First Digiscoping setup - camera and scope...ok?

[craynerd]

Hi guys,

I think i`m gonna go ahead and buy this setup , its second hand and i`m gonna pay £550 for the lot......

kyocera SL400R camera - 128mb SD
Pennine Cable release Bracket
Nikon ED78 scope + eyepiece (but unsure which eyepiece - is there a standard one?)
Adapters

=== £550

Is that a good buy? I know it has an eyepiece with it but i`m unsure what that is yet.

A few questions- are all eyepieces zoom, and when people write for example 25-75x is that the zoom capability of them ?

Regards
Chris

[kennygee]

Chris

Sounds a good deal to me.

Yes the 25-75X is the zoom magnification. Just a guess but the ED78 is often offered with the 38X eyepiece which is probably getting towards the maximum practical for digiscoping.

Cheers

Ken

[Nigel G]

Looks pretty good to me to. You might want to check whether there is an adapter included to conect camera to scope and also a tripod. Both are necessary and could be expensive extras on your budget if not included.

[craynerd]

Thanks for the thumbs up guys, i just got a bit more information...

- Yes there is definately the adaptor for the camera to the scope

- The scope is fitted with a fixed eye piece -36w

- There is no tripid so i understand i will need one..the guy is selling a Velbon (carbon) with a Monffretto head 700rc2 and wants £200 for it! Is that a good deal, or am i better getting something a little cheaper to start with or is a good tripod essential ! would u take that as well?

So basically it still stands....£550 for the cope, fixed 36w eyepiece and the camera and all adaptors.....that still a good price?

What do you think of the camera...i`ve never heard of the make before..is it good enough ?

Spending all this money i want the scope and camera to do as much as i could ever want it to do with regards to picture taking....am i spending my money wisely and getting something good quality here, its hard as i havent really heard of anything before and i`m struggling reading everything on the forums!

One thing that does concern me is the magnification i will get from the scope.... i`m sitting at lodges most of the time (as an angler) birds and wildlife that i would wish to picture are often the other side of the bank, 120-200 yards away....will i be able to get good enough pictures of these or is my distance too far. Would i need a zoom, and then i have read that extreme zoom isn`t suited to digiscoping , due to attachment mechanisms and the zoom mechanism....also quality becomes an issue. Or should i be ok at these distances?

Sorry for all the questions, only i want to make sure what i am buying will do what i expect it to do.

Chris

[kennygee]

Chris

The tripod too seems a decent buy. Most people budget about that price for a tripod as a good support is essential when digiscoping. I certainly would not go cheaper as you would probably end up replacing it once you realise the problems associated with an inferior tripod.

I don't use this camera for digiscoping, but many members have posted excellent pics (see galleries - search for camera model).

As for magnification, the 36X eyepiece with say 2X zoom on the camera gives an overall magnification of 72X so your 'apparent' distance would be about 3 metres based on 200 metres range.

Its important to realise that this is an absorbing hobby and we are all searching for that 'perfect' shot. It takes much time and patience to get consistent results but the fun is in trying.

Don't be put off by this as the sense of achievement you get when it all comes together makes it all worthwhile.

Cheers

Ken

P.S. I notice that you have come into this hobby in exactly the same way as I have - many hours spent observing while angling. If you like you could PM me and perhaps I could help more directly as I also live in Manchester.

[Nigel G]

Go for it - depending which CF tripod it is that combination would currently retail between £230 and £400. You might try offering £700-£725 for the whole lot - but yes all in its a good buy.

All you need next is plenty of patience, perserverance and a sense of humour. Good luck and look forward to seeing some pics in due course.

[Dave B Smith]

And the camera is pretty good. I have the sister camera, a Contax U4R, and they are extremely simple to use. Prices for both these have fallen lots recently due to an announcement that the company (Kyocera) was going to exit the camera market.

Good luck,

[Highway Man]

And the camera is pretty good. I have the sister camera, a Contax U4R, and they are extremely simple to use. Prices for both these have fallen lots recently due to an announcement that the company (Kyocera) was going to exit the camera market.

Good luck,

The SL400 is excellent, though the battery life is very poor. You will need an external battery pack which Pennine Cameras sell for £60 :eek!: However fear not as I have been making them for BF members for just £5!!!! PM me if interested.
By the way Kyocera are not ceasing production as yet. I emailed their sales people who said that they were looking at the market and a decision had not been made.
Here's a pic taken with my SL400 and Leica scope combo accessories are SRB Digiscoping sleeve, Velcro cable release adaptor (made by me also £5) and battery pack.

Mark

[Dave B Smith]

Mark,
Thanks for the update on Kyocera's plans. On Apr 12th they officially announced the closure of the Contax brand cameras but did not mention the Kyocera brand. Subsequent news releases from Dow Jones said Kyocera was leaving the digital camera market, but they may have just "assumed" like I did that it was all their digital cameras. In any case, there are a lot of doubts about the continuation of this line.

I like mine so much, I'm thinking of getting a spare as prices are falling pretty fast on the Contax.

[Dirk Hiemstra]

Please note that a lot of shops here in the Netherlands removed the Kyocera from the store, not sure why. I am convinced that the SL400 and U4R are wonderful good camera's for digiscoping, even better than the coolpix 995 or 4500 due to the more sophiticatd technique and I am considering buying a spare, "cheap" SL400 myself next to the U4R I own.

[elkcub]

Please note that a lot of shops here in the Netherlands removed the Kyocera from the store, not sure why. I am convinced that the SL400 and U4R are wonderful good camera's for digiscoping, even better than the coolpix 995 or 4500 due to the more sophiticatd technique and I am considering buying a spare, "cheap" SL400 myself next to the U4R I own.

Dirk,

Have you used the Miopta scope that you reviewed for digiscoping? If so, what is your opinion of it for that purpose?

Elkcub