Nikon P5000

[buzzard12]

Link here to the press release for the new Nikon P5000. Will retail from end of March, cost at 329 pounds sterling. (around 489 euros)

Claims for ISO 3200 can probably be taken with a pinch of salt as regards digiscoping, however looks very interesting.

Would be interested in hearing from anyone who gets to test the model for Digiscoping...

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0702/07022006_nikonP5000.asp

[john-henry]

Link here to the press release for the new Nikon P5000. Will retail from end of March, cost at 329 pounds sterling. (around 489 euros)

Claims for ISO 3200 can probably be taken with a pinch of salt as regards digiscoping, however looks very interesting.

Would be interested in hearing from anyone who gets to test the model for Digiscoping...

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0702/07022006_nikonP5000.asp

If you're going to buy one Alan, to test out and let us know how good it is, get it via "pricerunner, co uk" there are several advertising it just below £280 ;)

Seriously, it sounds like a good camera, the main thing that concerns me is whether it's just a higher Mpix P3 - 4, (the lens and many other things are the same), and these turned out to be very hit and miss cameras.

I'm sure we will all be looking for reviews on it and post anything we come across.

Best wishes from Cornwall

John

[buzzard12]

If you're going to buy one Alan, to test out and let us know how good it is, get it via "pricerunner, co uk" there are several advertising it just below £280 ;)

Seriously, it sounds like a good camera, the main thing that concerns me is whether it's just a higher Mpix P3 - 4, (the lens and many other things are the same), and these turned out to be very hit and miss cameras.

I'm sure we will all be looking for reviews on it and post anything we come across.

Best wishes from Cornwall

John

Wondering about the battery life as well, 250 pictures is not a whole lot on a target rich day out!!
Will wait and get some feedback before taking the plunge on this one.

All the best John...

[yossi]

I think it should be a good camera for digiscoping - zoom is not too large, it supports high iso and VR and accepts external lenses.
I've already ordered one for testing, and should have it within a couple of weeks.
I'll upload a test report when I'll get it.
I don't think battery life should be an issue, as if it's found to be a suitable camera for digiscoping, one should buy a couple more batteries.

[jdlang]

It would be helpful for all of us if you could do a comparison with the p5000 to some of the other digitals out there...N2, F30, P4, A640 when you get it and try it out. I'm in the market, just about ready to buy. So I think I might hold off just a little longer.
JD

[john-henry]

I think it should be a good camera for digiscoping - zoom is not too large, it supports high iso and VR and accepts external lenses.
I've already ordered one for testing, and should have it within a couple of weeks.
I'll upload a test report when I'll get it.
I don't think battery life should be an issue, as if it's found to be a suitable camera for digiscoping, one should buy a couple more batteries.

Great news Yossi, many of us will be eagerly awaiting your report, especially as we know from your previous threads it will be totally unbiased, unlike some commercial reviews.

Best regards

John

[buzzard12]

Great news Yossi, many of us will be eagerly awaiting your report, especially as we know from your previous threads it will be totally unbiased, unlike some commercial reviews.

Best regards

John

Likewise Yossi..

Ps; Thanks John for the input...

Ps; Would you be the bearded individual I first met on Porthgwarra of open hand who first made me feel welcome as an Irish birder in Cornwall and later met so many times around Marazion, Cot Valley, Sennen and Lands End etc

[rka]

Getting a P5000 in about a month. I've seen samples at various ISO settings and am quite impressed.

ISO 100 and less - Very Good
ISO 200 - Very Good - minor graininess
ISO 400 - Good - minor colour loss; increased graininess
ISO 800 - Fair - more colour loss; graininess; but uncropped pictures very workable
ISO 1600 - Fair - very grainy; but good for ID shot
ISO 3200 - Fair - Better colour than ISO 1600; watercolour effect as opposed to graininess; actually looks useful unlike many other cameras.

Out of camera pictures are a bit soft so PP sharpening will likely be required for bird pics.

[Dougie]

Getting a P5000 in about a month. I've seen samples at various ISO settings and am quite impressed.

ISO 100 and less - Very Good
ISO 200 - Very Good - minor graininess
ISO 400 - Good - minor colour loss; increased graininess
ISO 800 - Fair - more colour loss; graininess; but uncropped pictures very workable
ISO 1600 - Fair - very grainy; but good for ID shot
ISO 3200 - Fair - Better colour than ISO 1600; watercolour effect as opposed to graininess; actually looks useful unlike many other cameras.

Out of camera pictures are a bit soft so PP sharpening will likely be required for bird pics.

Hi All
Right just picked up a Nikon P5000, just had a tinker with it straight out of the box.

I can report that for all those Leica Televid users that bought the Digital Adapter 2, as I did!! the P5000 will not fit into it :h?:

But Nikon do produce a UR-E20 adapter that has the 28mm thread on the end that fits the eagle-eye digiscoping adapter, which I also had from the days of owning a Nikon Coolpix 995. So any adapter suited to the Coolpix 990,995,4500 with the 28mm thread will probably work.

Initial thoughts are that the camera is well made, button lay-out is similar to that of the DSLR's that Nikon make, so if you use the Nikon range of DSLR's it feels familiar. Nikon have alse incorperated a hotshoe to use with their Speedlight flash system, another good move, especially if the wireless SB-800 or SU-800 can be used, need to RFM on that though!!



Glad to see a view finder on a digital camera these days, dispite the fact it is only small, much better than trying to line up a scenic shot looking at an LCD screen on a bright day.


Will try and post some digiscoped shots over the next few days.

