ollypenrice
Member
I am simply amazed by what you guys get out of the ED80. I quite agree that I can't see anything looking better. Beautiful pictures, Fernando. Quite extraordinary.
Olly
Olly
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what is the best scope for digiscoping?? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter wrogers
- Start date
Well.... after today's session with the LX3 (see the new LX3 thread), I decided to get set up for some prime focus photography with my D300 and the telescope. It was dark before I got home.... but... that did not stop me from trying it out.
My setup is :
D300
3 extension kenko extension tubes (total 68mm) - will probably remove the 12mm tomorrow
1.4x Nikon TC
T-Adapter
T to 2in scope adapter
Scope
By leaving my T to 2in adapter protruding about 1cm, I am able to get close focus down to about 5m. Here is my first image at 5.5m. The image is of a small painting (2" x 8") on my wall. The width of the attached image is the width of the painting (I did not rotate). It was difficult to use live view as my living room is not that well lit. Having said that, I am pretty impressed with the amount of detail I got in this 50% crop.
Tomorrow morning, I will go back to the same spot and shoot the parrots again. Only this time I will have 555 x 1.4 x 1.5 focal length rather than the 55 x 50 I have digiscoping.
One other question: Does anyone have any idea why my M42 T adapter (which fits perfectly on the D300) will not thread into my Antares Prime focus adapter? I can only get about 1 revolution and then it siezes up. Both are new and purchased from different people. I dont want to damage either component.
My setup is :
D300
3 extension kenko extension tubes (total 68mm) - will probably remove the 12mm tomorrow
1.4x Nikon TC
T-Adapter
T to 2in scope adapter
Scope
By leaving my T to 2in adapter protruding about 1cm, I am able to get close focus down to about 5m. Here is my first image at 5.5m. The image is of a small painting (2" x 8") on my wall. The width of the attached image is the width of the painting (I did not rotate). It was difficult to use live view as my living room is not that well lit. Having said that, I am pretty impressed with the amount of detail I got in this 50% crop.
Tomorrow morning, I will go back to the same spot and shoot the parrots again. Only this time I will have 555 x 1.4 x 1.5 focal length rather than the 55 x 50 I have digiscoping.
One other question: Does anyone have any idea why my M42 T adapter (which fits perfectly on the D300) will not thread into my Antares Prime focus adapter? I can only get about 1 revolution and then it siezes up. Both are new and purchased from different people. I dont want to damage either component.
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More images with the D300 and WO Zenithstar 80 EDII APOgrade. These photos were taken in evening light. The range for the munias was between 10-15m and the range for the bee eater was about 20-25m. I am having some serious problems with vibration and have begun looking into getting a balance bar to support this long lens setup. Even then, the shutter speeds I am getting (less than 1/125... usually 1/60ish) are not conducive to good clean captures. I will have to get use to the slow shutter speeds I guess if I want to do prime focus telescope photography. I was pretty impressed with the detail in munia3 eventhough I cut off the tail :king:
I am encouraged with what I am seeing so far. If I get much happier, I can see my self looking at 100mm and 125mm scopes.... more resolving power and more focal length!!
I am encouraged with what I am seeing so far. If I get much happier, I can see my self looking at 100mm and 125mm scopes.... more resolving power and more focal length!!
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Paul Corfield
Well-known member
Not too bad. The WO scopes are nicely made but optically they are a bit behind even the cheap Chinese 80ED's. The scope I had before my 80ED was a Zenithstar which I sold for more than I paid for it in the first place so it was a good stepping stone to a better scope.
What ISO are you shooting at and how well does the D300 handle high ISO? I shoot at ISO800 for nearly everything with my Canon 450D because no noise is visible and it gives high shutter speeds. If I don't use a teleconverter then I can shoot at between ISO100 to ISO400. I don't put a teleconverter on for small birds until I get over 20m range and anything under that can be cropped while keeping good levels of detail. For a bird about the size of your parrots I could photograph at about 40m without needing the teleconverter.
This Sparrow is an example of a fairly tight crop taken at around 20m range without a teleconverter. ISO 400 and 1/1000 sec shutter speed. I tend to shoot hand held, as in the scope is on the tripod but I have all the axis loose so I can tilt and pan around. I focus through the viewfinder and use continuous shutter for small bursts. I refocus every few shots which means I get a high ratio of keepers. Working this way means I can be set up and on a bird within a few seconds and can follow it where ever it goes without having to get everything set up rigid, switch to live view, wait for all vibrations to stop, mirror lock up etc and by then the bird has gone. I'm more hands on, just point the scope and click away. |=)|
Paul.
What ISO are you shooting at and how well does the D300 handle high ISO? I shoot at ISO800 for nearly everything with my Canon 450D because no noise is visible and it gives high shutter speeds. If I don't use a teleconverter then I can shoot at between ISO100 to ISO400. I don't put a teleconverter on for small birds until I get over 20m range and anything under that can be cropped while keeping good levels of detail. For a bird about the size of your parrots I could photograph at about 40m without needing the teleconverter.
This Sparrow is an example of a fairly tight crop taken at around 20m range without a teleconverter. ISO 400 and 1/1000 sec shutter speed. I tend to shoot hand held, as in the scope is on the tripod but I have all the axis loose so I can tilt and pan around. I focus through the viewfinder and use continuous shutter for small bursts. I refocus every few shots which means I get a high ratio of keepers. Working this way means I can be set up and on a bird within a few seconds and can follow it where ever it goes without having to get everything set up rigid, switch to live view, wait for all vibrations to stop, mirror lock up etc and by then the bird has gone. I'm more hands on, just point the scope and click away. |=)|
Paul.
