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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Micro Four-Thirds (2 Viewers)

IMHO, the SLTs are even better than a NEX to use with the scope, they have peaking and in-body stabilization. Ok, IBIS on a tripod may not be that useful, but on a monopod or even handheld sometimes it can be of great use and a welcome addition.
 
Jules,
Sony has a wonderful feature they call FOCUS PEAKING in their cameras ( have it in the NEX 7 and RX100 ). In DMF Mode with Focus Peaking ON the points in focus show up as highlight in a color ( white/yellow/?) so as you turn the focus wheel you see the areas in focus move across the screen. When your subject is Highlighted and you push the shutter you also get a steady Green square and a beep to confirm.
I have it switched on all the time in my Sony cameras.
Neil.

Hello Neil,

Thanks for the info. It is indeed quite interesting and should really facillitate manual focusing.

I have pretty well chosen the MFT camera I will get: The Oly OM-D. It does not have focus peaking but I have seen rumors it will be included in the next firmware update.

The Sony NEX cameras are quite nice but unfortunately their lens offer is quite limited.

Regards
J
 
If you really want to use AF confirmation and trap focus you need a phase detect AF. But even then not all cameras will work very well with it, I’m changing systems right now because the new Nikon don’t work as well with trap focus as my older bodies.

Thanks a lot for the info. I could be wrong but I think that Phase Detect AF is difficult if not impossible with a mirrorless camera. They all use Contrast Detect AF and this is the reason why they are not good at focusing on moving objects like flying birds.

Regards
J
 
Actually, both sony and nikon already have phase detect on sensor. Nikon is using it on the 1 series, and Sony on the A99 (together with the translucent mirror), in the NEX 6 and 5R.
 
PD on sensor is possible as per what I have read. Certain pixels are somehow singled out and set aside for PD.

I find the Oly IBIS very useful with the scope on the tripod when it is not locked down, and it seems the OM-D IS is even better that previous Oly systems.
 
As Dan wrote, phase detect AF on the Sony and Nikon is "possible" by using some of the pixels for that purpose. The sensor is really a contrast detect AF hybrid sensor.

This is probably why the reports about the cameras using it are not very keen on their focusing speed and capabilities.

No doubt that manufacturers will find a way to use real phase detect sensors in mirrorless cameras in the near future. Give me that with a long prime on a MFT camera and I'll be more than happy...
 
As Dan wrote, phase detect AF on the Sony and Nikon is "possible" by using some of the pixels for that purpose. The sensor is really a contrast detect AF hybrid sensor.

This is probably why the reports about the cameras using it are not very keen on their focusing speed and capabilities.

Well, of course, but I don’t see how PDAF on sensor could be done in another way. I’m not seeing manufacturers placing dedicated AF sensors in front of the imaging sensor.

As far as reports about them, I didn’t pay much attention to Sonys yet, but I’ve seen mixed opinions about the 1 series, some people talk poorly about it in low light, witch makes sense since in low light the camera’s AF reverts to CDAF alone and Nikon’s CDAF is really not the best out there. But in good light when PDAF sensors work the camera seems to behave quite well, certainly better than any M4/3.
There’s a bird photographer in Spain doing very good images with a V1 and both a 300 and 500 VR, even flight shots.

Anyway, this is a very recent tech, so it’s normal it isn’t perfectly tuned yet, but I expect it to be as good as a DSLR in a generation or two.

No doubt that manufacturers will find a way to use real phase detect sensors in mirrorless cameras in the near future. Give me that with a long prime on a MFT camera and I'll be more than happy...

You and me both, with a m4/3 camera even a 300 F4 would do for me, with a set of TCs it would be perfect for a lot of images.
 
Well, let's dream about the 300mm f/4 prime... There are rumors that Olympus may come out with one... I'm going to buy a Panasonic 100-300mm later today, just because there are no other long zooms except the Oly 75-300mm which is slow and over priced. As soon as something else comes up, it will be gone !!!

My knowledge of focusing systems is quite limited and I merely report what I read. Reviews of the mirrorless Sony, Nikon and Canon are so-so for focusing on moving objects. So PDAF doesn't seem to work that well for them.
 
I'm going to buy a Panasonic 100-300mm later today, just because there are no other long zooms except the Oly 75-300mm which is slow and over priced. As soon as something else comes up, it will be gone !!!

Let us (me :) ) how you get on with it. I've been looking at the oly or that one to have a small walk around birding set. Some say the oly is somewhat better image quality, but overpriced as you said.
 
Let us (me :) ) how you get on with it. I've been looking at the oly or that one to have a small walk around birding set. Some say the oly is somewhat better image quality, but overpriced as you said.

I guess I can give you my opinion on that also.
I used mine for a couple of months and sold it two days ago.
IMO is a very good lens optically speaking, it's quite sharp wide open. I compared it with a Nikkor 300mm F4 AF-S and a 300mm F4 ED AIS side by side on the G5, it's actually sharper than both of them wide open, and the AIS really doesn't stand a chance.
Ok, in all fairness, the primes are a stop faster wide open and they do keep up stopped down to F/5.6. Nevertheless I found that impressive, the 100-300 is a small, cheap, plastic body lens, basically a consumer lens, the fact that it held it's own against a 300 F4 is very respectable.