Hope these first thoughts help

Dougie ;) ;)

[Dougie]

Hi All
Right just picked up a Nikon P5000, just had a tinker with it straight out of the box.

I can report that for all those Leica Televid users that bought the Digital Adapter 2, as I did!! the P5000 will not fit into it :h?:

But Nikon do produce a UR-E20 adapter that has the 28mm thread on the end that fits the eagle-eye digiscoping adapter, which I also had from the days of owning a Nikon Coolpix 995. So any adapter suited to the Coolpix 990,995,4500 with the 28mm thread will probably work.

Initial thoughts are that the camera is well made, button lay-out is similar to that of the DSLR's that Nikon make, so if you use the Nikon range of DSLR's it feels familiar. Nikon have alse incorperated a hotshoe to use with their Speedlight flash system, another good move, especially if the wireless SB-800 or SU-800 can be used, need to RFM on that though!!



Glad to see a view finder on a digital camera these days, dispite the fact it is only small, much better than trying to line up a scenic shot looking at an LCD screen on a bright day.


Will try and post some digiscoped shots over the next few days.

Hope these first thoughts help

Dougie ;) ;)

Hi Again
Tried some test shots today using the Nikon P5000 in conjunction with the Leica Televid 77 APO scope and 20X eye-piece.

I have attached some cropped examples of the tests to show various ASA settings and noise levels, I know there is a lot of talk over noise levels in various cameras, but I can only compare with the Leica D-Lux2 which I also own. I have to say the Nikon P5000 shows the Leica D-Lux2 a clean set of heels in the noise department even set at 800 ASA shows better results than the D-Lux2 set at its maximum 400 ASA

Apologies for the slight vignetting in the original test attachment, that was my fault, zoom was set at default or as it is when you first switch the camera on, as ever the zoom needs to be set at about 1X's to avoid vignetting.
Camera setup was macro, aperture priorty and pretty much standard mode for the ASA test shots.

I have used the custom settings of which there are plenty Portrait, More Vivid, Vivid, Softer, Normal, B&W, Custom.
In custom mode you can alter contrast, Image Sharpness, and Saturation, I found using this custom settings most usful for obtaining best results, settings are as follows

Contrast +2 High
Image Sharpening +1 Medium High
Saturation +1 Enhanced

Sort of has that Fuji Velvia punch to the picture in these settings, but might be a little too much for birding shots, but made old Micky Mouse subject stand out.

I have posted Original picture then crops of 64, 400, 800, 1600 ASA examples, I am only allowed to post 5 pictures so will update whenever I can

Oh just remembered the SU-800 wireless flash controller doesn't work on this camera, SB-800 Speedlight works fine, but SB-800 Speedlight is bigger than the camera!!! and sort of looked stupid, so maybe the SB-400 would be the way to go. :brains:

Thanks Dougie

[jdlang]

I had the opportunity to try the P5000 in a store. I thought the pictures were good through glass to the outside of the store (they wouldn't let me take it outside) and I had no vignetting problems with only a slight zoom, so had room to zoom in and out if I wanted. Because it was a store and this camera is just out, they did not want me to "hog" the camera so unfortunately I did not try it out for long.

The one thing I did not like is that the button that takes the picture (I know it must have a name!) was hard to push. I have tried some cameras that easily took a picture and was easier to handhold without shake.

The camera does have aperature and shutter settings and a manual mode. I also has a viewfinder.

My impression is that it will definitely be a good digiscope camera. I urge some of the people that post regularly on this site to try one out. I still haven't been able to try the F30, so can't compare. I know people like the burst mode and I didn't see one on the Nikon.

I'm still waiting to make decisions on the "best" digiscope camera for me. As I stated in an earlier post, I am dabbling with the Olympus 720SW that I just happened to have since I bought it for underwater photos for Hawaii. I'm getting better with it, but it really is not the best camera for digiscoping since it doesn't have any settings (aperature, shutter or manual modes). It really does take practice and see my improvement.

Thanks for all the input in your posts. You really make a difference for new digiscopers just starting out.

JD

[john-henry]

Hi Again
Tried some test shots today using the Nikon P5000 in conjunction with the Leica Televid 77 APO scope and 20X eye-piece.

I have attached some cropped examples of the tests to show various ASA settings and noise levels, I know there is a lot of talk over noise levels in various cameras, but I can only compare with the Leica D-Lux2 which I also own. I have to say the Nikon P5000 shows the Leica D-Lux2 a clean set of heels in the noise department even set at 800 ASA shows better results than the D-Lux2 set at its maximum 400 ASA

Apologies for the slight vignetting in the original test attachment, that was my fault, zoom was set at default or as it is when you first switch the camera on, as ever the zoom needs to be set at about 1X's to avoid vignetting.
Camera setup was macro, aperture priorty and pretty much standard mode for the ASA test shots.

I have used the custom settings of which there are plenty Portrait, More Vivid, Vivid, Softer, Normal, B&W, Custom.
In custom mode you can alter contrast, Image Sharpness, and Saturation, I found using this custom settings most usful for obtaining best results, settings are as follows

Contrast +2 High
Image Sharpening +1 Medium High
Saturation +1 Enhanced

Sort of has that Fuji Velvia punch to the picture in these settings, but might be a little too much for birding shots, but made old Micky Mouse subject stand out.

I have posted Original picture then crops of 64, 400, 800, 1600 ASA examples, I am only allowed to post 5 pictures so will update whenever I can

Oh just remembered the SU-800 wireless flash controller doesn't work on this camera, SB-800 Speedlight works fine, but SB-800 Speedlight is bigger than the camera!!! and sort of looked stupid, so maybe the SB-400 would be the way to go. :brains:

Thanks Dougie

Thanks for your useful info Dougie, many of us are waiting for opinions on the p5000, as it seems to hold a lot of good digiscoping features.

