My first digiscoped image... (1 Viewer)

Gaga

Well-known member

• Jan 15, 2004

• #1

Here is my first digiscoped image. Those glaucous and great black-backed gulls were at least 150 m from me when I took the picture. My camera (Nikon Coolpix 4500) was handheld on my Nikon Fieldscope 82ED, with a 25-75X eyepiece (according to the Nikon website, there is no adapter compatible with that eyepiece...).

Any critics or suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

 

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Grousemore

Senior Member

• Jan 15, 2004

• #2

My impression is that for a distance of 150m and hand-holding the camera,the sharpness you managed is amazing.Looks like you can do without an adaptor!

 

KC Foggin

Very, very long time member

Supporter

• Jan 16, 2004

• #3

I agree, for the distance, you've done well. Are you using a straight or angled scope? More importantly, are you hooked on digiscoping . It doesn't take long.

 

Gaga

Well-known member

• Jan 16, 2004

• #4

KCFoggin said:

I agree, for the distance, you've done well. Are you using a straight or angled scope? More importantly, are you hooked on digiscoping . It doesn't take long.

Click to expand...

Thanks guys! My scope is angled... and yes, I'm hooked on digiscoping... can't wait for the weekend!

 

CJW

Hit-and-run WUM

• Jan 16, 2004

• #5

Excellent shot for your first time out. Perhaps you could make your own adapter - plenty of people have done (I think our own digi-birder, Diane, did so).

Chris

 

digi-birder

Well-known member

• Jan 16, 2004

• #6

Indeed I did. You can see the adapter HERE

You would obviously need a piece of pipe to fit over your eyepiece and a step up ring to attach it to the Coolpix thread. I was lucky that my piece of pipe (which cost the princely sum of £1.50) is a perfect fit over my eyepiece with no screws needed.

 

Gaga

Well-known member

• Jan 16, 2004

• #7

To take this picture, I used the turn&slide eyecup of my 25-75X eyepiece, to help me stabilise my camera. It's not ideal, but the NC4500 is almost tight with that eyecup...

 

J

Jay Turberville

Well-known member

• Jan 20, 2004

• #8

Yes. I agree that this is a nice shot - especially for the distance and since it was handheld. But I think it could be even nicer if it wasn't so gray. Most digiscoped images can benefit from a visit to Photoshop. Heck, just about any photograph can benefit from some Photoshop work.

I don't know what is "right" for this image, but this looks more like what I imagine the actual scene might have looked like. I adjusted levels. Tweaked color balance slightly toward blue and sharpened the image a bit.

 

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scampo

Steve Campsall

• Jan 20, 2004

• #9

Nice! What software did you use, Jay?

 

Michael Frankis

conehead

• Jan 20, 2004

• #10

Hi Jay,

The brightness and colour tweaking looks OK, but the sharpening was overdone I think - the grey on the Glauc's mantle looks all grainy now.

Michael

 

J

Jay Turberville

Well-known member

• Jan 21, 2004

• #11

scampo said:

Nice! What software did you use, Jay?

Click to expand...

Photoshop. The main adjustment was a pretty straighforward shift of the white levels.

 

Joe A.

Well-known member

• Jan 24, 2004

• #12

Gaga, Nikon sells camera adaptors for its non-zoom eyepieces.

Joe

 

Gaga

Well-known member

• Jan 25, 2004

• #13

Joe A. said:

Gaga, Nikon sells camera adaptors for its non-zoom eyepieces.

Click to expand...

That's exactly my problem... I have a zoom eyepiece! What can I do???

 

Michael Frankis

conehead

• Jan 25, 2004

• #14

Hi Gaga,

Swap the zoom for a fixed mag wide angle?

That'll give you better optical quality too, zooms are never as good as fixed mag.

Michael

 

Joe A.

Well-known member

• Jan 25, 2004

• #15

adaptors

Gaga,

You can still use an adapter, it's just you would have to take it off and put it back on if you wanted to increase/decrease the zoom -- that would be a major hassle. In my case, however, I always left the eyepiece at it's lowest magnification -- I believe 26x (I sold the scope and don't remember the exact number) and once the adaptor was screwed on, I was all set. In other words, I never needed to zoom out beyond 26mm.

The other options are doing what you do now or going to a fixed eyepiece. If you go to a fixed eyepeice, let me know which one you get and I can tell you the correct Nikon adaptor.

Hope this helps,

Joe

Gaga said:

That's exactly my problem... I have a zoom eyepiece! What can I do???

Click to expand...

 

Last edited: Jan 25, 2004