make the defender, only commuter for the cheaper phones).
I keep a spare screen on hand. The shortest lived one was less than 24 hours. Dropped it on Friday and shattered, replaced it Sunday, dropped it Monday morning and shattered it again.


My BIL with an office job is still running an iphone 8 that looks brand new. He also leaves it in the truck anytime it may get dirty.

All the phone adapter case combos are listed for pretty much the iphone 12 and 13, and Samsung 20, 21, 22. All are far above a price I would consider reasonable when I can buy a phone that does the same thing for 1/4 the price.


A simple usb 3 type c to a cable and you can pull all your camera stuff to your phone. Lots of the newer DSLR cameras can also WiFi to your phone.
I'm in the same boat though, they're big and heavy to pack farther than the range.

 

[carbonbased]

A simple usb 3 type c to a cable and you can pull all your camera stuff to your phone. Lots of the newer DSLR cameras can also WiFi to your phone.
I'm in the same boat though, they're big and heavy to pack farther than the range.

Ok yeah, I see why you're breaking your phone all of the time. Point taken.

Other points: I'm talking about having 500-1000 high-rez pics (or more) in your camera. Unless the very most recent DSLRs/Mirrorless cams are different, it takes a significant amount of time to pull those pics off with just a cable, so you have to buy a fancy card reader. Those pics are way too big to stuff on your phone unless you have a 1 TB memory model (and even then it's gonna fill up super fast unless you downrez them…takes time & effort). Or maybe you shoot a $3000 camera but use its lowest file size setting???

And you really should use specialized software (like photo mechanic) to organize and keyword the pics or you're going to lose them forever on the laptop. And then you need a backup strategy, offsite and local.

Trust me, it's a frickin' pain in the ass to do it right. If you don't care for all that…you still have to deal with the transfer, file size headaches, organization/finding headaches. This is not even factoring in the steep learning curve with all of these processes and new software (but maybe you're an expert already?).

Whereas Apple phones automate backups, have a great search and organization system built in, sharing is so darn easy (Airdrop, text, easy uploads to sharing services like Instagram etc).

If you value your time at all, go Apple IMHO.

 

[carbonbased]

I work construction. Phones get dropped on gravel/rocks/concrete at least weekly. I bet I replace OtterBox cases every 4-6 months because they get tore up (of course they don't make the defender, only commuter for the cheaper phones).
I keep a spare screen on hand. The shortest lived one was less than 24 hours. Dropped it on Friday and shattered, replaced it Sunday, dropped it Monday morning and shattered it again.


My BIL with an office job is still running an iphone 8 that looks brand new. He also leaves it in the truck anytime it may get dirty.

All the phone adapter case combos are listed for pretty much the iphone 12 and 13, and Samsung 20, 21, 22. All are far above a price I would consider reasonable when I can buy a phone that does the same thing for 1/4 the price.


A simple usb 3 type c to a cable and you can pull all your camera stuff to your phone. Lots of the newer DSLR cameras can also WiFi to your phone.
I'm in the same boat though, they're big and heavy to pack farther than the range.

Also, maybe use a cheap phone for work, and a decent phone for other stuff? Sort of a hassle, but way less hassle than using a separate DSLR/Mirrorless. Perhaps fwd calls or something.

Or maybe a glue-on lanyard for the cheap (and/or spendy) phone?

https://www.phonelasso.com/

Amazon.com : Adhesive Lanyard Mount

 

[GreenMushroom]

Since this is kind of a general digiscope thread I wanted to see what people recommend to fit a pvs14 eyepiece. I've used the Novagrade but it will only attach to the diopter which limits you to vertical and flops around if you're on the move.

Mod Armory has had one for awhile that screws in in place of the retaining ring that seems like it would be solid and still allow diopter adjustments. Problem is it's always out of stock when I look. Doing a little research I found other places selling what looks like the same thing under the AU name. Anyone have any experience with these or better alternatives? Supposedly US made with lifetime warranty.

MOD Armory Universal Smartphone Adapter for Night Vision Filming - MOD Armory

MOD Armory Universal Smartphone Adapter for Night Vision Filming attaches all phones to a PVS-14 night vision monocular with a screw-in eyecup flange for still & video photography.

www.modarmory.com

This place has on sale for 40$ but no idea if they are a legit seller.

