Some people just have a need for more magnification than can be found in the typical array of consumer-level digital cameras. For avid birdwatchers, hunters, private detectives, and others who need to capture images from afar, getting in closer make all the difference, and a measly 5x zoom doesn’t always cut it.
For their purposes, nothing beats the bulky telephoto lenses that can be mated to DSLR cameras. But the cost of both components puts them out of reach for most hobbyists. In their place, a community of so-called “digiscopers” have started extending the zoom of affordable cameras with affordable sighting scopes, giving birth to the do-it-yourself digiscope: half digital camera, half telescope.
