Nikon P5100

[Neil]

The P5100 has just appeared in the shops here in Hong Kong so I trundled along to my favorite camera store to have a look at it. I bought it as it takes the same adapter as the P5000 and is basically the same camera with an updated sensor.
I just did a quick test in my apartment and the lens behaves very well with my Swarovski 30x and 45x. I use the DCA zoom on these fixed eyepieces and there is basically no vignetting from wide zoom to tele although I have to slide the adapter out a couple of mm at wide and 1 mm at tele. On the 20 - 60x zoom you need to zoom the camera lens to about half way to lose the vignetting at 20x and about the same at 60x. At 30x you lose it at around 2/3 rd zoom.
I'll post some photos tomorrow. Neil.

[JGobeil]

Neil,

Please comment on the time it takes to save photos. I was wondering if it is faster than the P5000.

Regards

[Sleeper]

Hi Neil

I am watching your opinion on this camera as I am not sure it is worth the extra over the P5000. I had a quick look at it and was surprised that they had not done anything with the slowish AF.

Really appreciate your views on this as I will be waiting for yours, and others, view on this.

[Neil]

These are the first tests from this mornings shoot using the P5100. I didn't compare it to the P5000 yet but did compare with the Canon A640.
My first impression is that AF time is similar to P5000 and camera slows down a bit more after about 3 frames as it processes the 12.1 megs.
Here is the original image straight from the camera with a cropped version and then an adjusted version of the crop. No noise that I could see at iso 64.
More tests following of various iso and against the A640. Neil

Nikon P5100 plus swarovski STS80HD scope and Sw 30x eyepiece and DCA adapter

[JGobeil]

Nice pic Neil. I was hoping that Nikon had improved the processing speed. Well I guess marketing won over common sense - easier to change the sensor than the logic and 12mpx makes nice adds to bring in first time users...

[Neil]

Here are two similar images from the Nikon P5100 and the Canon A640. The P5100 first. Neil

Nikon 5100 and Canon A640
plus Swarovski STS80HD scope and Swarovski 45x eyepiece and DCA adapter

Hong Kong,
China.
October 2007

[jacksnipe]

the first picture is good,but the second picture,the bird is nearer,but is the best.but to be honest,there is not a great difference.nice pictures,thanks.

[JGobeil]

Different color renditions but similar quality IMO

[Neil]

I ran a test of the P5100 lens from mid zoom to full zoom. The lens is equivalent to 35 - 120 mm , so on the Swarovski 45x eyepiece this equates to 45 x 120 = 5400 mm or 108x magnification. I used the Self-timer for this test. Have a look at the small print at the mid rear in the second adjusted (CS2 ) image. The distance is about 35 metres. Neil.

Nikon P5100 plus Swarovski STS80HD scope and Sw 45x eyepiece and DCA adapter

Lamma Island,
Hong Kong,
China.
October,2007

[Neil]

There were 3 White Wagtails foraging around in the dirt this morning so this really tested the cropping ability of the 12.1 meg sensor. Taken from about 20 metres with the P5100 at the edge of the Green macro zone (10.1 mm/47 mm ).Neil.

Nikon P5100 plus Swarovski STS80HD scope and Sw 45x eyepiece and DCA adapter

Lamma Island,
Hong Kong,
China.
October 2007

[erniehatt]

Nice series of trial shots there Neil, there seems to me very little difference beween the Nikon and Canon shots, I must say that the shots of the cans show excellent DOF. Do you mean a 45X eyepiece or a 45mm. Ernie

[JGobeil]

Wow ! This is performance indeed... 108X is a 5400mm lens (let's say a 1687mm lens with a 2X converter and a 20D to make it smaller :-) ...) Congradulations, Master !

Neil, what tripod and ball head are you using ?

[Neil]

Thanks Ernie. Swarovski have 3 fixed eyepieces in their current lineup - a 20x , 30x and 45x . There is a 77x too but it is a telescope 1.25 fitting. Neil.

[Karim Madoya]

Hi Neil,
One question. Does your camera's lens vary in length as you zoom in/out ie minimum to maximum zoom. I think I want to buy one after seeing your impressive digiscope photographs. Thank you.

[Neil]

Karim,
You'll be happy with the P5100. The lens extends and moves in and out with zooming but not much.
This is the adapter that gives you a 52 mm thread for you scope adapter. The Nikon one has a 28 mm thread.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lens-Adapter-Flower-Lens-Hood-for-Nikon-P5000-P5100_W0QQitemZ250175685236QQihZ015QQcategoryZ4347 9QQcmdZViewItem

Neil.

[Karim Madoya]

Neil,
I bought the camera this morning. And quickly test it this afternoon on a street lamp which about 50 meters away. I am using Kowa TSN-884 + Zoom eyepiece 20-60X. For this test my zoom is at 50X and no zooming at the camera.
Compare with my Fuji F40d, I am happy with with P5100, but anyhow please comment to inprove further.
109340

I shall look for the adapter and thank you very much for that.

Karim Madoya.

[Neil]

Karim,
Excellent test image at 50x on the zoom eyepiece.
Select Macro Mode and zoom the camera lens to the end of the Green zone (10.1 mm or 47 mm ). I shoot in this mode most of the time. I use Continuous and hold down the shutter for 3 frames at full resolution or 6 frames at 8 megs. I use Spot Metering and Spot Focus. For White or black birds I usually set Manual Exposure so as not to confuse the meter.
Good luck, Neil.

[Neil]

I took some photos at iso 400 with the P5100 as I was using the zoom eyepiece at 60x and the light levels were low. Here is the original and the Noiseware/CS2 adjusted image.
Neil

Nikon P5100 plus Swarovski STS80HD scope and Sw zoom 20 -60x and DCA adapter

Hong Kong,
China.
October 2007

[NoSpringChicken]

Oh dear Neil, you wouldn't believe how depressed you are making me by posting all those amazingly sharp images. I would be delighted with that much detail at 10 feet! You've really got this digiscoping lark sorted out now and the P5100 does seem to be a very good camera. Keep up the good work.

Ron

[Neil]

Ron,
Don't get depressed. I take a lot of images and only post the best one or ones to make a point. I take between 4 - 10 gigs of images a day and one day last week I took 18 gigs using 5 digicams and a digital videocam. I trash 90% of them. I still get a series of 20 images that are the wrong exposure or out of focus because I rushed it.
Regards, Neil.

[Karim Madoya]

Karim,
Excellent test image at 50x on the zoom eyepiece.
Select Macro Mode and zoom the camera lens to the end of the Green zone (10.1 mm or 47 mm ). I shoot in this mode most of the time. I use Continuous and hold down the shutter for 3 frames at full resolution or 6 frames at 8 megs. I use Spot Metering and Spot Focus. For White or black birds I usually set Manual Exposure so as not to confuse the meter.
Good luck, Neil.

Thank very much, Neil for advices. I am getting myself familiar with the camera now and may be trying to get some bird photos tomorrow.

Thank you again. May God bless you. Happy birding.

Karim Madoya.

[Neil]

I've been quite impressed with the AF of the P5100 which is faster than the P5000. Just enough to get one frame of a Little Ringed Plover feeding around in the mud. This is a good test for an auto focus system. It's good up to about 2/3rds zoom , but after that you have to be more careful and find something with good contrast to focus on (eg legs,ground,branch ).
These were taken at 115 mm (24.5mm ) on the zoom (max is 123 mm ). It's hard to get the AF to work at full zoom in less than perfect light.
Neil.

Nikon P5100 plus Swarovski STS80HD scope and Sw 30x eyepiece and DCA adapter.

Hong Kong,
China.
October 2007

[JGobeil]

Neil,

Very sharp pics. Congrads. How to you keep the rig stable ? What tripod and head are you using ?

Regards
Jules

[Neil]

Jules,
For my mudflat digiscoping I use a small Slik tripond at it's lowest setting with the legs spread wide and jammed into the sand ( I sit on the sand for this type of digiscoping ). I have the Manfrotto 501 Video Head with the arm turned up so that I can hold the arm and the shutter with the same hand while focusing with the other.
Neil.

[JGobeil]

Thanks for the info Neil.

[Karim Madoya]

Hi Neil,
Here are my test photos taken this morning and afternoon. Very much better this Nikon P5100 compare with the two other cameras that I have. I am very happy with this camera. Thank you very much Neil for advices.
109664 109665

109666 109667

[jason stannage]

hi karim great pics what set up did you use

[Neil]

Karim,
Excellent work. You held the detail in the white plumage of the egret very well.
Good job. Neil.

[Karim Madoya]

hi karim great pics what set up did you use
Hi,
This is my digiscoping tools:

1. Kowa Spotting scope TSN-884
2. Kowa Digital Camera adapter TSN-DA10
3. Kowa Shutter Release cable Stay TSN-DA4-RS
4. Shutter Release cable
5. Kowa 20-60X Zoom Eyepiece TE-10Z
6. Kowa Universal Camera Adapter TSN-DA4
7. Kowa Universal Mount System Short type TSN-DA3ST ( This one is not really necessary but good for balancing and add more weight to tripod which reduces vibration of digiscoping system during windy day)
8. Nikon P5100 Compact digital camera.

Here is my setup photograph with Lumix camera.
109685

Regards

Karim Madoya.

[Paul Jarvis]

Thanks for this karim I now know there is a camera that will definatly work with that set up.

[Neil]

I had a chance to test out the P5100 at distance over land yesterday when this Black Kite was very cooperative at a distance of about 150 metres. Neil

[JGobeil]

I had a chance to test out the P5100 at distance over land yesterday when this Black Kite was very cooperative at a distance of about 150 metres. Neil

Amazing ! How many X was that Neil ? It has to be a lot more than the 60X generally recognized practical limit for digiscoping.

[Neil]

Jules,
I was probably using the Swaro 45x and 87 mm in the camera lens at that time so it was 45 x 87 mm = 3915 mm or 78x magnification. The reference photo was taken at 47 mm , which is about normal vision. Neil.

[JGobeil]

Well, I'm not able to do that (yet) ! Great work Neil !

[Paul Jarvis]

Hi guys, I wonder if one you could anwer a couple of questions for me as I'm considering this gem as a new digiscoping tool.

Does the P5100 have a good battery life?

And can you save your fav settings like on the canons?

Cheers.

[Neil]

Paul,
The battery life is amongst the best I've tried. One battery will last 2/3rds of a day (without flash ). I have 3 batteries for it (it takes the same battery as the P5000 ) so I never have to worry , even on an overnight shoot.
It has two User settings for programming your preferences. It starts up with the same settings you have recorded.
The only things I miss are the Rotatable Screen ( I like to shoot low to the ground when I can and I have a straight scope ) and a fast frame rate ( the Nikon 8400 is 2.3 frames/sec up to 5 frames ). Digiscoping a Sanderling or Wagtail feeding becomes more of a challenge at 0.8 frames/sec but the faster AF than the P5000 does help here.
Good luck, Neil.

[Paul Jarvis]

Thanks for the reply Neil its looks like the way to go for a replacement.

[Neil]

Paul,
This was one of a lot of sunbird photos taken with the P5100 on my recent trip to India. It was a good test of the AF and the screen as I didn't have time to check scope focus. I tried to focus on the feet of the bird or the flower it was feeding on as the head was moving fast . This is about a 50% crop out of the camera. No other adjustments. Good light from 8 metres.
Neil

[Neil]

Had the P5100 out again early this morning to capture another grey heron photo. Neil

Nikon P5100 plus Swarovski STS80HD scope and Sw 30x eyepiece and DCA adapter

Hong Kong,
China.
November 2007

[JGobeil]

Very sharp picture Neil.

I also got a P5100. I should get the lens adapter and stepping ring today or tomorrow. I'm eager to try it and will report on the results.

Regards
Jules

[Neil]

Jules,
Thanks. Set the macro and zoom the lens to the end of the green macro zone for most efficient focusing. Too much camera zoom slows down the AF and will make it difficult to lock on to moving subjects. As you've got 12 megs to play with there's plenty of cropping room.
Have fun, Neil.

[JGobeil]

Thanks for your advice Neil. I'm looking forward to trying it on birds.

You write: "Set the macro and zoom the lens to the end of the green macro zone for most efficient focusing." Is there a way to focus at that zoom point and then move the zoom further without refocusing ? What is your procedure to take a SHARP picture at maximum zoom ? In my set-up, maximum zoom is 61.5X - 25X on the scope and 2.46X on the P5100.

