Mikah Denzil
Mikah
Does anybody know anything about the Digital Camera Bracket Base - and how successful it is. It seems rather expensive.Have any Bird Forum contributors used one yet?
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Swarovski Digital Camera Bracket Base (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Mikah Denzil
- Start date
simon
Well-known member
Hi Mikah
I took the plunge and bought the DCB last week after seeing it at the birdfair last year. First impressions were very favourable, a well built solid unit and potentially easy to use BUT there are a few drawbacks the main one being to fix it onto the scope you have to remove the rubber eyepiece, slide the dcb on, then refit the eyepiece, you also have to remove the sight on the side of the scope and replace it with the bung if you still have it and i was unable to use the zoom with the string for the eyepice cap in it's original postion - i have got round this by tying it to a elastic band and fixing it around the eyepiece just below the rubber (i actually prefer it here). I set of on saturday for a days birding come photography -First stop Montagues watchpoint at frampton with no opportunity to try it then on to Titchwell surely a good place to try it out if i had'nt dropped the b**** camera onto the path and broke it so no piccies and a well unhappy birder but the DCB seems good if you want to spend the money
Simon
I took the plunge and bought the DCB last week after seeing it at the birdfair last year. First impressions were very favourable, a well built solid unit and potentially easy to use BUT there are a few drawbacks the main one being to fix it onto the scope you have to remove the rubber eyepiece, slide the dcb on, then refit the eyepiece, you also have to remove the sight on the side of the scope and replace it with the bung if you still have it and i was unable to use the zoom with the string for the eyepice cap in it's original postion - i have got round this by tying it to a elastic band and fixing it around the eyepiece just below the rubber (i actually prefer it here). I set of on saturday for a days birding come photography -First stop Montagues watchpoint at frampton with no opportunity to try it then on to Titchwell surely a good place to try it out if i had'nt dropped the b**** camera onto the path and broke it so no piccies and a well unhappy birder but the DCB seems good if you want to spend the money
Simon
rogerscoth
Well-known member
Mikah,Mikah Denzil said:
Have a look at the thread below - "Swar Digi Slr Adaptor", where Nigel Blake (reply - post no.4) mentions using one. If you need more information, I am sure Nigel will oblige.
Roger
christineredgate
Winner of the Copeland Wildlife Photographer of th
Roger,the one on the Swar Digi Slr camera thread may not be the same as Mikah is looking for.That one is specifically for digi slrs.Not basic digicameras.I think there may be a difference,but am not sure.
rogerscoth
Well-known member
Christine, with respect,christineredgate said:
Although your thread concerns the tube type adaptor, Nigel's reply (in post 4) includes reference in the 2nd paragraph to the folding type adaptor:-
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I have also been playing with the new digiscoping adaptor, the one that lifts the camera out of the way and back into place on the eyepiece, it is very good once aligned to suit your camera, but again you do need a camera that focuses internally. It is very quick to use in the field as you can find and focus the bird in the scope then drop the camera into place rapidly with confidence that its level etc
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Roger
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Mikah Denzil
Mikah
Hi again
Thanks for the comments. Well I decided to lash out today - and have bought it having had the comments. Simon - that is a dreadful thing to happen with your camera. I haven't had time to do much - as am tied up with other things at the moment and have a heavy day tomorrow. When I eventually managed to get the bracket on to the scope., I was impressed with the ease one lifted it up and down. However I was a little puzzled - when I switched the camera on -(4500) - great picture - but when I zoomed in a little - there was some vignetting. I thought this happened the other way round?!!! Also probably totally different - but when I clicked on the tree (no birds about) I was focussing on - which was very clear in the monitor - it was slightly fuzzy on the picture. (Yes I did use a cable release.) Of course the light is not good this evening - and I have not given it much of a chance.
Incidentally I thought the Swaro instructions on the bracket were awful - all diagrams!!
How did you find them Simon?
Incidentally - the shop removed the sight at the side of the scope!!! Heaven alone knows where the"bung" is.
Cheers!!
Thanks for the comments. Well I decided to lash out today - and have bought it having had the comments. Simon - that is a dreadful thing to happen with your camera. I haven't had time to do much - as am tied up with other things at the moment and have a heavy day tomorrow. When I eventually managed to get the bracket on to the scope., I was impressed with the ease one lifted it up and down. However I was a little puzzled - when I switched the camera on -(4500) - great picture - but when I zoomed in a little - there was some vignetting. I thought this happened the other way round?!!! Also probably totally different - but when I clicked on the tree (no birds about) I was focussing on - which was very clear in the monitor - it was slightly fuzzy on the picture. (Yes I did use a cable release.) Of course the light is not good this evening - and I have not given it much of a chance.
Incidentally I thought the Swaro instructions on the bracket were awful - all diagrams!!
How did you find them Simon?
Incidentally - the shop removed the sight at the side of the scope!!! Heaven alone knows where the"bung" is.
Cheers!!