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Thanks for the input Paul. The Zenithstar I am using has the FPL-53 aftermarket upgrade. I have been told by a couple of telescope buffs that the APOgrade Zenithstar is pretty formidable in the world of 80mm scopes. I have to say that I am a little disappointed in the color fringing that is visible in 100% crops. This scope is the extent of my firsthand knowledge, so I really cant compare to anything else.
I am going to continue to experiment with the gear I already have (LX3, D300 and later the 50D). Some observations : I had 68mm of extension tubes and a Nikon 1.4TC hooked up along with a 2in telescope extention tube (part of the APOgrade focal length correction kit) and I have to say this is not very stable. I am thinking I will pull at least 2in out of the focal tube on my next outing. The shutter really does cause this setup to 'bounce'. I am also considering creating a balance bar to assist with stabilizing this setup. I have a TV qwikview that arrived today. This will be a big help for 'finding' my subject. Currently, I am using the Manfrotto fluid head 501.... not really ideal. I am thinking that once I get the balance bar sorted, I will use my Manfrotto gimbal head.
The D300 seems to have more noise at ISO800 than I can handle. I generally try to stay at ISO400 or lower. I could probably play around with a noise removal program and get more comfortable with ISO800, but just havent yet.
Cant help but think that a 900mm x 100 or 125mm FPL-53 Triplet would be like!
I am going to continue to experiment with the gear I already have (LX3, D300 and later the 50D). Some observations : I had 68mm of extension tubes and a Nikon 1.4TC hooked up along with a 2in telescope extention tube (part of the APOgrade focal length correction kit) and I have to say this is not very stable. I am thinking I will pull at least 2in out of the focal tube on my next outing. The shutter really does cause this setup to 'bounce'. I am also considering creating a balance bar to assist with stabilizing this setup. I have a TV qwikview that arrived today. This will be a big help for 'finding' my subject. Currently, I am using the Manfrotto fluid head 501.... not really ideal. I am thinking that once I get the balance bar sorted, I will use my Manfrotto gimbal head.
The D300 seems to have more noise at ISO800 than I can handle. I generally try to stay at ISO400 or lower. I could probably play around with a noise removal program and get more comfortable with ISO800, but just havent yet.
Cant help but think that a 900mm x 100 or 125mm FPL-53 Triplet would be like!
Paul Corfield
Well-known member
Is the purple fringing being introduced with the teleconverter? Is there any fringing when the teleconverter isn't used. That could be one source of the problem. Do a comparison on a high contrast subject, one with and one without the teleconverter.
Photos on this site show that the apograde should at least be on a par with my 80ED.
http://www.astromart.com/articles/article.asp?article_id=398
Paul.
Photos on this site show that the apograde should at least be on a par with my 80ED.
http://www.astromart.com/articles/article.asp?article_id=398
Paul.
I doubt it is being introduced by the TC because I use this same TC with my 500mm f4 and have never had any color fringe. I am familiar with that article as I referred to it when i was installing my APOgrade.
There is a 127mm Meade and 120mm Skywatcher pro available used on either Astromart or Cloudy Nights. If these things weren't so dang heavy, I might be tempted to grab one.
There is a 127mm Meade and 120mm Skywatcher pro available used on either Astromart or Cloudy Nights. If these things weren't so dang heavy, I might be tempted to grab one.
Paul Corfield
Well-known member
Still, there's no way of knowing without trying photos with and without. There's a lot more glass in a camera lens and the way the image passes though the lens and then onto the teleconverter will probably be at different angles with the lens than with the scope so it all can make a difference.
Paul.
An important detail that I omitted, I also was seeing color fringing when using the scope with the LX3. Will try to do more testing this weekend.
Another question.... What does everyone think of the Orion 100ED? I looked at an Orion 80ED and thought "wow! this is kinda big!" Then I learned that the 100 uses the same tube. How do you think it would work with a DSLR? Too bulky to move around with? I think the extra aperture and focal length would be useful (if I could carry it) The price on these things is really low compared to other 100mm scopes.
Another question.... What does everyone think of the Orion 100ED? I looked at an Orion 80ED and thought "wow! this is kinda big!" Then I learned that the 100 uses the same tube. How do you think it would work with a DSLR? Too bulky to move around with? I think the extra aperture and focal length would be useful (if I could carry it) The price on these things is really low compared to other 100mm scopes.
Paul Corfield
Well-known member
Yeah, like Rick said, some of that fringing with the LX3 was probably from the eyepiece and some was probably from the LX3 too. Only way to tell if the scope is introducing any is to shoot with just the scope and dslr with no other optics in the way.
The 80ED is short enough to carry quite easily but the 100ED I think would be just for limited travelling. The 80ED I carry in one hand with the tripod in my other hand and all my other gear is in my back pack. Some sort of carrying handle could easily be rigged up to make it even easier but I've personally not had the need. I carry my 80ED all over the countryside on an average of 3-4 hours per trip. The 100ED isn't all that much heavier, I think it's less than a couple of pounds difference but the length of the thing would be the limiting factor. All depends on terrain, how far away the subject is likely to be and how far you see yourself carrying it.
Paul.
The 80ED is short enough to carry quite easily but the 100ED I think would be just for limited travelling. The 80ED I carry in one hand with the tripod in my other hand and all my other gear is in my back pack. Some sort of carrying handle could easily be rigged up to make it even easier but I've personally not had the need. I carry my 80ED all over the countryside on an average of 3-4 hours per trip. The 100ED isn't all that much heavier, I think it's less than a couple of pounds difference but the length of the thing would be the limiting factor. All depends on terrain, how far away the subject is likely to be and how far you see yourself carrying it.
Paul.
