Adapt a telephoto to spotting scope?

<p>Years ago I saw an eyepiece adapter for a Tamron lens that allowed direct eye-ball viewing through the lens . . .as with a spotting scope. That was in maybe 1982. It just bayoneted onto the lens like a camera would<strong><em>. Anyone know of such an adapter for any mount lens today?</em></strong><br>

<strong><em> </em></strong><br>

I have just gotten an older Yashica 500mm mirror lens in Nikon mount. I'd like to use it as a spotting scope without the camera body at times.</p>

<p>Another project may be to us it for eyepiece projection in large format photography.<strong><em><br /></em></strong></p>

<p>Would it look anything like this? I received this with a D700 and a couple of lenses I purchased used last year. I don't believe it has ever been used.</p><div></div>

<p>I just re-read your post. This is for attaching a spotting scope to a Nikon body. Sorry.</p>

Same question here. Twenty or thirty years ago there was such an adapter for Minolta (manual focus) lenses, recently I

saw one for Pentax but this seems to be a rare item. I'm in the market for one, preferably Canon EOS.

<p>I had one of these in Minolta MD fit but sold it some time ago. It turns the lens into a telescope with a magnification of the lens focal length divided by ten. The image is upright. There a picture of one here, i'm not sure whether they were made for other lens mounts:</p>

<p>http://www.rockycameras.com/minolta-md-telescope-lens-adaptor-999-39301-p.asp</p>

<p>I have one of those old ones I got from Cambridge way back in the olden days. It works pretty well on many lenses, but oddly enough on my 500 Millimeter mirror lens it does not focus worth squat. I am not quite sure why this is. The lens, a third party one of middling quality, focuses with a camera using its various T-mount options, but the eyepiece does not work well with it. I get good results from a conventional optical Soligor zoom that developed annoying aberration after dropping, which at 260 mm gives a good view.</p>

<p>The mirror lens, which I've lent out, is either a Rokinon or Rokunar, I keep forgetting which. Yours may well act differently, but I would not invest too much in an eyepiece adapter without trying it first.</p>

<p>When I did a quick google search for this, amusingly I found a reference to a similar post I made once before on a machinists' forum (aka Bruto in many places), and in that response, it seems I found a couple of references on how to make your own adapter out of a rear lens cap and a telescope eyepiece, including one here. </p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00HfRR</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Someone on another website ggave me a lead to a Kinko product called "<strong>Lens2scope".</strong> They are available through Amazon and e-bay and cost $120 to $170 depending on model.</p>

<p>Adding to the above, I just checked what I have, and the one I have is not, as I remembered, a Cambron, but a Spectralstar, identified as a "telephoto lens adapter." These were made in various mounts, and a search will come up these from time to time. </p>

<p>I read somewhere that because the back focus of lenses is inconvenient, these adapters use extra optics to tame the distance, and this may well be the reason why mine is not compatible with the mirror lens. I'd have thought it wouldn't matter, but it does. The one I have is quite nicely sharp with the old Soligor zoom. </p>

<p>There were and are a number of such devices, usually sold as adapter to make a spotting scope out of your lens.<br /> Here is an ad (and a picture) of the Spiratone adapter (others made them too, or least marketed them), and a Soviet TURIST adapter. Both of these have 'erectors' so that the view through the lens/telescope is upright, instead of upside down.</p>

<p>(The Spiratone one was marketed to go along with the 500mm f/8 Mirror lens that they also sold).</p><div></div>

<p>You need a Nikon Lens Scope Converter (pardon the KR link):</p>

<p>http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/lsc.htm</p>

<p>Or DIY from a past photo.net thread:</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00HfRR</p>

<p>Kenko Lens2Scope converters:</p>

<p>http://www.adorama.com/searchsite/default.aspx?searchinfo=lens2scope</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I have the Soviet gadget which thanks to JDM I now find is called a "TURIST" adapter. I can't remember where I got it but it was very cheap. Mine has a fixed M42 mount, I have a 50 mm lens with it and keep it by the garden window for birdspotting. Works well.</p>

<p>Thanks everyone. Good suggestions allaround.</p>

<p>I will probably DIY one using a lrear lens cap with an eyepiece adapter and an erecting eyepiece (telescope stuff) all held together with epoxy and a hose clamp.</p>

<p>Missed out on a quality eyepiece on e-bay last night by ~$1.50.</p>

I have a lens to scope adapter for screw mount Pentax lens. If interested contact me.