digiscoping help

[ronnie baker]

Can anyone offer advice on the Opticron GS 815GA 'scope-performance wise for digiscoping linked to my nikon coolpix 4500. Thanks in advance. Please PM me or reply to this thread.

[Colin Key]

Can anyone offer advice on the Opticron GS 815GA 'scope-performance wise for digiscoping linked to my nikon coolpix 4500. Thanks in advance.
dorsetbirder@yahoo.co.uk

Hello Ronnie (and a big welcome to Surfbirds Forum),

I have no experience of the Opticron 'scope you refer to, but (as a Nikon Coolpix 4500 owner) I would say that, assuming this 'scope is of reasonable standard, your possible problem would be with the performance of the camera rather than the 'scope. The CP 4500 is well past its "sell by" date and there are now a load of much better (and cheaper) cameras on the market.

Paul Hackett is the digiscoping "guru" here so you might consider sending him a PM for advice.

Cheers,

Colin :beer:

[AndyB]

Hi Ronnie, I have no experience with the Opticron scope but I have been using a Nikon CP 4500 for years and been happy with the results. Sounds like you already own a CP4500. So, don't open up the wallet and ditch it just yet. Not sure if you're a veteran digiscoper or just starting out but if you're looking for decent record shots for ID purposes or for the memories, it's a good camera to have and with a bit of practice you should get decent results and have some fun with it.

I was first using the 4500 with a very old Optolyth that was a terrible scope by the end of its life when I was digiscoping with it. I used a simple screw-on adaptor that worked well and was just what I needed to get quick record shots of rarities or semi-decent shots for ID purposes if I wanted to spend some time:

http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20040418094225.jpg

I then upgraded to a Kowa TSN 883 and attaching the Coolpix 4500 to that got better results:

http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20090405042705.jpg

http://surfbirds.com/albums/data/585/bbplover1.jpg

So, at the end of the day, the quality of the scope goes a long way towards the results depending on what you're wanting to do with your digiscoping. And tons of practice. Don't be afraid to fill up the memory card to maybe get one usable shot.

Have you seen Opticron's website for digiscoping adaptors? The link is below. They will have something that works for a CP4500 I'm sure.

http://www.opticron.co.uk/Pages/telephoto_menu.htm

Lastly, check out these quick tips and links for suggested camera and photoshop settings to get you started:

http://www.surfbirds.com/Rarities/help.html#Anchor-Digital-24776

Oh and feel free to post the results here in the digiscoping forum if you want more advice or help.

[paul hackett]

Hi Ronnie, I have no experience with the Opticron scope but I have been using a Nikon CP 4500 for years and been happy with the results. Sounds like you already own a CP4500. So, don't open up the wallet and ditch it just yet. Not sure if you're a veteran digiscoper or just starting out but if you're looking for decent record shots for ID purposes or for the memories, it's a good camera to have and with a bit of practice you should get decent results and have some fun with it.

I was first using the 4500 with a very old Optolyth that was a terrible scope by the end of its life when I was digiscoping with it. I used a simple screw-on adaptor that worked well and was just what I needed to get quick record shots of rarities or semi-decent shots for ID purposes if I wanted to spend some time:

http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20040418094225.jpg

I then upgraded to a Kowa TSN 883 and attaching the Coolpix 4500 to that got better results:

http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20090405042705.jpg

http://surfbirds.com/albums/data/585/bbplover1.jpg

So, at the end of the day, the quality of the scope goes a long way towards the results depending on what you're wanting to do with your digiscoping. And tons of practice. Don't be afraid to fill up the memory card to maybe get one usable shot.

Have you seen Opticron's website for digiscoping adaptors? The link is below. They will have something that works for a CP4500 I'm sure.

http://www.opticron.co.uk/Pages/telephoto_menu.htm

Lastly, check out these quick tips and links for suggested camera and photoshop settings to get you started:

http://www.surfbirds.com/Rarities/help.html#Anchor-Digital-24776

Oh and feel free to post the results here in the digiscoping forum if you want more advice or help.