From what I understood the procedure is:
Focus the scope
Move the camera zoom to the end of the digital zoom and focus
Very carefully focus the scope
Move the camera zoom to the end of the optical zoom (123mm)
Focus, then shoot
Hope for the best...

Do you use BSS ?

Thanks for your help !
Jules

[Neil]

Jules,
I very rarely digiscope at max zoom as the air quality here in Hong Kong is not clear enough for long distance photos. I have used the digital zoom for focusing and it can work if the camera screen is bright enough. I tried with the Canon G6 in sunlight today and couldn't see anything on the screen so put it back in the bag. I normally put the 45x eyepiece on the scope if I need more reach. I don't like using the camera lens
at full zoom as it's not usually at it's best there - about 4/5ths is about max I've found.

Neil.

[Anthony S]

A recent review at http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Nikonp5100/ reports that "...the P5100's performance is still severely lacking in several key areas, most noticeably in the two most important: focus and shutter lag" and concludes that it is "...certainly not a camera for snapping ... anything that moves."

So, I am wondering why Neil and others in this thread find the P5100 so suitable for digiscoping - after all, birds rarely keep still.

Of course, the P5100 has a lot going for it and I had more or less decided to buy one. But first I'd appreciate comments on the slow focus and shutter lag.

[Feathered one]

Anthony

I have the Fuji F30, Nikon P5000 and the P5100.

When I bought the P5000 the success rate of my digiscoping pictures increased by at least 3 times, much better auto focus, but there was more noise than the F30, but quite acceptable up to and including Iso 200.
I didn't find the shutter lag a problem, and certainly didn't find a problem with focus speed.
I then made up my mind to purchase another P5000 when the price went down, as I didn't want to be without a P5000 should the original ever be unrepairable.
After 6 months of course the P5100 came on the scene, and the P5000 was not much cheaper, so I bought the P5100, have only had it for about a week now,so haven't taken too many pictures with it. The focus may be a little better and slightly faster, but very little between the two cameras.

I have some large digiscoped pictures taken with all three cameras on a website.
See them here http://lynandmholidays.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/p5000pictures.htm

Malc

[nick the grief]

It's an interesting thread this one.

I think when you read these reviews you have to bear in mind that the person doing the review is probably biased one way or another. So I guess it could be that the person dong the review on the P5100 may be comparing it with his or hers DSLR. It's not a criticism it's just human nature.

I always had Olympus camera in the past and anything else was rubbish now I don't own an Olympus but have a Canon 350d & a Fuji s9600 both completely different (the canon being a DSLR for a start) but they are great for what I use them for.

Also I guess that digiscoping is such a specialised pastime what suits this could well be less than perfect for other branches of the photography hobby.

There the thoughts of a incomplete novice3:-):smoke:

[JGobeil]

It's an interesting thread this one.

I think when you read these reviews you have to bear in mind that the person doing the review is probably biased one way or another. So I guess it could be that the person dong the review on the P5100 may be comparing it with his or hers DSLR. It's not a criticism it's just human nature.

I always had Olympus camera in the past and anything else was rubbish now I don't own an Olympus but have a Canon 350d & a Fuji s9600 both completely different (the canon being a DSLR for a start) but they are great for what I use them for.

Also I guess that digiscoping is such a specialised pastime what suits this could well be less than perfect for other branches of the photography hobby.

There the thoughts of a incomplete novice3:-):smoke:

Nick,

Regarding digiscoping, a DSLR and a P&S are behaving very differently and their features cannot be compared. IMO, the main differences are the optics, the viewfinder, and the controls.

The lens of a DSLR has a large diameter while the lens of a P&S is very small. Also, the sensor of a P&S is much smaller. This makes a big difference in the amount of light gathered and needed. Also, the light path characteristics are very different and have a strong effect on vignetting and on camera-scope interfacing.

The DSLR has through-the-lens viewing that can be seen by the photographer without interference. It is diopter corrected and not affected by ambiant light level. The viewfinder of the P&S however is useless for digiscoping and the photographer must rely on the LCD screen, which is often of lesser quality than the viewfinder on a DLSR and is often difficult to see because of the sun.

The DSLR has much more sophisticated controls than the P&S. The photographer has more flexibility and the camera focuses better. The DSLR is also much faster.

For these reasons, I don't think that an experienced digiscoper's opinion on a P&S will be biased by his experiences with a DSLR. However, many will have a one brand love affair and often the less experienced photographers will swear by the camera they own.

Also, bear in mind that Neil is a P&S guy in terms of digiscoping. He has a lot of experience and he owns quite a few P&S cameras of different makes. His opinions are highly regarded.

I suggest you read the opinions of other digiscopers about this camera on this forum as well as the many interesting threads discussing the benefits of P&S and DSLRs for digiscoping.

Welcome to our group. I wish you fun and success with digiscoping.

[nick the grief]

Sorry Jules I think I misled you a tad ...I'd only had 1 cuppa so wasn't fully awake :-O

When I said about the reviews I didn't mean the ones on here ( perish the thought - you guys are far more experienced than me ) I meant the general reviews that you see on other photography sites like Dpreview etc ( although I have to admit thats usually my first port of call:t:)

Yep, I fully understand and agree with everything you said and sorry for the confusion .... lesson there, don't post till I've had two cuppa's :-O B (:B (:B (:

[JGobeil]

Sorry Jules I think I misled you a tad ...I'd only had 1 cuppa so wasn't fully awake :-O

When I said about the reviews I didn't mean the ones on here ( perish the thought - you guys are far more experienced than me ) I meant the general reviews that you see on other photography sites like Dpreview etc ( although I have to admit thats usually my first port of call:t:)

Yep, I fully understand and agree with everything you said and sorry for the confusion .... lesson there, don't post till I've had two cuppa's :-O B (:B (:B (:

Nick,

My comments also apply to general camera reviews. A review of a P&S camera for general use will be different from a review for digiscoping use.

2 quick examples:

Speed: a camera for general use has to be fast: fast to compose, fast to focus and fast to save. This is much less important for digiscoping.

Lens zoom range: for a P&S general use camera, it is nice to start from wide angle (28mm eq.) to decent zoom (6X or more). For a digiscoping camera, you don't really care for wide angle and anything more than 4X becomes difficult because of vignetting.

[Neil]

Anthony,
The P5100 is not going to be one of the great digiscoping cameras (no rotatable screen, no remote,no RAW,slow frame rate ) but you will be able to get great images with it and it is a lot easier to use than the CP4500/990 due to it's big, bright screen and much faster AF . It's AF is also faster than the P5000. The Canon G6 has faster focusing and RAW and a remote but the screen is useless in bright light (it has to be in shade to be of use ). Everything's a compromise with digiscoping. You'll find the P5100 works well with most eyepieces and comes into it's own on an angled scope. I used it on feeding Little Ringed Plovers and Stilts and the AF was fast enough to lock on . The 4500 is too slow for Little Ringed Plovers when feeding.
You won't be disappointed, Neil.

[nick the grief]

Anthony,
The P5100 is not going to be one of the great digiscoping cameras (no rotatable screen, no remote,no RAW,slow frame rate ) but you will be able to get great images with it and it is a lot easier to use than the CP4500/990 due to it's big, bright screen and much faster AF . It's AF is also faster than the P5000. The Canon G6 has faster focusing and RAW and a remote but the screen is useless in bright light (it has to be in shade to be of use ). Everything's a compromise with digiscoping. You'll find the P5100 works well with most eyepieces and comes into it's own on an angled scope. I used it on feeding Little Ringed Plovers and Stilts and the AF was fast enough to lock on . The 4500 is too slow for Little Ringed Plovers when feeding.
You won't be disappointed, Neil.

Neil,

Have you tried it against the F31d? I was sure there was a comparison somewhere but I'm damned if I can find it. (trying to narrow choices down:smoke:)

[Neil]

Neil,

Have you tried it against the F31d? I was sure there was a comparison somewhere but I'm damned if I can find it. (trying to narrow choices down:smoke:)

Nick,
Unfortunately my F31fd met with an accident and is no longer with us. In terms of a comparison the P5100 has some advantages over the Fuji. It remembers your settings which is the biggest problem I had with the F31. The Fuji was much faster up to 3 frames and had higher iso capability. It didn't have a filter thread for an adapter and it's screen is not as big and bright as the P5100s. The Fuji works extremely well with short eye relief eyepieces and was fun to use with the 20-60x zoom at all zoom levels. The iso 64 of the P5100 gives better quality than the iso100 of the F31fd and it's 12 megs v 6 megs, so more cropping room.
Here are a couple taken today with the P5100 on the Swaro 45x eyepiece.
Neil.

[nick the grief]

Thanks for than Neil, They are absolutely pin sharp !!

The Nikon is looking like a favorite at the moment. Sorry to hear about the Fuji but look on the bright side ... at least you can buy something else to replace it:t:

[NoSpringChicken]

It didn't have a filter thread for an adapter and it's screen is not as big and bright as the P5100s.
Neil. Without being too picky, is this correct? According to DP Review the F30/F31 and P5100 all have 2.5 inch wide lcd screens with 230,000 pixels. Perhaps the Nikon one just works better.

Cracking photos by the way, as usual.

Ron

[nick the grief]

Hi Neil,

I had a look at the P5100 today ...... going to have another look with my chequebook on Saturday:smoke::t:

[Neil]

Neil. Without being too picky, is this correct? According to DP Review the F30/F31 and P5100 all have 2.5 inch wide lcd screens with 230,000 pixels. Perhaps the Nikon one just works better.

Ron,
Unfortunately I can't compare at the moment as I don't have the F31fd but my feeling is the P5100 screen is easier to use in daylight as it looks brighter, but you're right about the size. Maybe the Nikon Anti-reflective coating is better. Neil.

[NoSpringChicken]

[QUOTE=NoSpringChicken;1057482]Neil. Without being too picky, is this correct? According to DP Review the F30/F31 and P5100 all have 2.5 inch wide lcd screens with 230,000 pixels. Perhaps the Nikon one just works better.

Ron,
Unfortunately I can't compare at the moment as I don't have the F31fd but my feeling is the P5100 screen is easier to use in daylight as it looks brighter, but you're right about the size. Maybe the Nikon Anti-reflective coating is better. Neil.

Neil
It could be, as I find the F30 more or less unusable in daylight, even as a point and shoot camera. I just take a guess as to whether the composition is vaguely right. That's another thing in favour of the P5100 as it has an optical viewfinder too.

Ron

[JGobeil]

Well... the optical viewfinder can't be used for digiscoping.

I solved the problem by using a loupe. It works fine and behaves just like a viewfinder. I attach it to the camera with velcro.

Be careful when buying a loupe. Some have quite high magnification which makes them useless because of pixelisation. I have a 1X and a 4X. The 4X works fine with the P5100 and is probably the maximum that can be used with its 230K px LCD - it is too much for the 118K px LCD of the Canon A95. The Hoodman 1X fits the P5100 LCD while the Peak 4X is a little bit too small but still works OK.

http://www.hoodmanusa.com/products.asp?dept=1017
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/40719-REG/Peak_PK2038_4x_Loupe.html

[NoSpringChicken]

Well... the optical viewfinder can't be used for digiscoping.
Sorry, I meant the optical viewfinder is useful if you want to use the P5100 outdoors as a point and shoot camera as well.

[nick the grief]

That is one feature my Fuji S9600 has that is really good. It has a function the magnify the centre of the view which I find really good for focusing when I use it in Macro mode - shame this isn't available on other camera's (well the ones I've looked at)

[Kalispera]

Hi all,
I have a Leica APO 62 scope with a SRB Griturn swing-away adapter.
Would the P5100 be compatible with this adapter???
Thanks.

[Neil]

Hi all,
I have a Leica APO 62 scope with a SRB Griturn swing-away adapter.
Would the P5100 be compatible with this adapter???
Thanks.

YES. Neil

[Lawts]

What settings do you all use for the P5100 (in average conditions)?

Thanks.

[Neil]

What settings do you all use for the P5100 (in average conditions)?

Thanks.

Aperture Priority 70% , Manual Exposure 30 % (usually for white birds )
Spot Metering (-0.7 comp dialled in all the time )
Spot or Center Focus - Manual
Continuous
Macro (10.1mm in the zoom range is the end of the Green Zone)
iso 100 is Default or 64 if the light is good or the subject stands still

Hopes this helps, Neil.

[nick the grief]

Well they might not be as good as you guys would take, but I'm chuffed. Having exhausted all the interesting bushes in the garden I took myself off to the local patch and had a proper go with the Nikon P5100. Unfortunately I couldn't use the tripod or my hide clamp so these are all taken using a bean bag

115528 115529 115530 115531

And the last one show the canada's in the flesh as it were with no scope attached.

