Our featured photographer of this month is Richard Ford from www.digitalwildlife.co.uk.
Not only he is a pro digiscoping enthusiast but also an avid DSLR photographer. this interview is a great resource for those stuck wether to buy digiscoping gear for those long shots or stick with DSLR cameras for wildlife and outdoor photography. you can visit Richard's artwork at his website Digital Photography of British wildlife.
Hare - Digiscoped with a Nikon Coolpix 8400
Copyright © Richard Ford - www.Digitalwildlife.co.uk
1- We believe that your area of specialty is digiscoping. Your artworks are mostly related to wildlife photography, macro and specially birds. Now what scope do you use? Do you use different scopes for different scenarios? If true then what models and brands works for you? How about eyepieces? How often do you change eyepieces for different cases?
Many scopes are available and work well for digiscoping my personal choice is a Swarovski ST 80HD the high definition glass in this and other scopes is likely to produce the best result with digiscoping. Other scopes from Swarovski, Leica, Zeiss and other manufactures will give good results. Mine is on older Swarovski model but still highly regarded amongst digiscopers. The new Swarovski eyepieces can be used with this older scope, I own and use the new 30x WD (wide angle) Swarovski eyepiece, but often stay faithful to the 20-60x eyepiece which is very good.
It also gives flexibility for framing as you can zoom in and out using the eyepiece as well as the camera, though I rarely use it above 20x as the more magnification you use the more light you need or to put it another way the lower you shutter speed will need to be for the correct exposure. You need more light with the 30x so staying at 20x will give you better shutter speeds for freezing movement.
2- Do you use digital camera for digiscoping or 35mm or both? What models? Are you planning for an upgrade? Please give us your reasons why you've chosen this equipment and not other brands that come close to yours.
There is a large range now of digital point and shoot style cameras that are suitable for digiscoping I have used several models mostly Canon and the Nikon Coolpix range, currently I have a Canon Powershott A95 which for me is the benchmark for all other digiscoping cameras. Vignetting (dark corners to the image caused by the eyepiece, a sort of keyhole effect) disappears with the 20-60x eyepiece after just a few clicks on the camera zoom. Its easier to use than many others and has a very useful flip out screen and a built in magnifier. Above all the images are sharp when focused correctly and at ISO50 (another feature not available on many other cameras) there is very little noise. Its also available used for around £100 now.
I also own a Nikon Coolpix P5000, which has some nice features over the A95 such as 10 million pixels, a nice big clear screen and vibration reduction (VR) built in. There is something I don't like about the representation of colour in this camera and other Nikon P&S (point and shot) cameras. I always seem to prefer images out of a Canon camera. Having said that this camera has everything most people would want from a digiscoping camera.
I always have my eyes open for the next suitable camera available but at the moment there is nothing that has tempted me to change either of the two mentioned.
ST80HD scope using tube style adapter
Canon A95 connected to swarovski
3- What adapters do you use with your digiscope set? If you are using multiple scopes and digital cameras can you give us the purpose of each and which one works best in what condition for you? Are you planning for an upgrade? If you use multiple scopes/cameras on the field can you explain why you chose one over another in different cases?
I use a tube style adapter that is made for the eyepiece and has three plastic screws to lock it in place. I only use one screw since then it can be easily removed to use the scope for viewing. Many variations on the theme are available now from companies that specialize in this sort of equipment. I have a couple of step rings that change the thread size from 28mm to 37mm or 52mm this way I can fit it to most digital cameras that have a filter thread.
4- What is your favorite tripod? Do you use a monopod as well? If yes then let us know in what condition you prefer monopod over tripod? Do you use alternative heads for your pods? If true please let us know why and your brand of choice?
This sites the scope further forward on the head counterbalancing the wait of a camera on the back end and helps to stop the whole setup being off balance, it also has a shallow grove that the scope sits in and stops it twisting around on the tripod, which suits my style of carrying the whole setup around on my shoulder. A monopod but be no good for digiscoping as the magnification involved is to high for this style of support the setup always needs to be kept rock steady, this is essentially when digiscoping. I use a monopod for DSLR telephoto photography and find it invaluable. I have also used a Manfrotto car clamp for digiscoping from my car with some success. In this way it's possible to use the car as I hide and get even closer to your subject.
this picture shoes a complete setup mounted on a 128rc Manfrotto head using a Swarovski sliding plate to move the center of gravity of the setup and keep it balenced.
Copyright © Richard Ford - www.Digitalwildlife.co.uk
From left to right is a Canon Powershott A95 with a standard cable release mounted over the shutter button using a bracket. Canon filter adapter LADC52D attached to the camera giving a 52mm female thread, attached to this via a male 52mm thread, a tube style adapter fitted over the Swarovski 20-60x eyepiece and sucured with one plastic screw, Swarovski ST80HD.
