Canon A590 IS and Swarovski ATS 80HD scope (2 Viewers)

[bughunter]

Thanks, I'm very new to digiscoping and far from perfect.
Since I'm not getting good results with autofocus I followed a Swarovski suggestion and used manual focus. I use Av, put the camera focus to endless, zoom into 16x digital zoom and set the focus manually on the scope. Then I zoom out again and take the picture. For that I use the selftimer with initial delay 0, picture count set to 3 together with my electrical remote shutter on the USB connector (posted about it in another thread).
To impove the LCD, especially in bright sun, I soldered a light shield which is made from a raw plate for printed circuit boards. Its painted in black and mounted to the camera with Velcro strips.
A working auto focus setup (may be with macro) would be nice, because manual take much time - too long for some birds.

Attached a pic of the A590 with shield and USB shutter

 

[wings]

Thanks for the tip, bughunter. I'll try your technique. However, to get digital zoom you need to access the Menu to make setting changes. When you zoom back to optical, do you have to go back to the Menu?

 

[bughunter]

You only have to go to the menu once to enable the digital zoom in the menu (set Digital zoom to 'Standard').
1) set the cam to manual focus (this setting is back to normal after power on)
2) move the zoom to the right until you reach the end of the optical zoom (white '4.0x' on display)
3) move the zoom button a second time (digital zoom starts) until end of digital zoom range (you will see a light blue '16x' on display)
4) set to focus to best possible setting on the scope
5) zoom back to the optical zoom range
6) take the picture
Don't forget to pray that the bird is still sitting there
This method takes some time, but the results are not bad.

 

[R.B.]

bughunter, today I've applied your focusing procedure and... it works! I must admit.
Well - having a scope at least two classes beneath your Swaro I did not count for anything as sharp as yours images, but these two pictures of a stonechat taken from 30 m with 66mm non-ED scope (x30 WD) satisfies me more than anything I did not using focusing on max digital zoom... (before I focused on actual zoom the picture was taken on).

Regards,

 

[bughunter]

I had some discussions yesterday at fair "Bird Munich" and more experiments today with objects in a bigger distance. Now I think my method gives only exact results for full zoom (focus on max digi zoom and shot at max optical zoom). After zoom out further somes lenses inside the cam zoom are moved so the focus is no more there where you want to have it.

 

[mcepjg]

Thats correct, you need the Canon conversion tube and the DCA. The DCA will come with a set of rings to couple both together.

The only limitation to this setup (and most others) is in bright sunlight with the sun falling on the LCD screen, you may have difficulty seeing the screen.

As Neil mentioned if after putting the DCA on the scope eyepiece you find any movement between the them, get some tennis grip tape (it is non sticky) and wind around the eyepiece. (We both use the grip tape)

Don't forget to remove the zoom rubber eyepiece or otherwise the DCA may not go all the way on

Bob

This is a link to more of my shots taken on the Canon A590IS http://www.flickr.com/photos/jingbar/sets/72157609602990824/

Bob what camera settings do you use for digiscoping?

 

[kevinexzim]

electrical remote shutter on the USB connector

Hi Bughunter.
I'd like to make up a remote shutter USB connector for my Canon A75. Please point me to your thread on this.
Many thanks.
Kevin.

Thanks, I'm very new to digiscoping and far from perfect.
Since I'm not getting good results with autofocus I followed a Swarovski suggestion and used manual focus. I use Av, put the camera focus to endless, zoom into 16x digital zoom and set the focus manually on the scope. Then I zoom out again and take the picture. For that I use the selftimer with initial delay 0, picture count set to 3 together with my electrical remote shutter on the USB connector (posted about it in another thread).
To impove the LCD, especially in bright sun, I soldered a light shield which is made from a raw plate for printed circuit boards. Its painted in black and mounted to the camera with Velcro strips.
A working auto focus setup (may be with macro) would be nice, because manual take much time - too long for some birds.

Attached a pic of the A590 with shield and USB shutter