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

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  1. HermitIbis

    Birds in Flight for beginners...

    I don't have the D7200, though I think it offers the luxury to select all kind of settings, perhaps confusingly so. Focus priority, as nikonmike prefers, is fine, while shutter priority could give you "early successes" that are motivating. With my Nikon1 I don't have so much choice: AF-C comes...
  2. HermitIbis

    Thomas Stirr goes m4/3

    Not much on the EM1-ii, but positive on the EM1X: Daniel J. Cox: Predictive AF to Excite & Inspire
  3. HermitIbis

    Thomas Stirr goes m4/3

    According to "mirrorlesscomparison", testing both cameras with red kites in flight: Once the "bird AI" module is ready for the E-M1X, the gap might increase.
  4. HermitIbis

    Thomas Stirr goes m4/3

    A 2016 German autofocus test had the Nikon D810 on top with 72% of "bird" shots in focus, versus 56% for the Canon 7D ii. I'd love to see an update including the Nikon D500 and Olympus OM-D E-M1 ii. Not that I'd take such a test too seriously. I'd estimate my V2 ranks slightly behind the...
  5. HermitIbis

    Thomas Stirr goes m4/3

    Stirr's articles were a major influence for me as a Nikon1 user. His 30 pieces on the EM1X are all worth reading. Quite impressive what he said about an EM1X shooting with swallows in flight:
  6. HermitIbis

    Olympus OM-D E-M10?

    Only ~16,000 copies of the cx70-300 lens were produced. Yes, it is rare. One was offered on Monday in a German photo forum, for 385 Euro. Sold after a few hours. ;)
  7. HermitIbis

    request advice upgrading from bridge camera to DSLR

    No doubt, there is much leeway for cropping in a DSLR. Once I shot side-by-side with a man using a Canon 5D2 + Sigma 150-600 C. Subject: a raptor in a giant flock of starlings. I focused my V2 on said raptor and saw little of the big view. Later Mr Canon showed me his results, with the huge...
  8. HermitIbis

    request advice upgrading from bridge camera to DSLR

    True. I have to concede that even the 1-inch Nikon V2 (or V3) is still very much a sunny-weather camera, and photography in low light is not much fun. Feather details are also lacking as it has an AA filter (in this respect the V3 is superior). But at some point birding with a superzoom can...
  9. HermitIbis

    request advice upgrading from bridge camera to DSLR

    Going from a superzoom to a DSLR sacrifices silent shooting, long-distance ID and accept a much higher weight. Does a small increase in image quality justify to risk having fun with birding? I was in the same dilemma in 2016 and bought a Nikon V2 + CX 70-300 lens. At least it was affordable...
  10. HermitIbis

    Nikon FF (and DX) Mirrorless rumours/ announcements

    What I was trying to say: even as an N1 enthusiast I couldn't say how the V4 might have looked - the V2, V3 and J5 behave so differently in terms of AF-C and AF-A. The N1 philosophy seems to have found its "dead end". The N1 stood for simplicity, yet the general trend is the opposite. Users want...
  11. HermitIbis

    Nikon FF (and DX) Mirrorless rumours/ announcements

    In 2014 a German AF comparison test had the Olympus OM-D E-M1 winning among the mirrorless cameras, but it added this remark: I shoot raptors in flight with the Nikon V2 and rarely miss. Same with doves, gulls etc. Being familiar with the V2, who needs tracking? Also, the V3 has a much worse...
  12. HermitIbis

    How many hands does a bat worker need?

    That's interesting, thanks. I own a normal (white) torch, yet have looked at better models with red and/or green light, for bat watching. So far I've focused on TE with my (basic) Ciel. It has no separate (left/right) audio channels like the Pettersson D240X. I have no other model to compare...
  13. HermitIbis

    Birds in Action at 15 fps, and more: Nikon 1

    Swallows are back Yippieh, swallows are back.
  14. HermitIbis

    How many hands does a bat worker need?

