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Digiscoping with the Nikon ED50 (1 Viewer)

Baron Birder

Well-known member
My friend has bought the Nikon ED50 a nice small scope for a lady and the zoom eyepiece.

I have digiscoped for sometime with my Swarovski 80hd but would like to offer her some advise regarding digiscoping with hers.

Any advice on preferred adapter and camera for best results, which I can pass on to her as a beginner would be most welcome.
 
Hi Baron Birder. You might be interested in this thread which I started some time ago, although I have just noticed that you have already contributed to it. My own combination involves a bit of customisation so it might not be ideal for your friend.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=90115&highlight=nikon

If I were starting again I would probably use the Nikon P5100 camera with the FSB-6 adapter. Unfortunately, as your friend has the zoom eyepiece this requires some extra adapters, FSA-1 and 2 I think, to modify it to take the FSB-6. The good news is that the scope, camera and adapters have all been designed to work together. The combination is, however, quite expensive.

An alternative is to use the SRB Griturn swing away adapter with one of the other 'cameras of the moment', such as the Fuji F50 or Sony W series.

The zoom lens is not ideal, as it will probably require the camera to be zoomed in to clear the vignette, but the results should be pretty good. The ideal eyepiece is one of the DS series as these do not require the extra FSA adapters.

You can see the results I get with the ED50 in my Users Gallery and judge whether it is worth the effort.

Hope this helps a bit.

Ron
 
Any advice on preferred adapter and camera for best results, which I can pass on to her as a beginner would be most welcome.

I think you'l struggle to find a better option that the Nikon P5100, it's a great little camera. Nikon make adapters to fit it very nicely onto their scopes, I think it's an FSB-6 for this camera.
 
Resurrecting an old thread and I have recently got the ED50 and would like to try digiscoping.

Am I right in saying that for the eyepiece i have (27x wide MC) i need the FSA-1 and 2??
Does this just give a thread for attachment that DS eyepieces have??

Also - is the above eyepiece good for digiscoping? or has anyone had any experience with this eyepiece.

Thanks in advance for any responses
H
 
Resurrecting an old thread and I have recently got the ED50 and would like to try digiscoping.

Am I right in saying that for the eyepiece i have (27x wide MC) i need the FSA-1 and 2??
Does this just give a thread for attachment that DS eyepieces have??

Also - is the above eyepiece good for digiscoping? or has anyone had any experience with this eyepiece.

Thanks in advance for any responses
H

Hi Hedgeland. You are correct in thinking that you require the FSA-1 and 2 for the MC eyepieces. However, these simply enclose the MC eyepiece and provide a flange of the same diameter as that on the DS eyepieces. It doesn't provide a thread. This is provided by the FSA-3 if required or if a camera like the Nikon P-5100 is used, the bespoke FSB-6 adapter will fit straight onto the FSA-1/FSA-2 combination. If a different camera is used you will need an adapter which provides a 28mm thread to connect to the one on the FSA-3, which then clamps onto the FSA-1/FSA/2. I hope this makes sense.

I briefly tried a 27x eyepiece on my ED50 but I found the camera alignment was extremely critical so I changed it for a 20x, which worked better. The problem was probably caused by the adapter which I was using and shouldn't be an issue with the proper Nikon adapters.

Ron
 
Thanks for the fast response - makes sense

looks like i need the full hit then

FSA-1/2
FSB-6
And the P5100

Guess i better get saving :)
 
ED50 with P5100

I bought an ED50 A a year ago for the sake of its extreme portability and hoping I could make sense of how to put together a practical digiscoping system. Too bad I didn't discover this forum then. It was a struggle but I finally sorted out the clutter on Nikon's Web site during the winter and ordered what appear to be the optimum complements to the ED50:

16x/24x/30x wide DS eyepiece
FSB-6 digiscoping adapter
P5100 camera

Finally added an Induro 3D-M-23 pan head to my Gitzo G1155T Traveler tripod for better control.

