Digiscoping with the Nikon V1 (3 Viewers)

[yossi]

The 500/4 if it's the AFS version at least, with or without a TC will make you forget your P&S cameras and maybe your scopes...
I have the non OS 150/2.8 of Sigma with HSM and it works fine with the V1, so I guess other Sigma lenses with HSM will do the job.
I've tried the V1+Ft1 on the Nikon 18-200mm lens, which is not the sharpest lens of Nikon @ 200mm, and the results are good (540mm final focal length).
Attached is a sample @ 200mm of this lens, auto iso (iso 720 selected by the camera) on a rainy day in Jerusalem.

 

[yossi]

Action shot with the V1

Another example - I've taken the following picture two weeks ago in Ecuador with the V1 + FT1 + Nikon 70-200 VRII + TC14E @ 280mm = effectively 756mm, hand held @ iso 1600, (I've closed the iris to f:5.6) with full AF and VR. Not bad for an action shot, especially of those tiny rockets...

 

[Neil]

Another example - I've taken the following picture two weeks ago in Ecuador with the V1 + FT1 + Nikon 70-200 VRII + TC14E @ 280mm = effectively 756mm, hand held @ iso 1600, (I've closed the iris to f:5.6) with full AF and VR. Not bad for an action shot, especially of those tiny rockets...

Yossi,
Nice. I love hummingbirds.
This combo is going to change the travel photography for a lot of big lens guys who are wanting to downsize their kit (airline restrictions). I do like having the zoom function on a quality lens. Especially useful if you are on safari in Africa and shooting from a fixed position.
I've tested it on the 18-105 kit lens too and it's ok.
Neil

 

[Neil]

I've just noticed this "dumb" lens adapter for the Nikon V1 on Ebay which is an alternative to the "intelligent" Nikon FT1 adapter.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Newest-Adap...ultDomain_0&hash=item256ba032e1#ht_4730wt_949

I haven't heard of anyone having tried this yet so "buyer beware"

Neil

 

[JHorton]

V1 + DCA... Vignetting??

I have a Swarovski ATM80HD + the 20 and 30 fixed power lenses. From what I have read here, it appears that the two kit lenses for the V1 (10-30 and 30-100) would work well with the DCA. I am still uncertain as to whether vignetting would be a problem with these combinations.
Thank you all for your helpful previous posts and I would appreciate any help with the only remaining concern that I have before deciding to purchase the V1.

 

[yossi]

On my Leica 62 (I guess the Swaro will behave similarily, as I tested the Swaro only with the DSLR adapter) there's vignetting with the standard zoom EP of Leica with the kit lenses of the V1 that goes away close to maximal tele zoom (28mm in the 10-30 and ~85mm in the 30-110).

 

[Neil]

I have a Swarovski ATM80HD + the 20 and 30 fixed power lenses. From what I have read here, it appears that the two kit lenses for the V1 (10-30 and 30-100) would work well with the DCA. I am still uncertain as to whether vignetting would be a problem with these combinations.
Thank you all for your helpful previous posts and I would appreciate any help with the only remaining concern that I have before deciding to purchase the V1.

Both kit lenses operate the same and will screw to the DCA with a 52/40.5 mm filter adapter but the 30 - 110 needs more Eye Relief to reduce vignetting. The 10-30 zoom is the lens for the 30x. The 20x eyepiece has less eye relief than the 30x so the unvignetted range is more limited.
Neil

 

[JHorton]

Both kit lenses operate the same and will screw to the DCA with a 52/40.5 mm filter adapter but the 30 - 110 needs more Eye Relief to reduce vignetting. The 10-30 zoom is the lens for the 30x. The 20x eyepiece has less eye relief than the 30x so the unvignetted range is more limited.
Neil

Thanks a lot Neil. I believe I'm ready to jump in.... JH

 

[JHorton]

Thanks to Yossi and Neil. What about the 20x-60x Swaro eyepiece? Might it work as well as the 20x or 30x in my setup?

 

[Neil]

Thanks to Yossi and Neil. What about the 20x-60x Swaro eyepiece? Might it work as well as the 20x or 30x in my setup?

