Out of focus shots

[Steve Valentine]

Hi there,

Just wondered if anyone is having a problem getting pin sharp pictures whilst digiscoping? I use a Nikon CP4500 and a Leica APO Televid 77 with a 20x eye peice. I have taken many shots which although they seem in focus to me when looking at the screen (i also use a sunshade that has a x2 magnifier in it to help with focusing), when I look at the final shot, the bird is sometimes just out of focus and the focus point seems to be just behind the bird - is it the camera, the scope or me!?!? Any one any ideas please? Thanks - Steve

[digi-birder]

Hello Steve, and on behalf of Admin and all the Moderators, welcome to Bird Forum.

You have arrived at the correct place to have all your digiscoping queries answered. I can't consider myself an expert at digiscoping, but Andy Bright, who moderates this forum, has produced some very helpful instructions on which settings to use on your camera to get the best results.

I struggled in the same way myself with the Coolpix 995, even though most people were getting decent results. My shots with the 995 also looked OK in the camera, but on uploading them to the computer they were almost all very blurred. In the end, after reading of some focusing problems with the 995, I decided I had a faulty camera and changed to a Canon G3 with which I am getting much better results.

I am sure it is a matter of practice and taking many shots. Even the experts don't have every shot coming out perfect. Follow Andy's advice and practice, practice, practice and you will get there in the end.

Hopefully, Andy will come in and give you some more hints and tips.

[Steve Valentine]

Hi Diane!

Thanks for your reply. I've just found Andy's suggested settings for the CP4500 and will go through them to see if I've missed anything obvious.

Steve

[BirdWatcher]

If you like to use image editing software, you could try an inexpensive software program developed just for the purpose of correcting focusing problems.

The results are better than using an Unsharp mask (which itself is better than Sharpen) .. a "smoother", less grainy look, without artifacts .. but with much improved Focus .. a better overall photo.

It is also easy & quick to use and can be run stand alone or as a Plug-In for Adobe Photoshop, JASC Paint Shop Pro, and other software programs. The Installation is a snap .. it automatically installs itself into the proper directories of the programs you choose.

The editing is "What You See Is What YOu Get" and the editing window shows 2 versions of your photo .. your original alongside a duplicate photo that shows your changes as you make them. You can move a red edit box around on your original photo by dragging it with your mouse, to pinpoint several different areas of your original photo and then see the changes in the duplicate photo .. makes it faster to use if you don't have to wait for the whole photo to redraw each time you make an edit change .. and when you are satisfied, click 1 button to make your changes to the whole photo.

I don't know if we are supposed to advertise specific products on this site, so if anyone is interested in more information on this software, you can e-Mail or Private Message me at this Birding Forum. I think I paid around $30 for the software

Birdwatcher

[digi-birder]

Birdwatcher,

I think the problem that Steve and I are talking about is the sort that cannot be cured in editing programmes. I found that I was unable to salvage most of my photos in Photoshop - it was either camera shake (disproved with much testing on solid ground) or the camera was just refusing to focus on the correct spot (confirmed - to me anyway - from the many reviews and reports I read saying that Nikon cameras have a focusing problem).

Occasionally the photo would look as if it was going to be in focus, but as it was being saved to the memory I could see that it was badly out of focus. I once had someone in a hide looking on in disbelief at what was happening. He was using some cheap digicam and hand-holding it to his scope and getting fantastic results. It was at this point that I sent the camera to the Nikon service department for testing. It came back with no note of exactly what they found or what they did and it was no better. I then sold it and bought the Canon and have not looked back.

[IanF]

Steve,

I had a similar sort of problem when I first started digiscoping and still do nowadays for that matter. I don't know if it's the same problem or not. What I used to find was that if I relied on the autofocus alone, then sometimes the shots are in focus and sometimes they're not. Invariably now I use the close-up mode and line up the subject and lock focus/exposure setting by half depressing the shutter button and then refocus the shot using the scope focusing knob concentrating on the eye. I get more consistent results doing it that way. Do you have the 'Focus Confirmation' switched on ? It shows on the monitor when focus is spot on but the setting doesn't affect the photo itself. Sometimes it can be a bit annoying as it makes the monitor look a bit grainy, but on the whole I like the feature as when you have locked the focus/exposure, turning the scope focus adjustment shows on the monitor as a zone of sharpness which you can line up with the subject.

If that doesn't work then I'd guess it may be a camera problem.

[John N]

I think you may have hit upon my problem Diane. I am having trouble taking really sharp photo's with my 995,even when I am not trying to digiscope. The answer may be to change my camera. Thanks John.

Good luck with all your photo's Steve, you are certainly in the right place to get help and advice. I look forward to seeing your photo's in the future and a very warm welcome to the best bird forum on the web. Cheers John.:t:

[stevo]

Hi Steve

I have found that even when focus confirmation is showing that the image is in focus it is`nt always & even when the focus confirmation light is blinking(out of focus shot) when I look at the shot in say photoshop elements then it`s pin sharp.So what i`m saying is dont trust the confirmation lamp go with how the image looks to you.For what it`s worth I find my shots come out sharpest when the cameras in macro mode with the flower symbol lit yellow.
Regards Steve.

