Sony Nex 7 for Digiscoping (6 Viewers)

[JohnHC]

Hi Neil...stunning sample images...just the quality I hope to achieve. I come to bird digiscoping from animal photography and have homed in on nex7 through independent research. Putting Swarovski scopes with this clever little beast sounds close to ideal for portability and now quality. First question if you can help...what nex7 features are lost when replacing zoom lens with Swarovski scope? I expect to use apo adapter and will be manual focussing but does manual focus assist still operate. Does the image still expand to help man focussing and/or focus peaking still operate?

 

[JohnHC]

I have been a bit tardy in updating this thread as I have been using the Nex 7 for digiscoping , especially since I got the Swarovski STX 95 mm Scope ( thank you Swarovski).
I use it with the TLS APO adapter which eliminates the camera lens and slides nicely over the zoom eyepiece ( with collar on ) so you start with 30x ( on the 95 mm scope ) x 1.5 , although the APO has a 30 mm lens inbuilt so this drops magnification down a bit. The advantage of this is that when you take the camera of the scope to view through the eyepiece the sensor is protected from dust getting in.
Neil
Sydney,Australia
Dec 2012

Sony NEX 7 and Swarovski STX 95 mm Scope and TLS APO adapter

Oh...also...do you get vignetting with the nex7 apo with Swarovski scope setup? I am planning to purchase nex7 within a few days and then check out this whole system before going ahead with the more costly scope purchase...hopefully before end of year. Your comments would be most helpful. Thanks. John

 

[Neil]

Hi Neil...stunning sample images...just the quality I hope to achieve. I come to bird digiscoping from animal photography and have homed in on nex7 through independent research. Putting Swarovski scopes with this clever little beast sounds close to ideal for portability and now quality. First question if you can help...what nex7 features are lost when replacing zoom lens with Swarovski scope? I expect to use apo adapter and will be manual focussing but does manual focus assist still operate. Does the image still expand to help man focussing and/or focus peaking still operate?

All the MF features work on the TLS APO so it's easy achieve focus and check it with digital zooming.
Neil.

 

[Hor Kee]

Have you tried the 35mm 1.8 lens?

 

[Neil]

Have you tried the 35mm 1.8 lens?

I have the Sigma 30/2.8 E lens which is very good. I've been using it recently on the Nex 6. I would think the 35/1.8 would be good too.
I'm thinking of getting another Zeiss lens.
Neil.

 

[JohnHC]

I have been a bit tardy in updating this thread as I have been using the Nex 7 for digiscoping , especially since I got the Swarovski STX 95 mm Scope ( thank you Swarovski).
I use it with the TLS APO adapter which eliminates the camera lens and slides nicely over the zoom eyepiece ( with collar on ) so you start with 30x ( on the 95 mm scope ) x 1.5 , although the APO has a 30 mm lens inbuilt so this drops magnification down a bit. The advantage of this is that when you take the camera of the scope to view through the eyepiece the sensor is protected from dust getting in.
Neil
Sydney,Australia
Dec 2012

Sony NEX 7 and Swarovski STX 95 mm Scope and TLS APO adapter

Your images from 22nd December 2012 are simply outrageously high quality, and I am wondering how much you may have cropped the original Nex7 image for these. I have decided to purchase the Micro4/3 Panasonic GX7 which I will try out with 95 ATX Swarovski scope next Friday...my choice of camera was essentially based on in-camera image stabilisation and tiltable viewfinder as well as some other nice features. My first images with camera zoom (100-300mm)at full stretch are best with autofocus which delivers about x18 optical magnification. With x2 digital zoom the quality is still good, but nothing like your images...I hope and expect the Swarovski to make the difference, with a stable tripod and remote shutter release. It would be really nice to know if your images were cropped or manipulated much. Thanks for your response in anticipation...JOHN

 

[Neil]

Your images from 22nd December 2012 are simply outrageously high quality, and I am wondering how much you may have cropped the original Nex7 image for these. I have decided to purchase the Micro4/3 Panasonic GX7 which I will try out with 95 ATX Swarovski scope next Friday...my choice of camera was essentially based on in-camera image stabilisation and tiltable viewfinder as well as some other nice features. My first images with camera zoom (100-300mm)at full stretch are best with autofocus which delivers about x18 optical magnification. With x2 digital zoom the quality is still good, but nothing like your images...I hope and expect the Swarovski to make the difference, with a stable tripod and remote shutter release. It would be really nice to know if your images were cropped or manipulated much. Thanks for your response in anticipation...JOHN

John,
The GX7 should produce images similar to the Nex 7. Those photos were taken in good Sydney afternoon light from about 8 meters and are about full frame. I haven't used the Panasonic 100-300 for a few years so I can't comment how it works on the latest cameras but I remember it wasn't bad at close distances.
Neil

 

[MedicineMan4040]

Neil, did you mention that the Nex-7 is waterproof?
A quick google produces conflicting reports. My Nex-7 has approx 27K shutter actuations but I've always avoided rain with it.....now trying to remember why. Honestly I don't even purposefully expose the 5DIII to rain
Now if the awaited A6000 has sealing I'd be over the top. With the precious little knowledge I now have about D'scoping I'm thiking it a D'scopers dream machine.

 

[Neil]

Neil, did you mention that the Nex-7 is waterproof?
A quick google produces conflicting reports. My Nex-7 has approx 27K shutter actuations but I've always avoided rain with it.....now trying to remember why. Honestly I don't even purposefully expose the 5DIII to rain
Now if the awaited A6000 has sealing I'd be over the top. With the precious little knowledge I now have about D'scoping I'm thiking it a D'scopers dream machine.

I think I may have mentioned the Panasonic GH3 which is weatherproof, but he Nex 7 isn't.
I notice on a previous post that I mentioned that I hadn't used the Panasonic 100-300 mm lens recently but I have now been using it a lot on the GH3.
It's better than I remember it.
Neil.