Beginners digiscoping

[Ukwildlifeo]

Im think of going into digiscoping - as the teleconvertors for my fz7 are £130!

Can anyone recommend a good starter set up?

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Ukwildlifeo

Im think of going into digiscoping - as the teleconvertors for my fz7 are £130!

Can anyone recommend a good starter set up?

large lense cameras like slrs and bridge cameras arent always ideal for digiscoping anyway - a popular model is a nikon compact with a swivelling screen ( Coolpix 4600 I think - but dont take that as gospel) they dont make these anymore but you can get em off ebay etc,

that just about exhausts my digiscoping knowhow but john is your man for digiscoping - i would guess he'll be along shortly but if not you could always drop him a pm

[John]

I have been digiscoping for a few years now. I started with the Nikon CP990 then moved onto the CP4500 (I have two of them). As Pete states they are now out of production but I think there may be some still out there, possibly on e-bay. I Know Warehouse Express bought a lot of the old stock and were selling them off at a good price (£299 I think) but I don't know if they have any left.

Regarding newer digiscoping cameras then I am not up to speed with the latest developments. I don't really like advertising other sites to get your knowledge but on Birdforum.net there is a forum totally for Digiscoping and a question in there will give you the up to date information on types of cameras and their costs and capabilities.

The 4500 I use is a smashing camera and if you visit my website you will see a Gallery devoted to Digiscoping images and that will give you an idea of what you can achieve. It is also an excellent macro camera and has helped me acheive some good Moth photos from my garden trapping. As another bonus you can take 35 second movies and again that has got me some movies on some fairly rare birds.

The attachments to get the camera to fit onto the scope are not cheap, unless the newer cameras come with cheap attachments, so you might not benefit too much.

The camera you have already I'm not sure how good it is for digiscoping as I don't know anything about it so I can't help you on that score.

One things for sure, even a starter digiscoping outfit will be a lot more than the £130 you have been quoted for your own camera attachment.

If there is anything else you want to ask me feel free to ask.

John

[eeyore]

ive never used it , but the nikon coolpix S10 looks like the spiritual decendant of the 4500
Direct Distibutor of Apples, Nintendos, Microsofts and Sonys #1 Products! - Nikon Coolpix S10 Digital Camera (6.0MP, 10 x Zoom-Nikkor lens) 2.5" LCD so it might be good - tho as john says it costs considerably more than 130 notes

[Ukwildlifeo]

Thanks guys. I had no idea where to start. Now I Do

[Ukwildlifeo]

damn a double whammey. Not only can I not use my fz7 to digiscope (the lens is too big) ive just seen how expensive the telescopes are. Ah well I guess I'll have to wait to wait till I get a job. If I ever do. Anyone selling their scope/camera/digiscoping gear dirt cheap? lol

[eeyore]

by the way the olympus tcons will fit on the FZ7 (tho they may require a step down ring) - these are about 80 notes - this will workout a lot cheaper than even the cheapest decent scope

[John]

Originally Posted by eeyore

by the way the olympus tcons will fit on the FZ7 (tho they may require a step down ring) - these are about 80 notes - this will workout a lot cheaper than even the cheapest decent scope

The one thing you can't get away from is using inferior scopes. To get the best out of Digiscoping you have to have a scope that pulls in a lot of light. That means the upper end of the scope market. Remember you are using very high magnification and in so doing you are reducing the light content. Cheap scopes are not good enough for Digiscoping and you probably need an 80mm scope with HD or comparable glass in it to attach a Digiscoping camera to it.

There is a lot to think of. You have two disciplines really to consider (if digital is what you are thinking). DSLR or Digiscoping. DSLR is not cheap to get into plus it is limited to fairly near shots in comparison to Digiscoping shots which can cover vast distances in comparison.

You may think that getting a scope to go with Digiscoping is a bit excessive but if you are a birdwatcher then a scope is necessary anyway so that cost shouldn't be taken into account when it comes to pricing up cameras. The cost difference with a scope comes into effect if you want to go down the Digiscoping route and then you have to class the difference with an ordinary scope to one of the better scopes you will need for Digiscoping. You don't have to consider this cost with DSLR as it has nothing to do with that type of photography.

One of the best scopes I can recommend that isn't too expensive is the Kowa TS822 & 824 (one is straight and one is an angled eyepiece). This scope has Flourite Glass and are about £600+. You may even get a 2nd hand one now that Kowa have brought out a more expensive scope.

If you are out of work at the moment then obviously you are probably not going to afford to go down the Digiscoping route just yet. When you are then put your questions on the forum again and we will see what we can come up with.

John

[Ukwildlifeo]

thanks again for the advice. Now to find a job...

[GME]

Just to let people know - thought I'd add to this thread rather than start a new one in the events section as it's such late notice - there is a Digi-scoping workshop tomorrow (Saturday 7th) at Martin Mere WWT if anyone is interested and can make it. Sounds as though it would be good (although it will need you to take along your own gear, which if you don't have any could be an issue).

Digi-scoping workshop

* Date: Saturday 7 July

This course is designed to help you understand some of the basics of photography, how they relate to your current camera and telescope combination, which will in turn allow you to improve your digi-scoping results. We shall be looking at the three parameters of shutter speed, aperture and iso rating, how they work with one another and how they affect your end results. We will examine eyepiece and telescope combinations and why some are better than others. We shall look at how to improve composition and photographic techniques. The course will also include a brief tutorial with Adobe Photoshop in order to improve your images after they have been taken.