[christineredgate]

i have now found that a bean bag placed on the top of the scope helps,and using the eagle adaptor,not the swar one has made a difference.plus i very gingerly hold the handle on the tripod to try to keep the picture in focus.Digi scoping is very frustrating,but very rewarding when one does actually get a clear shot.it is certainly a challenge!!.
christine.

[digi-birder]

Originally posted by John N
I think you may have hit upon my problem Diane. I am having trouble taking really sharp photo's with my 995,even when I am not trying to digiscope.

Yes, John, I forgot to mention that my non-digiscoped photos were also a little fuzzy and hard to find any part of them in focus sharply.

[Doug]

I am beginning to realise my cheap Velbon tripod doesn't help. I tried the Manfrotto ones at the birdfair and was blown away. Mine vibrate too much and you have to twist the grip to lock the scope on to the bird and this action moves the scope enough to put the bird partly out of shot - very frustrating and many hundreds of blurred images to get a few not bad ones.

[digi-birder]

When we bought our scopes from In Focus we took advantage of the Velbon scope offer, but when I started digiscoping I found the same problem with the two-way locking handle. I went back to the heavy Manfrotto that we had put up in the loft.

In a very short time I decided to change to the carbon fibre Manfrotto 443 - very light but fairly stable and not back-breaking to carry. Although it is lighter it does not wobble about as much as the old one. Carbon fibre absorbs vibrations better so the effect of people moving in hides subsides quicker than with the metal tripods.

[Grousemore]

I can confirm what Diane has said about the Manfrotto 443.
On her (and other BF members') advice,I went for that model and have been very impressed.
Apart from the stability,for me,the real value is being able to walk miles with it and hardly know you are carrying it.

[Doug]

I am confused by the array of heads for the Manfrottos' - the 128RC looks to me to be not bad for digiscoping, but perhaps a bit lightweight - would I be better going for the larger 501?

[IanF]

I have the 128RC and I find I really have to tighten it down to get it to remain in position once the camera is attached. I suppose a simple solution would be to use a counter balance on the front of the scope.

A friend has the 501 and I was most impressed when he visited a couple of months back. To my mind it's a better head all round though a little weightier too.

[digi-birder]

I use the 128RC and don't have any problems with it.

[Doug]

Thanks Ian & Diane. At the moment I have gone back to hand holding the CP4500 to the scope as I was getting so frustrated not being able to find the bird with it attached to the scope and putting the camera on after locating the bird seemed slow and a lot of hassle. However with the new head I may be able to get back to using the Eagleye adaptor.

[Steve Valentine]

Thanks for all the replies to my original post - there's certainly a few things i can try to see if i can improve things. On the subject of tripods and heads - I too started out with a Slik tripod but it just wasn't stable enough and as Doud mentioned, when you tighten the grip, the bird moves out of view. I now have a Manfrotto setup - 055SSB legs with a 503 video head - heavy, but well worth it as it is very stable and now image creep at all.

Cheers,
Steve

[Draco]

I'd guess that this shot was at about 50 yards. I shot it with a Coolpix 4300 attached to a Nikon RAII scope with the eyepiece set at about 15X. It was on a good tripod, with a remote shutter release. It was very windy and I was standing in the bed of my pickup truck. I have tried to sharpen it with a couple of programs, but it is still blurry. I am hoping that you folks will tell me that it was the windy conditions and not my new camera!

[Widowmaker]

Originally posted by Draco
I'd guess that this shot was at about 50 yards. I shot it with a Coolpix 4300 attached to a Nikon RAII scope with the eyepiece set at about 15X. It was on a good tripod, with a remote shutter release. It was very windy and I was standing in the bed of my pickup truck. I have tried to sharpen it with a couple of programs, but it is still blurry. I am hoping that you folks will tell me that it was the windy conditions and not my new camera!

I would say with you standing in the bed of a truck alone would make getting a sharp shot difficult. Standing on our deck, I can pick up vibrations in the LCD when I shift my weight from one foot to the other. A better example for everyone to judge would be from solid ground, minimal wind and try to pick a single subject.

I have not been able to get a super sharp shot yet. I am using the 4500 as well. I have given up on that and am just accepting what I'm getting now. A different tripod might give me some better results but I don't think enough to get the results I was expecting. I plan on selling my whole setup soon and just going with a digital SLR or the new Sony 8 megapixel. Shot for Shot (not digiscoped), this nikon has not produced an image that can compare to my old sony so its only use to me is digiscoping. If I have to choose, I will have a camera that produces great images outside digiscoping.

[Grousemore]

Draco actually said he used a Coolpix 4300,not the 4500,which may affect your conclusions.

[IanF]

I'd say it was movemnet problems too. Do ou know what shutter speed you got the shot at ? At 15x and 50 yards provided you had full aperture you probably had a highish speed 125th/250th but even that would not be enough in windy conditions on the back of a pickup.

Widowmaker is likely right about the lack of stability. Even when I'm the sole person in a wood floored hide it is very difficult to get real stability. Firm ground shelterd from the wind is by far the best to reduce camera shake. It seems likely this was the cause.

The other thing is that the fourth from the left looks to be in focus and sharp enough. One thing in digiscoping is the very narrow depth of field even if you go to f16 or f22 you are only talking a few mm. With such large subjects as Cranes you are lucky to get one completely in focus let alone the whole flock!