Be gentle:-O:smoke:

[Mark43]

Well they might not be as good as you guys would take, but I'm chuffed. Having exhausted all the interesting bushes in the garden I took myself off to the local patch and had a proper go with the Nikon P5100. Unfortunately I couldn't use the tripod or my hide clamp so these are all taken using a bean bag

115528 115529 115530 115531

And the last one show the canada's in the flesh as it were with no scope attached.

Be gentle:-O:smoke:

Not bad Nick.Far better than my first shots with the P5100.......took over a 100 shots of an obliging Curlew in glorious sunshine and ended up binning them all.......it's a big learning curve mate and as they say.......practice makes perfect.

[harryabbott]

Is there a cable or remote available for the Nikon5100

[nick the grief]

Is there a cable or remote available for the Nikon5100

As far as I know theres only this one http://www.srb-griturn.com/cable-release-bracket-for-compact-camera-859-p.asp

but I'm sure folks will prove me wrong.

[Lawts]

The Nikon site says the UR-E20 is an accessory for the P5100.

It doesn't fit! Am I missing something?

[Feathered one]

Have you unscrewed the protective ring which is over the thread on the P5100 ?

Malc

[Lawts]

Have you unscrewed the protective ring which is over the thread on the P5100 ?

Malc

No I haven't!.

1) Purchase the UR E-20

2) Read the instructions

3) If you can't be bothered to read them, ask the Feathered One.

Cheers

[ionemosia]

I got special permission to take my P5100 Xmas present with me to the Gambia at the end of November.

I got some reasonable results though haven't experimented with all the settings yet. These were taken in Normal program using the 3s timer (with ATS65HD and x20 eyepiece). Fine if the subject isn't moving.

Iain

[Feathered one]

Fantastic pictures Iain. Well done.

Bet you were glad Father Christmas came down the chimney early ;)

Malc

[Neil]

Iain,
You must be happy with these first efforts. You're on your way.
It's worthwhile practicing with the zoom at 60x and using Infinity Focus and manually focussing the scope. You'll be amazed at what you can digiscope at around 60x magnification in good light. Definitely use the Self-timer for this though.
Good luck, Neil.

[Darren Pearce]

I am a complete novice at this and find my photos are out of focus. I am using the P5100 with Swaro ATS . I have attached my best Widgeon shot from today.

Any help gladly received

[Feathered one]

Darren

As you can see in the picture, the water behind the Widgeon is perfectly in focus, so either you didn,t have the scope focused properly, or the camera is not set up properly.

Am just off to the hospital to visit my mother who has been in over Xmas. When I get back I will list the settings I have on my P5100

Malc

[Darren Pearce]

Thanks Malc,

I would appreciate that. Hope your Mother is OK.

[Feathered one]

Hiya Darren

Back from hospital now.
Mother is 90, a good head on her, fortunatley, but arthritus in legs and foot. She fell on the quiet road outside her bungalow, putting the rubbish bag out last Sunday. She was taken in by a passing motorist, who she knew. We were out birding so couldn't be contacted. She ended up at A and E. Nothing broken, chipped the pelvic bone. Hopefully will be transfered for physio at rehab hospital very soon, with prospect of going home as soon as she can get about with a frame.

The settings for the camera

P5100

Setup Menu

Not all settings listed, only the important ones.

Brightness 5
VR On
AF assist Off
Digital Zoom Off

Shooting Menu

Image Quality Fine
Image size 12m
Optimize Image Custom…….Contrast 0……..Sharpening 0……Saturation 0
White Balance Auto
Iso 200 max, have used 400 with ok results.
Metering Spot
Continuous Continuous
Auto Bracket Off
AF area mode Manual
Auto Focus mode Full time
Flash control Off
Fixed aperture Off
Noise reduction Auto
Converter Off
Distortion Off


I don’t use more than Iso 200.
Also I don’t have any, in camera sharpening, prefer to do that in Photoshop
From tests I made, there will be more depth of field, and so therefore more chance of getting the subject in focus. By using aperture priority, and setting as high an aperture as possible, depending on the light of course. Examples of the test are on our digiscoping web pages. And also examples of pictures taken.

Web page here http://lynandmholidays.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/p5000pictures.htm

If you need anymore help don't hesitate to ask.

Malc

[Darren Pearce]

Thanks Malc,

I have programmed that lot in. I will give it a go tomorrow. I like your pics especially the Dartford Warblers.

Cheers
Darren

[Feathered one]

Yes and I was lucky to get those pictures.
Saw the Dartford in the gorse, and it eventually got nearer the top, but a dog walker appeared, did manage to get the first shot.
The bird flew on about 8 metres into another bush, again I waited till it showed well, and sure enough just as it did, another dog walker put it up, so only had the one chance again.

Malc

[Darren Pearce]

I suppose it is getting there. I am just going to have to practice.

[Feathered one]

Darren

Looking at the exif information for the picture above, you must be taking the pictures from a long way away. You have used nearly full zoom on the camera. Try to get nearer, and not so much zoom on the camera. It was taken with the "old" settings, will wait to see pictures taken with the "new" settings. The widgeon is in focus.

It will take a while to get used to, so be patient. You only have to look at, to name a few, Neil (Hong Kong) and John Henry's (Cornwall) pictures, to see what can be achieved.

Malc

[Darren Pearce]

Had another go today. A lot closer with a lot less camera zoom

[Feathered one]

You have mastered it Darren,nice picture, lets have some more.

Malc

[Lawts]

Hiya Darren

Back from hospital now.
Mother is 90, a good head on her, fortunatley, but arthritus in legs and foot. She fell on the quiet road outside her bungalow, putting the rubbish bag out last Sunday. She was taken in by a passing motorist, who she knew. We were out birding so couldn't be contacted. She ended up at A and E. Nothing broken, chipped the pelvic bone. Hopefully will be transfered for physio at rehab hospital very soon, with prospect of going home as soon as she can get about with a frame.

The settings for the camera

P5100

Setup Menu

Not all settings listed, only the important ones.

Brightness 5
VR On
AF assist Off
Digital Zoom Off

Shooting Menu

Image Quality Fine
Image size 12m
Optimize Image Custom…….Contrast 0……..Sharpening 0……Saturation 0
White Balance Auto
Iso 200 max, have used 400 with ok results.
Metering Spot
Continuous Continuous
Auto Bracket Off
AF area mode Manual
Auto Focus mode Full time
Flash control Off
Fixed aperture Off
Noise reduction Auto
Converter Off
Distortion Off


I don’t use more than Iso 200.
Also I don’t have any, in camera sharpening, prefer to do that in Photoshop
From tests I made, there will be more depth of field, and so therefore more chance of getting the subject in focus. By using aperture priority, and setting as high an aperture as possible, depending on the light of course. Examples of the test are on our digiscoping web pages. And also examples of pictures taken.

Web page here http://lynandmholidays.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/p5000pictures.htm

If you need anymore help don't hesitate to ask.

Malc

Hi Malc. Thanks for this. The bit I don't get and never really have with the three digital cameras I've owned (although results have not been bad - but could be better) is the "aperture priority, and setting as high an aperture as possible." I find everyone speeds over the bit that probably really counts. The settings are easy.

I suppose this is the danger of letting someone loose with a digital camera (me) who doesn't understand photography.

How do I know what to set it at? If I use apeture priority what do I do then, and how does this change from one set of light conditions to another?

Is it that much different from automatic? If you look at the images on Birdguides that Bob Hazell has taken with the 4500, they are very good, and he uses automatic.

Please please help me out with this aperture stuff, and also the f rating - what on earth is that?

Thanks.

[Feathered one]

Hiya Steve

Ok so the higher the aperture you set, the larger the depth of field (the distance in front and behind the subject, that is in focus).
The depth of field when digiscoping is very small, sometimes down to only about 150mm in front and behind the bird.

But the higher you set the aperture, the less light is let into the camera. The aperture is what it says, the hole in the camera, that lets the light in. Higher aperture, equals the smaller the hole.

In aperture priority, you set the aperture you want, and the camera will then adjust the shutter speed.
If it is a bright day, then you can use a high aperture, and still get a fast shutter speed.
But if you set the same high aperture on a dull day, the shutter speed will get very low, leading to blurred pictures when the subject moves, or the camera moves.

So I tend to use as high an aperture as I can, keeping an eye on what shutter speed the camera is choosing, if the speed goes too low, then decrease the aperture.

I assume by f rating you mean f number, f number is the setting of the aperture, expressed as say f1.8 in increments up to f8 and beyond in some cameras.

I am not that good at expressing what I mean in words, hope you can understand it ?

Malc

[nick the grief]

Had another go today. A lot closer with a lot less camera zoom

Hi Darren

Well done you. Better than my attempts with the P5100. I must find some slower moving Birds :-O:-O

Here's you shot after I ran it thru Paintshop Pro see what you think

119452

[Darren Pearce]

Hi Nick,

The picture scrubbed up quite nicely through Paintshop Pro. Slow moving birds are the way to go for newbies like me :-O

Darren

[Lawts]

Hiya Steve

Ok so the higher the aperture you set, the larger the depth of field (the distance in front and behind the subject, that is in focus).
The depth of field when digiscoping is very small, sometimes down to only about 150mm in front and behind the bird.

But the higher you set the aperture, the less light is let into the camera. The aperture is what it says, the hole in the camera, that lets the light in. Higher aperture, equals the smaller the hole.

In aperture priority, you set the aperture you want, and the camera will then adjust the shutter speed.
If it is a bright day, then you can use a high aperture, and still get a fast shutter speed.
But if you set the same high aperture on a dull day, the shutter speed will get very low, leading to blurred pictures when the subject moves, or the camera moves.

So I tend to use as high an aperture as I can, keeping an eye on what shutter speed the camera is choosing, if the speed goes too low, then decrease the aperture.

I assume by f rating you mean f number, f number is the setting of the aperture, expressed as say f1.8 in increments up to f8 and beyond in some cameras.

I am not that good at expressing what I mean in words, hope you can understand it ?

Malc

Thanks Malc, I'm a lot clearer after that, but...doesn't automatic do this for you?

[Lawts]

Hi Darren

Well done you. Better than my attempts with the P5100. I must find some slower moving Birds :-O:-O

Here's you shot after I ran it thru Paintshop Pro see what you think

119452

Nick, what does Paintshop Pro allow you to do? I've currently got some software that lets me add sharpness, and alter brightness/contrast etc. (Adobe I think).

Am I missing out in terms of how I might enhance my pictures? For example I've seen where people can scrub out a wire fence in front of a bird etc.

What are the choices on the market, plus costs, and what's the best relative to price?

I'm all questions at the moment but thanks to you chaps - it's valuable info!

[Feathered one]

You wrote
"Thanks Malc, I'm a lot clearer after that, but...doesn't automatic do this for you?"

Steve
One good reason not to use Auto, is that if you do, the camera will automatically choose a variable Iso setting, depending on the light. It may choose an Iso that will give more sensor noise in the picture.

Generally aperture priority will give you more control over the camera for digiscoping. And the Iso you set is not altered.

Malc

[nick the grief]

Nick, what does Paintshop Pro allow you to do? I've currently got some software that lets me add sharpness, and alter brightness/contrast etc. (Adobe I think).

Am I missing out in terms of how I might enhance my pictures? For example I've seen where people can scrub out a wire fence in front of a bird etc.

What are the choices on the market, plus costs, and what's the best relative to price?

I'm all questions at the moment but thanks to you chaps - it's valuable info!

Hi Steve,

Now your asking .. I'm new to this game as well :-O:-O

The choices seem to be PSP or Adobe Photoshop and as I used PSP at work (not for photographs) I feel more at home with it. I don't think there is a lot to choose in price Adobe PS elements is around £70 and PSP x2 ( thats thier way of saying 12!!) is about the same. If you move up to the full version of Adobe it's more of course but I have no knowledge of using it so can't comment.

As to what else it does, I use PSP to take out the "Noise" adjust the colour levels, and sharpen it up a bit for instance . Here's two shots of a Reed bunting taken today one before & the other after.

119511 119512

I guess that show it up better than I can explain and I'm sure people with more knowledge than me will be able to tell you everything I haven't found yet :D

(ps I cheated with those they were taken with my DSLR :smoke:)

[erniehatt]

Hi Steve,

Now your asking .. I'm new to this game as well :-O:-O

The choices seem to be PSP or Adobe Photoshop and as I used PSP at work (not for photographs) I feel more at home with it. I don't think there is a lot to choose in price Adobe PS elements is around £70 and PSP x2 ( thats thier way of saying 12!!) is about the same. If you move up to the full version of Adobe it's more of course but I have no knowledge of using it so can't comment.

