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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

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  1. L

    UK binocular cleaning

    Anyone recommend a good place to send a porro bin to be cleaned internally? My Nikon 8x32 SE needs seeing to. I know Optical Repairs (Tony Kay) on the south coast is decent, but not cheap. Is Action Optics in Hythe any good? Any others? Nikon will do it, but they refuse to give a quote without...
  2. L

    Hawke Frontier ED 8x43 Review

    You can find a review of the above in the reviews section: http://www.birdforum.net/reviews/showproduct.php/product/403/limit/recent With a wide field of view, decent sweet spot, superb contrast and brightness, low chromatic aberration and decent mechanics, there is a lot to like. Weak spots...
  3. L

    How long before a premium Chinese binocular?

    As the title says. This is motivated by my seeing a Hawke Frontier 8x43 ED, which is a lot of binocular for the money. It includes a lot of technology: glass, optical design, prisms, and I assume dichroic coatings. Whilst I have not used this instrument for more than 5 minutes, the only obvious...
  4. L

    LLAMAS Photographic Services

    Does anyone know anything about the above company? I sent them a lens to clean over a week ago, and it is sitting unclaimed in the post office depot, and they do not respond to email or the phone. I'm assuming something unpleasant must have happened such as serious illness, but I am unable to...
  5. L

    Larva id please

    I found this today, in 'weeds' near a small lake, with reeds etc. Length about 1" max. Location near Aldershot. Anyone any suggestions as to the species? I suspect it is a moth larva, but I have been unable to find anything close.
  6. L

    Not happy with Park Cameras, sigh

    I ordered a Nikon 105mm micro lens from Park Cameras yesterday, after being told it was almost like new, apart from a small scratch on the body. I took great care to ask the assistant to examine the lens. Well, when it arrived, I found a dent in the filter ring, meaning that it could not be used...
  7. L

    Caterpillar id

    Anyone know this one? Found in the New Forest, on boggy ground near Bog Myrtle. About 2" (50cm) long.
  8. L

    Photographing Redstart near nest

    Today someone pointed out a Redstart on a branch, with an insect in its beak, which then popped into a hole in a tree, clearly a nest. Would I be able to legally (and morally) photograph the bird while perched near the nest hole? The site is next to a path in the New Forest, with regular walkers...
  9. L

    Recommended web host

    Can anyone suggest a good web host for a private web site? I have about 100MB of files in a prototype web site, and expect that to grow substantially, but no more than about 500MB. So I need a web host and a domain name registration e.g. www.JoeBloggs.com. I have searched online, but I think...
  10. L

    Who killed this deer?

    I was out walking in Ashridge Forest, and came across four lower legs from a deer. They had been cut off at the knee and were each no more than 1 foot long. The blood at the end was bright red, so I presume it was a recent kill. Anyone know who would have killed it? I presume it was a human...
  11. L

    Microscope advice request

    I'm looking for a replacement for my old Prior microscope for mycology. (Okay, wrong forum, but this one gets more posts.) Does anyone have any recommendations for a trinocular brightfield microscope with 10x, 40x and 100x plan objectives? I presume I need trinocular for photomicrography with...
  12. L

    Unknown fungi for id

    I have two unknown fungi in case anyone knows them. The first is a small Mycena like agaric: "Small Mycena like agaric on grass with Holly X5. Cap ~5mm brown with lighter scales (pruinose). Gills brown with paler edges. Stem thin 1mm by 20mm brown finely scaly. Smell strong and...
  13. L

    Fungi for id

    I have two fungi which I cannot even place to genus, never mind species. Suggestions welcome. The large purple one resembles Tricholomopsis rutilans, but has distinct difference, notable an apical ring. They were growing in huge quantities on top of a giant ant hill made of wood chips and wood...
  14. L

    GPS Receiver recommendations

    I'm hoping someone can recommend a suitable GPS receiver to replace my current one. I have a basic etrex from some years ago, which I use when recording fungi. Unfortunately it is often useless in woods due to tree cover. Is this usual, or are there more powerful units which can operate in for...
  15. L

    Blue butterfly for id please

    Here is a very cute fluffy little blue butterfly. Anyone know what it is? I reckon it is a Common or Chalk Hill Blue, and my money is on a male Chalk Hill Blue. Thanks.
  16. L

    Insect bite question

    I've recently had a couple of bites and wondered if anyone knew what caused them. About a week ago I went walking near some flooded gravel pits, and got a bite on the right arm. A large swelling about 4" long by 2" wide appeared, the volume being roughly equivalent to a golf ball. There was no...
  17. L

    Where have all the blues gone?

    I go to Sharpenhoe Clappers in South Beds regularly but this year I have seen only 1 blue. Last year I saw loadsIs there a population collapse or is this just local? I've also seen no Fritillaries, and the number of Burnets seems reduced too as last year they were in plague like numbers. The...
  18. L

    Caterpillar id please

    I found this one near Waltham Abbey, munching away at a grass blade. Any ideas as to species or genus? Thanks. BTW The ear like object and the eye like object are both water droplets.
  19. L

    Fungi appearing

    Just thought I would mention that fungi are popping up. There's loads of large Hygrocybe conica on the grass outside work, and I saw some H. chlorophana at the side of a lake near Milton Keynes. It does feel a wee bit Autumnal.
  20. L

    Finding emerging Hawkers

    Am I likely to be able to find emerging Hawker dragonflies by searching reads near paths in nature reserves, and along river banks? I have had success with Club Tailed and Common Darters, but the former was at a well known site, and the latter are more numerous. And if anyone knows sites near...
  21. L

    The ethics of beetles collecting

    I am trying to photograph insects, but it is very hard due to shallow DOF. Anyway, it would be so much easier to photograph a specimen back home. Do people have any opinion on the ethics of collecting specimens, and some how killing them for study back home? I consider insects to have very...
  22. L

    UR Galaxy ?

    Has anyone bought from UR Galaxy? I purchased a lens from them, and it arrived with a fraudulent invoice for a repair (to avoid tax), no purchase invoice and no warranty. They keep claiming to have sent a warranty, but none has arrived. I can't say I would purchase from them again without a...
  23. L

    Spider id

    Can anyone id the spider I found today. It was among nettles, and as you can see, it has an interesting habit of resting with its legs outstretched. There were 3 and all did this. Thanks.
  24. L

    Plant sites near Luton

    Can anyone recommend any nice sites for Spring plants near Luton i.e. within 50 miles? I know Barton Hills, Sharpenhoe Clappers, Ashridge Forest (not so good), Burnham Beeches and Windsor Great Park, Coombe Hill, but I am less familiar with places to the East. Thanks. Leif
  25. L

    Adobe Camera Raw vs Nikon Capture

    I have just upgraded to Photoshop CS2, and can now use Adobe Camera Raw to open Nikon NEF files from a D200. Previously I was using Nikon capture 4.2. I am impressed by ACR and it is certainly more convenient than NC. Does anyone have any compelling reason why one is better than the other in...
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