Astroscope + DSLR = Gallery! (1 Viewer)

[DanC.Licks]

Yeah, I have read all of it. I also read, and believed, what the Olympus guys said about 4/3 lenses being fully compatible and the AF being "at least as good as the 4/3 bodies". It isn't. I knew it would not keep up with the mFT lenses, but I expected it to do better with my 50-200, to be honest. By the way, the AF in a Canon has nothing to do with sensor size. CD vs PD, mirror or mirrorless system.
My 5DII cost a bit more than half what a new EM1 costs. I got mine used with a MMF-3 for €1200. My Canon was €900. Both like new.
The comparison is fair in that it shows where the limits of both systems are.
Don't get me wrong. I think the EM1 is a fantastic little camera. I was just hoping it would work well enough with my 4/3 lenses to replace my E-30 as a travel camera, but from what I have seen till now, I would rather lug the beast or even the 5D. The E-30 has served me well. It can't compare with the EM1....exceptt the AF with FT lenses.
Of course I can unload all my FT stuff and buy a bunch of mFT lenses, but frankly, I can think of better ways to spend my money right now.

 

[DanC.Licks]

From Michael Reichmann:#
"But, in addition to the large range of autofocus MFT lenses from Panasonic and Olympus themselves, original Four Thirds lenses have found a new home, because the E-M1 has on-sensor phase detection AF as well as contrast detection AF. I have previously written about the amazing range of extremely high quality 4/3 lenses available from Olympus, and these work extremely well on the E-M1, with AF as fast as on original 4/3 camera bodies."
Sorry.... not so. In great light, maybe, but not when it is not so great. This is one of the reviews that convinced me to get one.
The test on dpreview is only with short focal length lenses. Things look different with long lenses I fear.

 

[JGobeil]

From Michael Reichmann:#
"But, in addition to the large range of autofocus MFT lenses from Panasonic and Olympus themselves, original Four Thirds lenses have found a new home, because the E-M1 has on-sensor phase detection AF as well as contrast detection AF. I have previously written about the amazing range of extremely high quality 4/3 lenses available from Olympus, and these work extremely well on the E-M1, with AF as fast as on original 4/3 camera bodies."
Sorry.... not so. In great light, maybe, but not when it is not so great. This is one of the reviews that convinced me to get one.
The test on dpreview is only with short focal length lenses. Things look different with long lenses I fear.

Dan, I don't have any 4/3 lenses so my knowledge is limited to my readings. If your experience with the 4/3 lenses is so different from all the reviews, maybe the camera is defective or not set properly ??

Why don't you get a M43 lens for travel ? The 12-40mm I got with the camera is a super lens - just as good as all the Canons I have tried - but it is expensive. Or you could get a 12-50mm for cheap. I enjoyed mine a lot - not as fast as the 12-40 and IQ not as good but it is still a good performer and it is small and light. Mine is for sale if you want it :t: I also have the Oly 14-150, which I consider a nice travel lens because of its large spread - same comments as the 12-50.

Regards
Jules

 

[DanC.Licks]

I don't think it is a defective camera and it is not the settings. I have tried them all. It is the nature of the hybrid AF system with lenses built for the older, faster DSLR system.
The 14-54 II focuses pretty fast when the light is good, but never as fast as the E-30, no mater what the light is like. The 50-200 gets progressively worse as you zoom out, and gets much worse with the EC14 on it. It becomes useless very quickly. The system just needs a lot of light to work properly with 4/3 lenses.
There have been a lot of discussions about this on the four thirds forum, and I am not the only one to find that what the "reviews" say is by no means the the last word on the subject. It simply is not well suited for fast action and long lenses. All of the guys on the 4/3 forum who are into bird photography have come to the same sad conclusion.
The problem is that I want a long lens for travel. I still have my old Nikkor 400/5.6, which is pretty sharp, but still suffers from CA. Using it on the EM1 is much easier than on anything else. But forget it if anything moves. No mater what lens, I find the EVF on the EM1 all but useless on moving objects.
Still, all in all it is a very impressive little camera! There are many things about it I really like, and it is forcing me to do some serious thinking about how I want to build up my system. I may very well keep it, AND build up a Canon system along with it for the long stuff. Have to get my Canon T2 adapter (ordered) and run a comparison on the scope before I can decide anything. It sure is nice to use on the scope, though. The 2x mag is great, and it is QUIET!