Iso seems OK, any opinions on lens sharpness and speed of focus please, also according to its specs it has a burst rate of 0.8 fps this seems a bit slow and I'm wondering if this is a typo error and it should be 1.8 fps, the same as the P3.

Thanks again

John

[yossi]

The results of the hi-iso noise levels test is very good. At 1600, it's very easy to get rid of the noise by software.
I should get mine in a few days, and can't wait...
Thanks Dougie for sharing.

[Dougie]

Thanks for your useful info Dougie, many of us are waiting for opinions on the p5000, as it seems to hold a lot of good digiscoping features.

Iso seems OK, any opinions on lens sharpness and speed of focus please, also according to its specs it has a burst rate of 0.8 fps this seems a bit slow and I'm wondering if this is a typo error and it should be 1.8 fps, the same as the P3.

Thanks again

John

Not a typo it is indeed 0.8 fps yes a bit slow cosidering the camera does not shot in TIFF, RAW or NEFF.
As for sharpness seems OK to me, but just about to go out and try digiscoping in the field with the P5000 so might post some results later if I get anything.
Must say that I am impressed by the transfer rate that the camera uploads images to my PC via USB cable even using USB 1
Only things I'd wish to see added to the camera for the moment are:-

Electronic cable release port (something better than the hit and miss one used for CP995 -CP4500)
Manual Focusing
NEFF or RAW file shooting mode
WI-FI file transfer
External DC power connection

Other than the above that would be nice features for the camera if added, I am so far happy with it.
I will try and report back on battery life today, the battery has had a couple of carge cycles now and should give me a true reflection on how long it lasts when left on.

Catch you all later Dougie

[john-henry]

Not a typo it is indeed 0.8 fps yes a bit slow cosidering the camera does not shot in TIFF, RAW or NEFF.
As for sharpness seems OK to me, but just about to go out and try digiscoping in the field with the P5000 so might post some results later if I get anything.
Must say that I am impressed by the transfer rate that the camera uploads images to my PC via USB cable even using USB 1
Only things I'd wish to see added to the camera for the moment are:-

Electronic cable release port (something better than the hit and miss one used for CP995 -CP4500)
Manual Focusing
NEFF or RAW file shooting mode
WI-FI file transfer
External DC power connection

Other than the above that would be nice features for the camera if added, I am so far happy with it.
I will try and report back on battery life today, the battery has had a couple of carge cycles now and should give me a true reflection on how long it lasts when left on.

Catch you all later Dougie


Thanks Dougie,
It certainly pays to hear about a camera from someone who's go it, one review site says it has got manual focus and another that it has a DC-in port, you don't really know where you are with them unless they do a full review of something.
Look forward to hearing how you got on today.

Regards

John

[Dougie]

Thanks Dougie,
It certainly pays to hear about a camera from someone who's go it, one review site says it has got manual focus and another that it has a DC-in port, you don't really know where you are with them unless they do a full review of something.
Look forward to hearing how you got on today.

Regards

John

Hi Again
In answer to the question on manual focus, I have looked through the instruction manual and no mention of being able to manual focus, what you can do is is manually select which focusing sensor you wish to use, i.e. if the subject you wish to be in focus is off to the left of the framed picture then you can manually select left focusing sensor to ensure the subject is in focus.

As for the external DC port, there is a small rubber flap, that when lifted reveals the side of the battery, I am assuming now!!, but I think the AC adapter kit which is available has some sort of dummy battery that you put into the camera, and the rubber flap is lifted to allow the cable from the AC adapter to run into the camera. There is no other external plugging point for DC power as with the Coolpix 995, 4500.
But having said that the battery power on this camera is exceptionally good, so in all honesty I would think a couple of spare batteries would be more than enough for a days shooting.

It was quite interesting yesterday whilst taking pictures with the P5000, the light was very bright actually too bright light was very harsh, but there is an interesting feature when reviewing photos with the camera, you get the usual histogram and EXIF details, but also the camera highlights the area of the picture that is not exposed correctly, as was the case with many of the shots yesterday. Tried some shots of Shell Ducks the usual problem with harsh light, all the detail of the white areas of the bird burnt out, which was quite annoying, as the rest of the subject was spot on and tac sharp

I have attached a picture of the Shell Duck please excuse the burnt out white bits, as I said light was very harsh, I was using the custom settings as mentioned in previous post, still at the experimenting stages, thought it would be a good example for those wanting to see how sharp the image is. Also pictures of Heron from yesterday.

Thanks Dougie

[Feathered one]

Thank you Dougie for helping us decide about getting the P5000

The pictures you showed in your post. Can you confirm that they were straight from the camera, with no post sharpening.

Also I read in a report that the P5000 has bracketing, can you confirm that this is correct please.

Malc

[john-henry]

Hi Again
In answer to the question on manual focus, I have looked through the instruction manual and no mention of being able to manual focus, what you can do is is manually select which focusing sensor you wish to use, i.e. if the subject you wish to be in focus is off to the left of the framed picture then you can manually select left focusing sensor to ensure the subject is in focus.

As for the external DC port, there is a small rubber flap, that when lifted reveals the side of the battery, I am assuming now!!, but I think the AC adapter kit which is available has some sort of dummy battery that you put into the camera, and the rubber flap is lifted to allow the cable from the AC adapter to run into the camera. There is no other external plugging point for DC power as with the Coolpix 995, 4500.
But having said that the battery power on this camera is exceptionally good, so in all honesty I would think a couple of spare batteries would be more than enough for a days shooting.

