First trembling digiscope atempts!! Opinion please! (1 Viewer)

For the first time today I have tried out digiscoping with my setup:Nikon ED82+30w+CP4500+manfrotto 055+701rc head. I am a complete beginner and although I set my camera according to Andy's settings any advise as to how I can improve the shots are welcome. I don't have a cable release so I used the timer.
No photoshop on the shots (until I figure it out)
Thanks guys o

Steve

Hi Steve
A very good effort, especially the Cirl Bunting. I remember starting out with bigger birds from hides, car, etc, which is a little easier. I still use the timer for my shots and generally it's ok, we are blessed over here with better light and weather. Looking forward to seeing more in the future.

Well heck Steve, from your title I expected a lot of trembling blurs

I think you are off to a fine start especially with the weather appearing very overcast. Remember, even though you are digiscoping, the closer you are to your subject the better the photos appear. Looking forward to seeing more of your shots.

They are very good for a 1st attempt.All you need is a basic image editing prog,to crop and brighten a little.Well done.They are very clear and sharp,so you must have kept all equipment very steady,which is more than I can ever manage!!.Perhaps the self timer is steadier than the cable release.

I agree, all very good results, especially when just starting off. One of the hardest things is to get the focus sharp and you've managed that very well.

The Cirl Bunting and Swallow are pretty sharp and the focus looks right for the Stonechat, but the shot is a little soft overall which maybe due to heat haze or slight vibration.

I occasionally use the self timer, but I do find the 3 sec delay is often not enough to let vibrations settle. 10 sec delay is okay, but the bird has often moved! It is much better to use a cable release.

The Swallow and Stonechat show slight vignetting, but the Cirl Bunting doesn't which makes me wonder if the camera zoom setting was slightly higher on the latter. I generally find anywhere between 2-3x camera zoom is sufficient to remove vignetting, but even when it doesn't entirely, what little remains can be cropped out. Using a higher f-number often enhances vignetting as well - but that also helps with improving depth of field. I always try for a higher aperture number nowadays. I avoid using 4x zoom on the CP4500 as results are very soft.

Exposure looks pretty good and is recoverable in Photoshop or whatever program you have. With the Cirl Bunting and Swallow the bright sky behind has obviously played a part in affecting the camera metered exposure setting. Easiest way to combat this is to hold down the function button (if not set for +/-EV adjustment check the handbook) and set the EV compensation to +0.3 or more likely +0.7. When using centre spot setting adjusting EV like this will brighten the subject against a light background. Seldom do you need to go higher that 0.7. Likewise a light subject against a dark background use -0.3 to -0.7.

This adjustment can be made in an imaging program afterwards, but it's more satisfying to have taken a correctly exposed shot from scratch.

Even with very quick adjustment on the small files posted, the results look pretty good.

Looks like you've got the knack for it already :t:

Hi Steve,

Very good results indeed for a first attempt I'd say. You have chosen some small subjects for your first attempts which makes things a whole lot trickier. Most people begin with large waterfowl that are bigger and don't move so quickly, so well done for getting this good with small subjects.

How to get things better? I'd suggest you practice, then practice a little more, then practice some more again. There is no substitute for experience. You learn a lot by spending an afternoon taking a couple of hundred shots of the same static object, each time changing one of the settings on scope or camera. As Andy Bright says, don't be greedy with the zoom (camera or scope).

Well done.

Duncan.

Thanks to everyone for your comments and advise, without this forum I would have been totally lost and I've been saved from a lot a frustration.
The cirl bunting was a lot further away than the swallow or the stonechat. The lcd screen didn't show any vignetting so I was surprised to see that when I downloaded onto the computer. To be honest they turned out a lot better than I expected.
I've read here that a fast shutter speed is also essential. How is that managed?
Another thing, what is the optimum distance from a bird (say sparrow size) for a decent shot?

Ian, thanks for the EV compensation advise, now I know what that button's for!

Cheers

Steve

Hi Steve,

To be honest I wouldn't worry too much about fast shutter speed. Most of my better and most favourite shots are taken at quite slow speeds - as low as 1/8 and 1/15 sec on occasion.

If it's a fairly imobile subject, I'd be inclined to increasing the depth of field by using a smaller aperture. When I started digiscooing, with depth of field being so narrow at extreme focal lengths I used to always go for the widest aperture and fastest shuter speed. I now realise that even a few extra mm depth of field through using a smaller aperture greatly increases both the qulaity of results and the number of keepers.

Don't worry too much about the vignetting as it is easy enough to crop out. Most of the shots I take are at least 50% crops which easily removes any vignetting. Main thing is to concentrate on keeping the camera zoom at around 2-3x.

Distance to subject as with most photography, usually the closer you can get the better. Around 20 yards seems to be ideal though you can easily double that or more. I usually start taking photos from a distance and if the subject is willing, try to move a bit closer to get it down to 20-30 yards.

The other thing is to try to make sure the sun is behind you or at least over one shoulder or the other - even when it's cloudy - as that gives better lighting on the subject.

Duncan's advice is spot on, take loads of photos until taking a shot is second nature and you actually pick up a feel for the camera and it's settings.

You have certainly got off to a very good start, far better than I did at first apart from one or two lucky shots.

Well done Steve.

Certainly better than my first attempts with basically the same set up. I have the Nikon remote control (MC-EU1) which helps a little although it appears to have a mind of its own and does not always do what I expect!

My problem is getting the images in focus - it is still not consistent enough for me and very frustrating. I seem to have mastered the exposure though.

Ian - you mention not using more than 2-3x zoom on the CP4500. How do you know when you are at this level of zoom? Is it indicated somewhere? If so I can't find it. I have been zooming to the point when vignetting disappears and zooming no further.

If you set the display to show the exposure details, etc on the screen, a bar will come up at the top of the screen as you zoom to show how much zoom you're using. It disappears again when the zoom button is released.

My remote cable also has a mind of its own. Very frustrating, as is the camera's knack of "freezing" just as you've framed the perfect shot on a difficult subject.

Well said Alan :t:

Using the 'lOl' button you can swap between three LCD monitor display options, one of which is the exposure details screen. I have mine set to this screen all of the time. Adjusting the W-T button should display the white zoom bar. The first 2/3 relates to how much optical zoom you are using and the last 1/3 the digital zoom, which I have disabled in any case.

How much optical zoom isn't an exact science, but you can roughly judge it. The most I ever use for digiscoping is about x3, which get by going to full optical zoom (x4) and then briefly opushing the W button once or twice until the white zoom bar moves back one notch. Around x2 optical zoom if on macro setting the flower symbol turns yellow, whihc some peple regard as being the optimum degree of zoom for digiscoping. I find though that it does vary between scopes as to which is the best setting.

Thanks for the advice guys!! Great stuff

ESTEBANNIC said:

For the first time today I have tried out digiscoping with my setup:Nikon ED82+30w+CP4500+manfrotto 055+701rc head. I am a complete beginner and although I set my camera according to Andy's settings any advise as to how I can improve the shots are welcome. I don't have a cable release so I used the timer.
No photoshop on the shots (until I figure it out)
Thanks guys o

Steve

Click to expand...

I think your pics are ACE! Especially this 'un!