Help!

[Ken Dykes]

HELP!
Brand new to birdforum so a bit green.
Keen on all wildlife, especially British native garden birds and now I'm retired, keen to start photographing.
Have ancient Fuji Finepix 4700 digital which is hopelessly out of date. Need new digital and am keen to try digiscoping. Have no scope but need info on reasonable middle of the range equipment to get started.
Shall need:
new digital camera
new scope
adapter
tripod
Any ideas on makes, compatibility of equipment, gladly accepted (I know nothing about optics or cameras)
Will be starting in garden, photographing visitors to extensive feeding station at distant of about 18 m (bird bath 9 m)
Do scopes focus down to this distance. Camera will need to be able to cope with close-up insect pics.
Total budget around £1,000.
Am I expecting too much?|>|

[RJM]

So 9-18m distance in garden only with photography the main purpose? If so, I suggest skip digiscoping and go directly to the Canon SX1 20x Superzoom with an external flash. That should give you all the focal length you need for such small distances and the flash will let keep 1/500sec shutter speeds on dull light days. This camera will also serve as a good bridge to eventually getting a dslr and 500mm lens.

good luck,
Rick

[Duke Leto]

Ken you may want to post a similar question in the digiscope section. 18meters is quite a way for a small bird, I don't digiscope but with your budget I'm sure you could almost get a scope, adaptor and camera (D-SLR). If you can then you'll have the best of both worlds, a scope and camera