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Flying Birds (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter cthomas
- Start date
redshift
Toad Popper
cthomas said:
To catch a flying bird well you really need a fast exposure time - it's an "action sports shot"! - I'm not sure this is possible when digiscoping. When I shoot with my Canon DSLR + zoom I try to get down to 1/1000sec if possible. But I'm just a beginner - others may know better ...
tracker
Tom
Hi Carl,
Ive tried digiscoping birds in flight, with mixed results. With the coolpix and swaro setup, for example, bright light is essential, in order to get fast shutter speeds. Ive found it 'easier' trying to photograph birds that hover. Good example being a Kestrel (my best effort to date is probably the kestrel shot i have in my gallery: http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php/photo/18736/sort/1/cat/500/page/9). Terns returning to their nest area often give a good chance of a shot, as they prepare to land; they do that little hover on approach.
Basically, due to digiscoping restrictions regarding action shots, im hoping to move into DSLR photography soon. In the mean time, the challenge of getting a good action shot with a scope and cam remains to be had....
Keep practicing, and try out different approaches. In time, im sure you will get that special shot to make you smile.......
Tom
Ive tried digiscoping birds in flight, with mixed results. With the coolpix and swaro setup, for example, bright light is essential, in order to get fast shutter speeds. Ive found it 'easier' trying to photograph birds that hover. Good example being a Kestrel (my best effort to date is probably the kestrel shot i have in my gallery: http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php/photo/18736/sort/1/cat/500/page/9). Terns returning to their nest area often give a good chance of a shot, as they prepare to land; they do that little hover on approach.
Basically, due to digiscoping restrictions regarding action shots, im hoping to move into DSLR photography soon. In the mean time, the challenge of getting a good action shot with a scope and cam remains to be had....
Keep practicing, and try out different approaches. In time, im sure you will get that special shot to make you smile.......
Tom
Last edited:
redshift
Toad Popper
cthomas said:
Yes, sort of. In extreme conditions I have handheld a Canon 300d to Leica Televid APO 77: dank drizzle, 500 foot range, ISO 1600, f5 and 1/30 sec exposure ! One can still get an image, but it is not really a good digiscoping setup (the camera is much too big for the scope even if one had an adaptor).
A 300mm lens on a Canon Rebel would give about x10 magnification. A 400mm lens (e.g. the 100-400mm IS zoom that I covet) plus a 1.4x teleconvertor would give about x18.
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PWG
Well-known member
I've been playing with digi-scoping after starting with photography and then moving into bird watching. As I already had a Rebel 300D and was dissappointed with the very distant blobs from even my 500mm zoom I tried playing with fitting it to a scope.
I use the standard canon 18-55 zoom with an old Swaro ST80HD on a zeiss quick adaptor. I had to add a sliding plate to the scope to fit the two as the scope is a bit too long for the zeiss, and then replace my tripod as it was too heavy for my old velbon.
I'd been told the old scope with the new 20-60 eyepiece is as good as the new setup optically although slightly heavier. I bought the new eyepiece after trying a friends and it is almost identical size to the canon lens and so fits together very nicely. The zoom is enough to stop any vignetting and gives you abit more magnification if you need it.
20-30 x gives good results even in poorer light, though to get a good picture at 60 x you need fairly strong sunlight but not impossible. As I've said the drawback to my setup is the weight but it's still lighter than carrying my scope and 500mm.
As for birds in flight good light, steady hand, and firm surface for your tripod and follow the bird, not always successful but if it doesn't work delete it and try again.
The photo of the harrier was taken in September fairly late in the evening so the light wasn't brilliant.
I use the standard canon 18-55 zoom with an old Swaro ST80HD on a zeiss quick adaptor. I had to add a sliding plate to the scope to fit the two as the scope is a bit too long for the zeiss, and then replace my tripod as it was too heavy for my old velbon.
I'd been told the old scope with the new 20-60 eyepiece is as good as the new setup optically although slightly heavier. I bought the new eyepiece after trying a friends and it is almost identical size to the canon lens and so fits together very nicely. The zoom is enough to stop any vignetting and gives you abit more magnification if you need it.
20-30 x gives good results even in poorer light, though to get a good picture at 60 x you need fairly strong sunlight but not impossible. As I've said the drawback to my setup is the weight but it's still lighter than carrying my scope and 500mm.
As for birds in flight good light, steady hand, and firm surface for your tripod and follow the bird, not always successful but if it doesn't work delete it and try again.
The photo of the harrier was taken in September fairly late in the evening so the light wasn't brilliant.
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