Hi Ronnie

Excellent advice from Andy as usual and superb pics, only a few things for me to add is, what eyepiece do you use? and are you going to use a cable release and screenshade? The reason i say this, is that in the UK we are not blessed with sunshine all year round, the cable release will allow you to take pics in dull weather on low shutter speeds ( down to one eight of a second is possible) as opposed to using timer or your steady index finger if all things being equal :smile: SRB-Griturn will be able to help with adapter, cable release and screenshade based near Luton, they are on the net

The screenshade does help to focus accurately IMHO but takes some getting used to if it has a glass magnifier, Colin quite rightly points out the 4500 is slow in the processing time once you have pressed the shutter, but if you learn the camera inside out you will get the best out of it, i have 3 of them and there is no difference in speed of processing, quality of the 4500 is good in comparison to new cameras on the market, less background noise, best to persevere with what you have now, then look at new if you are not happy with your results, but do give it a try with your current kit,

I will text Chris Galvin, he is an Optricon rep in the UK, has digiscoping experience and will hopefully come onto here to help you further as he knows his products inside out

Paul

[ronnie baker]

Thanks Paul for your comprehensive post, am going to the 'In Focus' field day in Seaton on Sunday and they will have the ES but tell me they do not carry the GS anymore ? Maybe I will get a post from Chris Galvin. It is looking like the ES80 ED,I already have the HR66ED for P/X so can use the SDL eyepiece and Opticron adaptor on the ES if thats the model I decide upon.Intend to carry on with my CP4500 for now £££££!!!
ronnie baker

[ronnie baker]

Paul, have just re-read your post and realise I did not answer your questions so ---- I do not have a cable release but can see the advantages so will 'investigate, I do have a sun shield (Eagle Eye) but do not find it very good in bright sunlight, the coolpix could REALLY do with a larger screen/ I also have an HDF28WW eyepiece so maybe this would be better than the zoom ? Thanks again.

[paul hackett]

Ronnie, ref the eyeshade, here is the way to make it work for you,

Set up a coke bottle/ can in the garden/ in a field around 30 yards, focus scope then attach the adapter /camera, set zoom in 4500 to digital, send the camera zoom into the digital so image is really large, hold down until focus lock symbol appears on screen with one hand, with the other fine tune the focus wheel back and forth slowly until the image looks "brittle" or "icy" thisiis when it is really focussed for my eye, bring camera zoom down to required distance in the optical zoom range of the camera, then take the shot, repeat a number of times then look at the pics on computer side by side at 100% you will then see why i use an eyeshade! thats how i use my Contax U4R, its deadly sharp in the right hands but does need practice to be confident

ATB

Paul

[ronnie baker]

Thanks again Paul,regret no reply from SRB !
ronnie

[paul hackett]

Thanks again Paul,regret no reply from SRB !
ronnie



Call them on 01582 661878 ask for Sara or Terry, mention my name, you will be sorted out i promise

Paul

[ronnie baker]

thanks paul,success !!

[Jeff Bouton]

Hey Ronnie,

Just wanted to double the thoughts expressed by Colin, above I know a lot of folks are REAL enamored with the old 4500 CP got one here still in good shape if anyone is dying for one! ;p But as Colin suggested it went out of production nearly 7 years ago now.A generation in the world of point & shoot cameras typically is 8 months or so as such you can consider this camera is perhaps 10 generations of electronic advancements back.

Like others I got fantastic images with this rig, however I missed that many more due to the postage stamp screen that is positively black in even the gray days that pass for sunny in the UK (let alone real direct sunlight)! ;p Also the shutter lag was so bad that I found I was able to eat a small snack between when I depressed the shutter release and the image was actually recorded. As such I got more images of half a bird than ever.

I think if you look a little harder you will find that the vast majority of the 990, 995, and 4500 series coolpix have likely never really experimented with anything else. Succesive generations of cameras showed consistent and predictable improvements in three main areas.

Screens - got progressively larger and more hi-res with backlit and/or reflective technologies so you could not only see the subject but actually assess them for focus without throwing a towel over your head.

increased resolution in the form of megapixels. This allows users more flexibility in cropping after the fact.

most now incorporate some forms of image stabilization which is helpful.

Most importantly however is as successive generations were introduced microprocessors meaning you can press a shutter release and hear an almost immediate "click" instead of whistling half of your favorite song before the shutter releases! ;p

All of these improvements relate to more images in your "keeper" folders. Perhaps 5 in 10 as opposed to the 1 I used to get with my 4500. Food for thought at any rate, all I can say is that as I've gotten quicker cameras with more visible screens my percentage of keepers and subsequent joy in digiscoping has increased dramatically!

One man's opinion for what its worth!