5- If there was no limit on your budget then what sort of digiscoping equipment you would buy? Please name the whole equipment and brands.
Luckily I have come to I point where I have exactly what I want from a digiscoping setup. I have no plans to change my scope, but am always on the lookout for cameras that may have something else to offer. Unfortunately the perfect digiscoping camera doesn't exist as there aren't any specifically designed for the purpose. I honestly think the Canon Powershott A95 is the best digiscoping camera I have use. I produces sharp images to the point that if used correctly you can see detail in the feather barbs of the birds you are photographing.
Stonechat - Digiscoped with canon A95 on Swarovski ST80HD
Good detail is visible in the feathers here.
Copyright © Richard Ford - www.Digitalwildlife.co.uk
6- What is the most difficult situation in digiscoping of birds and wildlife? And how do you over come it? Is there any book you might want to suggest to beginners and pros alike in this field?
As with any photography the main factors we battle against are weather conditions. White birds like Egrets and Gulls are very difficult to expose for correctly on a sunny day in harsh sunlight, getting detail rather than blown out white areas of reflection with no detail is difficult. A dull windy day makes it very difficult to get enough light for a fast shutter speed and if the setup is moving around in the wind digiscoping is next to impossible. Its always best to keep everything low down to avoid shake especially in the wind, crouch down and use the tripod without the legs extended, or use the old trick of hanging you kit bag (or anything with a bit of weight to it) from the tripod to keep it rooted to the ground.
To my knowledge there is yet to be a book published on digiscoping, but there are plenty of websites with useful information and forums with friendly likeminded members www.birdforum.net is probably the best.
7- What metering you use most of the time for digiscoping small birds? What about other wildlife scenes? Do you change your metering often or you stay loyal to one metering mode?
Hoopoe
Digiscoped using a Canon A95
Copyright © Richard Ford - www.Digitalwildlife.co.uk
8- What is your best offer for a beginner if he wants to gather his/her first set of digiscoping equipment for birds? Please name the whole set. What if he is on a tight budget? And what if he is not on a tight budget? Please advice for both conditions.
On a low budget, the Canon A95 is available at around £100 used; an adapter and mechanical cable release could be another £100. Look at he Kowa and Opticron range of scopes, there are second hand models around very cheap perhaps just a few hundred pounds, and they produce good results. A basic Manfrotto tripod and head will coast about £200 but can be picked up second hand and other cheaper makes will do the job, a sturdy tripod is very important though, there is not point spending large sums on equipment if you are going to put it on a cheap wobbly tripod.
If money is no object I would still go for Canon A95 but you could look at other well respected and more expensive digiscoping cameras like the Nikon Coolpix 8400 and the nwere P5000 which I have already mentioned. The top end Swarovski, Leica and Zeiss scopes with high definition glass, are around the £1000 mark and will all do a good job, which you use is probably a matter of personal preference. Look at and try before you buy, if you can, ask other digiscopers/birders you see what they are using, and if you can have a look through there scopes, most are happy to help. For a tripod look for something sturdy but also bear in mind that these setups can be heavy especially if carried around for long periods, some new tripods are light and made of carbon fiber, which may just save you some back pain.
9- What type of accessories are a must to have on the field when you are out for digiscoping? What are those items that one should bring with her in order to take quality photos and not to miss a scene?
Electronic cable releases are available for some models, I have always got on fine with an old mechanical cable release that simple depresses the button and is mounted on a bracket. There is also less to go wrong. Various other accessories are available for digiscopers, such as monitor shades and magnifiers, and locating sights. Shades and magnifier held you to see the screen and are useful on sunny days and help accurately focus. Personally I have never felt the need for a locating site as I prefer to rely on my hand eye coordination. However sometime birds are very difficult to find in bunches or on the sea where there are no markers.
Nuthatch
Taken using a Canon 350D DSLR and a Canon 100-400mm from a hide at a feeding station.
Copyright © Richard Ford - www.Digitalwildlife.co.uk
10- How often do you use post processing? What software you use and how they help you to improve your artwork?
Photoshop is brilliant and may well come with your camera, the elements version has most of what you need. It is often necessary to tweak digiscoped images a little, brightening them up and using a little sharpening is normal.
11- There are many digital cameras that are suitable for digiscoping but don't have raw output. JPGs don't let you to adjust your photos like it was in capture time, how do you deal with that?
I have only used one camera for digiscoping that would capture raw files, the Nikon Coolpix 8400 and it was painfully slow at writing them to the card. This feature would be nice in a digiscoping camera and is available on only a few cameras that are digiscoping friendly. Its often useful to take quick burst of JPG images however, rather than one every 2-3 seconds if you are lucky, which was the experience I had with the Nikon 8400. I was missing to many shots and reverted to JPG. Other P&S cameras may now be faster at writing Raw files, I certainly hope so. Of course digiscoping is possible with a DSLR and these cameras certainly will capture and write RAW files very quickly.
