Going Retro with the Nikon CP4500 (1 Viewer)

Neil · May 4, 2007

Now that I've had my 4500 repaired I've been taking it out to the local wetlands where waders can be up to 300 metres away. I had forgotten what a long reach this camera has (35 - 155 mm lens ). Of course the camera is a bit slow by today's standards but can produce good quality none-the-less.
I used it when the Nikon CP8400 ran out of reach (24 - 85 mm lens ).
The attached Snipe was taken at about 30 metres with the scope zoom racked up to 60x and camera zoomat 81 mm (4960 mm ). The Spotted Redshank was about 80 metres (5580 mm ) and the Black-headed Gull about 120 metres through haze (7380 mm ).
I'm taking it with me to Arizona tomorrow and will test it out in good , desert light. Neil

Mai Po Nature Reserve,
Hong Kong,
China.
03/05/07

Nikon CP4500 plus Swarovski STS80HD scope and Sw 20-60 zoom and DCA adapter

erniehatt · May 4, 2007

Nice pics Neil, seems like the longer reach is having good effect. I still think it's not what you use but how you use it. Ernie

border reiver · May 6, 2007

Neil

I can't believe the results for 80 & 120 metres well done I'll look forward to seeing some shots from your trip to Arizona.

John

Roy C · May 6, 2007

Amazing stuff Neil.

Baron Birder · May 7, 2007

Neil

These are stunning photos and the distances away wow!

I too have the cp4500 and am well impressed. How on earth did you manage to get them in such sharp focus using 60x scope with the tiny 1inch LCD screen.

Is is a marvellous scope, incredible light or your owl like eyesight.

Do please share you secret before I go totally green with envy

With Much Respect

Baron Birder

Neil · May 8, 2007

Thanks for the kind words. I would normally sight the bird first with the scope (I find it faster to get on the bird this way ), and then focus on something non-moving eg the birds legs. There is often not enough contast on the birds body at long distance for the AF to lock on. Then I watch the little green focus circle on the left of the camera body to make sure it is steady. If it's flashing focus has not locked and I'll tweak the scope focus a little until the green light is steady. On the Black-headed Gull it took a while for the AF to lock on but the gull was swimming horizontally to me so I eventually got a lock.
I hope this helps, Neil

Robert L Jarvis · May 8, 2007

Very good photos Neil but you also had apparently very good light which helps enormously.

Baron Birder · May 8, 2007

Ana all through a one inch LCD

Neil said:
Thanks for the kind words. I would normally sight the bird first with the scope (I find it faster to get on the bird this way ), and then focus on something non-moving eg the birds legs. There is often not enough contast on the birds body at long distance for the AF to lock on. Then I watch the little green focus circle on the left of the camera body to make sure it is steady. If it's flashing focus has not locked and I'll tweak the scope focus a little until the green light is steady. On the Black-headed Gull it took a while for the AF to lock on but the gull was swimming horizontally to me so I eventually got a lock.
I hope this helps, Neil

This is probably the technique you use for each digi photo , makes a lot of sense and is broadly what I do. However I find it very difficult to get the scope to focus sharply on 60x let alone add a camera, increase the magnification( to avoid vignetting) and then try and see though a one inch LCD to make sure it is sharp. I guess checking the focus green light is on helps to overcome the problem of not seeing a clear picture thru the LCD, but the focal depth must be very small.:brains:

Where there any particular faetures that helped you at 60x .Is it the ED scope as against the non ED swarovski I use?

Have just bought the F31 so I am hoping the bigger screen will help in seeing what is and isnt in focus

Any other thoughts?

Yours hoping to do better

Baron Birder

Neil · May 8, 2007

Robert L Jarvis said:
Very good photos Neil but you also had apparently very good light which helps enormously.

Robert,
It was certainly better than the day before when we couldn't even see the office towers of Shenzhen two Kms away through the haze/pollution but it was still very hazy. I'm in Scottsdale , AZ now and this is good light. I'll post some photos taken here with the 4500 soon. Neil.

Neil · May 8, 2007

Where there any particular faetures that helped you at 60x .Is it the ED scope as against the non ED swarovski I use?

The ED scope would make a big difference at these long distances and less than perfect light.
For the images I posted I was sitting inside a hide so it was easier to see the screen. Out in the bright sun is almost impossible without a screen hood.
The screen on the F31 will make it easier and the AF works much faster but it will still take an out-of-focus image if the scope is not focussed. Watch the little green focus light on the Fuji and when it's not flashing you should be ok.
Neil

Baron Birder · May 8, 2007

Many thanks for this. I may upgrade to an ED scope one day when I am feeling rich or can get a direct comparison against mine. One of my local friends has the new Swarovski so am hoping to borrow it one day!

Jose Carlos · May 10, 2007

Very good photos Neil, I use the cp 4500 , Nikon 82ED and a 12x digi-eyepiece this setting gives me more light , I still have to work with the camera to get more sharp images..

Neil · May 15, 2007

I had to use the Nikon 4500 more than I thought on my recent trip to Arizona as I forgot my 8400 charger.
As expected the light was very strong and I was usually up at 1000 -2000th of a second but it meant I had trouble seeing the screen unless I was standing in overhead shade ( which I tried to do as often as possbile as the temps were up around 100f ).
I was impressed with the 4500's functionality compared to most little digicams these days. The only one that comes close is the Canon A640's feature set.
Neil

Tim P · Jun 7, 2007

Aaah happy days when I used to get photos like these. However my CP4500 has developed the fault so many others have mentioned 'the jarring stuck zoom lens' Does anyone know in the UK where I can get it fixed for less than buying another camera??

Neil · Jun 8, 2007

Tim,
Get a quote from Nikon as it may be cheaper than getting a new camera.
Mine was fixed for US$200. Neil.

Tim P · Jun 9, 2007

Neil said:
Tim,
Get a quote from Nikon as it may be cheaper than getting a new camera.
Mine was fixed for US$200. Neil.

Thanks Neil. I may try that although the general exp seems to be spend a tenner getting it sent away and then get told to buy a new one although I suspect this might depend on the shop that sends it away.

Strix · Jun 26, 2007

Drat, my 4500 just developed the "jarring stuck zoom lens" last week. I mailed it back to them, but am now in the market for a new one I guess. I loved the quality with good light, but the slowness, difficult to see screen, and trouble focusing in low light were problematic.

pdedicoat · Jul 5, 2007

When I had the 'jarring stuck zoom lens' problem with my CP4500, I found that I was able to buy a decent second hand replacement via Ebay for roughly the same price as a repair would have cost - and it was a lot quicker!
Subsequently I bought a Samsung NV3 but I can't get on with it and still much prefer the Coolpix.

Strix · Jul 5, 2007

Yeah, I after looking at the latest point and shoot options, I ended up on ebay as well. Now I'll be going really retro with a coolpix 990.

Robin Edwards · Jul 6, 2007

Interesting thread which I've only just cottoned onto.

I have a CP995 and 4500 and just know that when they finally bite the dust I will feel lost. My 995 has a few duff pixels but is still OK otherwise. I can honestly say though that I've never managed anything half as sharp as those pics taken at the start of the thread on anything like 60x despite almost always using an electronic shutter release and using the focusing method already mentioned. I am very impressed.

My Leica eyepiece is OK on my 77APO up to around 40-45x then starts to drift. I have seen through a Swar'ki zoom eyepiece on 60x and it seems much the better product. As for getting optimised AF, the screen on the 4500 is much harder to view than the 995 which is why I often favour in lieu of 4500 and sacrifice a few pixels.

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