Last edited:
simon
Well-known member
Mikah Denzil said:Also probably totally different - but when I clicked on the tree (no birds about) I was focussing on - which was very clear in the monitor - it was slightly fuzzy on the picture. (Yes I did use a cable release.) Of course the light is not good this evening - and I have not given it much of a chance.
Incidentally I thought the Swaro instructions on the bracket were awful - all diagrams!!
How did you find them Simon?
Incidentally - the shop removed the sight at the side of the scope!!! Heaven alone knows where the"bung" is.
Hi Mikah
yes i agree the instructions are awful fortunatly the dcb is reasonsbly self explainatory but some written instructions wuold have been nice especially when they show a "max" distance but don't tell you how far it actually is.
The "bung " or aiming aid cover to give it it's real title, should be in the box the scope came in pushed into the cardboard insert.
As for your images being slightly fuzzy have a look at the thread on soft images it seems that this is a fault on the 4500 with some being worse than others
Hope to see your piccies in the gallery when you get to grips with the setup
Simon
BB
malcolm.rowan
malcolm
I've been out with my new Swaro hinge adaptor with a Nikon 4500 today and am very disappointed.
Why?
It didn't occur to me that the adaptor connects to the main camera body, fixing its position, rendering the main advantage of the Coolpix swivel lens unuseable. So with an angled scope and high tripod position the LCD can't be seen.
I wish I'd gone for a more basic adaptor.
Why?
It didn't occur to me that the adaptor connects to the main camera body, fixing its position, rendering the main advantage of the Coolpix swivel lens unuseable. So with an angled scope and high tripod position the LCD can't be seen.
I wish I'd gone for a more basic adaptor.
malcolm.rowan said:
That is the same complaint I have about other similar adapters. I wish the folks at Nikon had located the camera mount on the other side of the swivel. This same situation yields a drooping problem with heavy lenses.
Alternately it is a shame that a second mount couldn't be added to the camera somehow. The camera case is metal and can be opened with a few screws...
http://www.flowersfamily.com/nikonrepair/
Mikah Denzil
Mikah
I have been able to try the adaptor - yesterday and genedrally was very pleased with it. It did take some getting used to - and I still need a rubber ring to ensure a closer fit to the lens of the scope. But it wsas great to be able to use the scope to watch birds then photo of I wanted to. Ok I agree that the camera being fixed is a downside - but in that caase if absolutely necessary then I would revert to the ordinary screw on type adaptor. Incidentally Simon - I too had an accident yesterday - fell over rocks andbadly sprained ankle and bruising - but luckly just me - not the camera!!
Hope yours is back working soon.
Hope yours is back working soon.
kim
Well-known member
I have the Sawro DCB with Nikon 4500 and agree there are some problems. I phoned Swaro direct - and was told that someone would phone me back which they did - within the hour. I had quite a long conversation and commented on some of the problems mentionned above - one of course being that the camera is now always in a fixed position. I was assured that this would be brought up - the person I spoke to did not think it would be difficult to make some adjustments and would be in contact with me again in the future. I was pretty impressed to find that I was talking to the MD John Bickley - and surmise that this is why Swaro are doing so well if they take the trouble to respond immediately to their customers concerns.
jiminlondon99
Well-known member
I tried one in the very helpful RSPB reserve and concluded it would be great for static digiscoping but a bit fragile for woodland walks and the other locations I would wish to use it in. I have opted for the DCA adapter and am very happy with it, it is not as elegant, but for me it is practical.
jim
jim
Jay Turberville
Well-known member
galt_57 said:
The Coolpix 995 has a slide switch on the bottom that addresses the "drooping problem". I thought the CP4500 has the same.
galt_57 said:
While the swing away aspece of the DCB seems attractive, it only takes the twist of a knob to remove the camera to allow visual use of the scope when using a DCA. So I would think the DCA would be the better approach for cameras with lens threads and swivel bodies. For other cameras, the DCB is probably the way to go. I rely on my swivel LCD a lot.
(I have only used the DCA. So I am speaking from that direct experience and from my indirect observation of how the DCB functions.)
BTW, the way to use the DCB and still gain functionality of the swivel body would be to use the lens thread as an attachment point for a tripod socket. Also, cameras like the CP5000 will retain their swivel LCD functionality with a DCB.
Fitting the Swarovski DCB - a solution
I wasn't happy with pulling the eyecup in and out every time to mount the DCB, so I have found another way to do it. I use the zoom eyepiece with the ATS80HD. All I do is 'unplug' the eyepiece from it's bayonet fitting, slip it through the DCB from the camera side and pop it back into place. Simple! No wear on the eyecup and the eyepiece bayonet mount should accept removal and replacement umpteen times without any problems as it quite substantially built. Hope this helps.
I wasn't happy with pulling the eyecup in and out every time to mount the DCB, so I have found another way to do it. I use the zoom eyepiece with the ATS80HD. All I do is 'unplug' the eyepiece from it's bayonet fitting, slip it through the DCB from the camera side and pop it back into place. Simple! No wear on the eyecup and the eyepiece bayonet mount should accept removal and replacement umpteen times without any problems as it quite substantially built. Hope this helps.
