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Digiscoping with the Sony a6000. (1 Viewer)

5bellies

Well-known member
With my NEX-7 out of action and as I was away for a long weekend in Suffolk, I had to open the wallet and shell out for the NEX-6 and NEX-7 replacement the a6000.

On it's first trip out I bumped into Paul Hackett and had a great day with him....top bloke!

This is the 4th camera from the NEX series I've owned, so the transition shouldn't be too painful.

The buffer of the NEX-7 was it's main failing imo and in my tests the fastest card with the NEX-7 was the MS PRO DUO 50 m/bs .....not the case with the a6000. This camera has UHS-1 bus which means it can use the UHS-1 cards up to 95 m/bs and does it make a difference. Buffer times slashed by a half (MS PRO DUO around 30 secs and the SDXC 14 secs) and coupled with the cameras ability to fire off 22-23 frames before buffering at 11 fps I could easily get into a rhythm shooting without any buffering problems all weekend....happy days!!

Sony have now added a multiport that accepts the new Sony RM VPR-1 remote release, a port that was sadly missing on all but one NEX camera.

I'm pleased with my initial shots with this camera, but a long weekend is not long enough to decide how good a camera is, but my gut feeling is this one is a belter for us digiscopers.

Shots taken using a Swarovski STX85 with the TLS-APO adapter. Both taken from about 20m

B Lucky

Gary
 

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With my NEX-7 out of action and as I was away for a long weekend in Suffolk, I had to open the wallet and shell out for the NEX-6 and NEX-7 replacement the a6000.

On it's first trip out I bumped into Paul Hackett and had a great day with him....top bloke!

This is the 4th camera from the NEX series I've owned, so the transition shouldn't be too painful.

The buffer of the NEX-7 was it's main failing imo and in my tests the fastest card with the NEX-7 was the MS PRO DUO 50 m/bs .....not the case with the a6000. This camera has UHS-1 bus which means it can use the UHS-1 cards up to 95 m/bs and does it make a difference. Buffer times slashed by a half (MS PRO DUO around 30 secs and the SDXC 14 secs) and coupled with the cameras ability to fire off 22-23 frames before buffering at 11 fps I could easily get into a rhythm shooting without any buffering problems all weekend....happy days!!

Sony have now added a multiport that accepts the new Sony RM VPR-1 remote release, a port that was sadly missing on all but one NEX camera.

I'm pleased with my initial shots with this camera, but a long weekend is not long enough to decide how good a camera is, but my gut feeling is this one is a belter for us digiscopers.

Shots taken using a Swarovski STX85 with the TLS-APO adapter. Both taken from about 20m

B Lucky

Gary

Great to meet up with you and you missus Gary, you saw the Bittern the next day i see :)

Rgds

Paul
 
Nice Gary :t:
With the new autofocus system of this camera it would be interesting to see how it works with a 30mm lens (Sony or Sigma) for digiscopy...o:D
This camera most probably will replace my NEX5 but I'm interested to know how good is the 4x digital zoom video function - see http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=280390.
Gary, can you make a short test of it and give us your opinion?
Thanks.
 
Heya David

I'm sorry but I've no way at present of connecting my Sigma 30mm or any other lens to the scope (I use the TLS APO). I've had a go with with the Sigma on it's own and to my eyes the quality is really good. I would imagine in the 4 years since the release of the Nex5 that the difference between models would be like night and day.

As and when I get the parts required I will update you. (I've just ordered a 46-52 stepping ring)

B lucky

Gary
 
Thanks Mike. I hope both yourself and Carol are well.

David, I've received the part I required and have sent you a mail.

I've just received the RM VPR-1 electronic remote release so I'm able to fire off shots continuously and instantly, unlike the releases you can get off a well known auction site.

A couple more shots with the a6000.....I've still not hit the buffer yet :)
 

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Thanks Mike. I hope both yourself and Carol are well.

David, I've received the part I required and have sent you a mail.

I've just received the RM VPR-1 electronic remote release so I'm able to fire off shots continuously and instantly, unlike the releases you can get off a well known auction site.

A couple more shots with the a6000.....I've still not hit the buffer yet :)

Nice flight shots. Well done.
Neil.
 
Thanks for the video Gary.:t:
It works fine but I would stay until 3x, which is good enough for me if it works with the SEL55-210. Meanwhile I remembered that my NEX5 also as a digital zoom option that I never managed to activate since I only have the standard zoom and the digital zoom is for the fixed lens. Can you please verify if the a6000 digital zoom also work with a zoom lens?
By the way, if a photo is better that thousand words, a small video has thousands of photos! With the present HD video on new cameras I enjoy doing small videos - see examples at fotos at www.pt-ducks.com
I agree with Neil on your nice flight photos...:clap:
Are they with the sigma and the help of new auto-focus?
 
Cheers Neil, David.