As to what else it does, I use PSP to take out the "Noise" adjust the colour levels, and sharpen it up a bit for instance . Here's two shots of a Reed bunting taken today one before & the other after.

119511 119512

I guess that show it up better than I can explain and I'm sure people with more knowledge than me will be able to tell you everything I haven't found yet :D

(ps I cheated with those they were taken with my DSLR :smoke:)

Of course Photoshop from version 7 upto Cs3 are the best, but they cover a lot of things not needed for photography, for this you can´t go by the later versions of Elements. Ernie

[paddyenglishman]

Thanks to Neil, Malc and everyone else in this thread
for the settings on the camera.I have been following this for a while now I am new to this and obviously just finding my feet.The dial on top of the camera , What position should it be set to ? i would really like to take viewable pictures at a faster rate and i am not getting good results at the faster shutter rate that setting S seems to allow . As i have no idea what this setting is i thought it was about time i asked . I now have 13 Goldfinches sitting in my garden posing on a daily basis and it would be nice to get a couple of decent shots whilst i am off work .

Dave

[vanveen]

FYI, American photo (http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4963/camera-review-nikon-coolpix-p5100.html) has a very detailed but mixed review of the P5100.

One of the most negative points concerns focusing speed, which is quite important for digiscoping.

CNET's review (http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/digitalcameras/0,39030232,49294458,00.htm) is even more devastating in this respect:

"Speed is an issue for the P5100. The autofocus feels slow, sometimes struggling to find a subject, and not just in low light. This means moving subjects are a problem, although you could use the continuous mode and pick the best shot from a sequence. Continuous mode isn't the fastest, though, managing 0.7 frames per second at maximum quality with a SanDisk Extreme III SD card. The buffer fills up too quickly to capture a long sequence of shots."

As a prospective buyer, I was wondering whether any of you, users, shared this concern.

Olivier

PS: Sorry: I see this was already treated earlier in this thread (see Anthony's post on page 2 of this thread). But I'm not deleting the message in case people are interested in these recent reviews.

[Feathered one]

Thank you Oliver

Having only owned the Fuji F30 before purchasing the P5000 and now the P5100, all I can say is, I have many more keepers, with the Nikons, than the F30. I really don't use the continuos mode very much, as I find no problem in getting the shot I want first time.

In low light the auto focus may struggle a bit, but as Neil has mentioned before, aiming at the birds feet can improve the contrast the camera sees to enable the autofocus to lock on.

Will there ever be a perfect digiscoping camera, I doubt it. But a lot of digiscopers are getting some excellent pictures, with what is available.

Regards

Malc

Link to pictures of birds taken with the P5000 and P5100
http://lynandmholidays.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/p5000pictures.htm

[horukuru]

Thank you Oliver

Having only owned the Fuji F30 before purchasing the P5000 and now the P5100, all I can say is, I have many more keepers, with the Nikons, than the F30. I really don't use the continuos mode very much, as I find no problem in getting the shot I want first time.

In low light the auto focus may struggle a bit, but as Neil has mentioned before, aiming at the birds feet can improve the contrast the camera sees to enable the autofocus to lock on.

Will there ever be a perfect digiscoping camera, I doubt it. But a lot of digiscopers are getting some excellent pictures, with what is available.

Regards

Malc

Link to pictures of birds taken with the P5000 and P5100
http://lynandmholidays.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/p5000pictures.htm

it would be nice if the current P5100 is equipped with;

1. swivel 3 inch lcd and built in shade hehehe
2. uses ED lens like the nikon 8400

so this must be the perfect camera for digiscopers like us hahaha :-O

what ya think ?

[Neil]

Thanks to Neil, Malc and everyone else in this thread
for the settings on the camera.I have been following this for a while now I am new to this and obviously just finding my feet.The dial on top of the camera , What position should it be set to ? i would really like to take viewable pictures at a faster rate and i am not getting good results at the faster shutter rate that setting S seems to allow . As i have no idea what this setting is i thought it was about time i asked . I now have 13 Goldfinches sitting in my garden posing on a daily basis and it would be nice to get a couple of decent shots whilst i am off work .

Dave

Dave,
The S is Shutter Priority, but for digiscoping we normally use A = Aperture Priority. The enables you to keep the Aperture low (open) and therefore get higher Shutter speeds.
Unless you have bright light though the shutter speeds you can get digiscoping birds coming to feeders will not be fast enough to freeze the action. Wait for them to stop and look around or when they are on perches before they come in.
Neil.

[jason stannage]

hi neil,
ive enclosed a couple of photos with the p5100 taken on auto focus with a zoom eyepiece set at 20 x on a swarovski ats 80hd body im still strugling sligtly. hawfinch very bad light taken in lancs,cattle egret cheshire distant bird really did strugle with this one over 400 shots taken :t: will post more when out next cheers jason

[Sleeper]

Hi Pelican

Looking at your exif info I would probably say that the distance between you and the subject is the problem.

It looks like you are using a lot of the cameras zoom when in effect only the first 2-3 clicks are really going to give you a qulity image. What distance were you from the subjects?

Great Hawfinch non the less.

[jason stannage]

hi sleeper
hawfinch 30 metres +
egret 150 metres +

[Sleeper]

Hi
I would say that over this distance you have done well. Digiscoping is subject to the same limitations as any photography, namely air impurities and pollution inc heat haze.pollen,dust etc etc.

If you talk to any digiscoper they will tell you to keep the cameras zoom down and the distance to the subject as close as possible. I find anything over say 10-20m away and they are really "record shots" This is of course all dependant on the light, size of subject, technique etc.

Over the distance you mention coupled with the light you state I would say again well done.

Get the old coke can out and test your setup from 10m etc with the camera on 2 clicks of zoom and your eyepiece set at 20x. Then increase the distance and watch the results.

[jason stannage]

Hi
I would say that over this distance you have done well. Digiscoping is subject to the same limitations as any photography, namely air impurities and pollution inc heat haze.pollen,dust etc etc.

If you talk to any digiscoper they will tell you to keep the cameras zoom down and the distance to the subject as close as possible. I find anything over say 10-20m away and they are really "record shots" This is of course all dependant on the light, size of subject, technique etc.

Over the distance you mention coupled with the light you state I would say again well done.

Get the old coke can out and test your setup from 10m etc with the camera on 2 clicks of zoom and your eyepiece set at 20x. Then increase the distance and watch the results.


thanks sleeper,
will give it ago may try out the camera zoom a little more lighter will post more pics cheers jason

[Sleeper]

Yes try a few out with the zoom on the camera set just so that vignetting is not visible.

Let us know how you go.

[courtany]

I'm new to digiscoping and don't know much about it. I do have a Nikon RA111 82A WP scope and from your posts I've been reading I've decided to buy the Nikon P1500, but I don't know which adaptor I need to join the two up. Any info would be useful. The scope has a 20X60 zoom eyepiece.
Cheers Keith.

[Neil]

hi neil,
ive enclosed a couple of photos with the p5100 taken on auto focus with a zoom eyepiece set at 20 x on a swarovski ats 80hd body im still strugling sligtly. hawfinch very bad light taken in lancs,cattle egret cheshire distant bird really did strugle with this one over 400 shots taken :t: will post more when out next cheers jason

I agree with the other comments that distance and over-magnification were the problem. Also the moving,white egret will not be an easy subject to get Auto Focus on so you would be better to use Infinity Focus and manually focus the scope. The other alternative is to focus on something in front of the moving bird and let it walk into focus using Continuous Mode.
Overall they were not too bad. I also get images like this when I try for long distance digiscoping through haze (which I have often here in Hong Kong ) but sometimes it's the only image we can get.
Neil.

[Tat2dGuy]

I'm new to digiscoping and don't know much about it. I do have a Nikon RA111 82A WP scope and from your posts I've been reading I've decided to buy the Nikon P1500, but I don't know which adaptor I need to join the two up. Any info would be useful. The scope has a 20X60 zoom eyepiece.
Cheers Keith.

Does this link help? --> http://nikon.topica.ne.jp/bi_e/products/nature_c.htm

[courtany]

Thanks for the info Tat2dGuy. I've been out and bought the p5100 today I'm still fiddling with all the bits. It looks as though I need the FSB-6 to fix the two together so that's the one I'll go for. Thanks once again.
Cheers Keith

[NoSpringChicken]

It looks as though I need the FSB-6 to fix the two together so that's the one I'll go for.
I'm not sure it's quite that straight forward. Which 20/60 zoom lens do you have? It looks as if the FSB-6 will only fit straight onto the DS Spotting Scope zoom. The ordinary zoom looks as if it needs adapters to take the FSB-6 and I am not sure whether the FSA-1 and FSA-2 adapters will fit that eyepiece. It seems to depend on whether it has turn and slide eyecups (see the note under MC Fieldscope Eyepieces).

I might be wrong but it's worth checking before you buy.

Edit. Looking at the eyepieces on this page I'm not sure the FSA-1 and FSA-2 will fit the RAIII eyepieces anyway

http://nikon.topica.ne.jp/bi_e/products/nature_b.htm

Ron

[Darren Pearce]

Here are some record shots from the weekend. Both birds were distant and the Great White Egret shot was affected by sun.

I am quite pleased with them as I have only recently got the camera and know nothing about photography

[courtany]

Hello NoSpringChicken. I should have made it clear in my first info request that I do have the Nikon 20-60 x DS spotting scope zoom, but thanks for trying to save my bacon.
Cheers Keith.

[NoSpringChicken]

Hello NoSpringChicken. I should have made it clear in my first info request that I do have the Nikon 20-60 x DS spotting scope zoom, but thanks for trying to save my bacon.
Cheers Keith.
Nice one Keith. Get the FSB-6 and you are in business. Happy scoping.

Ron

[ktjensen]

Does anyone have a recommended shutter release system (mechanical and reasonable price) for the P5100? I can not seem to find any comments about one being available.

I am looking for ideas also.

[NoSpringChicken]

Does anyone have a recommended shutter release system (mechanical and reasonable price) for the P5100? I can not seem to find any comments about one being available.

I am looking for ideas also.

SRB-Griturn produce a range of them. They use the tripod mount on the bottom of the camera so rely on that not being used for anything else. The SRB-Griturn swing out adapter incorporates a shutter release bracket.

http://www.srb-griturn.com/shutter-releases-246-c.asp

Ron

[martinf]

Does anyone have a recommended shutter release system (mechanical and reasonable price) for the P5100? I can not seem to find any comments about one being available.

I am looking for ideas also.

The FSB-6 adaptor comes with one

[jason stannage]

hi guys a few more from the weekend took sleepers advice and eased of the camera zoom

[gazpic]

Has anyone tried using the Nikon 3x attachment with this camera yet?.
I wondered how it performed on closer subjects such as mobile passerine's that are maybe more approachable.

[jason stannage]

a few more, a 5 hour trip for 50 second views about 30 shots taken.

[Sleeper]

Hi PC

Which bracket do you use? Looking at some of the photos it seems you may not have the camera dead centre. It all helps for that final image.

Getting better though. And that WC Sparrow is better than 99% of the people have on here!

[jason stannage]

Hi sleeper the swarovski dca:t:

[Neil]

Hi sleeper the swarovski dca:t:

You can check centering but selecting wide zoom and checking vignetting circle with the camera on the DCA. The circle should be centered and the edge should be sharp all the way around. If not check the DCA collar to make sure it's flush with the scope end of the eyepiece. Neil.

[ste]

Hi guys,
I have just bought a P5100, it should arrive today.I have a ziess 85 with a 20/60 eyepiece. Do I need the nikon ur e20 adapter to connect to my scope or is it not that simple? Any help much appreciated.
Steve

[ste]

The nikon arrived late afternoon so off out with it tomorrow hopefully. I realised after my last post that the nikon adaptor is actually a step down which is no good at all. Managed to make a temporary adaptor for tomorrow with a couple of bits of plastic tube.
Thanks Steve

[revs45]

hello digiscopers, it's been a while and i kind of left BirdForum for a really stupid reason but would love to come back and hopefully contribute, and learn again..

i've used the P4, P5000 and now the P51000 since Oct of last year.

cheers? : )

[Feathered one]

Welcome back Revs

Having used both the P5000 and P5100, what are your observations of the two please.

