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Reaching out

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January 19, 2008, 09:33:42 PM

To answer some questions in the nature thread I decided it should go here.

When you "reach out" for a long shot what do you use??

my normal lens is the Sigma 50-500 zoom on a monopod.

500.0mm -- f/8.0 -- (1/640)sec -- ISO640

I also shoot through a celestron C5 telescope witha a "lens" adapter.

1250.0mm -- f/11.0 -- (1/1000)sec -- ISO800

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"I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one heck of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult. "- EB White

Travis Minnig

Reply #1 - January 20, 2008, 12:32:16 AM

Hi Bob. Do you like the 50-500? I have been looking more seriously at the 170-500 and the 200-500 by Tamron. Any comments on either of those? Can you use teleconverters with them?

Also, for digi-scoping, I am going to be buying a Nikon Fieldscope or a Leupold Greenring scope soon (I hope) and was considering using it as a digiscoping setup as well. Do you know anything about them? I know I can get the adapters for the Nikon to both my SLR's and my Coolpix, but I'm not sure of the Leupold yet. As the scope goes, I prefer the Leupold. Both would be an effective aperture of f/13, I think.

The Celestron seems quite soft in the image you have shown. Is that just an inherent problem with the scopes? Or is that because the camera shake is so exaggerated at that focal length that you need a super tripod and MLU to steady it?

Travis

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Mike Hodgson

Reply #2 - January 20, 2008, 08:12:24 AM

The sigma 50-500 is a popular one used by many outdoors enthusiasts.
I highly not recommend to use teleconverters, the lens is not fast enough, plus they cause aberrations.

I do prefer to stay with Brand, in my case, Nikon.

Nice ones Bob

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BobEdens

Reply #3 - January 20, 2008, 10:44:27 AM

The 50-500 is a beast, very heavy. I am a big guy and always have a lap so its not a problem to me. I have a friend with the 170-500 who doesn't like it at all. It seems 170 is never wide enough. A 1.4 might work if you buy a VERY good one but a 2.0 tele-converter does not work.

The softness in the C5 shot is mostly shake but can be attributed to it being a mirror lens as well.

sometimes you only need to document what you see. Here is an eagle on a perch

1250.0mm -- f/11.0 -- (1/1250)sec -- ISO800

here is a photo taken a little later of the perch

85.0mm -- f/8.0 -- (1/1600)sec -- ISO800

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"I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one heck of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult. "- EB White

Travis Minnig

Reply #4 - January 20, 2008, 03:40:40 PM

Thanks for the info guys. I would also prefer to stay with brand, but I just can't justify the cost of a prime Nikon, and their zooms don't have the tele range that I would like to have. I don't mind making the compromise for now because the images I will be taking with it will be primarily for my own personal use. I do, however, want to get my bang for my buck. I don't want to spend the extra money on the Tamron if the Sigma is just as good. My other option that I have considered is an 80-200 with stabilization from either Sigma or Nikon. I have read reviews that claim the Sigma is superior to the Nikon for this particular zoom focal length and feature set. It is also about $500 cheaper brand new, although I will probably look for a used one first.

Bob, do you know if all scopes are mirror lenses? I didn't even think of that actually, although I guess I should have. I will research a little further and see what I find out. One more question for you though, do you know how to calculate the effective focal length of the scopes with the DSLR's attached? The scopes I am looking at are 15-45 power X 60MM objective. I am assuming the 45X setting would be around 2000MM, but I'm not really sure.

Thanks,
Travis

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BobEdens

Reply #5 - January 20, 2008, 11:00:55 PM

Quote

Bob, do you know if all scopes are mirror lenses? I didn't even think of that actually, although I guess I should have. I will research a little further and see what I find out. One more question for you though, do you know how to calculate the effective focal length of the scopes with the DSLR's attached? The scopes I am looking at are 15-45 power X 60MM objective. I am assuming the 45X setting would be around 2000MM, but I'm not really sure.

NO only a few are mirror lenses.
http://www.swarovskioptik.at/ and zeiss are the best and most expensive.

The way a DSLR (or SLR) attaches to a scope the focal length is the same as if you were looking through it.

I think the 1250mm Celestron C5 is a little further away than a sigma 50-500 at 500 with a doubler.
(and much sharper)

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"I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one heck of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult. "- EB White

Travis Minnig

Reply #6 - January 20, 2008, 11:32:45 PM

OK, well I guess I will have to look into this some more, because the scopes I am looking at are specified with a power index, not a focal length. I am sure they can tell me, I will just have to ask.

Thanks again for your help.

Travis

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Ed Farmer

Reply #7 - January 21, 2008, 06:20:22 PM

I have been shooting with a Kiev 300f2.8 for about ten or twelve years. This is a Russian copy of an AIS Nikkor. The lens was always tack sharp for shooting sports, but I was never anywhere near infinity focus. I have recently replaced it with a Sigma 100-300f4. I would love to justify the cost of Sigma's 120-300f2.8. With my shooting, I have rarely ever needed anything over 300mm. But, I don't shoot much nature at all.

Ed

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Ed Farmer
Mount Laurel, New Jersey

www.edfarmerphotography.com
www.photoartsforum.com

BobEdens

Reply #8 - January 21, 2008, 07:21:55 PM

Heck Ed, if you're gonna dream here's mine
http://www.sigmaphoto.com/lenses/lenses_all_details.asp?id=3308&navigator=3

I've had the privlidge of taking a better photo with my Celestron but it was pure luck.

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"I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one heck of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult. "- EB White

Mike Hodgson

Reply #9 - January 21, 2008, 07:34:32 PM

Just toys boys,

Have you both heard about the Canon 1500mm sun of a gun?

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Ed Farmer

Reply #10 - January 21, 2008, 07:42:23 PM

Bob,

I have had my hands on that lens at the Pro Photo show in NYC. I just don't have any use for it.

Mike,

I don't even go into the Canon booth. It's not worth fighting my way into both the Canon and Nikon booths!

Ed

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Ed Farmer
Mount Laurel, New Jersey

www.edfarmerphotography.com
www.photoartsforum.com

BobEdens

Reply #11 - January 21, 2008, 08:20:02 PM

Quote from: Ed Farmer on January 21, 2008, 07:42:23 PM

Bob, I have had my hands on that lens at the Pro Photo show in NYC. I just don't have any use for it.

and that matters how??

[grin]

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"I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one heck of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult. "- EB White

Travis Minnig

Reply #12 - January 21, 2008, 08:25:44 PM

A 1500MM?! You would need a crane to take it in and out of the truck you hauled it to the location with! Unless it's a f/16 Mirror I guess.

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