Dave,
All my shots with the STX/ATX have only ever tried with the TLS APO, so no sigma or any autofocus. I always use manual focus.
I'll test the camera with the kit lens (18-55mm if memory serves) over the weekend when I have more time and report back on whether the digital zoom works or not.

B lucky

Gary
 
a6000

Heya Dave,

As you know the digital zoom does work when using the VPR-1 remote release.

I've been in the garden this morning comparing noise levels between the NEX 5N and the a6000 in the range between ISO800 and 3200. Weather was mainly cloudy and quite blustery. Both cameras had zero compensation dialed in and were taken a close together (time-wise) as I could. WB was set as cloudy. No adjustments have been made aside resizing for upload. Added an extra shot of the a6000 @ ISO6400 to compare to 5N 3200 to show improvements in noise handling in the 2 1/2 or so years between the model releases.

In order: a6000 ISO800, 5N ISO800, a6000 ISO3200, 5N ISO3200, a6000 ISO6400
 

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As you know the digital zoom does work when using the VPR-1 remote release.

Thanks again Gary.
This is interesting since will allow me to use the 55-210mm for video until at least an equivalent 630mm (x1.5 of the crop factor, so 945mm!...) - the 4x seems to pixelate...
Also is interesting for those doing video through digiscopy with a fixed objective and a fixed ep on the telescope.
Just remembered it's also interesting for my video with the astro telescope: - I can have different magnifications, changing the PMW position, but with the electronic zoom I can do it when following the ducks, maintaining focus!:t:
Now just have to find if the wireless RMT-DSLR2 also allows continuous shooting: - is cheaper and safer for me since there is no physical connection to the camera.
 
Advice please. I'm using the Swaro and 95mm with the DCBII to connect to a Sony A6000. Either a Sigma 19mm or the Sony SEL 35mm will not allow the DCBII to easily click shut in the imaging position (hopefully that makes sense).....like either the camera body is too thick of the lens too long.
Any advice?
I've been out of the country and out of digiscoping for too long, enjoyed the A6000 in Africa but now want to use it with the DCBII; I also have the TLS APO but sometimes prefer the AF using the DCB.
Appreciate any advice/suggestions.
Robert
 
Advice please. I'm using the Swaro and 95mm with the DCBII to connect to a Sony A6000. Either a Sigma 19mm or the Sony SEL 35mm will not allow the DCBII to easily click shut in the imaging position (hopefully that makes sense).....like either the camera body is too thick of the lens too long.
Any advice?
I've been out of the country and out of digiscoping for too long, enjoyed the A6000 in Africa but now want to use it with the DCBII; I also have the TLS APO but sometimes prefer the AF using the DCB.
Appreciate any advice/suggestions.
Robert

Robert
The DCB11 is flexible a few mms to its locking position. I like it extend a few mms out from the eyepiece to block any side light from getting into the lens. It may be enough for you. I know the Sigma 30 mm is a tight fit.
Neil
 
Sigma 30mm + Swarov 95mm + Sony A6000

Neal, just to be sure. You are using the Sigma 30mm + Sony A6000 will clicked closed with the DCB II ??
I can use the SEL 30mm pancake but should I.
This is the 'beauty' of digiscoping-finding through discovery what works and what doesn't !
 
Neal, just to be sure. You are using the Sigma 30mm + Sony A6000 will clicked closed with the DCB II ??
I can use the SEL 30mm pancake but should I.
This is the 'beauty' of digiscoping-finding through discovery what works and what doesn't !

I'm using the Nex 7 and 5 with the Sigma 30 mm so the A6000 might be a little different.
I suggest mounting your camera and lens on the DBC11 off the scope and slowly attaching it to the eyepiece and see if it can be locked down.
I also have the Sigma 30 for the Micro Four Thirds. It's a sharp lens although AF is a bit slow on the scope so I mostly use it in MF.
Neil
 
good surprise regarding vignetting

Did the first tests to the a6000 with the 16-50 zoom and got a good surprise regarding vignetting.
On the NEX6 review http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=269889 Neil told that vignetting disappears at about 40 mm on the Swaro X. I got similar values, on my Optolyth 100 with the first compact zoom!...;)
With my NEX5 and the 18-55zoom, I don´t manage to have unvignetted images in the Optolyth 100 with the zoom ep...
Have been doing some tests with several eyepieces and the Vixen NLV that only didn't vignetted at 55mm with the NEX5, with this version it goes away at 41mm...;)
Will have to do some field tests in good digiscopy conditions (the enclosed images are hand held, at 220m distance and around 2 pm...), comparing also to the TS Superview 30mm/2" that I can adapt to the Optolyth, getting wider unvignetting images (more 12%).
Also interesting is that with my TMB92+Ethos 17 combo http://www.pt-ducks.com/cr-telescopes.htm#Test%20of%2082%C2%BA,%20100%C2%BA%20and%20102%C2%BA%20AFOV%20zooms I don't have vignetting at 16mm but the resulting image suffer from pincushion distortion...3:)
 

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