It was quite interesting yesterday whilst taking pictures with the P5000, the light was very bright actually too bright light was very harsh, but there is an interesting feature when reviewing photos with the camera, you get the usual histogram and EXIF details, but also the camera highlights the area of the picture that is not exposed correctly, as was the case with many of the shots yesterday. Tried some shots of Shell Ducks the usual problem with harsh light, all the detail of the white areas of the bird burnt out, which was quite annoying, as the rest of the subject was spot on and tac sharp

I have attached a picture of the Shell Duck please excuse the burnt out white bits, as I said light was very harsh, I was using the custom settings as mentioned in previous post, still at the experimenting stages, thought it would be a good example for those wanting to see how sharp the image is. Also pictures of Heron from yesterday.

Thanks Dougie

Thanks for the info again Dougie.

You need to use some -EV compensation to stop highlights being blown in strong sunlight -2/3 to -1 in many cases, you might be able to use the cameras 'D' lighting to then lighten the under-exposed bits, if not this can be done in Photoshop etc.

What ISO were you using and were you on 10mpix best quality please.
Sorry for so many questions but really interested in this camera.

Thanks again

John

[Feathered one]

John

The exif info on the first picture shows 200 ISO the second 100 ISO and third 64 ISO but doesn't give away the Quality info.


Malc

[john-henry]

John

The exif info on the first picture shows 200 ISO the second 100 ISO and third 64 ISO but doesn't give away the Quality info.


Malc

Thanks Malc, looking promising isn't it, I'm very tempted to get one, nearly broke into the piggy bank tonight ;)

Regards

John

[Dougie]

John

The exif info on the first picture shows 200 ISO the second 100 ISO and third 64 ISO but doesn't give away the Quality info.


Malc

Hi All
Right I'll try and answer in order, "feathered friend", the pictures are straight out of the camera I have cropped them slightly, only to get them posted on here, limited to size you can post on BF, there has been no sharpening or post processing.

And yes the P5000 comes with bracketing feature 3 options (+-1.0) (+-0.7) (+-0.3) if bracketing is on the camera takes 3 shots normal, under, over exposed

All pictures taken at full 10mp fine mode.

John-Henry EV compensation is available on the camera +2.0 to -2.0 in 1/3rd increments, this feature according to the instructions is available in all modes except manual mode.
Obviously it is early days, so just finding my way round the camera, And ISO is as Feathered Friend has pointed out first picture 200 ISO the second 100 ISO and third 64 ISO.

Hope this info helps?

[horukuru]

hio dougie,

are you using the eagle-eye adapter with the P5000 ?

[Neil]

Dougie,
Nice to see some field experience with the new P5000. It looks to me that that the pics are about 1 stop over-exposed, which is surprising if using Spot Area Focusing with link to exposure. I also was worried about the 0.8 frames/second as this is a bit low for tracking moving birds at high magnifications. How did you find in on the duck? Neil.

[Dougie]

hio dougie,

are you using the eagle-eye adapter with the P5000 ?


Dear Horukuru
Yes I am using the Eagle-Eye adapter, but to connect it to the camera you need the Nikon UR-E20 adapter. Got mine from Ebay cost about £17 including P&P from Japan seller is "ace_of_bicycle2004" he has others in stock.
To be frank here, I find the Eagle-Eye adapter a bit fiddly, so looking to get a different one that is sold over here by "In Focus" its called a Focus DA1 this adapter is a push on type no tightening screws, they are made especially for each type of scope, so they line up centerally every time.

Word of warning here, I have found that you need to zoom camera lens out further to avoid vignetting with the zoom eye-peice, about 2-3 times on the camera, with the fixed eye-piece's, (I have 20X and 32X) camera only needs zooming out about 1x, please note that I am using a Leica Televid 77, this may vary with different scope manufacturers. Personal opinion here but I think fixed eye piece's are better than zooms for digiscoping.

John-Henry you mentioned D-lighting, now I had a session of RFM last night and had a play with this feature, and yes it does work, made a dark image quite acceptable, but in my opinion it was at the expence of adding some colour noise, which I suppose Neat Image would have sorted if I had a copy of it!!.

Neil Yes 0.8fps is slow can't understand why it is so slow, this is the only area that my D-Lux2 shines over the P5000.
Was trying to auto bracket the Shell Duck and by the 3rd exposure the duck had moved out of the frame :-C
Just hope that Nikon can speed things up with a firmware tweek.

One of the features I do like, is the panoramic feature where you can stitch several shots together, when you take a shot with the camera in panoramic mode it leaves a ghost image of the right hand side of the previous shot on LCD screen so you can line up for next shot and so on, saves guessing were the overlap needs to be.

All in all bar the slow continuous frame rate, not a bad little camera so far, as ever there will be something you wish the camera had but it hasn't. I look back at the CP995 I used a few years ago, slow start up, shutter lag, battery life was non exsistant, oh and that wonderful electronic shutter release, lost countless pictures with that hit and miss accessory!! and back then everyone thought they were the dogs dangly bits.

As for the P5000 I think it has the potential to be a good digiscoping camera, no doubt in a few weeks there will be websites telling us what the best settings to use when digiscoping with the P5000 as there are countless sites indicating the settings for previous Nikon models CP995, CP4500

More than happy to answer any other questions. Thanks Dougie

[Bob Thompson]

I would be interested to know if anybody has used the P5000 with the Swarovski 80HD scope and 20-60x or 30x or 45x eyepiece

Thanks

Bob

[rka]

I would be interested to know if anybody has used the P5000 with the Swarovski 80HD scope and 20-60x or 30x or 45x eyepiece

Thanks

Bob

I'll be testing this combination in 2 weeks.

