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

Sony RX100 for Digiscoping (1 Viewer)

N

Neil

Well-known member
Picked up the RX100 in a Sony store in LA last week. Tested it out for digiscoping this morning with the Kowa 30x and the 20-60 zoom and took it for a trip to the park this afternoon.
The lens works ok with the zoom eyepiece from around 50 mm to full zoom with no vignetting ( using the Swarovski UCA adapter ).
I'm glad it works well with the 30x eyepiece as it's one I like to use with the Nikon V1 too.
Here are a few snaps from the park this afternoon.
Neil
ps the first composite photo shows the vignetting at wide zoom on the 30x and zoom eyepiece (20x)

Sony RX100 and Kowa Lens/scope and Kowa 30x Eyepiece and Swarovski UCA
Kowloon Park,
Hong Kong,
China.
October 2012
 

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I have been thinking of replacing my p300 with one of these so will be interested to hear how of compares to other cameras (like the v1 and the p300). Also been toying with giving an Olympus another go as the EMP1 is very cheap now the rellacemnt has been announced.
 
Neil, good shots, camera has much potentional. Neil, do you think the camera would work with Swarovski 30x and 45x?
 
wueku said:
Neil, good shots, camera has much potentional. Neil, do you think the camera would work with Swarovski 30x and 45x?
Click to expand...

The Kowa 30x has similar charactistics to the Swarovski 30x and 45x so should do a good job. It's the nicest digiscoping lens I've seen since the Nikon V1 10 -30 mm kit zoom with better specs ( it's designed by Zeiss after all ).
Neil
 
postcardcv said:
I have been thinking of replacing my p300 with one of these so will be interested to hear how of compares to other cameras (like the v1 and the p300). Also been toying with giving an Olympus another go as the EMP1 is very cheap now the rellacemnt has been announced.
Click to expand...

The f1.8 Zeiss designed lens is much better than the P300 lens and the HD video is better too. DXOMark score it half way between the Nikon V1 ( lower) and the Canon G1X ( higher).
Neil.
 
Neal, your photos are making this look like a fine choice. I've got an 883 with 25xLER which should give about the same vignetting as the 30x right? Only problem I'd have is making an adapter which would conflict with the remodel I'm doing, oh well long winter here in South Dakota.
 
Took the RX100 out to the mudflats today in bright early light with a little haze. Used it mostly with the Kowa 30x eyepiece but also tried the 20-60 zoom as well.
Operated ok and I was very happy with the HD video results. I've put a video up here
https://vimeo.com/51142802
Neil
 

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Lovely shots and great video footage, Neil. I am looking for a replacement digiscoping camera to work with my Swarovski 20-60 zoom and DCA. Would the RX100 fit the bill? If not, can you recommend an alternative? Thanks.

Mike
 
Hi Neil
Video is top marks the photo are just great, must not say to mutch or head
would not get in to another camera shop.
Well Done.
 
Sandpiper said:
Lovely shots and great video footage, Neil. I am looking for a replacement digiscoping camera to work with my Swarovski 20-60 zoom and DCA. Would the RX100 fit the bill? If not, can you recommend an alternative? Thanks.

Mike
Click to expand...

Mike,
I'm more and more impressed with the RX100 , although it's still not a "perfect" digiscoping camera ( no rotatable screen, no electronic viewfinder). I would like to have a remote for it too which I should be able to get. The Zeiss lens is very good.
I shot with it yesterday again on the Kowa 20-60 zoom, 25x LER and 30x Eyepieces. It's the most impressive on the 20-60 zoom eyepiece since the Nikon P6000 ( the Swarovski zoom spec is slightly better than the Kowa zoom (ER) so will be good too )
Now I'm putting a rider here - I AM USING A UNIVERSAL ADAPTER, THE SWAROVSKI UCA FOR ALL MY CAMERAS AS THE CAMERA DISTANCE TO EYEPIECE NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED SLIGHTLY AS THE LENS IS ZOOMED. I HAVE NOT TESTED A DCA/DA TYPE ADAPTER WITH THIS CAMERA.
Neil.
 
walt-m said:
Hi Neil
Video is top marks the photo are just great, must not say to mutch or head
would not get in to another camera shop.
Well Done.
Click to expand...