Malc

[revs45]

Welcome back Revs

Having used both the P5000 and P5100, what are your observations of the two please.

Malc

it's tough to say honestly, both cameras are practically identical with the exception of added pixels.
After my first P5000 went into the ocean i picked up another one, not knowing that a couple of weeks later the P5100 would be released.
I was planning a bird photography trip to San Blas Mexico at the time and just couldn't resist upgrading, nothing worse than knowing there was a better model available, especially with all the Life birds we were going after.
So, i picked it up, noticing that they had done away with most of the cheesy chrome details (which i had previously blacked out with a felt pen to minimize chrome glare).
I did notice the added pixels at full size and appreciate that.
I have noticed than in certain light i get these weird static-like light tracers that appear on the viewfinder but don't seem to affect the actual image, never got it with the older models however.
It's just as slow as the P5000 however but it's ok, i can handle that.

[joncook]

Hi

Followed the advice on this thread and got a P5100 and FSB6 and 30x DS eyepiece for my ED82. The leaflet with the FSB6 gives a list of recommended settings mostly in agreement with those posted by Neil and Feathered One, But Nikon suggest Vibration reduction OFF while Feathered One has VR ON. Has anyone tried both? What would be the logic of turning VR off? - even on a good tripod and with a cable release there is still a fair bit of wind shake.

Thanks, Jon

[revs45]

Hi

Followed the advice on this thread and got a P5100 and FSB6 and 30x DS eyepiece for my ED82. The leaflet with the FSB6 gives a list of recommended settings mostly in agreement with those posted by Neil and Feathered One, But Nikon suggest Vibration reduction OFF while Feathered One has VR ON. Has anyone tried both? What would be the logic of turning VR off? - even on a good tripod and with a cable release there is still a fair bit of wind shake.

Thanks, Jon

i've used both VR on and off (i saw the instructions also) and have never noticed a difference.
as it is now, i have it turned off.
honestly, i don't think it makes a difference on a tripod.

[Neil]

It would be worth doing your own testing on this as magnification and support ( tripod/head) would play a big part. I can't recall any digicam doing any obvious stabilisation although they might try.
Let us know what you find. Neil.

[SteveClifton]

[QUOTE][i've used both VR on and off (i saw the instructions also) and have never noticed a difference.
as it is now, i have it turned off.
honestly, i don't think it makes a difference on a tripod.
/QUOTE]

I've used it on my Fuji F31fd, with the result that the ISO setting seemed to be bumped up to a level that made the images more noisy, in order to increase shutter speeds. It worked, but at the cost of image quality.

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said it makes no difference on a tripod. Afterall, this feature was probably designed in to prevent blurred images from less technologically minded users, such as children (many seem incapable of pressing the shutter without significantly moving the whole camera).

The Fuji, may use a different system, but I doubt it. Perhaps the reason you didn't notice any difference is because it only 'kicks in' at certain light levels.

Steve

[revs45]

regarding VR and tripod usage, came upon this today, makes sense i think -
http://www.camerahobby.com/Review-70-200mmVR.htm
"Why isn't VR compatible with tripod use? My guess (educated or not) is that the VR element is like a gyroscope that is always active in trying to repel vibrations when you have VR on. If you tend to shake in one direction, the VR element will shift the opposite direction to counteract the shake and provide a sharp image. However, on a tripod with VR on, the VR element is still active and in this current generation from Nikon, it is not yet "intelligent" enough to recognize when it is on a stable platform and when it is not, thus blurred images with VR on. So VR continues to attempt to counteract vibration and shake even when not necessary." - Edward Leong

[Glimmer]

I have the same question about comparison of P5000 and P5100...

[revs45]

I have the same question about comparison of P5000 and P5100...

i've gotten decent shots from both cameras. ( i know that doesn't help but..)
;)

[border reiver]

Have been toying with the idea of getting a P5100 to supercede my Fuji F30. I like the F30 as you can use it at higher ISO's which where I live can be a boon given how dull and grey it can be, the down side of the F30 is focusing can be a bit off at times.

I found this statement on a photography blog "The new P5100 improves on the older model by offering a 12.1 megapixel , 1/1.72-inch CCD sensor and the new EXPEED digital image processing engine for better looking images, even at faster ISO speeds"

Wondered if anyone had tested P5100 on higher ISO? Or in dull conditions?

[Neil]

Wondered if anyone had tested P5100 on higher ISO? Or in dull conditions?[/QUOTE]

It's noisy over iso 200 so I would prefer the F30 if you need more iso. The F30 is faster too.
For AF with the F30 use Macro up to 40% zoom and then switch it off. Watch the little green light, when it's steady you've got focus. Neil.

[Feathered one]

On the subject of does the VR work in a digiscoping situation. I took these two pictures today, with VR on and off, using the P5100.

The wind was not gusty, but enough to make the scope have a small vibration continually while looking through it.

The Kingfisher was hiding in the gorse at the edge of a gulley, waiting for a fish to come along. I took these pictures within about 15 seconds (the time it took to disengage VR)

Nikon P5100 on virtually full camera zoom, through a Nikon ED82 using a 30X DS eyepiece. The shutter speed and aperture, was almost identical for both pictures

Picture 1 VR on
Picture 2 VR off

Malc

[Neil]

Well done Malc. This will get the tongues wagging. I'll try and replicate this result.
Thanks, Neil.

[revs45]

it's great to see actual testing, results like that speak volumes.
i'll try and remember to do a test myself next time i'm out.

[JGobeil]

On the subject of does the VR work in a digiscoping situation. I took these two pictures today, with VR on and off, using the P5100.

The wind was not gusty, but enough to make the scope have a small vibration continually while looking through it.

Malc

Malc, I don't think that a one shot test is conclusive since so many factors can affect the results. I tried it many times and didn't see much difference. When working hand held it is definitely a plus, but on a stable tripod, I doubt it makes a big difference. Just my opinion !

[Feathered one]

A bit more information regarding my comments above on VR.

I took over 100 pictures yesterday morning down at Normandy Marsh, I always have VR on.

I did take 2 pictures, one shown in my previous post, with VR off.
All the other pictures were with VR on, and not one of them showed any sign of blurring.

The blurred picture in my post was taken at Iso 200 f7.9 1/56sec VR off
The unblurred picture was taken at Iso 200 f7.9 1/63sec

Both pictures were at 24.5mm zoom on the camera, so very close to max zoom.

Obviously at that total magnification, vibration would show at it's most.
All morning I was on the top of the sea wall, exposed to the wind.

So was this a coincidence that I should get these two blurred pictures with VR off, I don't know.
The gorse bushes were in the lee of the sea wall, and the Kingfisher was at the bottom of the gorse, out of the wind, so I don't think that is the answer.

Anyway, I am convinced enough to continue to use VR, untill we can prove otherwise.

If anyone does try this, it may be a good idea to test at the larger magnifications. and choose a time when there is a steady breeze, and you are out in the open.

Malc

Greenshank from about 30 metres VR ON

[Feathered one]

Thanks Neil, Revs and Jules.

Jules
Can you remember what amount of magnification you were using when you carried out your tests, with VR.

Malc

[The Gardener]

Has any one any experience of using a Swarovski ATS 80 HD scope with the P5100

[JGobeil]

Thanks Neil, Revs and Jules.

Jules
Can you remember what amount of magnification you were using when you carried out your tests, with VR.

Malc

Not quite the same test Malc - you mention 2 pictures in your first post but it was really 100 - a much more reliable test.

I got my P5100 just before the cold winter days and I would say I took 100-200 pictures with the PF-80ED - after that it was unfortunately too cold. I took some at all magnifications, with and without VR - not conclusive for me but maybe your results were more significative.

[Neil]

Has any one any experience of using a Swarovski ATS 80 HD scope with the P5100

Have a look at some of my recent photos -
http://www.pbase.com/neilfif11/nikon_p5100_photos

Neil

[border reiver]

Wondered if anyone had tested P5100 on higher ISO? Or in dull conditions?

It's noisy over iso 200 so I would prefer the F30 if you need more iso. The F30 is faster too.
For AF with the F30 use Macro up to 40% zoom and then switch it off. Watch the little green light, when it's steady you've got focus. Neil.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for this Neil, have never really tried Macro, on the whole F30 is good just find that it occaisionally focuses somewhere other than the subject i.e. foliage. I'll let you know how I get on once weather clears.

[reno brown]

hi, i have just purchased a p5100, i am looking for a decent scope to use it on, have been looking at the nikon ed82 or the leica apo77, does anyone have any views on using this camera with these scopes or any other descent scope.
regards
reno

[revs45]

hi, i have just purchased a p5100, i am looking for a decent scope to use it on, have been looking at the nikon ed82 or the leica apo77, does anyone have any views on using this camera with these scopes or any other descent scope.
regards
reno

ah, the age old question ;)

i've never used a Leica scope but do use an ED82 (along with P5100)..
and love it by the way.
if i was to compare the two right now flat out i'd say that the 82 sounds better than 77 on paper.
i'm not sure if certain cameras work better on different scopes but i would guess the scope that gives the most light would be preferable.

[reno brown]

have found a nikon 80mm scope for £400.00 less than the ed82, is it worth paying the extra money for the better quality glass the ed scope has if i am using it for digiscoping.

[revs45]

have found a nikon 80mm scope for £400.00 less than the ed82, is it worth paying the extra money for the better quality glass the ed scope has if i am using it for digiscoping.

always go with the best quality glass you can afford.

[The Gardener]

The photos look great. What are you attaching the camera to the scope with?

[border reiver]

have found a nikon 80mm scope for £400.00 less than the ed82, is it worth paying the extra money for the better quality glass the ed scope has if i am using it for digiscoping.

ED82 is a great value for money any folk I know that have used non ed glass scopes have been disappointed with quality of digiscoped images. Check if anyone has digiscoped with the 80mm scope.

[horukuru]

hi, i have just purchased a p5100, i am looking for a decent scope to use it on, have been looking at the nikon ed82 or the leica apo77, does anyone have any views on using this camera with these scopes or any other descent scope.
regards
reno

this is the users gallery who are using nikon fieldscope ED82 and EDIII for digiscoping ;)

revs4 gallery
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=44865

gordon hodgson gallery
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=59631

feathered one gallery
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/48729

avan gallery
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/page/10/ppuser/20314

garyT gallery
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=26922

jose carlos gallery
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/49546

mhmyers gallery
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/53869

texun gallery
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/57577

peewee gallery
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/31978


u can check my gallery too hehehe :)

[postcardcv]

have found a nikon 80mm scope for £400.00 less than the ed82, is it worth paying the extra money for the better quality glass the ed scope has if i am using it for digiscoping.

I'm assuming that you are referring to the Nikon RA III spotting scope, if so it is definitely not up to the standard of the ED 82. The ED 82 is currently one of (if not the) best value scope around, for the money you won't get anything better.

[iporali]

I tried it many times and didn't see much difference. When working hand held it is definitely a plus, but on a stable tripod, I doubt it makes a big difference. Just my opinion !

This is also my experience with my Panasonic FX01. BUT nevertheless I keep the "OIS II" -setting ON all the time ;) - as I haven't seen any drawbacks either.

I still don't quite understand how IS/VR logic could compensate 20-60x larger image shifts than it was designed for, especially if the scope is angled (45° "wrong" angle for vertical movement). The camera's motion sensors may detect a movement and try to shift the image accordingly, but unless the camera uses some sophisticated image analysis (which I doubt), it can't possibly know that eg. an apparently small image shift is actually multiplied by the scope magnification. Even with the DSLRs with sensor-IS the focal length ("power") has to be told to the camera for stabilization to work well. But as Jules said, there really is a great benefit when you hand hold the camera.

Malc, I hope you don't feel that I doubt your results - I don't. There just must be a reason why it works for you (and eg. IanF), but not for me... well, the most obvious difference is the camera - but there may easily be other differences in the tripod, head, adapter, ways of pressing the shutter etc. etc. And as I said in the beginning, I too keep IS/VR on almost all the time. :t:

Best regards,

Ilkka

[Binocularface]

Hi,

I have the P5100 on order, I have also ordered the Nikon UR-E20 Adapter. I use a Swarovski HD65 scope and currently have an adapter with 28mm thread and an adapter with 37mm thread (formally used with Kyocera SL400 and pennine adapter). Is there anyway of adapting the UR-E20 to allow be to use my spare adapter?

