Frustrated and In Need of Help

[snowyowl]

Awhile ago I decided that my conventional equipment was worn out and decided to invest in what I needed to start digiscoping. I wanted to do i right so I bought a CP4500, an Eagleeye Optics adapter, an X-tend-a-view viewer, an Eagleeye Optics arm and bracket. I aready had a cable release. I already had a Leica Televid 77 scope. I followed the advice given in these forums religiously. I originally set the camera up as andy advised and since then I've experimented witha variety of settings but I seem to get fairly consist crap with a very occasional picture that, after tweaking in Gimp, I like.
I'm attaching a couple of pictures from yesterday as well as what "improved" versions. All of my digiscoped shots seem soft and are out of focus. The camera works fine for other types of work as does the scope so it's me and my technique. I know that a lot of the problem is the small LCD screen and the X-tend-a view.
I need some hard critique and advice as where I'm going wrong.

[Andy Bright]

Hi Dan,
I notice some strange settings from the exif data... notably ISO400, f10.3 and 1/500 shutter speed... ISO400 on a coolpix is extremely grim and will lose you lots of detail. How about taking the f# down and you'll get acceptable shutter speeds at a lower ISO setting. 1/125 second should be good enough on a solid tripod with a cable-release.

You are also shooting at maximum camera zoom, I personally would advise against this and would suggest backing down a bit on the camera.

How far away are these birds and what eyepiece are you using? How are your shots of static/inanimate subjects at for e.g. 20m?

cheers,
Andy

[snowyowl]

To answer your questions in reverse order, the pictures taken without digiscoping are all excellent. Digiscoped pictures taken all seem a bit out of focus regardless of subject or distance. I'm using a 20 - 60x zoom set for 20x. I had been using 100 ISO but I just (the day of the pictures) switched to 400 so that I could decrease shutter speed in an effort to reduce movement either by th object or by the camera in case that were the problem. The camerazoom was at max. I've been doing it that way to allow me to get shots from further away so as not to disturb the birds. These birds were probably 40 yards away. I find that I have to go to approx. 30+% zoom to remove vignetting.
Here's a picture taken the same day of a Brown-eyed Susan and I don't think there's much wrong with it. The only thing done to it is to scale it for posting on BF>
I think that the problem is with my technique rather than equipment failure. I'll try using less camera zoom and then blowing up the result althiough I think that the enlarging will cause problems also. I'll also go back down in ISO.
I'll try any other suggestions that you care to make.
Thanks!

[yossi]

In addition to Andy's remarks, I've noticed that you have underexposed the pictures of the first set by 0.7 ev. Was this done intentially? This maybe responsible for the lower contrast and liveliness of the pictures.
There's also some purplish CA in the pictures - is it the Apo version of the scope?

[snowyowl]

In addition to Andy's remarks, I've noticed that you have underexposed the pictures of the first set by 0.7 ev. Was this done intentially? This maybe responsible for the lower contrast and liveliness of the pictures.
There's also some purplish CA in the pictures - is it the Apo version of the scope?
No, it's not the APO version.

[snowyowl]

In addition to Andy's remarks, I've noticed that you have underexposed the pictures of the first set by 0.7 ev. Was this done intentially? This maybe responsible for the lower contrast and liveliness of the pictures.
There's also some purplish CA in the pictures - is it the Apo version of the scope?
Both you and Andy are getting information from the pictures, such as exact underexposure and ISO, that I don't know how you are getting it.
I've re-set to exactly Andy's guidelines as described in another thread. We are going out today lookng for Whimbrel and we'll see how the pictures turn out.
My Gallery has some nice pictures but most suffer from the same problems. http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/4177

On a different note, I was in Jerusalem in late 1973 or early 1974 and thought it and Isreal great places with very friendly people.

[robinm]

Most photo editing software will allow you to see the EXIF data. I took the screen below from Photoshop. It comes from one of the pictures in your post.