[jdlang]

I've been trying to find out from (the lack of) reviews if you can use the zoom while shooting a movie. Does anyone know if you can zoom in and out? Most of the cameras do not support using the zoom at the same time.

JD

[Dougie]

I've been trying to find out from (the lack of) reviews if you can use the zoom while shooting a movie. Does anyone know if you can zoom in and out? Most of the cameras do not support using the zoom at the same time.

JD

Dear JD
Yes you can zoom in and out whilst using movie mode.

Hope this helps Dougie

[iporali]

Word of warning here, I have found that you need to zoom camera lens out further to avoid vignetting with the zoom eye-peice, about 2-3 times on the camera, with the fixed eye-piece's, (I have 20X and 32X) camera only needs zooming out about 1x, please note that I am using a Leica Televid 77, this may vary with different scope manufacturers.

Dougie,

Thank you very much for your informative reports about one of the most interesting digiscoping cameras at the moment. :t:

I totally agree with you on vignetting with the zoom eyepieces, but I am a little puzzled with your experiences with fixed EPs, because when I briefly tested the P5000 with a Nikon eyepiece (30xDS), *I think* I was able to use the entire zoom range. The fixed Leica eyepieces should cover the whole FOV at 36mm and the eye-relief of the 20/32x Leica should be at least as good as the 30x Nikon's. At correct distance the circular black frames should have sharp edges. If vignetting is fuzzy (like in one of your test pics), the camera is either too far or too close. Maybe the Nikon and Eagle-Eye adapter tubes would need even more ER? If you are planning to get a new adapter, you might want to test the tube adapter (DA1?) against an "adjustable" adapter (like the SRB Griturn), which might help you to get totally rid of vignetting.

Best regards,

Ilkka

[ody]

Link here to the press release for the new Nikon P5000. Will retail from end of March, cost at 329 pounds sterling. (around 489 euros)

Claims for ISO 3200 can probably be taken with a pinch of salt as regards digiscoping, however looks very interesting.

Would be interested in hearing from anyone who gets to test the model for Digiscoping...

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0702/07022006_nikonP5000.asp

I found the camera by www.pixmania.com with 350 Euros.

[PYRTLE]

Costing £19.99, this screws and fits nicely over the lens, once the bracket is removed and then creates a 28mm thread for use with the Swarovski DCA, KOWA DA1 and no doubt many other adap[ters from the CP 4500 days.

Also of course for the NIKON FSB 6 if fitting to a fieldscope

[Robert L Jarvis]

The camera really looks the thing for digiscoping, bit concerned though about the slow burst rate to catch moving subjects. In addition it strikes me that a remote release would be needed at this slow rate rather than using the finger.

[ajp310]

Can anyone confirm that the screen does not adjust to brighter/darker if you are in shutter or aperture priority mode?
I was trying this camera out today, and was not able to see the "real" image until the photo was actually taken. I hope this is something that I have overlooked, and not in the camera itself.
If I am changing the shutter speed or lens aperture, I would want to visually see what the camera sees before I commit to the shot.

Thanks for anyone's input on this...

Alan

[Dougie]

Can anyone confirm that the screen does not adjust to brighter/darker if you are in shutter or aperture priority mode?
I was trying this camera out today, and was not able to see the "real" image until the photo was actually taken. I hope this is something that I have overlooked, and not in the camera itself.
If I am changing the shutter speed or lens aperture, I would want to visually see what the camera sees before I commit to the shot.

Thanks for anyone's input on this...

Alan

Alan
The image on the LCD screen will darken and lighten if you alter the EV +- in Program, Aperture,, and Shutter Priority to show the effect of the adjustments, other than that in normal mode the screen will remain the same as the camera will automatically compensate the shutter speed for the variation of aperture in Aperture mode, same with aperture in shutter priority.

Hope this help Cheers Dougie

[ajp310]

Alan
The image on the LCD screen will darken and lighten if you alter the EV +- in Program, Aperture,, and Shutter Priority to show the effect of the adjustments, other than that in normal mode the screen will remain the same as the camera will automatically compensate the shutter speed for the variation of aperture in Aperture mode, same with aperture in shutter priority.

Hope this help Cheers Dougie


Thanks, Dougie...I'll have another look...

Alan

[yossi]

I've received my P5000 today, and had a short and quick test with it at home in the evening. Hopefully over the weekend I'll have more time to play with it.
I'll start with the bottom line - It's very good for digiscoping and other uses!
It works with my three old accessory lenses - the TC-E3ED, WC-E63 and amazingly - with the fisheye converter - FC-E8 and zoom through it!
I've connected it to the Leica Apo 62 scope and the x20-60 Zoom EP (x16-48 on this scope).
Vignetting ends at an equivalent focal length of ~75mm, and from there on, there's no vignetting. This is at middle zoom range of the lens, which allows a lot of flexibility.
I shot at ISO100 only. The image is not clean like of the D200 at this iso setting, but not too far. There's a bit chroma noise that can be eliminated with any noise reduction program.
Focusing at home in the evening was relatively fast. Writing the file at long exposures took a long time (I guess due to noise reduction prcess in the camera).
I've triggered the camera with a small adapter cable release that connects to the tripod socket.
Buying the UR-E20 adapter is almost a must and I was lucky to find one locally.
So far, I feel like "coming home" to the old CP990 and CP4500 and I'm happy!
Attached is a sample shot taken at maximal camera zoom and minimal scope EP zoom (~2000mm combined). Exposure time was close to 2 sec.!
More to come later.

