Máistir Nádúraí: Hope for the Coolpix 8400

4.09.2006

Hope for the Coolpix 8400

With great lighting late this afternoon, I decided to run some additional digiscoping tests with the Nikon Coolpix 8400 on birds in my backyard. Per advice from another digiscoper who uses the same camera, I set the focus mode to MACRO with the AREA focus on manual. I'm not really sure why this should make a difference (macro setting), but it did seem easier to nail the focus this time around. These two images represent the quality of sharpness I want to consistently achieve in my digiscoped efforts in the field, so perhaps there's hope for the 8400 after all!

(click on image for larger version)

CAMERA : E8400V1.1
METERING : CENTER
MODE : A
SHUTTER : 1/139sec
APERTURE : F4.9
EXP +/- : -0.7
FOCAL LENGTH : f21.6mm(X1.0)
IMG ADJUST : STANDARD
SENSITIVITY : ISO 50
WHITEBAL : PRESET
SHARPNESS : LOW
DATE : 04.09.2006 16:29
QUALITY : 3264x2448 EXTRA
SATURATION : AUTO
FOCUS AREA : CENTER

(click on image for larger version)

CAMERA : E8400V1.1
METERING : CENTER
MODE : A
SHUTTER : 1/245sec
APERTURE : F4.9
EXP +/- : -1.0
FOCAL LENGTH : f21.6mm(X1.0)
IMG ADJUST : STANDARD
SENSITIVITY : ISO 50
WHITEBAL : PRESET
SHARPNESS : LOW
DATE : 04.09.2006 16:41
QUALITY : 3264x2448 EXTRA
SATURATION : AUTO
FOCUS AREA : RIGHT TOP

All images © 2006 Michael Allen McDowell

Bio:

Mike McDowell has been documenting southern Wisconsin’s flora and fauna since 1987 and began leading field trips in 2002. Prolific at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, other highlighted natural areas include Pope Farm Conservancy, Spring Green Preserve, and the Baraboo Hills. His nature photography has appeared in various publications, newspapers, magazines and was even featured on a Wisconsin Endangered Resources license plate, a Capital Brewery beer label, and a National Geographic publication. He began journaling nature observations on this blog in 2005. He's the recipient of the 2012 Bronze Passenger Pigeon Award from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their local communities or state to promote the field of ornithology. He was a finalist in Swarovski’s Digiscoper of the Year photography contest several times. His other interests include insect macro-photography (especially tiger beetles, treehoppers, and robber flies), fossil collecting, amateur astronomy, botany, natural history, and marksmanship with long-range rifles. Once a gigging musician, collecting Fender Stratocasters is a recently revived interest—most prized being a 1957 Vintage Custom Shop 'Mary Kaye' White Blonde. A former IT Professional, he's spent the last 24 years employed in the sport optics industry.