It doesn't have as big a range unvignetted. Starts to be ok at about 24 mm at 20x and about 18 mm at 50/60x with universal-type adapter so that camera can be moved as lens is zoomed. With DCA more like 24 mm at 50/60x.
Neil.

 

[yossi]

I've obtained better results with the FT-1 and a Nikon 50/1.8mm or a 35/2mm lens.
The kit lenses are good, but not as good as a prime Nikon lens. Those prime lenses are inexpensive, especially the old AFD 50/1.8 lens and the image quality is outstanding.
It never vignettes at any zoom setting of the EP. It provides an effective focal length of 2160-6480mm with the EP of APO 62 Leica (the scope I like best). The 35mm/2 lens creates an effective FL of 1512-4536mm.
The kit lenses are very delicate to keep the camera hanging on them.
The best quailty images I get are either with the SLR adapter of the scope and the FT-1; FL=1620mm, razor sharp - or with the FT-1 and prime / zoom nikon lenses.
This little camera rocks!

 

[opticoholic]

Neil,
I wrote you an email recently. I was going to get a point and shoot for now but I'm rethinking and I'm nearly ready to just go for the V1. Your photo shows the FT-1 with DCA. Will V1/FT-1 work okay with the UCA too? I'm thinking maybe if I can only get 1 adapter, the UCA is probably best for now with the V1, at least for the kit lens, but now Yossi has me thinking I might quickly change to using a prime DSLR lens with the FT-1. Oh, and for remote shutter release is the ML-L3 the only/best way to go?

Thanks so much for your advice,
--Dave

 

[Neil]

Neil,
I wrote you an email recently. I was going to get a point and shoot for now but I'm rethinking and I'm nearly ready to just go for the V1. Your photo shows the FT-1 with DCA. Will V1/FT-1 work okay with the UCA too? I'm thinking maybe if I can only get 1 adapter, the UCA is probably best for now with the V1, at least for the kit lens, but now Yossi has me thinking I might quickly change to using a prime DSLR lens with the FT-1. Oh, and for remote shutter release is the ML-L3 the only/best way to go?

Thanks so much for your advice,
--Dave

Dave,
You can reverse the UCA to take bigger cameras with prime lenses.
I prefer to use the kit zoom on the DCA though . To protect the lens filter thread I leave the 40.5/52 mm fllter adapter on the lens permanently.
If you use an internally focusing lens like Nikon 50/1.8 then it will also be ok on the DCA. When videoing I support camera with the 501 head arm. You could do this all the time if you were worried about the weight.
With the UCA you have to be concerned about stray light getting in.
The ML-L3 is the only way to go that I've found. Works well.
Neil

 

[opticoholic]

No V1 for me just yet

Well, despite the V1 being a clear "proven" performer for digiscoping, I finally decided to pre-order an Olympus OM-D E-M5, a more "serious" camera that unlike the V1 I'm pretty sure I will really like for non-digiscoping use. And on paper at least the E-M5 seems like it has some promise for digiscoping. So in about a month when I finally get the camera, I'll be one of the "early explorers" to let this forum know well it works for me. I'll be starting out using the 14-42mm kit lens (only $100), which has been reported to at least work okay for digiscoping with other m4/3rds camera bodies. I hope eventually I can find a fixed-length lens that works better. I will be getting a free 4/3rds to m4/3rds adapter with the camera (rebate offer from Olympus), so that will perhaps open up a couple other lens possibilities. We'll see. Regardless of how well the Olympus works for digiscoping, I'm pretty excited about getting it. Who knows, after a few months maybe I will still get a V1, or perhaps the V2!

Thanks again to Neil, who carefully answered my inquiries just has he doubtless has for a zillion others.

Cheers!
--Dave B

 

[ckuklbac]

Hi to all. Newb here with an equipment type question.
I have a Nikon1 V1 with 10-30mm lens and am almost ready to purchase the Vortex Razor HD scope to start digiscoping. But I am having trouble deciding on a method of attaching the camera to the scope and would appreciate any help/ advice/ input from those who have been down this path before!
Vortex have an adapter which utilizes the filter threads to attach the camera. Finding the right size stepping ring is not a problem, but my question concerns the stress to the camera and lens of hanging the camera off the filter threads. Your thoughts please! (I was leaning towards the angled scope rather than the straight one)
If not the filter threads, then what? Can anybody recommend a universal adapter (with cable shutter release preferably) that will accommodate the camera? It requires 75mm of clearance from the front of the camera lens to the centre of the tripod attachment thread.
And finally, if the latter option is recommended, how to close off the light gap between the front of the lens and the eyepiece?
I also have the FT-1 adapter and could easily get a 50mm lens if that is thought to be a better alternative to the V1 10-30mm zoom lens.