[rka]

I would be interested to know if anybody has used the P5000 with the Swarovski 80HD scope and 20-60x or 30x or 45x eyepiece

Thanks

Bob

Started testing P5000 w Swaro AT80HD and Locking 20-60 Eyepiece.

So far, in poor light, very acceptable results. I can only compare with Coolpix 990 and Pentax 43wr. Much higher % of in focus keepers. Much faster A/F. Acceptable results for ID right up to ISO3200.

Will compare in good light tomorrow.

Initial opinion - Will be excellent for digiscoping.

[Mark Harper]

Have just spent this morning trying out the P5000 with a Swarovski ATS 80HD telescope with a 30x fixed lens and am most impressed. It would seem to be a significant improvement over the Coolpix 4500 I used previously. In particular there is very little chromatic aberration and the autofocusing is fast and sharp. One slight quibble I have is the delay between depressing the shutter and the photo being taken, which makes it difficult to keep ducks, etc in the centre of the picture.

I have attached a couple of shots I took that have not been edited other than cropping and resizing.

[rka]

Did several tests with the P5000 and Swaro AT80HD in good light. I shot with Aperture priority and varied ISO from 64 to 400.

Summary:

Generally good results
Over exposes by default. There is a need to set to -0.3 or -0.7.
Some chromatic abberation
At times AF hunts more than expected
Screen difficult to see in bright light so ideally some sort of screen shade may be useful in Caribbean light.
Higher % of keepers when compared to CP990 and 43WR ... BUT ... I find that CP990 pictures are better for uncropped pictures ... the colour, sharpness etc ... out of camera are all a little better. However, the P5000 is a far superior digiscoping camera for bird ID shots due to ISO, AF speed etc.

I haven't done any PP on my shots as yet and it is possible the P5000 has been designed with the assumption that more will be done out of the camera when compared to CP990.

Overall I'm very pleased.

I also tested with TC-E3ED, TC-E2 teleconverters and WC-E63 and FC-E8 wide angle lenses.

Very good results with TC-E3ED and FC-E8 with very minor degradation in sharpness.
Excellent results with TC-E2 and WC-63. Nothing here to niggle about.

Forgot to mention that the standard 4x Digital zoom works well for distant ID shots so with TC-E3ED, you can get 3.5*3*4*.7 = 30x reach when compared to binoculars (note .7 factor). Not high quality but good enough for ID.

Overall - Excellent general purpose camera with useful accessory lenses that can be had pretty cheaply (but buy quickly since the prices have started to rise on the CP accessories). Good for digiscoping. In time, as I understand the camera better, I expect this to change to Very Good.

[revs45]

just ordered a FSB-6 bracket from ace of bicycle so looks like i'll be "upgrading" (?) to the P5000 from my P4.
i've been following this story since upgrading from my 60mm Fieldscope III ED to a ED82 for digiscoping and had been wondering what Nikon was up to in regards to next-generation digiscoping cameras.
i know i lot of people are down on the P4 but it's the only digiscoping camera i have ever known and have nothing else to compare it against.
i have some misgivings about the slower shutter speed (than P4) but hope it will be a better camera overall.
anyways, i'll do some field testing comparing the two cameras as soon as i get the FSB-6 bracket.
oh, the EN-EL5 batteries are the same as for the P4 so the four that i presently own will work for the P5000 as well (that's a good thing).
on the whole they are good batteries, we use 2gb SD cards and they will hold their charge till the finish no problem (typically upwards to 380 shots per session).
i have noticed that they don't last as long during cold weather conditions but they do recharge pretty fast.

[mark_s]

just ordered a FSB-6 bracket from ace of bicycle so looks like i'll be "upgrading" (?) to the P5000 from my P4.
i've been following this story since upgrading from my 60mm Fieldscope III ED to a ED82 for digiscoping and had been wondering what Nikon was up to in regards to next-generation digiscoping cameras.

I've just ordered the P5000 and ED82 (my first ever scope) but am having trouble locating an FSB-6 seller on the internet in the EU. I guess it's so new it'll just take a while till the bracket becomes more readily available. I also ordered the UR-E20 adapter for the P5000, so I'm hoping that is going to help me somehow connect the camera to the scope by some other means till I can get an FSB-6.

[revs45]

I've just ordered the P5000 and ED82 (my first ever scope) but am having trouble locating an FSB-6 seller on the internet in the EU. I guess it's so new it'll just take a while till the bracket becomes more readily available. I also ordered the UR-E20 adapter for the P5000, so I'm hoping that is going to help me somehow connect the camera to the scope by some other means till I can get an FSB-6.

i had to do a lot of searching before i found one for sale.
check ebay for the Japanese seller "ace_of_bicycle2004".
it's not cheap though...

[IanF]

I'm a convert :t:

I received mine yesterday and gave it a go today - despite the cloud cover and cold winds.

I'm quite impressed with the detailed gained considering no cable release was used and light levels were a lot lower that I prefer.

My only gripe is the sensor noise. ISO64 and ISO100 are fine but ISO200 and up are grainy - though to be fair this maybe less of an issue in better conditions.

I'll be using it with the Swarovski ATS 80 HD with which the 30x seems to give better results than the 20-60x due to less vignetting from the eyepeice.

[revs45]

I'm a convert :t:

I received mine yesterday and gave it a go today - despite the cloud cover and cold winds.

I'm quite impressed with the detailed gained considering no cable release was used and light levels were a lot lower that I prefer.

