Equipment Question - big camera or little? (1 Viewer)

I'm interested in getting into digiscoping and perhaps using my existing cameras, which include a Nikon D-200 and a Nikon D-300. I notice that many people use the smaller "pocket" digitals rather than the DSLRs.

Apart from cost and weight, what are the advantages and disadvantages of using a DSLR or a smaller digital camera that does not have through-the-lens focus?

Also, as a newbie, if I plan to use a tripod, should I shy away from the bigger magnification lenses out of concern that the bigger the magnification, the harder the focus?

Thanks for any advice or comments you give me.

David

Welcome to birdforum!.

If you are truly talking about digiscoping, in other words shooting a camera held behind the ocular of a telescope, then you have to have the telescope on a tripod and most people use a bracket to hold the camera in place as well.

The difficulty with camera lenses capable of producing a strong zoom or which are telephoto lenses is to get an ocular on the telescope that allows large enough eye relief to match a sweet spot in the lens. This section of birdforum is likely to provide a lot of discussions about these topics.

Niels

Thanks for the reply.

I guess my inexperience in the area caused me to misdescribe what I believe I am talking about. My understanding is that I can purchase from Nikon a connection element to Nikon scopes that would attach the camera to the scope after removing the normal lens, with the result that the scope effectively becomes the lens. From what I have read, I understand that, if you use a compact camera, you do not remove the lens.

That is the comparison I am trying to make, and the discussions that I've found thus far seem to suggest that the compact camera might be the preferred approach but don't really elaborate on that is the case.

David

As I have not done what you describe, I don't know the outcome. One advantage of using the small P&S route with at least some adaptors is that it is easy and fast to switch from viewing to shooting, but with one disadvantage is smaller sensor giving less iq.

Take a look in the other forum I linked to above, there is for example this thread but also this thread that uses a different approach.

As I don't own a SLR, I don't know from personal experience, just trying to lead you to some additional info.

Niels

David, I have experience with shooting the Nikon kit.

When using the Nikon FSA-L1 dslr adapter the scope essentially becomes a 1500mm F12-ish supertelephoto manual focus lens. The Nikon adapter is unique in that it will allow you to shoot in Aperture Priority with Center-weighted metering and use Exposure Compensation with a Nikon dslr. If your subject can fill the frame AND you can nail the focus then this is a good solution. However practically speaking, at F12 the focus indicator light in the viewfinder is unreliable and I found when I downloaded my pics to PC that 90% where ever so slightly out of focus. Cameras with Live View will actually focus more reliably! And as mentioned, using this method also prohibits the use of the scope visually. In the end, I felt a zoom like the Sigma 150-500mm with a 2x TC could deliver similar results at a lower cost and be much more useful.

Using the compact camera digiscoping method typically also yields much more useful 1500mm-6000mm focal lengths at faster F4-8 apertures. You get fairly reliable autofocus too. And with the proper adapter you can still use the scope visually. There are of course a few "gotchas" but the method can produce outstanding pics. Just know the method works best for perching or slow moving birds. Flight/action shots are pretty much impossible.

Nikon Global has some pretty good digiscoping tutorials on its Sport Optics page that I advise you read through for more understanding.

good luck,
Rick

David,

If you willing to get the new Nikon Fieldscope EDG 85 with FSA-L2 adapter to connect your D300 camera, that's the way to go. The aperture starts from f5.6 - f22 with magnification on DX body from 500mm - 1750mm. Manual focus though.

If you wanted to use compact camera, get the Nikon Coolpix P6000 with 25x LER eyepiece or 30x eyepiece connect it with FSB-U1 adapter. With these combo, you will get around 1050mm to 3000mm over in shooting range.

Good luck