Best new camera for digiscoping? (1 Viewer)

Allen · Dec 16, 2006

Having had enough of the shutter delay on my Nikon 4300 (with lots of shots of empty branches etc!!!), I wondered if anyone could give guidance on what is generally percieved to be the best choice on the market for digiscoping currently. Obviously a key factor for me is reducing shutter delay but without compromising shot quality as I do use my camera for general use also.

Alternatively I have been comtemplating whether to swap to a Digicam affair and use both filming and single shot within this instead of digiscoping - does anyone have views on this also - cameras, results?

Paul Jarvis · Dec 16, 2006

What scope are you using as this may help with your decision? The Fuji F30 is a good choice and getting lots of thumbs up from many members.

Chris Oates · Dec 16, 2006

I've got a Fuji F30 for my Opticron ES80, my SRB-Griturn swing out adaptor has just arrived and I'm trying to figure it out between work and it being dark.
The F30 is good because..
Shutter lag is low.
AF locks well and quickly.
Good battery life.
Can maintain high shutter speeds by increasing ISO
without adding unnacceptable grain to the pics.
Video works very well.

Not so good...
Doesn't remember settings that are not in the
'setup' menu - set continuous shooting then review a pic
and the shooting reverts to one shot.
No adaptor threads.
No threads for cable release.
Tripod thread is in a weird place and made of plastic.

The SRB bracket includes a cable release which negates one problem.

I'm still faffing around with the bracket which needs one serious setup for height and lens distance - the height one is OK but the lens distance is strange, rather than optimum image being with lens close to eyepiece it seems better further away but that allows in reflections from the eyepiece - I'll have to experiment with moving the twist up eyecup. Horizontal positioning just consists of marking the bracket so the camera gets mounted in the same position.
Looks like once optimum settings are found then all that you do is mount the adaptor, mount the camera and shoot away.

scampo · Dec 16, 2006

Allen said:
Having had enough of the shutter delay on my Nikon 4300 (with lots of shots of empty branches etc!!!), I wondered if anyone could give guidance on what is generally percieved to be the best choice on the market for digiscoping currently. Obviously a key factor for me is reducing shutter delay but without compromising shot quality as I do use my camera for general use also.

Alternatively I have been comtemplating whether to swap to a Digicam affair and use both filming and single shot within this instead of digiscoping - does anyone have views on this also - cameras, results?

Just to add my vote for the F30 and the superb SRB Griturn adapter - a good price for a very useful camera and digiscoping adapter - you're guaranteed some fun with this fine setup!

hoopoe · Dec 17, 2006

Chris Oates said:
I've got a Fuji F30 for my Opticron ES80, my SRB-Griturn swing out adaptor has just arrived and I'm trying to figure it out between work and it being dark.
The F30 is good because..
Shutter lag is low.
AF locks well and quickly.
Good battery life.
Can maintain high shutter speeds by increasing ISO
without adding unnacceptable grain to the pics.
Video works very well.

Not so good...
Doesn't remember settings that are not in the
'setup' menu - set continuous shooting then review a pic
and the shooting reverts to one shot.
No adaptor threads.
No threads for cable release.
Tripod thread is in a weird place and made of plastic.

The SRB bracket includes a cable release which negates one problem.

I'm still faffing around with the bracket which needs one serious setup for height and lens distance - the height one is OK but the lens distance is strange, rather than optimum image being with lens close to eyepiece it seems better further away but that allows in reflections from the eyepiece - I'll have to experiment with moving the twist up eyecup. Horizontal positioning just consists of marking the bracket so the camera gets mounted in the same position.
Looks like once optimum settings are found then all that you do is mount the adaptor, mount the camera and shoot away.

I would be very interested to hear your final verdict on this combination. I have the Opticron ES80GAED (angled) scope & I am looking for a camera to go with it. Was going to get the Samsung i6 offered as a package with the Opticron scopes by Infocus but after reading all the reviews I am now thinking that the F30 might be a better option. SRB Griturn believe that their swing out adaptor will suit the F30/Opticron scope combo, so please post your findings and some photos. Good luck!

