Nikon P5100 (1 Viewer)

[steveblain]

Hi Steve, that is interesting, especially the positioning you recommend with the P5100 and 20X eyepiece. How is that accomplished?
It also makes me wonder if I made a mistake assuming the DCA would place the P5100 at the optimimum distance from the 20-60x zoom. Neil, I believe you are one who has had success with the Swaro zoom, and you are doing it with the DCA?

Thanks, I hope I am not trying everyone's patience! One day I hope to be able to contribute as well.

Best

Bruce
.

Hi Bruce,

The Swaro 20-60x zoom will work fine with the DCA, but you will get vignetting up until around half-way through your camera zoom range.

If you get the distance between camera and eyepiece right, the fixed 20x will have no vignetting throughout the cameras zoom range.

Here's how I attach my P5100 to my fixed 20x and the resulting view through my P5100.

 

[wannabe]

Hi Bruce,

The Swaro 20-60x zoom will work fine with the DCA, but you will get vignetting up until around half-way through your camera zoom range.

If you get the distance between camera and eyepiece right, the fixed 20x will have no vignetting throughout the cameras zoom range.

Here's how I attach my P5100 to my fixed 20x and the resulting view through my P5100.

Steve, that's awesome!

I'll continue to percolate on mounting modifications now that I've seen yours.

Will also take a look at the 20X...

Bruce

 

[jason stannage]

hi guys, not trying to clog up a supreb thread more pics can be found here,http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=104724, , i got my camera back (fixed):t:
all pics taken with a swarovski ats 80 hd scope 20-60 zoom coolpix p5100 fixed to auto


pic 1 cattle egret poor light scope set at 45x.
pic 2 stonchat poor light scope set at 20x.
pic 3 avocet poor light scope set at around 30x.
pic 4 king eider scope set at 30x poor light strong wind light rain.
pic stonechat scope set at 20x poor light slight mist.
all taken on auto

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=V1j6iCoClFc
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=C3kYY9uhg4g

 

[jason stannage]

somemore pics got to say i really do like the video mode pic 4 shows a cattle egret set at 45x and videod on the same scope settings:t:

pic 1 cormorant set at 20x dull weather heavy rain.
pic 2 avocet 30x dull.
pic 3 shoverler 20x dull.
pic 4 cattle egret 45 x.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IioeKAi8g_g

pic 1 cormorant taken at gilroy nature park,
cormorant ring number cea This individual (metal ring 5250281) was ringed as a chick on PuffinIsland north Wales on the 23rd June 2007.

 

[Neil]

The 20-60x zoom works fine with the P5100, but the best Swaro eyepiece, in my opinion, is their fixed 20x. Very sharp and bright, and it also just about gives no vignetting if you set it up correctly. However you can't use the DCA with the 20x. Instead I've got one of the SRB swing-out adapters.

Steve,
I got some time this afternoon to test out my new Swarovski 20x W eyepiece and the P5100. This camera really likes this eyepiece and as you found, almost vignetting free throughout the camera zoom range (I'm using the Zoom DCA on the fixed eyepiece which is a bit shorter ). This could even be improved a little with better setup. I also tested the Fuji F50fd and got the same result (no vignetting ).
On the Swarovski zoom (20x ) using a Universal Adapter , the vignetting disappears about 15.7 mm (about 2.3rds into the camera zoom ). AT 60x vignetting disappears around 10.1mm (end of Green Macro Zone ) which is nice.
First photo - 20x W with P5100 and DCA at wide zoom (7.5 mm) - slight shadowing
Second photo - 20x W with universal adapter at wide zoom (7.5 mm) P5100 - no vignetting
Third photo - zoom 60x at 10.1 mm with universal adapter (vignetting disappears ) P5100
Neil

Hong Kong,
China.
April 2008

 

[Glimmer]

Hi there!

I have an urgent question about P5100! Tomorrow I will use it for first time with my scope to get some pictures of a lesser kestrel colony.

I cannot find in the manual the way to eliminate the preview of the photos! You can easily lose a great picture because of this +/- 2 seconds time where the photo you have just taken is shown!!! I don't want the pictures being shown, I prefer take a set of five or six and then at home select the best...

Many thanks!

 

[pinussen]

Don't think you can remove that I which I could do that as well, especially when trying to shoot flying birds.

I guess we could try to write to Nikon and ask them to fix stuff like this, raw mode, persistant 3 sec timer etc. in a firmware update. Tried to mail Nikon in Sweden but just got a dump answer, "no we don't know whats planned" instead of forwarding the users want's to the firmware devs.

Regards Björn

 

[BrianInnes]

Hi there!

I have an urgent question about P5100! Tomorrow I will use it for first time with my scope to get some pictures of a lesser kestrel colony.

I cannot find in the manual the way to eliminate the preview of the photos! You can easily lose a great picture because of this +/- 2 seconds time where the photo you have just taken is shown!!! I don't want the pictures being shown, I prefer take a set of five or six and then at home select the best...

Many thanks!

I'm surprised it isn't possible to disable preview of photo. I don't own a P5100 yet, (hopefully soon). I'll wait with interest to see if anyone figures out how to disable the image preview.