After some experimenting, I concluded it was practically useless without bright sunlight (rare in Seattle winters), so I had to wait for spring. I've also found that the slightest motion (such as a bird floating on water) compromises sharpness and that apparently the camera's maximum aperture may not provide enough depth of field to encompass a bird's body.

Nevertheless, my first fully successful digiscope photo: http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=248943

Now, I hope Nikon comes out with a compatible camera that includes RAW, wireless remote, faster focus and manual focus or persistent focus lock (every time I press the press the cable release, the camera wastes time refocusing, even though the subject hasn't moved).
 
I bought an ED50 A a year ago for the sake of its extreme portability and hoping I could make sense of how to put together a practical digiscoping system. Too bad I didn't discover this forum then. It was a struggle but I finally sorted out the clutter on Nikon's Web site during the winter and ordered what appear to be the optimum complements to the ED50:

16x/24x/30x wide DS eyepiece
FSB-6 digiscoping adapter
P5100 camera

Finally added an Induro 3D-M-23 pan head to my Gitzo G1155T Traveler tripod for better control.

After some experimenting, I concluded it was practically useless without bright sunlight (rare in Seattle winters), so I had to wait for spring. I've also found that the slightest motion (such as a bird floating on water) compromises sharpness and that apparently the camera's maximum aperture may not provide enough depth of field to encompass a bird's body.

Nevertheless, my first fully successful digiscope photo: http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=248943

Now, I hope Nikon comes out with a compatible camera that includes RAW, wireless remote, faster focus and manual focus or persistent focus lock (every time I press the press the cable release, the camera wastes time refocusing, even though the subject hasn't moved).

I have just got the Coolpix P6000. This camera can use the IR remote control ML-L3. I has RAW and also manuel focus. So maybe the P6000 is the camera for you? :)
 
I have lots of luv for their dSLRs and really wish Nikon knew how to make a great digicam. But the P6000 is an even worse camera for digiscoping than the P5100.

That said, this forum is filled with great pics taken with the P5100. Bad light will always be trouble for almost any digicamera given the insane focal lengths and the tiny ED50 doesn't pass much light either. I suggest leaving the camera shooting function to Progam Auto and set the minimum ISO to 400 on cloudy days to get your shutter speeds above 1/125. May even have to adjust Exposure Compensation down a few stops. Nikon's are so slow between shots it probably doesn't pay to take multi-shot bursts, but try anyway if the bird is moving as that will improve your odds of getting good focus. Digicams really won't a depth of field issue unless the target is only a few feet away and you are a max zoom.

cheers,
Rick
 
I have just got the Coolpix P6000. This camera can use the IR remote control ML-L3. I has RAW and also manuel focus. So maybe the P6000 is the camera for you? :)

Could be, if it's compatible with the FSB-6 bracket. Nikon hasn't added it to http://www.nikon.com/products/sportoptics/how_to/digisco/step2/camera.htm, and it doesn't closely resemble the P5100. According to B&H's online catalog, they use different teleconverters with different adapters. So, can the P6000 be connected to the ED50 without a clunky (sorry if that's what you're using) third-party adapter?
 
Unless you DIY your own adapter, best to use something like this universal adapter from Vixen. I have one but there are lot's of cheaper clones of this available too. Then you use any camera you want.

FWIW, I have a Panasonic FX150 on the way to my from Adorama. The price is right too at $210. Save a few bucks more by going thru Microsofts Cash Back Search engine. I have spent a few hours playing with it in stores here and it seems to have all the right digiscoping features. Though I plan on using it with my Kowa 883 scope, I think it will play nice with ED50 too.

cheers,
Rick
 
If I understand "Relative Brightness" in http://www.nikon.com/products/sportoptics/lineup/dsystem/ds/index.htm, the ED50 is actually brighter than either of their other scopes. The others gain in magnification (and weight |=(|), but lose brightness.

Relative Brightness = exit pupil squared, eg, 3.1 x 3.1 = 9.6 and is relatively meaningless. Just a marketing term dreamed up by the optics companies that compares brightness of different eyepieces in the same scope or across scopes with the same aperture. Ignores the effects of magnification.