The OIS worked fine too, I was able to get slighly over 3 stops from it.

Now, not everything is so good, AF is a pain, plain and simple, I don't know if it's the lens itself or it's the CDAF system fault as this was the only lens I used on m4/3. Most will say it's CDAF fault, I don't know.
On static subjects it worked fine, photos are sharp and correctly focused, but anything moving and I get better acuracy manual focusing my scope with trap focus.
I'm not saying you can't get good moving subject photos, but keepers rate is low, I had a lot of almost focused images, but very few critically sharp images.

In short, it's a good lens because it's cheap, with good image quality, has a 600mm FOV, and is very small and easy to carry in the field. But is let down for it's AF system for action photos. At least this was my experience with my sample ;)
 
Thanks for your review Fernando. I probably read everything on the Web about the Olympus and Panasonic 300mm lenses and was aware of those shortcomings. I'm still dreaming of a 300mm prime... in the mean time, this one will do.

Cango, if I compile all the reviews and comments I've read about the 2 lenses, it looks like a draw in terms of image quality. If you are pixel peeping, there may be a small advantage for the Oly, but the speed of the lens kills it. There is also the price: it's 300$ more...

I'm eager to try the OM-D with the 12-50mm lens for regular digiscoping. The lens focuses internally and doesn't move when zooming - it has 52mm filter threads. I have a Pentax 80ED and 2 fine eyepieces: the outstanding Pentax XW-20 and the 21mm Baader Hyperion. In theory, if it works, it will give me a 500-2000mm autofocus IS zoom. Well, we'll see... :t: Can anybody venture an opinion ? Will it work ?

Then I'll try it with my astro scope. I have yet to decide about the coupling method.
  1. I can buy a new 2" adapter from CNC Supply. Expensive, about 100$.
  2. I can use the one I already have with a cheap MFT-EOS adapter. It introduces one more source for movement, light and vibration.
  3. Or buy a simple M42 adapter.
What do you guys think ?
 
I think in prime focus you would be sharper at that range, maybe getting near to what the camera lens only photo was showing. I know my own bank note photos taken through the scope are as good as your camera lens one.

I got hold of a friends Pentax PF80ED a few years ago and just compared my Hyperion 17mm to his Pentax XW eyepiece. I thought then that photographically the Hyperion was easily a match for the XW. We only compared them on long range targets though. Your test seems to show that the Hyperion has quite an edge over the XW. We have to remember though that eyepieces are generally only designed to be good for looking through and visually the XW might be worth the price tag. How would you rate them in that respect?

I did a bit of digging around and found the thread where I posted my test photos and the Hyperion one was better than the one through a Pentax XW-20 eyepiece on a PF80ED spotting scope. The XW-20 eyepiece showed quite a bit of distortion. See here http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=121897

Paul.
 
Thanks for your reply Paul, much appreciated.

I'm eager to try the OM-D with the Astro-Tech 80ED. I'll be more than happy if it performs better than the Pentax PF-80ED, as you suspect. Test next week hopefully...

I posted examples of distortion and CA with my 2 eyepieces, the Pentax and the Baader, in the other thread:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=246409

Regards
Jules
 
Thanks for your reply Paul, much appreciated.

I'm eager to try the OM-D with the Astro-Tech 80ED. I'll be more than happy if it performs better than the Pentax PF-80ED, as you suspect. Test next week hopefully...

I posted examples of distortion and CA with my 2 eyepieces, the Pentax and the Baader, in the other thread:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=246409

Regards
Jules

Well... let's hope the police will be after me for a few kills also.
 
...
That is because it's an adapter for Olympus OM-mount to regular Four Thirds mount (with af-chip) This one goes into yet another adapter - a four thirds to MICRO four thirds mount adapter.

...
Hi Carlos,

(referring to an early post in this thread)

What 4/3 - m4/3 adapter are you using? The original Olympus or another make?

Why did you not consider using an OM-m4/3 adapter instead? Is it because you wanted the AF confirm support? Or to be able to use your 4/3 lenses eg 50-200?

/Tord
 
Hi Carlos,

(referring to an early post in this thread)

What 4/3 - m4/3 adapter are you using? The original Olympus or another make?

Why did you not consider using an OM-m4/3 adapter instead? Is it because you wanted the AF confirm support? Or to be able to use your 4/3 lenses eg 50-200?

/Tord

I use an olympus, not the latest one though (which is weathersealed). and yes, to be able to use the 4/3 lenses I have - 50mm macro, 12-60mm and the 50-200 mk1. And as a result, I got to keep the same adapters to the scope. Now that it seems to be an E-7, I'm not so sure to go m4/3 all the way. I plan to keep the om-d for the next 3-4 years, at least. (or til it breaks). But if the OM-D Pro has pdaf support, I might get one (cheap) in 3-4 years time instead - I'm not sure I'd go back to an OVF.
 
Thanks Carlos,

Makes sense. I have been considering an E-M5 to replace one of my two E-620 (display is more or less dead on one of them), as a general purpose carry around camera and possibly also to use as body on the SW scope. What is your experience of using the EVF for manual focus, compared to the optical view finder?

/Tord
PS where have you got this E7 related information from?
 
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