 

[DRodrigues]

Xmas present

The capture of this Aythya affinis was my Xmas present - on more than 20 years. the first time I saw one of these was when I was capturing it...|:d|
The capture was before Xmas, I took some nice photos on the following day but managed to take this one last Thursday - nuptial plumage is almost complete, water levels were high (flooded, so less duck captures but more time for resightings and photo...), light was good (wasn't raining...) and the duck was cooperative - was feeding for a moment in front of the hide - almost no crop.

TMB92+PMW+NEX5

 

[rferrieri]

David this is a really nice shot. Is that a beak tag? Not seen that done in the US. Makes sense though for easy identification through a spotting scope. Rich

 

[DRodrigues]

... Is that a beak tag? Not seen that done in the US. ... Rich

Rich,
It's usually called nasal saddle in North Amreica. It was first and widely used in US during from the sixties to eighties but not so common nowadays. You have more info about it at nasalsaddles at www.pt-ducks.com

 

[JGobeil]

I don't think it is a defective camera and it is not the settings. I have tried them all. It is the nature of the hybrid AF system with lenses built for the older, faster DSLR system.
The 14-54 II focuses pretty fast when the light is good, but never as fast as the E-30, no mater what the light is like. The 50-200 gets progressively worse as you zoom out, and gets much worse with the EC14 on it. It becomes useless very quickly. The system just needs a lot of light to work properly with 4/3 lenses.
There have been a lot of discussions about this on the four thirds forum, and I am not the only one to find that what the "reviews" say is by no means the the last word on the subject. It simply is not well suited for fast action and long lenses. All of the guys on the 4/3 forum who are into bird photography have come to the same sad conclusion.
The problem is that I want a long lens for travel. I still have my old Nikkor 400/5.6, which is pretty sharp, but still suffers from CA. Using it on the EM1 is much easier than on anything else. But forget it if anything moves. No mater what lens, I find the EVF on the EM1 all but useless on moving objects.
Still, all in all it is a very impressive little camera! There are many things about it I really like, and it is forcing me to do some serious thinking about how I want to build up my system. I may very well keep it, AND build up a Canon system along with it for the long stuff. Have to get my Canon T2 adapter (ordered) and run a comparison on the scope before I can decide anything. It sure is nice to use on the scope, though. The 2x mag is great, and it is QUIET!

Well, I'm sorry that it does not work to your liking with 4/3 lenses. However, I don't understand your opinion: " No mater what lens, I find the EVF on the EM1 all but useless on moving objects." unless you refer to using it with 4/3 lenses. I find the EVF almost as nice as a good quality OFV on a DLSR with the added bonus of being WYSIWYG - the image is large, the refresh rate is fast and it is very high resolution. The EM-1 EVF has no problems with the Panasonic the 100-300mm.

If I had to choose between the EVF of the OM-1 or the OVF of the 5DIII, I would definitely choose the EVF. It is like Live View on a DSLR without the weaknesses. WYSIWYG completely changed the way I use a camera - it takes a little while to get used to the change but it is well worth it - the photo will be exactly like what you see in the EVF - on a scope, it is even more obvious.

When I bought my EM-5, I still had my Canon system and wondered for a while if I should keep it. I sold it after a couple months because it was gathering dust... To me, the difference in weight and size was a blessing and quickly made me forget the 50D. For regular birding with the 100-300mm, it is not quite as good as the 50D + 300mm + TC, mainly for BIF, lens mechanical quality and IQ - however, it does the job quite well except for BIF and the photos are satisfactory unless you do some pixel peeping. For scope use, this is a different world - IMO the Oly cameras are well ahead. Hopefully, Oly or some other lens company will come up with a long prime lens... that would be a blessing !

Travel and snapshots is where a mirrorless camera shines because of its small size. I can't understand why you would want to still use your big heavy DSLR for that. If you want to do birding when travelling, why don't you get a Panasonic 100-300mm or an Olympus 75-300mm. The Panasonic is slightly faster, quite a bit less expensive and has similar IQ - however it has a cheaper built being all plastic - the zoom creeps and is far from smooth but it is not that important because I always keep it at 300mm.