 

[Martin Standley]

P5100 update.

been using my P5100 for about a month now, it is still producing the goods, I'm especially pleased with the quality of the shots of birds taken at a considerable distance then cropped.(I think it performs better over a long distance than it does close up).
The king eider was about 200m away and the lesser yellowlegs was about 50m away.
The fact that they were taken in good light obviously helps, but just lately I have seen some cracking birds and this camera hasn't let me down.
The wood sandpiper was at about 15-20m.

 

[Neil]

The fact that they were taken in good light obviously helps, but just lately I have seen some cracking birds and this camera hasn't let me down.
The wood sandpiper was at about 15-20m.[/QUOTE]

Martin,
Nice results over distance. I've found this camera to be reliable over distance and the AF is more reliable than most. The screen is bright enough too to establish focus.
I hope you don't mind but I had a play with the Wood Sandpiper image as it looked nice against the light.
Neil

 

[notatwitcher!]

Glimmer. Pinussen - I think what you are talking about is not a preview per se, but the camera shows the last image while it is saving it to the card. You should see the little egg-timer filling up on the screen as well. On mine it takes something around half a second or less for 12mb- but I've got a fast card as said earlier. If its taking 2 seconds then its pretty slow card - try changing to SDHC class 4 or 6 (they're getting down to the price of what a 35mm slide film used to cost . .)

Neil - one of my slowly improving efforts attached Neil. Spot autofocus and aperture priority exposure also spot. Even centre weighted slows the shutter speed because of amount of dark area included. 3 sec timer again.

Now got my cabel release adapter, so can try doing some non-garden locations without the bird walking out of the picture . . .

Mike

 

[ColinSev]

Improving pics

Had a bit more practice with the Swaro 80 hd and P5100. 3 second timer still catching me out - have tried using the sport mode and just holding button down and results arent bad.
The Red Crested Pochard was about 35 metres, the avocet 80metres - Plover was about 40 metres

Am interested in anyones opions - so I can improve. thanks

 

[Neil]

Neil - one of my slowly improving efforts attached Neil. Spot autofocus and aperture priority exposure also spot. Even centre weighted slows the shutter speed because of amount of dark area included. 3 sec timer again.

Now got my cabel release adapter, so can try doing some non-garden locations without the bird walking out of the picture . . .

Mike,
Birds at feeders are tough as they tend to be very "twitchy" . You need at least 1/125th of a second at 1/250th is better. Bump up the iso to get better shutter speeds. Also focus on their legs not their head/upper body as that area moves around too much for the AF to get a grip.
Neil.

 

[jason stannage]

hi neil, took the camera out this weekend very dull conditions and heavy rain got to say im totally pleased with the results ,thats if you take into acount the conditions.

 

[Neil]

hi neil, took the camera out this weekend very dull conditions and heavy rain got to say im totally pleased with the results ,thats if you take into acount the conditions.

I'm glad to see you out in all conditions. The bright screen should have helped a lot in these conditions. Well done. Neil.

 

[On-Firecrest]

Hi all,
What settings should I be using so that my images aren't over exposed. This maybe a bit of a hard question to answer (sorry!) but i've been getting dissapointing results due to over exposure.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Glimmer]

These are my first test with this equipment:

- Nikon ED82 Angled
- Nikon P5100
- Wide DS 30x
- FSB-6 adaptor

Settings as recommended by Neil and Nikon, in mode A.

Distance about 15-20 m

Test at more distance with bad results (because of hot shimmer and underexpose -camera display tends to overexpose, IMO)

PD: the female lesser kestrel is ringed, if someone knows where to give the information...

 

[Neil]

Hi all,
What settings should I be using so that my images aren't over exposed. This maybe a bit of a hard question to answer (sorry!) but i've been getting dissapointing results due to over exposure.
Cheers
Steve

Steve,
I usually have -0.7 dialed in for exposure but will change it according to circumstances. If birds are big in the frame you could use Centre Weighted metering. For smaller birds use Spot Metering. For black/white birds I usually use Manual Metering.
Neil.

 

[On-Firecrest]

Steve,
I usually have -0.7 dialed in for exposure but will change it according to circumstances. If birds are big in the frame you could use Centre Weighted metering. For smaller birds use Spot Metering. For black/white birds I usually use Manual Metering.
Neil.

Cheers Neil, that looks to have solved my problem, thanks indeed:t:

 

[wings]

These are the first tests from this mornings shoot using the P5100. I didn't compare it to the P5000 yet but did compare with the Canon A640.
My first impression is that AF time is similar to P5000 and camera slows down a bit more after about 3 frames as it processes the 12.1 megs.
Here is the original image straight from the camera with a cropped version and then an adjusted version of the crop. No noise that I could see at iso 64.
More tests following of various iso and against the A640. Neil

Nikon P5100 plus swarovski STS80HD scope and Sw 30x eyepiece and DCA adapter

_____
Very, very nice and sharp photo, Neil. But don't you think that 12.1 MP and the Swaro optical quality is the difference? BTW, we used to call the bird "bully-bully", or more correctly, bul-bul.

Ex HK'er.