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PF-65 ED Digiscoping Examples (1 Viewer)

RATREE

Member
Hello,

I have been reading posts in this forum and in the digiscoping forum and am on the verge of purchasing a PF-65 ED. I wish to view more photos taken through this scope with various camera and EP combos. Any postings of photos or directions to websites or galleries would be appreciated.

Thanks,
ratree
 
Hi-you could check out my gallery. Don't let it put you off the Pentax scope. I have a pretty cheap basic set-up and only occasionally digiscope. As you can tell from the not especially high quality of pics. Though the Brent Goose is not too bad.

If you knew what you were doing and had better e/p (I used a cheap zoom from e-bay) and camera ( a 2 year old 4mp Nikon) you'd do a LOT better than me.

I basically use a cheap set up simply to put photos on my blog

http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/stellaCeagle/


RATREE said:
Hello,

I have been reading posts in this forum and in the digiscoping forum and am on the verge of purchasing a PF-65 ED. I wish to view more photos taken through this scope with various camera and EP combos. Any postings of photos or directions to websites or galleries would be appreciated.

Thanks,
ratree
 
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Thanks for the invite to view your gallery. Actually yours is close to the setup that I will be attempting. I read a post of yours in another thread recommending the Knight Owl EP (also called "super view"). Is this the EP used in your gallery shots? Probably going to start with that one as its such a bargain at roughly USD $40.

Also eyeing up a Nikon CP4500 on ebay. Trying to get in on a budget but leave room for upgrading. With all the EP's available for the PF65 I believe it will be a scope that I can grow with.
 
RATREE said:
Actually yours is close to the setup that I will be attempting. I read a post of yours in another thread recommending the Knight Owl EP (also called "super view"). Is this the EP used in your gallery shots? Probably going to start with that one as its such a bargain at roughly USD $40.

Hi again. Actually I just got the Superview 20mm e/p yesterday. I haven't tried it for digiscoping yet. I suspect there'll be some vignetting (the "eye end" of the eyepiece-forgive my layman's vocabulary-is a little recessed so it may be difficult to get the camera really close at low zoom) with my set-up at least. Nice to look through though.

The pics in my gallery were taken with a cheap $70 generic 8-24mm zoom off e-bay (I can't even remember the seller's name but there are loads of them at any given time from $50-100) or with the Pentax XF12. I use a cheap point and shoot 4mp Nikon Coolpix 4200 with a Uni-T adapter from Scopetronix and have recently bought a generic shutter release bracket from Eagle-eye in the UK.

If I were you I might think about Pentax's own adapters (if you wanted to buy Pentax eyepieces and a Pentax camera) as the easiest solution. Or maybe a high end eyepiece for digiscoping (like the Pentax XW20) with a scopetronix (or similar) adapter for the Nikon 4500 or whichever camera you choose plus a cheapish zoom for general birding.

One advantage you have is that you're already thinking about digiscoping with the scope. In retrospect I wish I'd bought my entire set-up in one go instead of acquiring bits here and there. I bought the scope and camera independently and only later tried to match them up for digiscoping almost as a second thought. My set up is very much "mix n match"-stuff from 4 or 5 different companies from 3 different continents. Thank god for credit cards and the internet eh?
 
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I agree with the internet/credit card statement. With digiscoping the variations are seemingly endless. As you say, I am probably better off acquiring a good kit from the start rather than trying to be "backward compatible". I looked at another member's gallery featuring shots taken with the Pentax UW20 EP. Undoubtably worth the high cost and possibly the step I should take to really get good pics.

Hope you'll post your review of the new Super View EP you just received.

Thanks,
ratree
 
Picture

RATREE said:
Anyone else have PF-65ED digiscoping examples that they'd like to share?
Hi there ...i took some pictures last week...i have the pf-65ED Angled scope and im using my only eyepiece at the moment,i meant to get another fixed eyepiece for digiscoping .Right now i use a 7.7-23.1 swarovski zoom (1 1/4 astro standard barrel).The camera is a Kyocera SL400,and the adapters are made by ME...Anyway here is a picture of a very cooperative Barred Owl (Strix Varia)took in the middle of the day in Portland.Oregon(usa).
I did standard contrast/brightness/sharpen
 

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RATREE said:
Oops = I meant the Pentax XW20. Just to be clear.


I would definetely recommend the XW20 for digiscoping and as a general purpose EP as well. Since I got one last summer my Pentax zoom hardly gets a look in and is often left behind completely.
 
There are plenty of good quality Plossl type fixed eyepieces around with enough Eye Relief for quality digiscoping. I'm using a Televue 25 mm Plossl which is very good. I wouldn't expect too much from a cheap zoom. The Pentax eyepieces are very good , although I haven't looked through one.Neil.
 
mayoayo said:
Hi there ...i took some pictures last week...i have the pf-65ED Angled scope and im using my only eyepiece at the moment,i meant to get another fixed eyepiece for digiscoping .Right now i use a 7.7-23.1 swarovski zoom (1 1/4 astro standard barrel).The camera is a Kyocera SL400,and the adapters are made by ME...Anyway here is a picture of a very cooperative Barred Owl (Strix Varia)took in the middle of the day in Portland.Oregon(usa).
I did standard contrast/brightness/sharpen


Thank you for sharing that. Its a terrific photo and definately helpful in showing the possibilities with the scope.
 
Nigel G said:
I would definetely recommend the XW20 for digiscoping and as a general purpose EP as well. Since I got one last summer my Pentax zoom hardly gets a look in and is often left behind completely.

The image quality of the XW series seems to be universally praised. I guess in this case you truly get what you pay for.

Interesting just how many other contenders there are. The "eyepiece roundup" thread was very informative.
 
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