Chris Oates · Dec 17, 2006

hoopoe said:
I would be very interested to hear your final verdict on this combination. I have the Opticron ES80GAED (angled) scope & I am looking for a camera to go with it. Was going to get the Samsung i6 offered as a package with the Opticron scopes by Infocus but after reading all the reviews I am now thinking that the F30 might be a better option. SRB Griturn believe that their swing out adaptor will suit the F30/Opticron scope combo, so please post your findings and some photos. Good luck!

That's the scope I have plus the SDL 20-60 zoom eyepiece - the bracket allows access to the zoom ring while in place and fits perfectly once you unzip the stay on case, the remote shutter release works fine, the bracket works right or left handed.
I'll post more when I get some free time during daylight hours and can set it up properly.

Allen · Dec 18, 2006

Paul Jarvis said:
What scope are you using as this may help with your decision? The Fuji F30 is a good choice and getting lots of thumbs up from many members.

I use a Leica APO 62 with 32x eyepiece

scampo · Dec 18, 2006

Allen said:
I use a Leica APO 62 with 32x eyepiece

The Fuji F30 + SRB Griturn would be ideal with this, I suspect, as the extra speed the F30 allows will more than make up for the compact scope's smaller objective size (up to 3200ASA if you're pushed and only want 7"x5" prints, for example - unique for a small digicam; most of even the latest can only manage 400ASA with this much noise from what I can glean from reviews).

Chris Oates · Dec 19, 2006

Not having a birdy pic to hand here's an example of the Fuji F30 at 3200 ISO - it's the Super yacht EOS, 1500 tons, 300ft, 21 crew - a snip at around £100,000,000.

F3.7 @ 1/57 second ISO 3200.

hoopoe · Dec 19, 2006

Chris Oates said:
Not having a birdy pic to hand here's an example of the Fuji F30 at 3200 ISO - it's the Super yacht EOS, 1500 tons, 300ft, 21 crew - a snip at around £100,000,000.

F3.7 @ 1/57 second ISO 3200.

Put me down for two please!
What sort of distance were you from the yacht?

Chris Oates · Dec 19, 2006

hoopoe said:
Put me down for two please!
What sort of distance were you from the yacht?

Probably 100 yards away across the dock at Falmouth, she's gone to the Med now.

hughlewiswright · Dec 23, 2006

Digiscoping with Kowa TSN 824

Hi there

I am thinking about buying a new digital camera with digiscoping in mind. I use a Kowa Prominar TSN 824 and I was wondering if anyone has any experience with digiscoping with Kowa scopes.

Judging by the number of posts on the subject, it seems like the Fujifilm F30 is a good camera to aim for, are there any other main contenders that I should consider as well? The F30 seems appealing given that photographing in dull conditions in the UK is often an issue.

I presume which camera you use isn't really scope specific but the adaptors are the key. Are there any in particular that work really well with Kowa's?

Many thanks
Hugh

scampo · Dec 23, 2006

I don't have experience of that scope, and hope others will write in to help, but I feel sure the Kowa would be ideal linked to the Fuji F30 - especially if it has a 20xW or 30xW fixed eyepiece. I'd give serious thought to the new SRB-Grturn swing adapter, too, as it does mean that the digiscoping does not get in the way of birding so much.

The Fuji is so good because it is so quick at everything - switching on, focusing, shooting... also, unique to Fuji, it allows shots to be taken at high film speeds without introducing too much in the way of digital noise. I don't think any other camera has this useful facility. I was planning on buying one of the new Canon digicams but they seem to be less good on noise and to cause more vignette shadowing.

stanacko · Dec 23, 2006

hughlewiswright said:
Hi there

I am thinking about buying a new digital camera with digiscoping in mind. I use a Kowa Prominar TSN 824 and I was wondering if anyone has any experience with digiscoping with Kowa scopes.

Judging by the number of posts on the subject, it seems like the Fujifilm F30 is a good camera to aim for, are there any other main contenders that I should consider as well? The F30 seems appealing given that photographing in dull conditions in the UK is often an issue.

