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Ready for shooting. The subject is a stork's
nest
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Use of the Fieldscope
The Fieldscope is created exactly for direct sight,
therefore for the sight through the human eye.
The subjective and objective quality, perceived through
direct sight, is enormously superior to that of any
photograph, obtained with any photographic equipment
both in sharpness, in contrast and in colour fidelity:
between reality and our eye there in only the Fieldscope,
without all the variables which can introduced by
the camera's film, by the sensor and by the kind of
print and by it's final support.
The only accessory, necessary and vital for the most
comfortable use of the Fieldscope, is of course a
tripod: if the use is purely for direct sight a good
tripod is sufficient with moveable head and video
in order to move in the field of vision with gentle
pannings, which allow both focusing on the subject
or to follow it if in motion without abrupt changes.
The Fieldscope and the photograph
Given what we have stated, it is clear that by replacing
the eye with a camera we will have photographs from
our Fieldscope.
We emphasize that, although the results obtained
with the Fieldscope are excellent, even compared to
an experiment with a Nikkor 500mm f/4, the most pleasurable
and best results are obtained always and in every
case by direct sight; if sometimes in astrophotography
the help of a camera is indispensable, posing for
hours, to show objects so far away they are completely
invisible to the naked eye, in terrestrial length
vision the photographic shot has to be considered
a help not as the main "focus" of the instrument.
We already showed the results obtained in this way
in a foregoing experience, in which we connected a
Coolpix to a Spottingscope: at that time we connected
the mythical 990 to the Spottingscope and we created
a "sinister" object but working perfectly.
In the meantime Nikon devoted its self considerably
to creating, and has now finally in it's catalogue
three original accessories with which to connect,
in the best possible way any make of camera, digital
or non digital, to the Fieldscope. Here they are in
order:
The Nikon UBK arm: this keeps the
Fieldscope and a camera in position simultaneously,
usually a digital compact. Thanks to the various micro
adjustments of the sliding bracket, it is possible
adapt the Fieldscope, to fit any digital compact camera;
a quick release, placed on the spherical head of the
camera bearer gives immediate fitting. If the Fieldscope
is a model with an eye-piece bearer, angled at 45
degrees, it is possible with the arm to observe directly
the subject and by a simple rotation immediately positioning
the eye-piece in front of the compact camera lens,
for the shot to be taken. When we work with a digital
compact camera, the Fieldscope eye-piece has of course
to be kept engaged in this way the enlargement is
obtained, increased by the magnifying of the compact
camera zoom gives "extraterrestrial" focals
which often border on 10,000mm.
The FSA adapter: the second accessory
that Nikon offers is a double ring which incorporates
an "o-ring": this is inserted with pressure,
directly to the base of the Fieldscope eye-piece:
at the top, through interchangeable joint rings, it
is possible to link the compact camera through threading
on the lens or on to a link if available.
All the Coolpix here can be used, both those in production
such as the Coolpix 4500, or those out of production,
as the Coolpix 995, 990, 950 and the Coolpix 880,
885,4300,4500,5000: we will have pictures which can
be printed in ever increasing enlargements, proportionally
to the amount of pixel of our camera. The Coolpix
5000 too, with its adapter for the additional wide
and tele lenses can be used; the case of the Coolpix
5400 is different, whose joint ring keeps it too far
from the eye-piece, to get a rectangular picture,
unless we place the zoom in the tele digital position
or we cut the circular picture obtained in post production.
Thanks to the enlargement obtained with the eye-piece,
in this case too we obtain focals, which don't have
a similar result not even with the more powerful tele
lens available in the Nikon catalogue.
Of all the systems on offer this is definitely the
most nimble: The Coolpix are very light and because
they have no mirror like the reflex, they don't have
potential problems of vibrations caused when this
is turned over before the shot: the shot must however
always be made by a cable, MC-EUI type or automatically.
The system is then not excessively unbalanced: the
Fieldscope tripod attachment is inserted exactly at
it's centre and in this way adding the Coolpix doesn't
cause problems. If one uses the direct vision Fieldscope
one has to rotate the Coolpix monitor to work easily
also with a binocular not raised to high from the
ground. If one has a Fieldscope with 45 degree angled
vision one can work as easily positioning the mirror
with the best possible inclination. The FSA adapter
incorporates a block system to rotate the attached
camera however one requires.
Nikon FSA-L1. The reflex digital attachment.