After using Canon DLSRs for more than 10 years, it took me a long time to get used to the EM-5: smaller size, different menus, more options and different ways of doing the same thing. May I suggest you give the EM-1 a chance; after using it for a while you may have a different opinion. For my use, the OM-1 is close to perfect - if it works OK for BIF (we'll see that next Spring), it will be my perfect camera. I have a good powerful flash, the Oly 12-40mm for general HQ use and landscapes, the Panasonic 14-150mm for light weight travel, the Panasonic 100-300mm for birding, the Nikon f/1.4 50mm for low light use and the SW50ED. All this, except the scope and tripod, fit inside a LowePro bag.

Some people, like me, switch to Mirrorless and never go back. Other try it and end up using both systems and some just don't like it. To each its own. :t:

Regards
Jules

 

[JGobeil]

Rich,
It's usually called nasal saddle in North Amreica. It was first and widely used in US during from the sixties to eighties but not so common nowadays. You have more info about it at nasalsaddles at www.pt-ducks.com

Yeark :C Would you like to have one of these on your nose ???? Don't you think an ankle bracelet or a collar would be better ?

Nice photo !

 

[DanC.Licks]

I said, I think, that I only have 4/3 lenses. I find that the EVF flickers and becomes blurry when I move the camera quickly, and the longer the focal length the worse it is. The longer the lens, the more the refreshing becomes noticeable. Try it. At 400 mm it is very difficult to track anything moving. The WYSIWYG part of it is great, for sure, but what if you can't see what you want to get? For anything stationary I like the EVF, more than I thought I would. Fort moving subjects I will take an OVF any day.
I love it on the scope, but I seldom try and track BIF with the scope because of the MF limitations.
I don't want to use my big heavy DLSR for travel snapshots. For that I still have my E-620 which is plenty good enough. Most of the pictures here were taken with the 620: (I only had Olys until I got a D7000 for the scope last year, since been sold but I still have all three of my Olys)
https://picasaweb.google.com/102429457171229654709

As I said, I want a LONG lens for travel, 400 (+ 1.4x) minimum. I am now more interested in the birds we encounter than the landscapes. If I want to do a pano or a landscape shot, the 620 with the 14-42 or 14-54 is very light and compact. Or I simply get a kit lens for the Canon if I am going to lug the beast anyway.
Many ifs. IF I keep using the scope, I will keep the EM1 for sure for that (unless the 5D's IQ kicks its butt on the scope, which I doubt!) and with my 14-54 for traveling, but still use the Canon with the 400/5.6 for the long stuff. IF I decide to go with a 500/4 white monster and give up the scope, I will sell the E-M1 and my 50-200 and use the 620 for travel. Lots of possibilities.
Maybe I will sell the lot and take up basket weaving. Lot cheaper!o

 

[DRodrigues]

Yeark :C Would you like to have one of these on your nose ???? Don't you think an ankle bracelet or a collar would be better ?

There are people that use piercings in stranger places...3
I use these because are the safest efficient visual marker for ducks! Wing tags aren't good since ducks have an active flight and collars don't work with ducks - a collar that wouldn't came out would be dangerous for the ducks... Ducks don't care about saddles (even don't see them after applied...), it's people that find them strange because is on the beak...

 

[JGobeil]

Dan,

For my use, the EVF on the EM-1 is more than fast enough even for objects in movement - of course, I don't have any 4/3 lenses.

I gave up on large and heavy cameras/lenses 18 months ago and I am so glad I did. I think I dream every night of a nice Oly 300mm f/4 with a TC to get rid of the scope.

 

[DanC.Licks]

I know a guy in New Zealand who has a 75-300 II, and gave it a go with his E-M1. He also has a 1DIII with a 400/5.6. His resume after spending a day photographing Gannets: low keeper rate and a lot of difficulty with exposure, (the good old white bird syndrome), C-AF very problematic. The shots that are on are fine, there just aren't many of them and they are hard to get. The Canon he sets at -1ev to keep the whites under control, and shoots away. Much higher keeper rate, more DR, no exposure problems... the Canon remains his go to camera for BIF.

