Help with Kowa 883 and Canon PowerShot S100, please? (1 Viewer)

I hope that someone can help me get sharper images with a new Kowa 883 (88 mm angled) spotting scope and a new Canon PowerShot S100 camera. I have attached a sample image (Canada Geese and goslings) which is a JPEG version of a typical RAW image, with no sharpening or other processing.

I have tried a variety of settings, with the best being an exposure time of 1/500 (or faster) with the smallest aperture (f/8.0). The ISO on this image is 250; even with an ISO of 100, the images are still not terrific.

I am using manual focus, and shooting a series of three images which are bracketed by variations in focus. To take a picture, I first focus the Kowa, and then do a manual focus of the PowerShot. On the PowerShot's viewing screen, the subject appears to be in good focus. However, the captured image isn't terrific. In each series of three shots, the bracketing of the focus does not appear to help, as all three images are of similar quality.

I have set up the PowerShot on Kowa's camera fixture, which is rock solid. It allows for three different positions for the camera, as it relates to the distance from the scope. I am using the middle position, such that I don't have to extend the lens (zoom) very much. I cannot install the camera in the closest position to the scope, as the lens fouls the scope, and when I install it in the furthest position, I have to zoom more and get a worse image.

I am quite certain that I have the camera and scope properly aligned (my career was in microscopy, so I am obsessive about optical setups).

Suggestion? Thanks for your help.

First, you need to get closer, especially as we get into summer months! Further than 30-40m and the heat haze/ atmospheric issues will affect sharpness at supertelephoto digiscoping magnifications. Rule-of-thumb is if you cannot fill the frame with the bird, you are too far away for anything but a record shot.

Second, do not stop down the lens on a P&S. The tiny lenses in these cameras are always sharpest at the camera's widest/fastest apertures.

Third, let the camera AF. Contrast detect AF is usually very accurate. You might get faster AF in Macro Mode. Do some controlled testing to find out.

Fourth, get a 2x-3x magnifying loupe hood for the LCD screen to aid with confirming focus. They can be silly expensive but will make the task much easier in the field.

Wow! What helpful advice! I am most grateful for your assistance.

I must admit that I presumed a smaller aperture was superior to a larger aperture -- doubtless, a holdover from my younger days making pinhole cameras.

I experimented with the settings you suggested. I have attached an image from today, of an Eastern Screech Owl. It's not perfect, but it is certainly a quantum improvement.

Thank you so much.

Charles

Doc, nice Screech.

I should mention I am talking from experience with an s95. I agree totally with RJM, the hood also as Ive used one now for 5 years or more. You will take pics faster and have better focus using the cameras contrast detect as long as you have done a good job with the scope focus. I typically have the camera set to spot focus.

One tip, I shoot in RAW only and have found that in the field, viewing the images is not a good indication of sharpness. Several times I came home thinking I had blown the focus but after working them in Photo Pro they sharpened up just fine.

Joe

Great advice from RJM.

I think your owl came out very well. Most photos need a bit of work in post processing to get the best out of them. With yours, a tweak of the levels and a bit of sharpening is all that's needed, maybe crop off the sky that was a bit bright and couldn't be recovered. Hope you don't mind me playing with the image, just posting to show that you captured a good image to work with. Most really good photos you see in the gallery in birdforum and elsewhere have been edited a fair bit from the original image, besides the photography, the editing is a whole art form in itself.

Paul.

Joe, thanks for the advice about spot metering. I'll try that with the next batch of photos. I expect that for things like waterfowl or shorebirds on water, it will help immensely.

And Paul, I think you did a great job with an image that was substantially compressed. I had posted the unprocessed photo to show how RJM's advice helped. Your tweaking helped turn the sow's ear into a silk purse.

I do appreciate all your assistance.

Charles