Regards
Tristan

[Neil]

Hi,

I have the P5100 on order, I have also ordered the Nikon UR-E20 Adapter. I use a Swarovski HD65 scope and currently have an adapter with 28mm thread and an adapter with 37mm thread (formally used with Kyocera SL400 and pennine adapter). Is there anyway of adapting the UR-E20 to allow be to use my spare adapter?

Regards
Tristan


Tristan,
You can get step-up or step-down rings to convert one to the other. It will add a bit of thickness though and the may make the vignetting much worse.
Neil.

[Binocularface]

Tristan,
You can get step-up or step-down rings to convert one to the other. It will add a bit of thickness though and the may make the vignetting much worse.
Neil.

Thanks Neil - Can you tell me what the UR-E250 will give me thread ways? Nikon seem to think it is 28mm, if this is correct I will not need a step up ring.

Regards
Tristan

[Neil]

Thanks Neil - Can you tell me what the UR-E250 will give me thread ways? Nikon seem to think it is 28mm, if this is correct I will not need a step up ring.

Regards
Tristan

Tristan,
The Nikon adapter gives you 28 mm and third party ones give you 52mm which is the one I use. Neil.

[Binocularface]

Tristan,
The Nikon adapter gives you 28 mm and third party ones give you 52mm which is the one I use. Neil.

Thanks Neil, that is excellent news!

[Binocularface]

Hi,

Will there be a reduction in image noise if the mega pixels are limited?

Regards
Tristan

[Feathered one]

Malc, I hope you don't feel that I doubt your results - I don't. There just must be a reason why it works for you (and eg. IanF), but not for me... well, the most obvious difference is the camera - but there may easily be other differences in the tripod, head, adapter, ways of pressing the shutter etc. etc. And as I said in the beginning, I too keep IS/VR on almost all the time. :t:

Best regards,

Ilkka

Ilkka
As far as I am concerned, the more we can learn from each other the better.

I couldn't believe the difference it made on those pictures I posted.

Not wanting to waste any more digiscoping time that morning, getting duff pictures, I engaged VR again, and all pictures after that had no blurring.

I may have a chance tommorrow to try it again.

As you say, there doesn't seem to be a reason why VR should work down an angled scope.

Cheers

Malc

[revs45]

i went out scoping today after work and what-do-you-know, i got to thinking about this thread and decided to turn VR back on to see if i could tell the difference.
after i got back i checked the shots over in general and overall, everything looked good, the sequence i took of a Varied Thrush in less than forgiving conditions turned out as well as can be so that was good enough to sway me.
i'll keep VR on again, can't hurt i guess.
;)

[Feathered one]

I also went out this cold and frosty morning.

Tried the VR on and then off again.
Not so much wind today, but I still think it shows a difference.

The difference is shown most with high magnification, and slow shutter speed, as one would expect.

To illustrate it more, I have put the first test, and now todays, on one of our web pages.

Click the link here, then click on the link to the VR test

See what you think
http://lynandmholidays.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/p5000pictures.htm

Malc

[Binocularface]

Hi,

I took the P5100 out yesterday and took my first digiscoped pics with it. I am very, very, very impressed with it. I find it very easy to use and was getting pretty good results even when shooting on IS0 400/800. Bear in mind that I am not comparing this to the P5000 as my previous cameras have been the CP4500 and the Kyocera SL400!

I love this camera, will post my efforts later!

Regards
Tristan

[Lawts]

Hi what's this, and what does it do?

Thanks.

[Binocularface]

Hi what's this, and what does it do?

Thanks.

Vibration Reduction - It reduced effects of camera shake.

[buzzard12]

Can anyone tell me the beat adaptor to attach the 5100 to a Leica Televid scope, tried a few enquiries in the adaptors section, but no joy there....
Really tempted to take the plunge and get the nikon to use in tandem with my Canon A95, which i still love..

[Kalispera]

Hi Buzzard, The adapter I have with the P5100 and Leica APO62 scope is the SRB Griturn swing-away, and it does work fine.

[Binocularface]

Can anyone tell me the beat adaptor to attach the 5100 to a Leica Televid scope, tried a few enquiries in the adaptors section, but no joy there....
Really tempted to take the plunge and get the nikon to use in tandem with my Canon A95, which i still love..

I would suggest the Nikon UR-E250 with a 28mm thread Eage-eye adapter.

[dafi]

Evening every one. This is an excellent thread and I have been fascinated watching it grow. Today I sold a scope and am about convinced to take the plunge and replace my old Kodak 6230 with a 5100. Truth is I’m drooling at the prospect really. I would like to know about a couple of things tho. First off is battery life. I see back in the thread that a battery will last about 2/3 of a day so I plan to have a spare. Are they affected by the cold as badly as rechargeable AA’S? Is there a manufacturer that anyone prefers or are EN-EL5s much the same all over? My other question is about SD cards. How many shots can I expect to get on a 1gig and 2gig card and is there any point in paying £30 when I see cards advertised on amazon for a tenner
Cheers for now
Daf.

[postcardcv]

I would suggest the Nikon UR-E250 with a 28mm thread Eage-eye adapter.

I think this is the way to go too. I got a P5100 at the weekend and am using it with a tube adapter, it works very nicely indeed. I tried the SRB swing adapter and was not very impressed. I've not tried the P5100 on the Leica adapter, but it's a nice adapter if the camera fits.

Daf - from what I can see you get ~170 shots on a 1gb card, so it's probably worth having a couple of them. I've not used it enough to comment on the battery life, but it seems fine.

[NoSpringChicken]

I think this is the way to go too. I got a P5100 at the weekend and am using it with a tube adapter, it works very nicely indeed. I tried the SRB swing adapter and was not very impressed.

How easy is it to focus using the screen on the P5100? I changed to a swing away adapter with my Fuji F30 as I was having problems determining whether the scope was focused or not from the LCD screen. I don't know if the Nikon's screen is better than the Fuji's. If it is, I would consider changing to the P5100 as I think tube type adapters are more compact and should hold their alignment better.

Ron

[Binocularface]

How easy is it to focus using the screen on the P5100? I changed to a swing away adapter with my Fuji F30 as I was having problems determining whether the scope was focused or not from the LCD screen. I don't know if the Nikon's screen is better than the Fuji's. If it is, I would consider changing to the P5100 as I think tube type adapters are more compact and should hold their alignment better.

Ron

I cannot comment in comparison with the F30, but the P5100 screen is excellent and easy to assess focus.

[Binocularface]

I would like to know about a couple of things tho. First off is battery life. I see back in the thread that a battery will last about 2/3 of a day so I plan to have a spare. Are they affected by the cold as badly as rechargeable AA’S? Is there a manufacturer that anyone prefers or are EN-EL5s much the same all over? My other question is about SD cards. How many shots can I expect to get on a 1gig and 2gig card and is there any point in paying £30 when I see cards advertised on amazon for a tenner
Cheers for now
Daf.

As previously quoted, the batterylife is really good. The battery does not seem to be dramatically effected by the cold like other types can be. I have just purchased a couple of EN-EL5's priced at £7 each from Hong Kong, I will let you know how these stand up to the Nikon's own!
As for SD cards, I have got a mixture of brands all bought fairly cheaply (all under a tenner, 1gb, 2gb & 4gb) they all seem to work very well. I would just suggest that you make sure they are of a decent write speed before you buy!

HTH
Regards
Tristan

[dafi]

That all sounds good to me. Cheers for the info.

[buzzard12]

I would suggest the Nikon UR-E250 with a 28mm thread Eage-eye adapter.

Thanks very much for the help, much appreciated, sounds like just the ticket....

[birdsofvirginia]

I recently posted my initial digicoped attempts with the Canon Powershot S5 IS. Although the mechanics of attaching to the Kowa 823 using the DA-1 adapter and Canon's lens adapter with step-up ring was surprisingly a quick and easy process, after several field trials testing multiple settings, I came to the conclusion that image quality was certainly not on par with my old Nikon CP990 and 4500. It was very disappointing considering how well the Powershot S5 IS handles as a straight point-and-shoot with very impressive images.

Several years ago I switched over to DSLR but fall back on digiscoping for those too distant birds. However, my old CP990 was beginning to fail and, let's face it, once you own a DSLR you get spoiled very quickly and the older CP models were SOoooo slow recording the image.

Recently the ol' digiscoping bug was beginning to itch again and after reading the posts on the CP5100 and since I already had the Kowa adaptor and 28mm ring, I bit the bullet and purchased the Nikon CP5100. Ordered it yesterday, along with Nikon's adapter, and it was delivered by FedEx this morning. I dashed home on my lunch hour and was able to quick charge the battery enough to give it a try with my Kowa scope.

First, this is a small, lightweight camera, smaller than the CP 990/4500 series, but I found it relatively easy to operate the buttons. Even with the adapters attached the camera easily slipped into the pocket of my trousers. :t:

The camera fired right up and without reading the manual, I was able to quickly locate the "macro" button, change a few other settings and begin snapping images.

I have not had a chance to upload the test images to my computer but they certainly look promissing viewing on the LCD screen, noticeably more so than those digiscoped with the Canon Powershot S5 IS. I will post a few results tonight.

Brenda

[postcardcv]

I gave my P5100 a first proper test today, I'm impressed with it. It's very easy to use, the screen is great (a real step up from the 4500) and the IQ seems nice too. Now I just need to spend more time using it.

[rob lee]

Hi Peter, dont mean to hijack this thread but as i have a Shoveler pic very similar to yours that i took last week (possibly the same place), I thought it would make an interesting comparison. Taken with a 7.2 mp Sony P200, sadly no longer available & all the recent models now seem to have a smaller sensor.

[kimandsue]

I gave my P5100 a first proper test today, I'm impressed with it. It's very easy to use, the screen is great (a real step up from the 4500) and the IQ seems nice too. Now I just need to spend more time using it.

These are pretty impressive! and make my first attempts with my new P5100 look dire! :C Are you using the same settings as discussed earlier in this thread?
Look forward to seeing your future pics once you've had some practise!
Regards Kim

[kingfisher]

Hi All,

Really enjoying the thread, I am thinking of going for the Nikon P5100, before I take the plunge, does anyone know which adapter works best for the Swaro ATS 80. Also as the Nikon has VR has anone tried it without the use of an adapter.

Cheers guys.

[paddyenglishman]

i am enjoying this thread as well. it has been full of useful advice re this camera . i bought a P5100 as my first digiscoping camera because of this thread back in November Thanks .
I don't get chance to use it properly as i am stuck indoors most of the time.Today was a decent day over here so i got chance to try out some of the recommendations .
I am pleased with it , i have no prior photography knowledge other than what you lot have posted in here .
The one thing i am having problems with is viewing the screen , i bought a screen hood and i think it is as useful at a chocolate ashtray , today i have had to put my excessively large coat hood over the camera just so i can see whats going on .Any advice here? the hood i bought is a Jenis one , its probably a cheap copy of a brand name .i got it one ebay . It fits the screen ok but as my scope is angled up it doesnt seem to help .Am i doing something wrong ?
Anyway these are todays favorite shots , Not brilliant compared to others i ve seen in here ,but i'm trying

[ostling41]

Anyway these are todays favorite shots , Not brilliant compared to others i ve seen in here ,but i'm trying

Not bad. I think your images could be improved a lot by bumping up the contrast, and increasing the sharpening. This can be done with your camera settings, or in an image editor (I usually need nothing more than iPhoto).

You don't know how lucky you are, to be in Kerry. I relish the seafood chowders served in the pubs there.

[Neil]

The one thing i am having problems with is viewing the screen , i bought a screen hood and i think it is as useful at a chocolate ashtray , today i have had to put my excessively large coat hood over the camera just so i can see whats going on .Any advice here?

None of the screens are very good when you have lot's of sunshine about but the P5100's screen is better than most. Try keeping the sun behind you if it's early or late in the day. If it's middle of the day ( not a good time for digiscoping usually ) stand under a tree or similar. You can also use an umbrella. Locate and focus on bird with scope , mount camera and then put up umbrella for viewing screen. You can also throw a towel over you head. Don't worry too much about what you look like. Neil.

[revs45]

The one thing i am having problems with is viewing the screen , i bought a screen hood and i think it is as useful at a chocolate ashtray , today i have had to put my excessively large coat hood over the camera just so i can see whats going on .Any advice here?