I presume which camera you use isn't really scope specific but the adaptors are the key. Are there any in particular that work really well with Kowa's?

Many thanks
Hugh

HI,
Iuse the TSN4 with the new 20x w eye piece + the Fuji f11 + home made adapter and more than happy with the results.
Stan. :clap: :clap:

hughlewiswright · Dec 25, 2006

Fuji F30

Fuji F30 seems like the way to go, shame it doesn't have an eyepiece or rotatable screen but seems impossible to find something absolutely perfect.
I notice it has around 6.3 megapixels, does this put it at a disadvantage when compared with 8 megapixel cameras?

Also, does having a 4x optical zoom camera make a lot of difference from a 3x one?

Thanks
Hugh

scampo · Dec 25, 2006

hughlewiswright said:
Fuji F30 seems like the way to go, shame it doesn't have an eyepiece or rotatable screen but seems impossible to find something absolutely perfect.
I notice it has around 6.3 megapixels, does this put it at a disadvantage when compared with 8 megapixel cameras?

Also, does having a 4x optical zoom camera make a lot of difference from a 3x one?

Thanks
Hugh

4x zoom cameras seem to have a different zooming mechanism that others here have found causes problems with vignette shadows when digiscoping (I was going to buy the Canon Sureshot but read a thread on this just in time!).

The difference between 8 and 6.3mp is, I suspect, of little or no consequence; in fact, to fit more pixels onto the kind of tiny sensor that these compact digicams use seems to introduce more digital "noise" according to many of the camera reviews. The F30 seems unique in being able to work at up to 3200ASA and have next to no noise at 800ASA, nothing else coming close so far as I can see.

Allen · Jan 15, 2007

Had a look at the Fuji F30 today and was very impressed with shutter lag. I'm tempted to try this with a Leica DA2 adaptor (I'm not a fan of the whole swing arm affairs - too bulky). Has anyone tried this and is there a problem with this and the external zoom on the Fuji???

Allen

erniehatt · Jan 16, 2007

scampo said:
4x zoom cameras seem to have a different zooming mechanism that others here have found causes problems with vignette shadows when digiscoping (I was going to buy the Canon Sureshot but read a thread on this just in time!).

The difference between 8 and 6.3mp is, I suspect, of little or no consequence; in fact, to fit more pixels onto the kind of tiny sensor that these compact digicams use seems to introduce more digital "noise" according to many of the camera reviews. The F30 seems unique in being able to work at up to 3200ASA and have next to no noise at 800ASA, nothing else coming close so far as I can see.

In my opinion the 4x zoom is not that difficult, with the correct adapter and some practice. I have two and no problems. I think too many people give poor reviews, simply because they are not prepared to do a little work. because it does work straight away on there systems, they mark it as no good. Ernie

scampo · Jan 16, 2007

erniehatt said:
In my opinion the 4x zoom is not that difficult, with the correct adapter and some practice. I have two and no problems. I think too many people give poor reviews, simply because they are not prepared to do a little work. because it does work straight away on there systems, they mark it as no good. Ernie

I'm sure you're right. I have no experience of 4x zoom cameras. What is useful, though, is the speed with which the camera can be swung / put into place and prepared for shooting - and on that score cameras such as the Fuji F30 are surely at the forefront.

iporali · Jan 17, 2007

erniehatt said:
I think too many people give poor reviews, simply because they are not prepared to do a little work. because it does work straight away on there systems, they mark it as no good. Ernie

Ernie,

No, that is not the reason. The reason is the difference in true fields-of-view.

When you are close to the bird, with a 4x Canon A6X0 you get a nice pic of its head, whereas with the Fuji F30 (or most 3x cameras) you can fit the whole bird in the picture. You can think of it like having a 70-280mm zoom (Canon) or 50-150mm zoom (Fuji) when you try to photograph children's play indoors. Both can be optically great, but the wide-angle-end is often more useful than the tele-end.

BTW, the Nikon CP4500 had a very usable 4x zoom.

Best regards,

Ilkka

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