New Nikon P5000 or the old CP4500? (1 Viewer)

Hi.

Simple question............. or is it?

Which camera should I buy for my Leica Apo 77 scope? The Nikon P5000 or the old CP4500? I guess that either will attach via an adaptor of some sort

Quality image is the main issue, so I suppose, technically, it should be the P5000

Any thoughts please would be greatly appreciated.

Regards and many thanks.

Hi Password I see this is your first post, so may I welcome you on behalf of the Staff and Moderators at Bird Forum

I have the the same scope and a 4500 and quite content with the set up.

However, I'll leave the experts here to advise you for, as you fear, it is not really a simple question

D

May be this make no sense but here we go: get the 4500. It takes time to become familiar and good at digiscoping. In a year or so, when you are comfortable with your technique, there will be other better cameras, then worry about the camera. That was my phylosophy, so I got the 4500 thinking I would get a new one when and if I got good at it. The 4500 is still going strong. But there is a learning curve and for me it was better to climb it using a proven camera. Jose

If you can find a new 4500 it will cost you about £180 . A new P5000 is about £250. Its worth the difference and I don't think you will regret it.

It's swings and roundabouts.

I think the CP4500 is still the best design for digiscoping and can produce very good images.

Both cameras have complete control of focus and exposure, even selectable focus point.

For the CP4500 the downsides are the lower MP, small grainy LCD, slow operation.

The big pluses of the P5000 over the CP4500 are the higher quality sensor, large quality LCD, moveable not just selectable focus points, much better autofocus, much better autoexposure and best of all the VR which does away with the need for me to use a cable release. Image quality alone is reason enough to buy this camera - it gives near DSLR quality results straight out of the camera in ideal conditions.

The only niggle with the P5000 is the wider lens - so unless you want to use a high camera zoom then a wide eyepeice is needed. I'm still experimenting with the camera but I do find the 30xW eyepeice is better suited than the 20-60x zoom which was ideal for the narrower lens CP4500.

Both are good digiscoping cameras - but in your position starting off I'd be opting for the P5000 which can be had for around £200 if you shop around. If you can pick up a CP4500 for around £100 then it may be worth conisdering.

Simple answer: P5000

If that is not a no-brainer, I don't know what is. The P5000 is a good digiscoping camera and the CP4500 is a poor digiscoping camera by today's standards.

OK, you *can* take great pics with the CP4500, but mostly:
- the bird has disappeared long before the camera wakes up, has hunted with focusing long enough (macro mode) and has eventually spent all the shutter-lag seconds
- the 4500 mostly auto-focuses behind the subject
- if there are any branches etc. anywhere in front of the subject, the AF locks into them no matter which focus points you select
- you can't control the focusing properly because the display is small and very low-res & the AF indicator brackets are so utterly rough & unreliable
- the camera has drained the batteries just when something interesting appears

So, if you like pics of well exposed empty branches, which have nice & natural colours, but focused slightly behind the place where the bird was - the CP4500 is a great choice. :t:

Best regards,

Ilkka

Ilkka - while the 4500 is not perfect you can get great photos by setting the 4500 to infinity and then focussing your telescope. Works great for those very situations where there are obstacles in front of or near the bird. In fact I take most of my pictures using this setting.

Also, using a simple 2x plastic slide viewer attached to the display with velcro you can double its size and it also acts as a sunscreen as well as a handy tool for observing how much in focus your subject is.

Tom

http://wildlifesnaps.com

Tom,

Good points - I have used both infinity/landscape focusing and a magnifying loupe, and I agree that they are useful. I have even succeeded to get some pics that I have been satisfied with . It is just that IMHO there are nowadays several cameras with much more reliable autofocus, sharper screens, more responsive action and better battery life - the P5000 being one of them.

Regards,

Ilkka

Thank you for all your replies and input.Really appreciated.

Seems that the P5000 should probably be the first step and why not at 10mp V 4.1mp, this alone has got to be worth the difference assuming that the lenses on each are comparable.

Oh well, I`ll try almost anything once!

Very best wishes to all.

Tom Shevlin said:

Ilkka - while the 4500 is not perfect you can get great photos by setting the 4500 to infinity and then focussing your telescope. Works great for those very situations where there are obstacles in front of or near the bird. In fact I take most of my pictures using this setting.

Also, using a simple 2x plastic slide viewer attached to the display with velcro you can double its size and it also acts as a sunscreen as well as a handy tool for observing how much in focus your subject is.

Tom

http://wildlifesnaps.com

Click to expand...

Hello there Tom! Hope you are well, been a while...
Best wishes and good birding to you.

Go for the new P5000. Neil.

Alan - how the hell are ya - good to hear a voice from the past. Like your blog - great photos and brilliant sketches as always. Looks like you're having a great time in Sweden!

All the best,

Tom