AU Universal Smartphone Adapter for Thermal / Night Vision Monoculars

The AU Universal Smartphone Adapter is designed to allow the operator to film or photograph their thermal / night vision activities with the use of a commonly available smartphone. The AU-USA adapter securely mount your smartphone behind the ocular lens of any thermal / night vision device that...

www.armsunlimited.com

 

[chevy_man]

Also, maybe use a cheap phone for work, and a decent phone for other stuff? Sort of a hassle, but way less hassle than using a separate DSLR/Mirrorless. Perhaps fwd calls or something.

Or maybe a glue-on lanyard for the cheap (and/or spendy) phone?

https://www.phonelasso.com/

Amazon.com : Adhesive Lanyard Mount

I'm not going through that hassle, and a lanyard is a safety no-no. Too many things to snag it on. Lanyards belong on the man-lift, and nowhere else.


I just want a reasonable universal mount, or manufacturers to recognize that other phones do exist.

 

[Nik H]

So a lack of reviews about digiscoping with a phone and spotter (or binos) that uses both a critical eye AND are thorough led me to collect, organize, and write up this info.

I have no biz or personal relationship with any of these fine upstanding manufacturers.

I have hands-on experience with two of the units discussed below, and have done fairly exhaustive research (including phone calls with biz owners and reps, reading reviews, and of course pouring over videos). But I expect I am wrong somewhere (let me know!) and I’m treating this as a living document.

My purpose & use
I have a iPhone 13 pro max and a Vortex Razor 27x-60x85mm spotting scope. I want to leave an adapter on the scope to be able to quickly snap my phone in. I also want to have it set up so the horizon is level each time I snap the phone in (no readjusting after the initial setup). It is a given that I would level the tripod beforehand.

I have Leica 15x LRF binos co-witnessed (if that’s the correct word) with the spotter so once I find a prairie dog in the binos, the little bugger magically appears upon the phone screen. Saves a ton of time!

Notice the spotter is rotated left 45°. That’s so one can use the binos to scan for targets and range, make one turn of their head, and quickly and easily see the phone screen. I don’t have my Phone Cam adapter on the scope because I’m using my phone to take this pic.

View attachment 7921593

What’s the problem, man?
So, I’ve used the Novagrade (not great, thought it was going to be, but ultimately not for me) and the Phone Cam. The Phone Cam, while much better (remember, for me) had some issues in my little, tiny world.

The problem was not ascertaining if the horizon was level via the phone image, it was making sure that the gripping portion (a 3-jaw chuck, basically) of the adapter grips at the angle at which you want it to (a two-hand job).

It’s at the last little throw at the end of the tightening where it’s very easy to misalign the camera and adapter unit due to the adjustable eyecup of the spotter. Additionally, doing this with the spotter rotated to 45° messes with one’s internal “level”. The result is a horizon that is distractingly off. (And I’m not looking for perfection!)

“Ah!” you might say. “Just attach it when the spotter is rotated to 0°!” Well if the spotter is at 0° one has to attach the phone at a 135° angle to ultimately get a level horizon in landscape mode after you rotate the spotter left-45°.

Totally natural! (nope) You getting what I’m laying down, bruh?

Recap: I have four things going on that makes it harder to quickly achieve a level horizon: 1) the before-mentioned 45° spotter rotation that throws off one’s natural “level,” 2) landscape mode which accentuates the effect of gravity when attaching the phone (droop), 3) using the Phone Cam is a two-hand job, and 4) the spotter's eyecup, by its very design, twists and screws you up.

