Video through scope

[Sludge]

I have seen several long range hunting videos where a camera was evidently recording through the rifle scope of the shooter. I was interested in trying to record some of my hunting in a similar way. Does anyone know how to set up a rifle where the video wouldnt interfere with the shooters eye relief, vision etc. Equipment needed, etc? I suspect it would take some kind of fiber optic camera so that the vision of the shooter wouldnt be too obscured.

A nudge in the right direction would be appreciated. Tks

 

[LouBoyd]

I have seen several long range hunting videos where a camera was evidently recording through the rifle scope of the shooter. I was interested in trying to record some of my hunting in a similar way. Does anyone know how to set up a rifle where the video wouldnt interfere with the shooters eye relief, vision etc. Equipment needed, etc? I suspect it would take some kind of fiber optic camera so that the vision of the shooter wouldnt be too obscured.
A nudge in the right direction would be appreciated. Tks

I think you'll have a lot of trouble trying to add a camera on the eyepiece of a normal scope and trying to shoot with it too.
This scope is about the nicest I've seen which does what you want. The camera uses a beamsplitter so light falls on the camera chip at the scope's first focal plane.

Adirondack Smartscope 3-10 X 44 Mm Digital Scope, Matte Black, Scopes, Adirondack at Sportsman's Guide

The Elcan "digital hunter" uses the camera for aiming too and displays the image you're shooting at on an LCD screen. There are some advantages to that, such as a digtially adjustable reticle and no parallax. The Smart scope is more of a conventional scope with a digital camera added. Both can take color vidio clips while shooting. You can also just mount a camcorder or SLR with video capabilty to your rife using the camera's telephoto lens.

 

[Sludge]

Nah, thats not what I want. I saw a setup once that could mount on any scope. Some guy on YouTube had it. I ask him about it and he wanted to sell me a setup but wouldnt tell me details. He just wanted to pocket some money on me. Ill bet the equipment is commercially available for other applications. $3,000 I think is what he offered the system for. At any rate, it just mounted on the scope and a lead ran over to a cam corder I guess. I want to mount it on a NightForce or perhaps one of my Leupold Mk4s

Thanks for taking the time to respond though.

 

[LouBoyd]

A video camera acts alot like the human eye when mounted behind a riflescope. To use an unmodified riflescope, the lens of the camera needs to be at the distance of the "normal" eye relief behind the scope's eyepiece , and the camera lens needs to be equivalent in diameter and f/raio to that of the human eye. You could mount a camera beside the riflescope pointed to the rear. Right behind the eyepiece would be a beamsplitter at a 45 degee angle and a mirror mounted 45 degrees to send about 50% of the light to the camera lens and camera. The only downside is you'll loose
about 25% of the eye relief since the beamspitter takes up some room.

You need to shroud the light path to the camera. It would not need to be bulky.
USB2.0 and firewire industrial cameras are tiny and moderately priced. . You can record video nicely with a notebook PC with minimal additional equipment.

 

[Sludge]

I found the video that got me thinking about this. Here it is. You get a glimpse or two of the scope, but not enough to tell components. Or at least not enough for me to tell.

YouTube - 1000 Yards Antelope Hunting - Long Range Shooting

 

[FEENIX]

This a DIY rig of some sort ...

YouTube - Rifle scope video camera fitting

I kinda like the Elcan as LouBoyd suggested ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfRWsd2czdU&feature=search

 

[Sludge]

Thanks for the response. Those arent exactly what I want, but I do find them to be interesting solutions.

 

[kiwi3006]

Check some of their other videos. I think I can remember it looking something like a mirror sitting at 45 degrees to the eyepiece. Might have been one way glass so the shooter could still see through it.

Stu.

 

[Sludge]

Check some of their other videos. I think I can remember it looking something like a mirror sitting at 45 degrees to the eyepiece. Might have been one way glass so the shooter could still see through it.

Stu.

Thanks! I will try to find all of their vids and look for that. If so, then the LouBoyd was was dead on about spliting the light from the scope to feed both the eye and the camera.

 

[Sludge]

I saw the other video. The device seems purpose made. I bet it does work on that principle of having the glass on 45 degree angle and splitting the light as LouBoyd said earlier.

Here is the video in question for those interested.

YouTube - 830 Yards Elk Hunting - Long Range Shooting

You can see the device at 1:05 in the video.

Now the question is ... where to find it LOL

 

[CS T]

Regarding the Elcan DigitalHunter video, towards the end of the video, at 2:46, we hit the "Turkey" steel at 440 yards using a holdover shot, so it can record a decent length shot with a fairly simple setup.

Here's is a thread on Long-Range Hunting with more info:

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f18/digitalhunter-video-54508/

We just sold a couple of them last week and we have more in-stock ready to ship out.

Thanks,

Mike @ CST