My only gripe is the sensor noise. ISO64 and ISO100 are fine but ISO200 and up are grainy - though to be fair this maybe less of an issue in better conditions.

I'll be using it with the Swarovski ATS 80 HD with which the 30x seems to give better results than the 20-60x due to less vignetting from the eyepeice.

those pics are very inspiring :cool:

[Paul Jarvis]

Nice shots Ian, I see what you mean about having better light and faster shutter speeds.

[mark_s]

Great pictures Ian! What ISO setting(s) did you use for these?

[mark_s]

i had to do a lot of searching before i found one for sale.
check ebay for the Japanese seller "ace_of_bicycle2004".
it's not cheap though...

Thanks for the info, Revs. I've just sent an email to Nikon support asking when the FSB-6 will be available over here.

[IanF]

Great pictures Ian! What ISO setting(s) did you use for these?

They're all ISO100+filtered using PictureCooler. I binned the ones at higher settings.

I'd like to give ISO64 a go, but the shutter speed was just too low in the conditions today.

[revs45]

well, traded in my old 60mm scope for a new P5000 today and on first impression, it looks like fun.
i never used VR on my P4 but i think i will leave it on the new camera for now.

i'll let you know how it scopes once i get my bracket.

[Neil]

Ian,
These results look promising. I'm disappointed if the noise levels aren't acceptable at iso 200 as this is the main gripe I have with the 8400. When you get some good light run the zoom out to 60x and give it a test.Neil.

[rka]

Did more testing in excessive sunlight. Set EV to -0.3. Set aperture to f 4.x. The shutter speed was surprisingly slow 1/30 - 1/100 where I would have expected much higher given blazing sunlight.

The camera is very much a mixed bag. I'm going to try full manual on my next outing and force higher shutter speeds with similar aperture.

[Feathered one]

RKA

What ISO was the camera set on ?

Malc

[rka]

The ISO was 100. I've done more testing and overall my fndings compared to CP990 are:

1) Better more accurate focus
2) Slower shutter speeds for similar aperture
3) More good - very good shots
4) Fewer excellent shots

If no 2) could be addressed via firmware upgrade this would be one of the best digiscoping cameras out there for someone that doesn't need to have 'perfect' pictures. For digiscoping though, I would recommend that any new buyer should seriously compare with the Fuji F31 or the Fuji F30 which may provide much better value.

For non digiscoping use, I find the camera very versatile given the range of add-on lenses available that are relatively inexpensive.

Overall I am happy with the P5000.

[JGobeil]

The ISO was 100. I've done more testing and overall my fndings compared to CP990 are:

1) Better more accurate focus
2) Slower shutter speeds for similar aperture
3) More good - very good shots
4) Fewer excellent shots

If no 2) could be addressed via firmware upgrade this would be one of the best digiscoping cameras out there for someone that doesn't need to have 'perfect' pictures. For digiscoping though, I would recommend that any new buyer should seriously compare with the Fuji F31 or the Fuji F30 which may provide much better value.

For non digiscoping use, I find the camera very versatile given the range of add-on lenses available that are relatively inexpensive.

Overall I am happy with the P5000.


Hey ! How can a camera have "Slower shutter speeds for similar aperture" given the same ISO value and the same target ? Shouldn't that be a mathematical formula equal for all cameras ?

[revs45]

it blows away my old P4 so in that regard the P5000 is an excellent camera, particularily when mated to a FSB-6 bracket.

[normjackson]

dpreview up for those interested :
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikonP5000/

[rka]

Hey ! How can a camera have "Slower shutter speeds for similar aperture" given the same ISO value and the same target ? Shouldn't that be a mathematical formula equal for all cameras ?

Don't think so. In full manual, you can set aperture, shutter and ISO independently.

[Paul Hackett]

Another review -

http://www.trustedreviews.com/digital-cameras/review/2007/05/20/Nikon-CoolPix-P5000/p1

The slow picture rate is mentioned by the reviewer, any users on this thread finding this a problem in taking the digiscoped pics, and in comparison to other camera's?

Paul

[IanF]

I've been using the camera for digiscoping using the 'burst' mode - 'a series of sequential shots' is a better description - just to get a few differing poses.

The slow focus isn't a real problem in digiscoping as it's not a speedy technique.

Image quality is far superior to the CP4500 and it's less fiddly to use as you don't need a cable release.

The only issue I have with the camera is the vignetting - with the CP4500 the 20-60x zoom was ideal - but with the P5000 you really need a wider eyepiece such as the 30x.

[Paul Hackett]

Hi Ian

Thanks for that, you are using the zoom right? how many actual clicks of the optical zoom on the camera do you have to use before you have an unvignetted screen/pic?

Is any other user on this thread using a fixed eyepeice? if so, could i ask you the same question please?

Thanks

Paul

[IanF]

Nope I'm using the 30xWA eyepiece as I couldn't zoom out the vignetting on the 20-60x. I gave the 20-60x a go the other day but binned the photos as even when zooming to reduce vignetting the shadow is still visible as well as it affecting exposure.

With the 30x you get negligible vignetting at zero camera zoom but it goes altogether at around 1/3 camera zoom - basically one zoom activation - though it's not as smooth as the CP4500. Zoom needs to exceed the macro setting for vignetting to disappear.

I'm using the Swaro ATS80HD - other scope brands with wider eyepieces would have less problems.

[StuartReeves]

In a similar vein, any comments on how the macro performance of the P5000 compares with the 4500?

Cheers,

Stuart

[revs45]

Another review -

http://www.trustedreviews.com/digital-cameras/review/2007/05/20/Nikon-CoolPix-P5000/p1

The slow picture rate is mentioned by the reviewer, any users on this thread finding this a problem in taking the digiscoped pics, and in comparison to other camera's?