Walt-M,
Thanks. It's not my head I have to worry about ( my wife brings that down to size with her " that bird's not very pretty" ) it's my stomach which is up a few sizes since I relocated back to Hong Kong.
Neil.
 
I shot another video yesterday showing the RX100 lens at 40/60 and 90 mm on the 30x eyepiece. The heron was about 110 meters away in bright/hazy light. I was in a hide with a wooden floor with 4 other photographers around me.
https://vimeo.com/51248795
I'm sensing that the Sony Image Stabilising might be having some impact on the video quality. I'll do more testing on this as it would be very useful if it does.
Neil
 
Sandpiper said:
Lovely shots and great video footage, Neil. I am looking for a replacement digiscoping camera to work with my Swarovski 20-60 zoom and DCA. Would the RX100 fit the bill? If not, can you recommend an alternative? Thanks.

Mike
Click to expand...

Mike,
This Greenshank was taken the the Kowa 20-60 zoom at 50x. The bird was about 100 meters away in bright/haze mid-morning light.
Neil
 

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Neil you said "I shot with it yesterday again on the Kowa 20-60 zoom, 25x LER and 30x Eyepieces. It's the most impressive on the 20-60 zoom eyepiece since the Nikon P6000 ( the Swarovski zoom spec is slightly better than the Kowa zoom (ER) so will be good too )
Now I'm putting a rider here - I AM USING A UNIVERSAL ADAPTER, THE SWAROVSKI UCA FOR ALL MY CAMERAS AS THE CAMERA DISTANCE TO EYEPIECE NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED SLIGHTLY AS THE LENS IS ZOOMED. I HAVE NOT TESTED A DCA/DA TYPE ADAPTER WITH THIS CAMERA.
Neil."

I noticed you had the 25x LER along, did you use it and if so did you find you had to adjust the camera to EP distance as the camera power increased? I had this feature built into my canon s95 / 21xwe adapter and after using it for a while wondered if it was necessay, now with the 25xLER I was hoping it would not be necessary.

Joe
 
Josef said:
Neil you said "I shot with it yesterday again on the Kowa 20-60 zoom, 25x LER and 30x Eyepieces. It's the most impressive on the 20-60 zoom eyepiece since the Nikon P6000 ( the Swarovski zoom spec is slightly better than the Kowa zoom (ER) so will be good too )
Now I'm putting a rider here - I AM USING A UNIVERSAL ADAPTER, THE SWAROVSKI UCA FOR ALL MY CAMERAS AS THE CAMERA DISTANCE TO EYEPIECE NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED SLIGHTLY AS THE LENS IS ZOOMED. I HAVE NOT TESTED A DCA/DA TYPE ADAPTER WITH THIS CAMERA.
Neil."

I noticed you had the 25x LER along, did you use it and if so did you find you had to adjust the camera to EP distance as the camera power increased? I had this feature built into my canon s95 / 21xwe adapter and after using it for a while wondered if it was necessay, now with the 25xLER I was hoping it would not be necessary.
Joe
Click to expand...

Joe,
The RX100 doesn't need the longer eye relief of the 25x LER. I had to move it back from the eyepiece about 1 inch and zoom the lens to get unvignetted views. I would use it with the 30x to give me a range of about 1200 - 3000 mm which is "the range" for digiscoping.
Neil.
 
Neil said:
Mike,
This Greenshank was taken the the Kowa 20-60 zoom at 50x. The bird was about 100 meters away in bright/haze mid-morning light.
Neil
Click to expand...

A great shot, particularly considering the distance. Thanks, Neil for your opinion on this camera. All food for thought. keep the pics coming!

Mike
 
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