None of the screens are very good when you have lot's of sunshine about but the P5100's screen is better than most. Try keeping the sun behind you if it's early or late in the day. If it's middle of the day ( not a good time for digiscoping usually ) stand under a tree or similar. You can also use an umbrella. Locate and focus on bird with scope , mount camera and then put up umbrella for viewing screen. You can also throw a towel over you head. Don't worry too much about what you look like. Neil.

i wear a baseball cap and typically wear it so low on my head sometimes that you can't see my eyes, sometimes i will adjust the brim of the cap and wear the cap sideways all in an effort to block out the sun.
i find when the bird is in view i don't care at all what i look like ;)

[postcardcv]

These are pretty impressive! and make my first attempts with my new P5100 look dire! :C Are you using the same settings as discussed earlier in this thread?
Look forward to seeing your future pics once you've had some practise!
Regards Kim

Cheers, I was quite happy with them, it's certainly a nice camera to use. I'm not sure how my settings compare to others on the thread, but I started out using the following:

white balance - auto
ISO - auto upto 200
metering - center weighted
continuous shooting
auto bracketing - off
AF area - center
AF mode - single AF
AF assist - off
flash - off
VR - off

hope that helps.

Really enjoying the thread, I am thinking of going for the Nikon P5100, before I take the plunge, does anyone know which adapter works best for the Swaro ATS 80. Also as the Nikon has VR has anone tried it without the use of an adapter.

I use mine with an ATS65 and use a tube type adapter - the Swarovski DCA would be ideal, you'd need to use the UR-E20 to attach it to the camera.

[birdsofvirginia]

Weather cleared yesterday and I headed out to further test my new P5100 with Kowa Prominar 823 w/32 wide angle eyepiece.

I think the attached images show how well this camera handles distant birds in bright light and breezy conditions. Bottom line, the results were impressive, considering subject was approximately 210 yards away!

(Side Note: Major problem I had was determining focus using the lcd panel. For my old Nikon 990 & 4500 I used an Extend-a-Mount Wing II system that attached to camera using tripod thread and then added the Extend-a-View LCD viewer. This is a great setup that even provides a shutter release cable bracket.

The US-based company, Photosolve (www.photosolve.com), now offers Xtend-a-Mount Omni accessory bracket that screws into the tripod thread. You can then add the Extend-a-View Pro LCD viewer without using velcro. Product info states it will fit most digital cameras and I plan to contact them to verify this will work with the P5100.)

Info on the image of Osprey:

Distance to subject: 210 yards (measured using laser finder)
Scope: Kowa Prominar 823 (angled) w/32x WA

Macro setting: on
Focal Length: 10 mm
Vibration Reduction (VR): on
F-stop: F/4.3
Exposure Time: 1/636 sec.
ISO: 100
White balance: Auto
Metering Mode: Partial
Exposure Program: Aperture Priority
Exposure Compensation: -0.3 step



Brenda Tekin
www.birdsofvirginia.com

[buzzard12]

Another question, my last.....!

Is there a cable release system available for the 5100? I know the 4500 had a great electronic cable release, is a simular system available for the 5100? Failing that, what is the situation with manual brackets and cables?

[hansw]

Another question, my last.....!

Is there a cable release system available for the 5100? I know the 4500 had a great electronic cable release, is a simular system available for the 5100? Failing that, what is the situation with manual brackets and cables?

Nikon has the FSB-6 bracket including mechanical remote release. Can't tell you of how well this works, as Nikon seems to have difficulty delivering my bracket and other accessories in order to mount my p5100 to the ed82...

http://www.ave.nikon.co.jp/bi_e/products/nature_c.htm#d2

[paddyenglishman]

this thread covers cable releases As i said previously i made mine and to be honest i think i saved little money in making it .
Dave

[jason stannage]

hi neil still enjoying the thread some more pics as promised starting to enjoy the camera all pics taken on auto taken with a swarovski 80 hd scope set on the 20x zoom eyepiece

[jason stannage]

a couple of more here.

got to admit i really do love the video mode.

[Feathered one]

Nice Pictures Pelican
Your hooked now.

Malc

[nick the grief]

Another question, my last.....!

Is there a cable release system available for the 5100? I know the 4500 had a great electronic cable release, is a simular system available for the 5100? Failing that, what is the situation with manual brackets and cables?

I've got one of these & it works OK

Bracket (http://www.srb-griturn.com/cable-release-bracket-for-compact-digital-camera-angled-1215-p.asp)

[horukuru]

Nikon has the FSB-6 bracket including mechanical remote release. Can't tell you of how well this works, as Nikon seems to have difficulty delivering my bracket and other accessories in order to mount my p5100 to the ed82...

http://www.ave.nikon.co.jp/bi_e/products/nature_c.htm#d2

hio hansw,

welcome to birdforum :t:

by the way, u can check from this website as the owner works in japan now and i've found out he sells the fsb-6 together with the cable release too :)

http://shashinki.com/shop/nikon-fieldscope-fsb6-digital-camera-bracket-coolpix-p5000-p5100-p-845.html?manufacturers_id=11

[Lawts]

Cheers, I was quite happy with them, it's certainly a nice camera to use. I'm not sure how my settings compare to others on the thread, but I started out using the following:

white balance - auto
ISO - auto upto 200
metering - center weighted
continuous shooting
auto bracketing - off
AF area - center
AF mode - single AF
AF assist - off
flash - off
VR - off

hope that helps.



I use mine with an ATS65 and use a tube type adapter - the Swarovski DCA would be ideal, you'd need to use the UR-E20 to attach it to the camera.

Great pics. What actual mode/setting do you use it on?

I've hit a mental block now where I'm relatively happy with the shots I'm getting on auto, and as I usually have limited time for birding, and am usually chasing some rarity, I find I just shoot in auto and am probably limiting my results, (notwithstanding that some are very pleasing).


How do I take the next step, and do you need to keep fiddling with the settings if the light and distance alter from one bird to the next?


Is there a setting that is better than auto but that you can keep it on - hence I'm a snapper not a photographer. my problem is I need someone to explain what the f setting and aperture settings is all about.

Thanks.

[Neil]

hi neil still enjoying the thread some more pics as promised starting to enjoy the camera all pics taken on auto taken with a swarovski 80 hd scope set on the 20x zoom eyepiece

Nice images. The third image looks about right for this camera. Nice detail in the feathers. Neil.

[Darren Pearce]

I have had the camera for about 2 months. Before this I have never really bothered with photography. Now I'm hooked. For ease of use you cannot go wrong with this camera.

Here are some from the weekend

[Neil]

I have had the camera for about 2 months. Before this I have never really bothered with photography. Now I'm hooked. For ease of use you cannot go wrong with this camera.

Here are some from the weekend

Darren,
I should have warned you in red about the addictive nature of digiscoping. I've been addicted for 10 years now.
The owl image is very nice. Well composed.
Neil.

[postcardcv]

Great pics. What actual mode/setting do you use it on?

I've hit a mental block now where I'm relatively happy with the shots I'm getting on auto, and as I usually have limited time for birding, and am usually chasing some rarity, I find I just shoot in auto and am probably limiting my results, (notwithstanding that some are very pleasing).


How do I take the next step, and do you need to keep fiddling with the settings if the light and distance alter from one bird to the next?


Is there a setting that is better than auto but that you can keep it on - hence I'm a snapper not a photographer. my problem is I need someone to explain what the f setting and aperture settings is all about.

Thanks.

Shooting in A is a good starting place, the lower the f number the wider the aperture of the lens, so more light gets through and the shutter speed is faster. In A it's best to start with the aperture set wide open (lowest f number you can get at a given point on the zoom) as this should keep your shutter speeds nice and high. If you start getting really good shutter speeds (1/500th or faster) then reduce the aperture by uping the f number (refered to as stopping down). Most lenses are sharper when stopped down a bit, so it's worth doing this if you can. If you use the camera in P then it will control both aperture and shutter speed, the camera will stop down when light allows (however as it doesn't account for the extra magification of digiscoping it may do so at too low a shutter speed). Try using A, it is fairly straight forward and apart from the aperture the camera still does it all for you!

[Kalispera]

Hi all, Is it possible to use the Nikon FSB-6 adapter with a Nikon P5100 digital camera - AND a Leica 62 APO scope, with the x26 fixed lense or the x16-x48 zoom lense. Thanks.

[postcardcv]

Hi all, Is it possible to use the Nikon FSB-6 adapter with a Nikon P5100 digital camera - AND a Leica 62 APO scope, with the x26 fixed lense or the x16-x48 zoom lense. Thanks.

no - the FSB-6 is designed specifically to fit the Nikon eyepeice and will not work with the Leica ones. I guess it should work fine with the Leica adapter (though I've not been able to check this) or you could use a tube type adapter (you should be able to get one from SRB) attached via a UR-E20.

[Hatter]

Great thread, I'm interested in purchasing the P5100 but I've never tried digiscoping before.

Does anyone know how I can attach the P5100 to my Opticron ES80 scope and its HDF 20-60x lens?

o:D

[hansw]

hio hansw,

welcome to birdforum :t:

by the way, u can check from this website as the owner works in japan now and i've found out he sells the fsb-6 together with the cable release too :)

http://shashinki.com/shop/nikon-fieldscope-fsb6-digital-camera-bracket-coolpix-p5000-p5100-p-845.html?manufacturers_id=11

Thanks for the welcome and the suggestion. While I was looking at this URL, I just received confirmation from my local supplier that he had received both FSB-6 and FSA1&2. I have figured out how to connect the different bits together and will try it out tomorrow.
Hans

[postcardcv]

a few more from today, I'm quite taken with this camera...

[RedOnGray]

Hi Neil,

Do you know if the FSB-6 adaptor for the Nikon 5100 camera is available in Hong Kong?

[Neil]

Hi Neil,

Do you know if the FSB-6 adaptor for the Nikon 5100 camera is available in Hong Kong?

I haven't seen it but then I don't go looking around the photo stores on Kowloon Side that carry Nikon scopes. I'll make an enquiry of my local guy tomorrow. Neil.

[Sleeper]

Having used this camera for a little while now I am quite pleased with the results although the only two points where I personally find it a distraction is the much discussed slow focus lock and the positioning of the zoom lever. I am used to the NV3 and the SRB universal swing away adaptor and when using this bracket I find the cable release mechanism gets in the way of the zoom lever. The angled shutter release button also does not help matters.

These are only minor things but if the zoom lever was on the back of the camera like the NV3 and it had faster focus lock I would be more happy than a happy bunny!

All that said I really do wonder how much better the image can get than using this camera.

As an aside has anybody used it's macro ability, that is not attached to the scope?

[jason stannage]

spent the day down at marshside rspb. all pictures taken on auto, taken with a swarovski 80 hd scope set on the 20x zoom eyepiece.
a very distant stonechat and reed bunting were the real test of the day but totaly amazed by the pics .

[jason stannage]

this merlin was totally out of view scope views only scope set about at 35x
and this snipe showed to about 5 mtrs.

[Mark43]

spent the day down at marshside rspb. all pictures taken on auto, taken with a swarovski 80 hd scope set on the 20x zoom eyepiece.
a very distant stonechat and reed bunting were the real test of the day but totaly amazed by the pics .

Very nice shots PC.........hoping to give my P5100 a proper airing in Norfolk next week.........if my shots are half as good as yours i will be a happy man.

[Neil]

spent the day down at marshside rspb. all pictures taken on auto, taken with a swarovski 80 hd scope set on the 20x zoom eyepiece.
a very distant stonechat and reed bunting were the real test of the day but totaly amazed by the pics .

Very nice results. You must be pleased. Neil.

[Sleeper]

I am really looking forward to getting some good light to really test it's ability. I managed this in Dec time I think in some rather dullish weather with lots of cover.

[revs45]

i think where the P5100 excels for me is in the typical winterly low-light conditions we get on the west coast of Canada.
some of those tough shots are the most memorable to me.

i find though that i can't push it above ISO 100 since grain becomes too much of an issue.

i was also able to test it in the sunny blue sky conditions of San Blas Mexico in Oct of last year and it performed well so all in all i find it a versatile performer.

here's a shot i took after work yesterday in low-light.

[paddyenglishman]

It is very nice to see pictures of my old home area. Pelicans pictures of Stonechats in Marshside brings backs memories , i was raised a short walk away from this area .I wonder if our childhood den is still undercover there.
Any way i like Stonechats , they seem to be the only things that stay still enough for me to photograph . this P5100 is getting easier to use especially with the advice of this thread and i can't actually believe the detail it picks up at distance through my old Swarovski At80hd .These shots are taken at Ballybunnion Co Kerry Ireland , i went with the intention of photographing Choughs but as they were doing award winning work digging holes in the golf course i thought i would leave them to there sterling work. I went for a walk on the cliffs and took these shots .One shows the distance.

[Sidor]

Another question, my last.....!

