OK, following advice from this forum I'm abandoning my Coolpix 5700 for digiscoping, and my 4500 arrives Monday. What adapter does anyone recommend for a Swaro ATS 65HD with 20-60x zoom? Can I avoid having to remove the eye cup? Do I have to have a three screw fixing method? There must be some hard-earned experience out there with this combo!
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Coolpix 4500 and Swarovski with zoom (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Softsfan
- Start date
Swarovski's own digiscoping adapter is expensive (£110) but good...... only one screw.
You shouldn't need to remove the eyecup with most adapters, just lower it... but you will get less vignetting if you do remove it. A case of see how it goes.
You may not need more than one screw with the L.C.E. or Digimount, but it's not guaranteed. I certainly don't think you'll need more than one if you remove the eyecup.
Andy
You shouldn't need to remove the eyecup with most adapters, just lower it... but you will get less vignetting if you do remove it. A case of see how it goes.
You may not need more than one screw with the L.C.E. or Digimount, but it's not guaranteed. I certainly don't think you'll need more than one if you remove the eyecup.
Andy
Tannin
Common; sedentary.
Yup. Remove the eyecup and the Swarovski adaptor works just fine. In practice, you will find that you don't miss the eyecup at all. I don't even bother taking it in the car anymore. (Same setup as you, Softsfan: ATS80HD & CP4500.) You will also find that not being able to zoom without removing the adaptor (or at least part-removing it) is no big deal. You will be taking the adaptor of and putting it on again all the time to aquire birds and to get your focus 100%, and just to enjoy the bird, so having to part-remove it to adjust the zoom is no problem.
In any case, you'll almost always find yourself working at 20X for maximum clarity and the fastest possible shutter speed, and the in-camera zoom is ample to allow you to frame your shot. If you need more zoom than 20 * 4 = 80X, then you are probably too far away from the bird to get a decent picture anyway, unless the bird keeps very still for you, there is no wind, and you have masses of light.
I'm gradually coming round to the view that 80% of the time, the best way to improve my shots is to get closer to the bird. This means less zoom, which means more photons on the CCD, which means faster shutter speeds, which means sharper pictures.
In any case, you'll almost always find yourself working at 20X for maximum clarity and the fastest possible shutter speed, and the in-camera zoom is ample to allow you to frame your shot. If you need more zoom than 20 * 4 = 80X, then you are probably too far away from the bird to get a decent picture anyway, unless the bird keeps very still for you, there is no wind, and you have masses of light.
I'm gradually coming round to the view that 80% of the time, the best way to improve my shots is to get closer to the bird. This means less zoom, which means more photons on the CCD, which means faster shutter speeds, which means sharper pictures.
Grousemore
Senior Member
Softsfan's kit was the ATS65HD scope,if that makes a difference to your advice.
Andrew
wibble wibble
I have thge same set up as you albeit non HD and I get on great with the LCE adapter even with the Cup on. When I am doing a proper Digiscoping session I will make the effort to remove the cap though. Like Andy suggested many moons ago I only use one screw and it stays on well.
Thanks all of you for your excellent prompt advice. Call me dumb, but is the rubber bit of the eyecup supposed to come off by itself, or do you simply unscrew the whole cylindrical assembly that is about 3cm long?
The eyepiece lens looks a bit exposed and vulnerable to permanently dispense with the eyecup, Tannin. Do you keep your adapter on the scope and use that as an eyecup for general viewing without a camera attached?
Is the thread on the 4500 lens so standard that only one adapter part needs to be listed by Swaro (the DCA)? Is the LCE adapter the same i.e. a standard screw dimension?
The eyepiece lens looks a bit exposed and vulnerable to permanently dispense with the eyecup, Tannin. Do you keep your adapter on the scope and use that as an eyecup for general viewing without a camera attached?
Is the thread on the 4500 lens so standard that only one adapter part needs to be listed by Swaro (the DCA)? Is the LCE adapter the same i.e. a standard screw dimension?
Focalpoint
Guest
Have a look at the Spidertec unit also.
christineredgate
Winner of the Copeland Wildlife Photographer of th
I have been following this thread with great interest.I have 2 adapters,for the Swar scope.The original Swar one and one from Eagle optics.I personally cannot get on with the original one at all.I had to use it again for a few days,as i lost a screw in the long grass from the eagle eye,and obtained no pics.I accidentally unscrewed the eye piece,and have now got my eagle optics back in situ,and for the first time managed to get a 100%clear picture.
I think it is trial and error,oh and i find a bean bag placed on the end of the scope,can keep everything in focus a little easier.
Christine.Forgot to mention i use a 30w eyepiece,as everyone seems to think that it is the most practical.
I think it is trial and error,oh and i find a bean bag placed on the end of the scope,can keep everything in focus a little easier.
Christine.Forgot to mention i use a 30w eyepiece,as everyone seems to think that it is the most practical.
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Thanks for your feedback Christine.
Having looked carefully at Tannin's excellent pics of the Swar/4500 assembly and noting Andy Bright's encouraging comments, I went for the Swar adapter and played with it in the field today with some success. Perhaps the Eagle Optics one may have been a better bet - I will see how I get on. I must say I am impressed with the Swar quality and single fixing screw, but not the price.
Does the bean bag help by adding weight as a counterbalance to the camera? I have a decent tripod, but am frustrated when there are others in the hide, as their movements travel along the wooden floor and shake the image on higher zooms.
Having looked carefully at Tannin's excellent pics of the Swar/4500 assembly and noting Andy Bright's encouraging comments, I went for the Swar adapter and played with it in the field today with some success. Perhaps the Eagle Optics one may have been a better bet - I will see how I get on. I must say I am impressed with the Swar quality and single fixing screw, but not the price.
Does the bean bag help by adding weight as a counterbalance to the camera? I have a decent tripod, but am frustrated when there are others in the hide, as their movements travel along the wooden floor and shake the image on higher zooms.