Criteria Used

1. Very very very fast to attach to spotter. Like sub one-second.
2. The optical alignment, ideally, must be bang on with no fiddling. In reality I could tolerate two seconds of fiddling but no more.
3. If using a case, must allow phone to ride in case at all times (pocket, car, etc)
4. Phone + case must fit in a cargo pants leg pocket (at least)
5. Must be indexable to a pre-set specific angle near instantly. See reality bit above.
6. Does not slip on angled spotter, especially one rotated at 45°
7. Does not block any physical camera function. In reality I could maybe not have access to the wide-angle lens, but…ouch.
8. Doesn’t affect GPS/compass on the spotter on or off. Reality: might accept interference while on the spotter.
9. Must work with my Hondo Garage phone car mount, which is the best most solid mount ever for off-road use, in my humble opinion
10. Nice to have:
    • would be awesome if eyepiece adapter allowed indexed angles of at every 45°. Examples below.
    • non-eyeglass scratching eyepiece that allows use without phone attached to spotter
    • ability to use factory or third-party eyepiece cap
    • doesn’t interfere with a hat
    • doesn’t interfere with wireless charging
    • if there’s a protruding bit on the case, it will be small-ish

The whole 45° fixation of mine: why???
Examples of using an angled spotter rotated left/right at 45°:

1. in a truck with spotter attached to window—spotter must be rotated left at 45° (too tall to use at 0°)
2. spotting down/up on a steep slope without drastically changing tripod height
3. my weirdo use detailed above, etc.

A bit of detail: assuming the spotter is straight up at 0°, if you want to shoot vids in landscape mode and rotate the spotter:

• left-45° spotter rotation: needs phone at 135°
• right-45° spotter rotation: needs phone at 225°

Hard to explain but easy to see. Try it.

“I don’t like this review because…”
You’ll notice I don’t address extreme compactness, weight, straight spotter use, astronomy use (iPhone Lidar messes with image but see this fix and to a lesser extent, this), cost, universality, and infinite other factors that you, gentle reader, might care about. But hopefully this overview/comparison gives you a starting point to make your own list.

A side note about cost, since cheapsters abound:
So, for me, a relatively low price (~$200) isn’t really a constraint once I factor in:

1. gas to get to the prairie dog fields
2. tons of ammo
3. pricy optics and rangefinders
4. 4-5 rifles
5. cost of the darn phone
6. etc
7. my one good long vacation a year doing something I really enjoy, and honoring memories with my son/my friends by preserving in memorandum our many various prairie dog explosions and cackling BLAMMO all the way home ho ho ho (now I’m Santa Claus)

(Review continues below. Photos and videos below all from manufacturers.)

This is a great thread and thanks for doing it. There is a ton of great information here.

One question I have is why you didn't look at or review the other product that ScopeCam makes...their "new" universal phonecam kit?

 

[carbonbased]

This is a great thread and thanks for doing it. There is a ton of great information here.

One question I have is why you didn't look at or review the other product that ScopeCam makes...their "new" universal phonecam kit?

You mean this one? https://scopecamadapter.com/product/new-mag-plate-universal-digiscoping-kit/

Or maybe this one?

"NEW" FULL UNIVERSAL SCOPECAM KIT (Includes Gen 2 Universal Optic Adapter) - Scope)Cam Adapter

"ONE & DONE" best describes the FULL UNIVERSAL PHONECAM KIT.

scopecamadapter.com

The former I covered above in the lower half of the ScopeCam review.

The latter is new to me and must’ve recently been released. It appeals even less to me as it would take even more time to adjust each and every time I’d attach it to the spotter. Unless I’m mistaken, it’s a lot like the Novagrade attachment model. It trades quick attachment for universality.

If you’re constantly attaching, taking off, and reattaching during a hunt, you really want a lightening fast attachment method. And I’d bet dollars to donuts most people would love an indexable mount to further reduce futzing.

If you’re filming the moon or birds during a static shoot, then yeah, any of these will work fine.

 

[Nik H]

You mean this one? https://scopecamadapter.com/product/new-mag-plate-universal-digiscoping-kit/

Or maybe this one?

"NEW" FULL UNIVERSAL SCOPECAM KIT (Includes Gen 2 Universal Optic Adapter) - Scope)Cam Adapter

"ONE & DONE" best describes the FULL UNIVERSAL PHONECAM KIT.

scopecamadapter.com

The former I covered above in the lower half of the ScopeCam review.

The latter is new to me and must’ve recently been released. It appeals even less to me as it would take even more time to adjust each and every time I’d attach it to the spotter. Unless I’m mistaken, it’s a lot like the Novagrade attachment model. It trades quick attachment for universality.