What might be more useful is the so called Twilight Factor which is magnification x aperture: 16 x 50=800 for ED50 vs. 30 x 82=2460 for ED82. But this also over emphasises the magnification effect.

A more balanced measurement is the so-called Adler Index which is magnification x sqr root of aperture: 16 x sqrt50=113 vs. 30 x sqrt82=272

For digiscoping the camera aperture is the limiting factor. With most digicams it will be much smaller than 3.1mm exit pupil of the 16x DS at the cameras widest angle, ie. zoomed out. Basically, a larger 80mm scope will give you 2-3 stops exposure advantage over the smaller 50mm scope. Better resolution too.

cheers,
Rick
 
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If I understand "Relative Brightness" in http://www.nikon.com/products/sportoptics/lineup/dsystem/ds/index.htm, the ED50 is actually brighter than either of their other scopes. The others gain in magnification (and weight |=(|), but lose brightness.

That was my exact feeling...The ED50 is as bright as any scope as I have used..Of course the magnification is lower..@13X the zoom is a bright as it is in the bigger scopes at 20X-25X...Low power is good for digiscoping!..I use the straight version,and JUST started playing,but is a killer combo..I have a Canon A590IS,and it works ok,from mid range to the end of the Zoom ..I use the Baader Microstage II adapter,with swivel action,and is good,because you can easily carry the scope ,ready for observation,and shift to camera in a second( or two)...the 13X-30X zoom works great for digiscoping and is sharp ..very good definition,and good detail(I only have photos of flowers ,indoors,,I havent had time to go out!!!I would like to post some,but my computer is failing to resize the images..I'll try later)
The minimum focus distance of 8' is fantastic. perfect to bring detail in..I consider this scope the ultimate digiscoping mini-beast..really,
the straight version makes also a better digiscoping fit,I think..altough I'd rather an Angled myself,to look up at the nesting falcons in the Portland Bridges(without breaking my neck..aaarg!)
The Bogen 3126 is an OK head.With other scopes can feel so-so,BUT with the ED50 is an amazing platform!!!SUPER stable,,,and although I have a smaller tripod( and intend to buy an,even lighter ,one)I use my massive SLIK700DX..huge,and quite heavy,but totally stable ..
I am impressed with this scope,and can only imagine the 16XDS eyepiece...
 
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I think people who digiscope with an ED50 are a small but enthusiastic group.

Aperture and light gathering are relative to the magnification one uses. Clearly a large scope will allow higher magnification along with the narrower field, shallower depth of field, and greater vibration issues that come with it.

For the casual digiscoping I do, this simple set up http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1451388#post1451388

has allowed me to get better results than with my PF80ED and a DSLR.

The mighty ED50 with the 16x DS is a mostly unsung hero for digiscoping (at close ranges)
 
I think people who digiscope with an ED50 are a small but enthusiastic group.

Aperture and light gathering are relative to the magnification one uses. Clearly a large scope will allow higher magnification along with the narrower field, shallower depth of field, and greater vibration issues that come with it.

For the casual digiscoping I do, this simple set up http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1451388#post1451388

has allowed me to get better results than with my PF80ED and a DSLR.

The mighty ED50 with the 16x DS is a mostly unsung hero for digiscoping (at close ranges)

Having read through this thread and others, the gist of people's experience/comments on digiscoping with the ED50 is that in low light the performance isn't great but with the x16 DS eye piece, adapter and appropriate compact camera, the results can be 'ok'. Is this a fair summary or can I hope for better than 'ok' in good light?? Is it worth trying to use the ED50 for digiscoping or is it all just a bit too small to allow enough light etc? I'd like know if it's really worth investing in the eyepiece, adapter and camera?

I'd appreciate any advice/help from you guys who are getting good results in in digiscoping with the ED50, if possible.

Many thanks
Hobbes
 
I think you can achieve excellent results if you learn to work within the limitations. Typical super telephoto focal lengths will be 500-1600mm with the right camera. In good light and at distances under 20mm you will get some very nice pics. The tripon/head you choose to get proper balance will be VERY important.

cheers,
Rick
 
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