Lastly, somebody please point me to explanation of "DCA" and "UCA" used multiple times upstream??

Happy hunting!

John

 

[dkol]

ckuklbac

I have the Vortex Razor HD and recently got a Nikon 1 V1. I have run one test so far, but I will share my thoughts. I should let you know that I am fairly new to digiscoping myself so you might want to take what I say with a grain of salt.

Using the Vortex DCA (DCA-VT-RZR-DA) and 52mm adapter ring, I put a 40.5-52mm step-up ring an the V1 10-30 kit lens and mounted it to the DCA. I too was initially worried about hanging the camera by the lens, but it handled it fine.

My first results were kind of mixed, but none of it was the camera's fault. I am sure the problem is that the combination of DCA and step-up ring create enough of a gap between the lens and eyepiece that puts it just on the far edge of the eye relief of the 20-60x eyepiece. The images were not horrible, but no where near as crisp as I think they should be.

I had a similar problem when I first started using the P6000 with UR-E21 adapter and solved it by using the Vortex PS-100 UCA (DCA-VT-PS-100) with the optional PS-100 52mm front plate and positioning the lens as close to the EP as possible. There was a tremendous improvement in IQ and camera performance. I am not sure if the PS-100 is large enough to put the V1 on it, but that is my next test and fully expect similar improvement.

I am also toying with building a tube adapter I saw on Jerry Jourdan's blog.

The camera and scope are both great, just need to tweak an adapter.
Hope this helps some.

dan

 

[ckuklbac]

Hi Dan,
Many thanks for this. I will investigate further over the next day or two. I like the $0.61 adapter from the hardware store!

John

 

[aostling]

I've just noticed this "dumb" lens adapter for the Nikon V1 on Ebay which is an alternative to the "intelligent" Nikon FT1 adapter.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Newest-Adap...ultDomain_0&hash=item256ba032e1#ht_4730wt_949

I have ordered the V1, and expect to get it in a few days. I'm getting it for a trip to Lithuania and Finland in August, but now (thanks to this thread) I know it will be a good camera for digiscoping too.

I don't have any Nikon AI-F lenses, so I don't need this adapter. But hopefully it will inspire other adapters, allowing me to mount Minolta MD and Pentax M42 lenses on the V1.

[edit] I just checked on eBay, and there are lots of adapters available for the V1, including one for the Minolta MD lenses. With this, my Minolta MD 100mm f4 macro lens will be effectively a 270mm on the V1. Since one uses manual focusing for close-up anyway, there is no downside to this.

Thanks, Neil, I am going to order the Minolta MD adapter straight away.

 

[Hor Kee]

Hi, I'm asking on behalf of a friend who has a Leica 82mm APO Televid angled scope. Will the V1 and 10-30mm lens fit on the Leica Universal Adapter? My friend is also a bit apprehensive of the fact that this adapter merely clips the camera into place without any screw mounts for the camera's tripod bracket. Further, will the EVF hump get into the way of the camera clamps on that adapter?

Ideally, the best mounting system for the V1 would be the Swarovski UCA. It is a shame that Leica did not come out with this style of adpater. Does anyone know whether the UCA will fit onto Leica's 82mm angled scope?

Thanks :t:

 

[aostling]

I've just noticed this "dumb" lens adapter for the Nikon V1 on Ebay which is an alternative to the "intelligent" Nikon FT1 adapter.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Newest-Adap...ultDomain_0&hash=item256ba032e1#ht_4730wt_949

I haven't heard of anyone having tried this yet so "buyer beware"

Neil

Beware, indeed. I bought a dumb adapter for mounting Minolta MD lenses. I have described the experience here: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1058&thread=41671824

I can possibly live with no metering, but it is impossible to focus manually without viewfinder magnification.