If you’re constantly attaching, taking off, and reattaching during a hunt, you really want a lightening fast attachment method. And I’d bet dollars to donuts most people would love an indexable mount to further reduce futzing.

If you’re filming the moon or birds during a static shoot, then yeah, any of these will work fine.

Yes it is the latter one

Thanks for explaining...I get it...speed of attachment is not high on my priority list

 

[FWoo45]

Cool thread. I was really only aware of the phone skope and that’s what I bought. Pretty happy with it but I agree that the case sort of sucks. I’ve since got a new phone so now the old one is a dedicated skope phone.

 

[carbonbased]

This dude did a good review between the PhoneSkope, MagView, and Ollin (and some piece of crap).



Seemed pretty straight talking and brought up some things I didn’t think about, like what if you are left eye dominant? With the MagView I guess you’re out of luck (according to him).

 

[DIBBS]

I'm going to have to spend some time going through this thread... I just watched the newest video post and have been seeing lots of things out and about I want to capture images of, and am tired of not having one to simplify the process and take quality photos/videos in amuch easier way.

Any new thoughts/ideas or suggestions? Another reviewer favored Ollin as well

 

[Tom Veilleux]

I'm going to have to spend some time going through this thread... I just watched the newest video post and have been seeing lots of things out and about I want to capture images of, and am tired of not having one to simplify the process and take quality photos/videos in amuch easier way.

Any new thoughts/ideas or suggestions? Another reviewer favored Ollin as well

Product Update >>>>> Magview now has a mag plate that you can wirelessly charge through.

My older phone has 2 photo lenses. I suggest taping off the lenses you do not want to use to line up the phone without it switching lenses during the approach. Of course, you may want to change the lens on the fly depending on the situation, so your choice.

However, another review I watched refers to a phone app from Magview that may assist with lens selection. I have not checked with Magview about this as to perhaps how universal this feature is. Something about placing a grid on the screen.

Thanks for the review. Since my phone is not on the Ollin list I will purchase the Magview instead. It will replace my Novagrade Double Gripper.

What is your focusing technique for this type of setup?
Do you sometimes find a hood necessary when the sun might wash out the screen?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[DIBBS]

@Tom Veilleux It's not my review, I just linked to it.

I ended up purchasing this as my phone was not on the list either, and I wanted something more universal. .

As far as using it... very simplified instructions of what works for me...

Attach phone skope device to spotter. If used before it shouldn't be too bad getting image on phone camera.

-Lowest power on spotting scope-camera zoom

-center image /area in middle of spotter scope and camera. Tighten phone clamp...(May take a little or a lot of fiddling around initially.)

-zoom in with camera to full image through spotter. focus spotting scope.

Pan and take pictures. Zoom in and out as desired. my camera has auto focus when you tap screen that sometimes works, but best to focus both camera and spotter for clearest images.

It takes a bunch of practice... particularly if you are trying to photo wildlife before it exits stage right. Once in a while I get lucky and get a really nice photo. Good luck.

Amazon product ASIN B07CNL85TT

 

[Nik H]

I got to see the Ollin in use a few weeks ago and was very impressed with the ease of attaching/indexing and quality of the resulting video. I ordered one for my Swaro spotter and tried it out yesterday...I was VERY happy with the videos. It really makes spotting when shooting alone practical.

I would definitely recommend it

 

[carbonbased]

I got to see the Ollin in use a few weeks ago and was very impressed with the ease of attaching/indexing and quality of the resulting video. I ordered one for my Swaro spotter and tried it out yesterday...I was VERY happy with the videos. It really makes spotting when shooting alone practical.

I would definitely recommend it

Good to hear!

I’m still waiting for the Ollin v2 to come out, if there ever is one. I have no inside knowledge.

 

[carbonbased]

Speculative Ollin update in Feb 2024 here.

Ollin is releasing something new in Feb? Intel?

So, I did a big review and overview on phone-to-spotter adapters a while ago. https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/the-big-digiscope-phone-scope-cam-overview.7133529/ My favorite was the Ollin, but what stopped me from buying the system was the that the flashlight was blocked by the...

www.snipershide.com

 

[carbonbased]

Meanwhile, I haven’t seen anything that gives me the tingles.