12- Can you give us the major techniques that one should use with the digiscope's digital camera set on the field to able to produce robust images like yours? Those that if one lacks, it'll be hardly possible to produce quality photos.
Have look at different tripod heads too if you can, because you will often find that you need three hands. One to focus the scope one to hold the handle of the tripod head and follow the bird of compose the shot and another to press the button. I often found that I could hold the shutter release like a trigger under my thumb and move the scope around with the same hand, while focusing the scope with the other, only possible because of the arrangement of the setup. The chances are you will get used to yours and find a way to do something similar. Practice is the key, get out there and take pictures loads of picture. At first you may find only one in hundred are any good. Pretty soon it will be one in ten and so on.
The best chance to digiscope warblers is when they are singing, this is about the only time they stay still enough.
Copyright © Richard Ford - www.Digitalwildlife.co.uk
13- What do you think has made your photos superb, your proficiency, your talent, or your equipment? Or a combination of all? We believe you are a professional in what you do, let us know more about you. How long you've been in to this, what are your favorite books and photographers and what camera you started with at the very beginning.
Practice, its as simple as that, I have spent many, many hours in the field looking for subjects, playing with setting and photographing anything that gives you the chance to get close enough to it. I am not a professional but do sell images quite regularly for various uses and publication. I have been interested in nature all my life and photography for much of it. I have plenty of pictures of trees and water with specs you can just about make out as birds from my film SLR days. I got into Digiscoping 7 years ago and DSLR photography quickly afterwards. Certain good equipment helps but excellent pictures can come from the cheapest of cameras, photography is much more about technique and patience both with yourself and your subjects. You won't just wake up one morning with the skills you require it takes time. If you're anything like me you will enjoy the challenge.
DIGISCOPED WITH CANON A95
Digiscoping can by used for general wildlife photography as well as birds. I have used a digiscoping setup to photograph many animals from mammals like Deer and Hare to insects like dragonflies
Copyright © Richard Ford - www.Digitalwildlife.co.uk
My first digital camera was a Nikon Coolpix 4500 for digiscoping, though I had played around with a borrowed digital camera (I honestly can't remember what it was) for some time before that. |For digiscoping the first time a saw images from Andy Bright these were the ones that inspired me to explore this area of bird photography, I don't think he does a lot of digiscoping now, these days he is an excellent DSLR photographer. One of the best bird photographers of today to my mind is Nigel Blake his owl photography is just stunning and involves time, skill and a knowledge of your subject that he has perfected. For general wildlife photographers how could you not think of Andy Rouse, just do and Internet search or buy any of his books I have found his case studies particularly useful.
14. Do you use both DSLR and digiscoping on the field? How about using a DSLR camera with a digiscoping?
Digiscoping with a DSLR is possible though my experience is that you need far more light than with the usual P&S style cameras, this can be overcome to an extent by using higher ISO settings and noise levels at higher ISO's are getting lower with every new camera. Results can be good but for me it took a lot more effort than with the usual methods and cameras. For now at least I will be sticking with my P&S style cameras for digiscoping. There are some interesting developments happening in this area though with high magnification digiscoped flight shots becoming achievable.
Starling
Digiscoped using a Nikon Coolpix P5000
Copyright © Richard Ford - www.Digitalwildlife.co.uk
15. In Which situations you would use which set-up for wildlife and bird photography; digiscoping or DSLR?
I would take out the digiscoping setup and walk around a nature reserve taking advantage of whatever subjects are available, you don't need to get as close so you don't need to worry so much about field craft and being conspicuous to your subjects. You can often get close enough for a good image and still be at a distance where they are comfortable to continue feeding singing or whatever. I think DSLR photography takes more planning. I may set up a hide or attempt to go for a specific picture or subject.
I have taken a lot of Macro images over the last couple of years, some thing that many of the digiscoping cameras can manage quite well, the Coolpix 4500 if a well-respected camera in this respect. But a DSLR and a good macro lens can transport you into a new world you'll discover on your hands and knees.
16. They say digiscoping is a weak practice when flight photography and avian subjects comes into account, how do you overcome this issue and what are your suggestions?
Digiscoping birds in flight with the digiscoping gear I have is near impossible, there are a few chances of course like a hovering kestrel which may stay still long enough for a shot, and those that are experimenting with DSLR digiscoping are managing flight shot as well. Really however this is the domain of the DSLR and a telephoto lens. Flight photography is not something I have done a lot of, but is a challenge I am looking forward to getting my teeth into. That's what I love about this hobby, there is always a new avenue to explore, and always something to photograph, be it in your garden at a local nature reserve or abroad.