Paul

i always shoot in continuous mode so the "slow rate" if you could call it that is less of an issue.
i'll say it again, really enjoying this camera.:cool:

[Paul Hackett]

Nope I'm using the 30xWA eyepiece as I couldn't zoom out the vignetting on the 20-60x. I gave the 20-60x a go the other day but binned the photos as even when zooming to reduce vignetting the shadow is still visible as well as it affecting exposure.

With the 30x you get negligible vignetting at zero camera zoom but it goes altogether at around 1/3 camera zoom - basically one zoom activation - though it's not as smooth as the CP4500. Zoom needs to exceed the macro setting for vignetting to disappear.

I'm using the Swaro ATS80HD - other scope brands with wider eyepieces would have less problems.

Thanks for that Ian, appreciate the info,

Paul

[Feathered one]

Hi Ian

Thanks for that, you are using the zoom right? how many actual clicks of the optical zoom on the camera do you have to use before you have an unvignetted screen/pic?

Is any other user on this thread using a fixed eyepeice? if so, could i ask you the same question please?

Thanks

Paul

Nikon ED82 with 30xDS eyepiece, no vignetting at all, a great camera, have not had much time to use it, but pleased with results so far.
For instance look at the pictures of the two hours I had at Pennington (Lymington) on Tuesday
http://lynandmholidays.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/p5000pics2.htm

Malc

[revs45]

Nikon ED82 with 30xDS eyepiece, no vignetting at all, a great camera, have not had much time to use it, but pleased with results so far.
For instance look at the pictures of the two hours I had at Pennington (Lymington) on Tuesday
http://lynandmholidays.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/p5000pics2.htm

Malc

i'm using the same setup and i notice that it wants to vignette when i zoom out max optical but it's so minor that it's not a bother.
i'm getting used to the zoom located on the front side of camera and i really like the thumb dial on the backside.
here's my related gallery. only now getting into the swing of this camera but i'm excited by early results.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/revs45/sets/72157600205421154/

[Neil]

[QUOTE=revs45;898544]i'm using the same setup and i notice that it wants to vignette when i zoom out max optical but it's so minor that it's not a bother.
i'm getting used to the zoom located on the front side of camera and i really like the thumb dial on the backside.
here's my related gallery. only now getting into the swing of this camera but i'm excited by early results.

These images look very good. Some of the best I've seen so far from this camera. Neil.

[john-henry]

Hi Ian

Thanks for that, you are using the zoom right? how many actual clicks of the optical zoom on the camera do you have to use before you have an unvignetted screen/pic?

Is any other user on this thread using a fixed eyepeice? if so, could i ask you the same question please?

Thanks

Paul

Paul,
On the Zeiss 80 with 20-60 zoom vignetting is minimal if you set the camera, at full zoom, so it is just short of touching the scope's eyepiece. It's seems to be one of those cameras that are better the closer it is to the eyepiece.
I find setting it up this way vignetting is cleared, through all the scopes' range at about 1/3rd camera zoom. Using the UR-E20 adapter vignetting is worse as it keeps the camera too far away from the eyepiece.

Regards

John

[Neil]

"i'm using the same setup and i notice that it wants to vignette when i zoom out max optical but it's so minor that it's not a bother."

Most digicam lenses that I've tried do not do their best work at full zoom, both quality-wise and focus-wise (of course these two are directly related ). I suspect that at full zoom there is not enough contrast for the camera to find focus , so they do a lot more "hunting" and will take the photo anyway , even though the subject may be not in focus. Most lenses work best between 1/3 - 2/3 rds zoom so you need to find/make and adapter that allows you to use this range of the lens. The wider you can use the lens the faster the camera will find focus as it has more light and contrast. Neil.

[Dougie]

For all who are using Leica Televids and the P5000, I have started a new thread on an adaptation of the FSB-6 Bracket to fit this scope

Search Forum for:

Nikon P5000, FSB-6 Bracket, Leica Televid

Thanks Dougie

[Derry]

just received my P5000 yesterday,, was really surprised at how small it was,, at first I thought my big hands was going to have a tough time handling the camera,, took about an hour with the camera and reading the book to start feeling comfortable,,

hooked it to the back of my TV85 scope using the Nikon UR-E20 adapter and shot a few photos in the clouds and rain in the manual mode and was pleased with the outcome,, certainly a big step up from my old 990 in size and performance,, even with the dim image the auto focus was not hunting much to gain focus,, also like the macro which is the same 1.6 inch distance the old 990 offered,, place your ear next to the camera while it is turned on,, can hear those little motors inside spinning inside,,

will also be using the timed release feature in the video mode on a couple projects,, can set it to take one photo from every 30 seconds to one hour,, then the camera will make that into a video to watch,,

would imagine a second battery will be purchased soon,, took an hour to charge the one with the camera,,

still waiting for my SRB cable release to arrive which will work fine on this camera and my Oly E500,,

so far so good,, going to be a fun week (if the rain stops and the clouds move on)

[g8ina]

Derry, I also heard that motor noise, but Nikon told me it's normal. Even with VR turned off, it is still partially active, so it's ready for use instantly.

I'm still waiting for a 28mm adaptor, and the only use I've managed so far is handheld. Images look a bit soft, but I'm hoping thats just hand held vibration.

Non scoping use is OK though, although I have to agree with the apparent lack of sensitivity ! Like for like against the D70, I get a good 2 or more stops available on the D70 over the P5000...

I'm trying to make a cable release holder out of bits, will report back if / when successful :)