Phone Skope is releasing some Carbon Pro phone case that seems mainly to allow Apple MagSafe accessories to work better with it. I don’t care and dislike MagSafe (tried it).

ScopeCam hasn’t released anything that allows one to leave the adapter on the spotter and quickly slap and index your phone on it. They do still seem to have the best universal (but slow) adapter. I own an older version of this.

 

[Mongo68]

One for a GoPro would be cool.

 

[secondofangle2]

I have the phoneskope on an iPhone with Swaro ATX

It’s better than the old original phoneskope but drives me bonkers to have to use the phoneskope App

So you guys caused me to break down and buy the Olin just now.

I’ll compare the two once I get it.

I never leave the case on my phone unless I’m out in the field so I don’t care about the case so much as long as it works and provides basic protection while afield

I will say up front that $200 shipped is pretty outrageous, so if I’m not happier than a teen boy taking a camper van to the Homecoming dance, I’m returning it.

 

[carbonbased]

I never leave the case on my phone unless I’m out in the field so I don’t care about the case so much as long as it works and provides basic protection while afield

I will say up front that $200 shipped is pretty outrageous, so if I’m not happier than a teen boy taking a camper van to the Homecoming dance, I’m returning it.

I am like you in that I also have a case for field/hunting and a case for around town.

Also agree that $200 is quite high for what you get. I think the only reason devices like these are worth that amount is that there’s no competing product that costs anywhere near $200. The ability to get a good clear video onto your phone in a seamless manner is golden.

 

[carbonbased]

@secondofangle2 I know you just bought an Ollin, but if a few posts above this I linked to an announcement from them that something’s dropping on February 14. I guess you could always return your Ollin if the new product is an update.

 

[secondofangle2]

^I thought about that also

Another thing that I didn’t mention is one problem with the phone scope is, it is not intuitively user-friendly for somebody who has not used it before.

So if we’re out in the desert shooting and it’s not already attached to the scope, and set up, another user can’t come and film my shots without my assistance

Even if it is already set up, they have to unlock it if it’s locked and then try to navigate to the phonescope app and figure out how to use which is not very intuitive

I’m hoping this one is so user-friendly that even an uninitiated person can just pick up my phone turn on the camera click it on there and begin recording without any fiddling or farting around

 

[carbonbased]

I’m hoping this one is so user-friendly that even an uninitiated person can just pick up my phone turn on the camera click it on there and begin recording without any fiddling or farting around

The Ollin sure looks easy to use. Do report back.

The Scopecam I have is pretty easy, but it just takes time to get it on the scope as you cannot leave the big bit attached if you want to use the scope without the phone. And it’s a little futzy to get level.

 

[secondofangle2]

OK I just received the Ollin and I have the following observations. First, I started out with the original Swarovski early (first) iPhone aluminum case, have gone through two first generation phoneSkope cases, and now the current generation one

The Olin is 100% hands-down, the best fitted and easiest to use that I have yet handled. It fits perfectly and aligns perfectly, and goes on and off with the magnet rapidly and with ease.

It will now be a piece of cake to hand my phone to someone and tell them to just put it on there and use the camera or the video. It does block two of the three lenses but as long as you don’t screw around with the digital zoom too much, the iPhone doesn’t seem to be bothered by it. I can now dispense with the total pain in the ass PhoneSkope application on my phone, which I and everyone else hated.

Also, on my Swarovski scope, if I dial in the eye relief, all the way, like for use with glasses, and put the Olen adapter on which is what I think you were supposed to do, it gives about the right amount of relief for regular use. If you wore glasses, you might have to take it off. Personally, I like a little space between the outer rim of my eyepiece and the glass, because I feel like that protects the eyepiece from scratching somewhat. So I will just leave this thing on there and utilize the provided cap which is yet another nice touch of this device. I can store away my Swarovski eyepiece cap.