I have always been a staunch defender of Olympus and the crop sensor concept. I am now beginning to feel that the only real advantage is size and weight, cost considerations aside. The lower FF pixel count means, in theory, less resolution, but in real life, it means more, punchier detail due to better DR. I have been trying to do some tests of this. Here are several shots, all from the same distance, both with 400mm at 5.6, albeit, with two different lenses, the Canon 400/5.6 and a Nikkor 400/5.6 on the E-M1. Granted, to make the test really fair the same lens should be used on both. I have a T2 adapter on the way and will do this test with the scope as soon as I can.





and the 50-200+EC14



and why I love the scope!



I only balanced the exposure and WB on these, and boosted the contrast by the same amount to make the results a bit clearer. No other changes other than up-resing the CR2 to match the orf.
It was a simple, non scientific, test, as close to a real world test as I can do with the weather the way it is. The pretext was, from a fixed distance, which of the setups that I have at my disposal at the moment would give me the best image of a bird about 9 meters away? No more, no less.

And just for fun, one of my first shots with the 5DII+400/5.6 USM.



1/100 at 5.6, ISO 1600. Quite dark out. I saw them coming, spun around and shot, bang bang bang bang, through the window, John Wayne style. No time to adjust anything. There were 4 or 5 in the series. All were blurred at 1/100, but all were in focus. There is NO WAY I would have been able to do that with the E-M1.
So I am beginning to conclude, that if I want the results, I am going to have to be willing to lug the weight. Love to be proven wrong, but I am not the only one.

 

[DanC.Licks]

From this morning, -8° C out.
Window open, about 40 meters away.

Through the double window (unfortunately you can see it in the branches and in the eye). Or maybe it is movement in the branches. Seems more likely as I shot pretty much straight through the window.


One thing I like about the E-M1's sensor is the nature of the luminance noise up to about ISO 3200. It is very fine and not at all disturbing, like fine film grain.

 

[JGobeil]

Dan, your tests are are done with manual focus and lenses not made for the EM-1. I don't know what you are trying to demonstrate with this except that you don't like the EM-1. So far, I really like mine and it performs just like in the reviews with its strengths and weaknesses. I understand why many reviewers make it the camera of the year.

Regards
Jules

 

[DanC.Licks]

No, you missed the point. It had nothing to do with focus, only with the resolved detail of the 4/3s and FF sensor. You are wrong that I don't like the E-M1. I like it a lot, but not for working with long 4/3 lenses or for fast action. The true test will be when I can test them both with the same lens.
I don't care a bit about reviews or camera of the year awards. All I care about is how it works for what I want to do.

 

[JGobeil]

My first photos with the EM-1

The WX was nice and I found this cooperative Snowy Owl so I gave it a try. I waited a long time, hoping it would take off, but it never did...

Scope: SkyWatcher Black Diamond 80ED
Camera Oly EM-1
Distance: 52 meters
First 2: ISO 400, 1/1000 s.
Last 2: ISO 800, 1/2000 s.

As I wrote in the m43 thread, the EM-1 has a stong advantage over the EM-5:

• Much better EVF that makes focusing easier - this is the main improvement for digiscoping.
• Focus Peaking works better - it was necessary to hold a button with the EM-5 while the EM-1 allows ON/OFF at the push of a button - no need to hold.
• New customizing options make the camera easier and faster to use.

 

[rferrieri]

Jules

Very nice shots of the snowy owl. I have been out on the east end of Long Island the past several weekends in search of snowy owls. There have been several sightings along our southern shores but I haven't had any luck sighting one.

 

[JGobeil]

Jules

Very nice shots of the snowy owl. I have been out on the east end of Long Island the past several weekends in search of snowy owls. There have been several sightings along our southern shores but I haven't had any luck sighting one.

Thanks for your comments. Lots of them this winter in Quebec. In 2005, it's the Great Grey Owls that were plentiful.

See this:
http://julesgobeil.com/photo/oiseaux-du-nord/?lang=en

Regards
Jules

 

[bluedubius]

Nikon 1 V1 with Celestron 80ED

Spent some time this morning trying to get some shots of American Wigeon. They were quite wary and I couldn't get any closer than about 60 meters. Luckily I was using my astro scope which gives much better long distance results than I get with my spotting scope. This is a male.