A new accessory recently introduced on the market,
Nikon reflex digital attachment means that as well
as working with the reflex system and therefore with
the best Nikon sensors available – without using
the eyepiece, as with the compacts that invariably
if using stratospheric enlargements at the same time
the image obtained is often softened, as this must
pass first through the eyepiece and then the compact
optic.
The FSA-L1 accessory is compatible with all Fieldscope
models. According to the model and the diameter of
the front lens, it's possible to intervene on the
optic system inserted on the attachment positioning
some of the optical elements in the most appropriate
way with respect to the system which is different
for each Fieldscope. A double ring system allows immediate
reflex rotation from horizontal to vertical to adapt
to the subject. The eyepiece can naturally be taken
off, gaining from a nominal focal of 800mm of the
Fieldscope a 1,000/1,100mm that thanks to the sensor
enlargement effect takes it to a 1,500mm f/13 focal,
if a 24 x 36mm format is bought. Adding a focal multiplier
one can reach 3000mm without great problems.
The biggest advantage of the FSA-L1 is given by the
fact that it can communicate to the camera the Fieldscope
f/13 working "diaphragm": this means that
with the Nikon digital reflex it's finally possible
to work with diaphragm priority, without having to
always make exposure tests to check on the monitor
and as well as this it's possible to make intentional
exposure bracketing. One must naturally work with
manual focus acting on Fieldscope focusing, checking
then the accuracy with an estimation by eye through
the reflex finder and with the manual focus in the
digital reflexes.
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The two monsters: The 82ED Fieldscope
and the
500mm f/4 D multiplied
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The Strategic Accessory: The
Tripod
With a difference to direct vision, where we have
spoken about a good tripod, to use the Fieldscope
coupled to a reflex digital the worth of the tripod
is fundamental. The risk of small movements is high
using relatively long shooting times (even 1/125 sec)
caused by the fact that the D70, ( we used for this
experience) doesn't allow an intentional raising of
the mirror before the shot.
An unwritten empirical rule says that the minimum
shooting time to use for the focal must correspond
to the length of that same focal. Therefore to be
sure one should always and only work with 1/1.500,
if light conditions permit. It is also true as we
will see in the practical tests one can use quicker
shoot times bringing the camera to 1600 ISO without
any appreciable loss of detail. An excellent tripod
and a just as excellent head naturally not moveable
but possibly with a system of movements on three axes
and micro metrically too. This together with the unavoidable
use of the remote (for the D70 is the ML-L3) allow
potential micro movements to be contained within acceptable
limits. Nobody stops us alternating digital shots
with analogical: the camera attachment is the same
as that of the optics and also using an analogical
camera one can benefit, if the machine allows intentional
mirror raising. We can have from digital reflexes
in a higher range, like the Nikon D2H, a file with
greater pose latitudes with respect to the sensor.
Even with the FSA-L1 threads for different rotations
inside the Fieldscope and Nikon arm on the opposite
face all together with the camera, the risk of small
movements is high caused by vibrations made when the
mirror is lifted up. This is because whilst the previous
systems described using the Coolpix the dead centre
of the Fieldscope is always maintained, the weight
of the FSA-L1 together with that of the reflex and
the distance from the Fieldscope caused by the FSA-L1
(whose 143mm length is given by the number of lenses
and groups inside) make the dead centre of the Fieldscope
further away and this increases vibration risk. To
this one can easily substitute, anchoring both the
Fieldscope and the reflex to an arm with a separate
double attachment on which to screw on the Fieldscope
and reflex; then one must attach the arm to the head
of the tripod and if the arm has micro movements also
on to the head attachment plate the dead centre is
corrected, recalculated and all vibration problems
cancelled. As we didn't have this arm when we made
this experience we have compensated the risk of small
movements bringing the sensitivity of the D70 up to
1600 ISO, without differences in terms of noise with
respect to the 200 ISO setting.
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Beginning to "move closer" : Nikon
D70, 18/70 f/3.5-4.5G on an 18mm lens 400 ISO,
1/500 f/9 |
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70mm lens, f/9, 1/320 |
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100mm lens with a 70/300mm f/4-5.6G, f/9, 1/250 |
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210mm lens f/7.1,1/400 |
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and a 300mm lens f/7.1,1/500 |
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With the Nikkor 500mm f/4 D to f/6.3, 1/2500 |
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With the Fieldscope to f/13 (fixed opening)
1/640 |
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The maximum lens reached was 1000mm, multiplying
the Nikkor 500mm with an AF-S TC-20E II.f/8, 1/800 |