I have only two negative things to say. The first is every bit of the device appears to be made of plastic. I am gobsmacked that I paid $200 for three pieces of (flimsy) plastic. This is frankly a rip off and they should be selling it for significantly less and if they can’t, they need to go back and find a better manufacturer because this is all just Chinaware. It is ingenious and all but they could make a handsome profit selling it for 100 or $120.

The only other negative thing which isn’t really a negative for me, but it might be for the OP. The case fits my iPhone perfectly, but it is quite flimsy and appears to offer slim protection, literally. I do not think this case is the least bit suitable for every day use, and that little square, hanging off the back of it would be the other deal killer for every day use.

Well, a third negative - the somewhat flimsy/thin phone case fits tight/snug (good!), but is a pain in the ass to remove. I'm sure with repeated removal prying on the outer plastic rim, it will separate and you can bet your ass I'll be sending it back to them and expecting a new one when it does, for $200. I guess that’s what the LIFETIME warranty is for, and it (somewhat) justifies the exorbitant cost.

I’m definitely going to keep it because in the end I am of the very attitude that they predicted when they priced it double what it’s worth: "what’s an extra hundred dollars (on top of a $5000 scope) for a piece of kit that works exactly how it should and will prevent me from being frustrated twisting on the phoneskope device and trying to get it aligned and missing a shot from that and dicking around with that stupid app of theirs?"

 

[secondofangle2]

Also here's an offer for anybody who wants a Phoneskope for an iPhone 13 pro max with Swarovski ATX eyepiece (2 of them, I think diff sizes are for eye relief) -

Send me $13 PP F&F and I'll drop it in a USPS flat rate box and send it to you. You pay shipping only. Just so it goes to a good home. Just leave me good guy feedback.

 

[carbonbased]

What is your focusing technique for this type of setup?
Do you sometimes find a hood necessary when the sun might wash out the screen?

Sorry I missed your question! I know it’s been a while since you asked, but this is what I use to handle harsh summer light.

Rosco Matte Black Cinefoil (12" x 50')​

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/44690-REG/Rosco_RS100113_Matte_Black_Cinefoil.html

It’s basically heavy-duty black aluminum foil and comes in a non-pictured thick aluminum foil-type box.

They use it on movie sets to block light. It’s expensive, but roll of it will probably last me the rest of my life. I looked at all of the fitted hoods and stuff but wanted something that would seal off light from around the spotter eyepiece up through shielding the phone’s screen.

It looks a bit janky but it’s reusable and a section of it lasted me 10 days while on a pdog trip. Works really well…I can actually see the phone screen at noon.

For focusing, well, just attach your phone to the spotter, look at the screen, and…focus the spotter? Easy.

 

[secondofangle2]

I used it in the field today shooting to 3000 yards for the first time. I was with a buddy.

For the first time ever, my buddy can just take my phone and snap it on there and start recording. He can also pop my phone off and check my ballistic calculator and pop it back on, and keep spotting for me or recording.

So yes, it is a game changer, and it finally makes digital scoping as easy as pi.

It’s money well spent even if they are taking us for a ride with the profit margin

 

[carbonbased]

makes digital scoping as easy as pi.

Easy as pi!?!?!? My god man π is totally confusing to me. I suck at math.

I think you mean pie. As in pumpkin pie mmmmmmm…

 

[carbonbased]

I used it in the field today shooting to 3000 yards for the first time. I was with a buddy.

For the first time ever, my buddy can just take my phone and snap it on there and start recording. He can also pop my phone off and check my ballistic calculator and pop it back on, and keep spotting for me or recording.

So yes, it is a game changer, and it finally makes digital scoping as easy as pi.

It’s money well spent even if they are taking us for a ride with the profit margin

But seriously, I’m glad that it worked out. I haven’t gotten mine yet. I’m excited because when out prairie dog shooting, it’s frustrating fiddling around with your spotting scope and cell phone while you can hear the dogs yapping out there, begging to be shot lol.

 

[carbonbased]

Getting close to the end of a prairie dog shoot, the first I’ve used the Ollin. And it was a resounding success!

Highly recommended.

 

[carbonbased]

2024 updates to my setup here:

Small varmint kills (the bastards!)

At the south end of the chicken coop fence Saturday morning trying like hell to find a way in to the buffet

www.snipershide.com