    A French dealer has published a comparison of the EMT microphones, those graphics (visible if you scroll down) show major advantages for the PRO mainly in the 85-120 kHz range. Looking at the "signal to noise ratio", sensitivity and noise, it seems to me I should be able to capture my German...
  15. HermitIbis

    Bechsteins or a faulty detector?

    Which bat detector are you using? A species more likely in Wales may be soprano pipistrelle, for which 50.1 khz still seems within its normal frequency range. Looking at maps, Bechstein's would not to be expected there. Also, isn't it more typical for pipistrelles to see them hunt in a group of...
  16. HermitIbis

    Best Entry Level DSLR and Lens under £800

    Since you are in the UK, you can look at the idealo site for the best prices. At the bottom, left, you find the links to offers from France, Spain, UK and so on. I've seen the Nikon AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300 mm f4.5-6.3 G ED VR offered for Euro 150 or so. I believe most UK dealers have a 1-year...
  17. HermitIbis

    How many hands does a bat worker need?

    I bought a used Moto G5 phone and two batteries for €50. Maybe not a wise decision. I had read it should work with the EMT2, not necessarily with the PRO. But one commenter wrote: "The latest app update is now allowing my Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro module to work on my discount Moto E4." Wouldn't...
  18. HermitIbis

    How many hands does a bat worker need?

    About 5 degrees Celsius here. Today I met five Common pips (each circling around its "own" street lamp) and one 38-39 kHz bat, probably Nathusius's pip, close to my house. Confirms what I found in autumn 2014 - this bridge is a nath favourite. This year I plan to check when they leave the city...
  19. HermitIbis

    How many hands does a bat worker need?

    I'll reply in more detail on the % of ID and the available systems. Species: right now I focus on the Greater Mouse-eared. The Lesser Mouse-eared is extinct in Germany (ultra-rare even in Austria and Switzerland), ID via call should therefore be possible. Actually seeing it would be a nice...
  20. HermitIbis

    How many hands does a bat worker need?

    German professionals are using mainly a D240X or D500X (Pettersson), for remote recordings often a batcorder (ecoobs). On third place: Elekon's Batlogger. Only very rarely appears the Echo Meter Touch in German papers on species protection inspections. How could it be a serious tool? In...
  21. HermitIbis

    How many hands does a bat worker need?

    I agree GPS tagging would be nice. The Anabat Scout (announced for 2019) will also have GPS, but not automated ID. A short extension cable + tape might help?! Also useful: phone with headphone jack and micro-USB on opposite sides, to avoid a conflict. Exchangable batteries - GPS sucks a lot of...
  22. HermitIbis

    How many hands does a bat worker need?

    The EMT2 came out in late 2017, so I had expected to find more sample files. Finally I had luck where I should have looked first. The Wildlife Acoustics website offers sample recordings of the EMT (original model), the EMT2 and the EMT2PRO for download. Apparently a simultaneous recording of the...
  23. HermitIbis

    How many hands does a bat worker need?

    I'll continue to post some thoughts on the M500 / M500-384 and the EMT2 (Pro) in this thread. These mics are small, but powerful and are surprisingly often mentioned in serious bat studies. According to the Pettersson website, the M500 and M500-384 use "the same advanced electret microphone...
  24. HermitIbis

    How many hands does a bat worker need?

    I've considered a headlamp instead of a torch, to save one hand. It could look odd in the city... maybe O.K. when I visit a lonely place. Routine/workflow: A review by Dean Waters called the Pettersson M500 an "amazing piece of kit", yet still had doubts: That's why I liked the Dutch review...
  25. HermitIbis

    How many hands does a bat worker need?

    In 2014 I bought a Ciel Micro Trio and am still pleased with this device. Even this simple set-up requires more than two hands, if I want to use a torch & record a call at the same time. Adding an Echo Meter Touch 2 seems counterintuitive at first. To quote Peter Jones from my 2014 thread...
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