Best cheap camera for digi-binsing?

[Gastronaut]

Anyone got any suggestions which is the best cheap camera around for taking photos through your bins (particularly Swarovskis if it makes a difference).

Cheers

[falcondude]

Anyone got any suggestions which is the best cheap camera around for taking photos through your bins (particularly Swarovskis if it makes a difference).

Cheers


I have Canon Digital Elph camera. They worked great with my binoculars. I am sure it will work for your Swaroskis as well.

[Neil]

Anyone got any suggestions which is the best cheap camera around for taking photos through your bins (particularly Swarovskis if it makes a difference).

Cheers

The Canon A590IS or the previous model the A570IS would be good value for money and work well with eyepieces with low Eye Relief.
Neil.

[Sleeper]

Would it be easier to use a camera with an internal zoom? If so it's a camera I recommend often but again it could be worth checking the Samsung NV3.

[Neil]

Would it be easier to use a camera with an internal zoom? If so it's a camera I recommend often but again it could be worth checking the Samsung NV3.

The advantage of the external lens is that it should fit snugly into the rubber eyecup and then be easier to hand hold and center. Neil.

[Sleeper]

Hi Neil
I did wonder if that was the case. I did try to use a mobile phone with bins ages ago and it did seem hard work to centre it. The thing that concerned me with ext zoom would be touching glass where damage, continuous auto shut off if lens is touched to hard etc. To be honest I have great respect for anybody who can digibin with good results as I found it bloody hard work.

[Neil]

Hi Neil
I did wonder if that was the case. I did try to use a mobile phone with bins ages ago and it did seem hard work to centre it. The thing that concerned me with ext zoom would be touching glass where damage, continuous auto shut off if lens is touched to hard etc. To be honest I have great respect for anybody who can digibin with good results as I found it bloody hard work.

Stephen,
It is hard work. I used some big elastic bands to hold the camera to the bins , but it is still better to use something to rest the setup on. Like a picnic table, window sill , rock.
Neil.

[loranfrfr]

I got some decent results with the Panasonic DMC-FS3. in the $150 range, I think, with a nice little leica lense. The most amazing thing is that the autofocus works well in my Nikon Monarch Binoculars (no reason why it would not work well with your swaro). In fact, I usually dont look at the camera screen, but look though the left eye cup at the binocular while holding the camera though the right eye cup. Also the camera has a burst mode, an ISO 1600, and two antivibration mode

Check the results on my blog (90% of my pictures are digibinned, as I don't have yet the money for a superzoom

http://huronriverbirding.blogspot.com/

Good birding