Is there a cable release system available for the 5100? I know the 4500 had a great electronic cable release, is a simular system available for the 5100? Failing that, what is the situation with manual brackets and cables?

Although not involved a great deal with dig-scoping these days, I have been following this thread with interest and was recently tempted to buy the P5100 as a replacement to a broken Canon A95 for occasional use. Just to throw in a few points from my limited experience with this camera, mailnly from the perspective of a Kowa user.
As Neil said “The P5100 is not going to be one of the great digiscoping cameras (no rotatable screen, no remote,no RAW,slow frame rate )”, but there are some attributes of this little gem that counteract some shortfalls. The P5100 combined perfectly with the Kowa TSN-DA1 and the newer type 30x wide eyepiece (I use this on an angled Kowa 663), no vigneting throughout the zoom range of the camera and with the 28mm adapter on the TSN-DA1 the camera sits perfectly on the scope with no need to adjust distance from eyepiece. Another useful feature was the flash mounting. With very little work a Jessops generic shutter release mount can be adapted to easily slip into the flash mount, no more fiddling with screw plates on the cameras tripod mount, so access to card and battery are unimpeded. I have not had much opportunity to get out and about with the setup, but from trials through windows I am looking forward to trying it out and see some good potential here. The P5100 is certainly easy to use, focuses well through the scope, has some very useful features, is easy to setup and has the ability to retain custom settings.

[Lawts]

a few more from today, I'm quite taken with this camera...

Were the other shots of the Bittern on your blog taken with the P5100?

[postcardcv]

Were the other shots of the Bittern on your blog taken with the P5100?

no the shots on the website are with the DSLR...

[Paul Jarvis]

This has got to be the best digiscoping camera available at the moment. If you guys know me I have been using the A620 for a few years, and now I have the P5100 WOW no vignetting at last.

[RedOnGray]

I wonder if Nikon reads these postings. Since everyone agrees that the P5100 is a good digiscoping camera maybe we can make them a list of features that they can add to the next generation, P5200?. I am hoping that the new P5_00 version will have RAW and a socket for shutter release cable or a remote.

[revs45]

I wonder if Nikon reads these postings. Since everyone agrees that the P5100 is a good digiscoping camera maybe we can make them a list of features that they can add to the next generation, P5200?. I am hoping that the new P5_00 version will have RAW and a socket for shutter release cable or a remote.

yes, RAW and a built-in sun shade, something durable would be nice.
as well, remote would be cool.
maybe a special edition that comes with the FSB-6 bracket built into camera for us Nikon shooters that use the camera for nothing else but digiscoping.
camouflage finish would be awesome wouldn't it?.
nice flat finish, nothing whatsoever chrome or shiny, waterproof maybe as well?

[jason stannage]

yes, RAW and a built-in sun shade, something durable would be nice.
as well, remote would be cool.
maybe a special edition that comes with the FSB-6 bracket built into camera for us Nikon shooters that use the camera for nothing else but digiscoping.
camouflage finish would be awesome wouldn't it?.
nice flat finish, nothing whatsoever chrome or shiny, waterproof maybe as well?
and shock proof ?
sorry for not posting any more pics lately,
ive dropped my camera and damaged the zoom be about 4 -6 weeks to fix :C im well pi@@*D off.

[jason stannage]

my last pictures:t:

[Neil]

For those that want RAW and other fancy features , try and find a second hand Nikon 8400 or Fuji E900. I also like the Canon G6 with the Scopetronix Maxview eyepiece (can buy a version for most major brands of scope ).
http://www.cncsupplyinc.com/digikits.htm
You may be able to find a deal on Ebay
Neil.

[JohnMac]

I've just bought a p5100 off amazon for £180! IDEAL!! I am going to pair it up with my opticron 65 and see what happens, should be good!! On that note, does anyone know if there is an adapter for nikon to opticron? Failing that, its back to the steady hands!!

[GarnockFocus]

I've just bought a p5100 off amazon for £180! IDEAL!! I am going to pair it up with my opticron 65 and see what happens, should be good!! On that note, does anyone know if there is an adapter for nikon to opticron? Failing that, its back to the steady hands!!

Good prices on these swing out brackets, although they are waiting on stock after being sent the wrong thing, so they tell me !

http://www.cameraworld.co.uk/ViewProdDetails.asp?prod_code=PON07I000008&prod_name=Olivon%20Digiscoping%20Adapter

PS: Sherwoods are doing them for £10 more.

[JohnMac]

Thanks very much! Looks like just the thing.....

[GarnockFocus]

Here a review from Rob at Digiscope Diary.
http://www.digiscopediary.co.uk/olivon-universal.html

cheers

[NoSpringChicken]

Here a review from Rob at Digiscope Diary.
http://www.digiscopediary.co.uk/olivon-universal.html

cheers

I have been using that adapter for several months and it is a good design, although it could do with a bit of refinement in the manufacturing process.

Bear in mind that it is really designed for Olivon's own scopes, which have a 50mm thread around the bottom of the eyepiece. This allows the sleeve, which comes with the adapter, to be screwed in place and then the adapter fits onto the sleeve. Acuter scopes and some Kowa ones have this thread and can use the sleeve.

If you can't use the sleeve, the aperture in the adapter is quite large, so by the time the screw is tightened up it might be offset on a small diameter eyepiece. It might also involve quite a bit of screwing and unscrewing to clear the end of the eyepiece when you fix and remove it.

If it fits without too many problems then it is a good value adapter which works well.

Ron

[JohnMac]

Here a review from Rob at Digiscope Diary.
http://www.digiscopediary.co.uk/olivon-universal.html

cheers

Great info, thanx very much. I've had a look at your sight too, its great, well done, really interesting. I'm hoping for great things from the new nikon, I used their professional cameras of the time, (F4, F5), when I was a pro snapper, and just before I retired, I used the D1X, which was fabulous (at the time!)....

[GarnockFocus]

I have been using that adapter for several months and it is a good design, although it could do with a bit of refinement in the manufacturing process.

Bear in mind that it is really designed for Olivon's own scopes, which have a 50mm thread around the bottom of the eyepiece. This allows the sleeve, which comes with the adapter, to be screwed in place and then the adapter fits onto the sleeve. Acuter scopes and some Kowa ones have this thread and can use the sleeve.
Ron

I am sure I read that the Opticron and Kowa threads are the same, hopefully this will work ;-)

[JohnMac]

Does anyone know what size the thread on the front of the P5100 is? i cant find it in the manual anywhere and i want to attach it to my scope!!!!!:cat:

[Neil]

Does anyone know what size the thread on the front of the P5100 is? i cant find it in the manual anywhere and i want to attach it to my scope!!!!!:cat:


John,
I think it's around 50 mm ,something like 49.5 mm. I tried to find a third party adapter that was shorter than the normal ones but couldn't so I ended up with this one
http://www.camerafilters.com/pages/adaptertubesnikon.aspx
Neil.

[JohnMac]

John,
I think it's around 50 mm ,something like 49.5 mm. I tried to find a third party adapter that was shorter than the normal ones but couldn't so I ended up with this one
http://www.camerafilters.com/pages/adaptertubesnikon.aspx
Neil.

Cheers Neil, from reading the link, I think it must be 43mm- looks about right! Its unbelievable that Nikon havent specified it anywhere in the manual or on their website.... :t::t:

[markstenton]

Hi

I am new to the forums, but am looking for camera to use with my DCB. The Nikon seems to get a lot of favourable reviews in this post - is anyone using it with a swarovski DCB. I am a complete novice when it comes to photgraphy/digiscoping so looking for something that's easy to use

Cheers

Mark

:brains:

[Neil]

Mark,
You can use most little digicams with the DCB, including the P5100.
Neil.

[markstenton]

Thank you

Mark

[RiB]

I've just got one of these and have yet to take it out. There seems to be a pale area on the bottom of the screen. You can see it as you turn the camera on or by holding your hand over the lens. I'm wondering whether this is normal but guessing it would be wise to send it back. Perhaps the screen has a slight fault. I did a test photo and it is the screen rather than the output.

Any thoughts welcome.

Thanks

Richard Bashford

[Lawts]

I've just got one of these and have yet to take it out. There seems to be a pale area on the bottom of the screen. You can see it as you turn the camera on or by holding your hand over the lens. I'm wondering whether this is normal but guessing it would be wise to send it back. Perhaps the screen has a slight fault. I did a test photo and it is the screen rather than the output.

Any thoughts welcome.

Thanks

Richard Bashford

Not aware of this on mine Richard - sounds like a fault.

[bjorndan]

There seems to be a pale area on the bottom of the screen.
Richard Bashford

I have it on my camera too. Looks like a misplaced LED or whatever it is to light the screen?

It is only visible at startup. Too week to be seen when fully lit up.

[lachlustre]

Well the universal adapter that I was using with My Fuji F30 broke, and I took that as an excuse to buy a P5100 :) ... so that I could use the Nikon adapter with my ED 80 scope of course.
First impressions: the camera is a mild improvement over my Fuji. Certainly not twice the resolution the pixels promise! The focus, when using macro mode, is significantly quicker, which is a really big deal. The screen of the Nikon also seems better, which really helps with focusing. The main problem so far is the autofocus picking the wrong thing in the frame. Not sure whether this is because I have not explored all the options in the camera yet or not!
What I am really noticing so far, to be honest, is how much of a difference the really solid Nikon adapter makes! No light getting between eyepiece and camera lens any more, really quick set-up, and a really well-fitting, solid clamp onto the eyepiece. (The universal adapter I was using was the generally praised one from Baader, by the way.)
Below are some samples (cropped, smartened up in iPhoto).The turkey vultures I took from around 100-150 ft away at the bottom of the garden, on a day with pretty clear air for here. The goldfinch was on my feeder... around 15 ft away! Not as good as Neil's photos, but what did you expect, really?

[On-Firecrest]

Hi guys,
Some fantastic shots your getting with the p5100, I got one for my birthday, it's a cracking camera but i'm struggling to digiscope with it, does anyone know what the cheapest and easiest adapter I can get to fit a kowa tsn-3 is?
Cheers in advance
steve

[postcardcv]

Hi guys,
Some fantastic shots your getting with the p5100, I got one for my birthday, it's a cracking camera but i'm struggling to digiscope with it, does anyone know what the cheapest and easiest adapter I can get to fit a kowa tsn-3 is?
Cheers in advance
steve

Hi Steve

one of these will work fine with the P5100 and a TSN-3 - http://www.cleyspy.co.uk/ovl-universal-digiscoping-adapter-i643.html not the most stylish of adapters but it does work well.

[On-Firecrest]

Hi Steve

one of these will work fine with the P5100 and a TSN-3 - http://www.cleyspy.co.uk/ovl-universal-digiscoping-adapter-i643.html not the most stylish of adapters but it does work well.

Cheers postcardcv, i'll pick one of those up next time i'm up by Cley. Cheers!

[BrianInnes]

Hi Steve

one of these will work fine with the P5100 and a TSN-3 - http://www.cleyspy.co.uk/ovl-universal-digiscoping-adapter-i643.html not the most stylish of adapters but it does work well.

Thats very similar to the adaptor I use. Only modification I've done is modify an old tripods quick release plate bolted on so that I can use a q/r on the camera. Saves aligning the camera up every time.

[postcardcv]

Thats very similar to the adaptor I use. Only modification I've done is modify an old tripods quick release plate bolted on so that I can use a q/r on the camera. Saves aligning the camera up every time.

I've done exactly the same with mine :t:

[NoSpringChicken]

Thats very similar to the adaptor I use. Only modification I've done is modify an old tripods quick release plate bolted on so that I can use a q/r on the camera. Saves aligning the camera up every time.

That would help with the new Baader swing away adapter too. It's about the same price but bigger.

Ron

[blue185jay]

Could one of you guys post a picture of the adapter modification using the quick release plate. This looks like something I could use.

Thanks

Robert

[postcardcv]

Could one of you guys post a picture of the adapter modification using the quick release plate. This looks like something I could use.

Thanks

Robert

Here's a shot of my set up - the Qr adpter attaches where the camera normally would, you then put a QR plate on the camera. It does make switching between digiscoping and taking landscapes/snaps much easier.

[NoSpringChicken]

Here's a shot of my set up - the Qr adpter attaches where the camera normally would, you then put a QR plate on the camera. It does make switching between digiscoping and taking landscapes/snaps much easier.
Those are really useful photos, Peter. That looks a very worthwhile modification.

I shall have a look for Cullmann quick release platforms now as there is a great choice of QR plates but not many complete assemblies.

Ron