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

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  1. E

    Any "compact scopes" that you like?

    Re the tripod, why not just ditch it? For travel, a straight scope hand held is an effective tool. It points instinctively, offering immediate views, appropriate for an optic which is mostly used to quickly check out specific items. No need for a tripod unless you anticipate spending long...
  2. E

    Nitrogen fill, how long

    What on earth was the occasion? A Porton Down festival?
  3. E

    Is this Sardinian warbler or Menteries’s warbler please?

    No input on the ID, but kudos to the photographer.. These are really nice photos.
  4. E

    Woodworm beetle?

    How big was it? The photo does not give any guidance. Still, it does not look like the remains of a woodworm beetle to me, the thorax shape is different.
  5. E

    Bluebird question

    Unlikely, the likely brood parasite will hog the food to the detriment of the others. Baby cuckoos push the other eggs/fledglings out of the nest quickly, probably not possible in a box. Cowbirds are less direct afaik, but the end result is the same.. It is probable that the enlarged nest hole...
  6. E

    Perhaps another game changer

    My guess is that this is only the start of the avalanche. There is no technical reason for a $3000 binocular, the components are all commodities that add up to much less. Swaro is postponing the impact by providing superior customer service and real innovations such as the Visio. The others will...
  7. E

    Nikon SE

    Steve Ingraham of 'Better View Desired' fame noted that his SE's got wet repeatedly, but were fully restored by drying them for a couple of days. So I would not be too concerned about 'waterproof' certification, the binocular insides are glass, they won't dissolve if wet.
  8. E

    Docter (ex-Zeiss) Classic porros

    Owned a Docter 12x50 Nobilem, had to sell it when I moved from a home to an apartment, was a spectacularly good glass, superb sharpness. It compared favorably imho with earlier CZJ Nobilem Super and Spezial specimens that I owned. The buyer wrote me to say that it was the best glass he had ever...
  9. E

    Wearing white and talking while birding?

    Small sample, but in Tanzania, the tse-tse flies always bit on the dark parts of my gloves, never the light ones.. They were also quite unfazed by pyrethrin treated clothes.
  10. E

    Trinovid hype

    The roofs were more compact and boasted of their water resistance. Optical performance was not the main selling point, it was left to the customer to assume that 'Zeiss or Leica' it has to be good. I also believe that there was a perception that roofs were considerably less prone to...
  11. E

    Mono pod suggestions for a Swarovski 8x56

    You might consider the Velbon Ultra Super 8 ( =TOP= of Velbon Tripod ), a compact stick that can be easily set to any length between 26 cm and 156 cm. It serves well as a finn stick and is good for a low power scope or a binocular.
  12. E

    Fast and lightweight tripod + head for ATC

    Thank you for the Ollin lead, it looks promising, although my Samsung Note is not among the options listed. Re tripods, I've been happy with my Velbon Ultra Luxy, now replaced by the Velbon 455. These have a latchless mechanism I've found reliable. I use a RRS 35 ballhead knockoff rather than a...
  13. E

    Fast and lightweight tripod + head for ATC

    Your quest is one many share, but I for one have not found a good answer. The best I've found is the Magview Spotting Scope adapter, which clamps the phone to the scope magnetically, so no screws or big holders. The weak spot is that alignment is lost whenever the phone is removed from the scope...
  14. E

    Compact Camera Suggestions? Upgrading from Canon PowerShot SX720 HS

    As you point out, the gap in zoom capability between cameras and phones has been shrinking, with some phones offering 10x optical zoom, although Apple is still at 5x max. Nevertheless, the cameras have bigger lenses as well as space for larger sensors and more electronics, so they should be...
  15. E

    Compact Camera Suggestions? Upgrading from Canon PowerShot SX720 HS

    Compact cameras are currently not getting much attention from the manufacturers, whose emphasis is very much on the big iron, full frame cameras with interchangeable lenses. So there has not been much innovation in the pocket zoom segment, even though it is a very convenient travel format. Iirc...
  16. E

    Powershot SX50 replacement

    Afaik, such bridge cameras are getting to be hard to find, Canon no longer makes them, while Sony has retreated upscale to the rather more expensive RX 10IV sporting a 600mm equivalent max zoom, similar to the Panasonic F330. That leaves only Nikon, with their P950, the larger P1000 also being...
  17. E

    Two people break 10,000 species, and on the same day? Can it be?

    Despite the variously raised doubts, I'm happy to wait and see what Dr Manns actual records show. He has removed the perceived first to 10,000 species hurdle, so there is no rush, people can examine and evaluate his documentation at leisure, in a spirit of comity. Otherwise, it becomes.a rerun...
  18. E

    16x and steady views. Sig Zulu6 16x42

    The IS is a real help when observing small birds in treetops, especially in windy conditions. It filters out the microshakes generated by hand holding, so one can focus on the actual bird. Ditto for birds in flight or a long ways away. Reverting back to regular binoculars is no problem, but you...
  19. E

    Poll: will you buy Swarovski AX Visio?

    Great idea! It could be coming soon with the Apple VisionPro, which has good audio and excellent 3D visuals. Apple was (is?) involved with the firm that built the Collins guide, so there is corporate recognition that birders are a good market.
  20. E

    Poll: will you buy Swarovski AX Visio?

    You are surely quite right, Swaro is not a firm that likes gambles. Just the development cost were probably gamble enough. That said, it appears that Apple is seeing strong demand for its technically very aggressive Vision Pro and yet they still have good availability. The firm's multi billion...
  21. E

    Canon Binoculars - replace battery door

    A bargain by Canon standards. When my well used Canon 10x42 failed after 10 years, Canon charged $500 (fortunately applicable to the repair fee), just to examine the item and provide a repair estimate. Canon's is a camera centric business, so outside of their pro lens service, which is...
  22. E

    Cloud Storage

    Maybe just store it under a different name, that way the cloud wipe ignores it.
  23. E

    Ground Pod Mk1

    Really neat work! Great improvisation, just wonder whether a wok might be a more serviceable base for the Mk 3, as the raised lip would help keep the dirt away from the gimbal.
  24. E

    Poll: will you buy Swarovski AX Visio?

    Certainly the case here in NYC as well, B&H, the well known optics retailer, has none even for display, plus the local Swaro sales rep does not know when there will be any. It may be that as with the Apple Vision Pro, marketers were surprised by the willingness of consumers to pay up for new...
  25. E

    Looking for a good super zoom compact camera

    The Sony RX 100 Model VI or VII is probably your best bet, although pricey and the lens is only 24-200 mm equivalent. Its zoom falls well short of that available on your ZS 60, even with the 400 mm digital zoom. Against that, it has a brighter lens and a larger 1" sensor, which delivers good...
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