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

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  1. james holdsworth

    Looking for a good super zoom compact camera

    My Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS60 bite the dust after only three years of use so I’m in the market for a new, compact super zoom. I’m not a photographer per se but carry a camera for doc shots as well as macro use for bugs, herps and plants. I have a small case that clips to my belt, so it doesn’t...
  2. james holdsworth

    Checking Collimation

    i’d like to get an opinion on collimation testing, and whether or not the down and dirty method of looking at straight lines with barrel separation is reliable. I have a binocular that seems clearly out to me, my eyes swoon as I pull them back, and when I look at a horizontal line and pull the...
  3. james holdsworth

    Very Poor Service from Gentec Canada (Zeiss service agent)

    I’ve put this off for months but finally have had enough. Just for background, Gentec Canada is the contracted service provider for Zeiss in Canada. Although they do not do major service they do they do simple repairs and parts replacement. I have had to replace my conquest HD eyecups twice...
  4. james holdsworth

    Stopping down a binocular

    I’ve got a pair of Zeiss conquest HD 15x56 that I like quite a bit but, in daytime viewing, I see too much CA. There’s been some discussion on here about using the objective covers to stop down binoculars, to reduce aberrations like CA. I have the objective covers for this binocular and I’d like...
  5. james holdsworth

    15 minutes with the 8x42 NL

    I recently had the opportunity to try out a friends NL but time was brief and light was bright and sharp so can’t comment on some aspects like brightness etc. Ergonomically the binocular really surprised me. Photos don’t do justice to the wasp waist design… It’s almost pancake flat and it’s...
  6. james holdsworth

    Big Binocular Search

    I’m looking for some big mag / big objective binoculars to be used tripod mounted, for lake watching and other distance-type birding. I’ve been using Zeiss Conquest 15x56 for this but want more reach, so thinking at least 25x. I find using a scope uncomfortable so I want something that could...
  7. james holdsworth

    An Old Flame Revisited - the Zeiss 10x40 BGAT/P

    I recently acquired a minty specimen Zeiss 10x40 BGAT/P, later run with what I would assume to be the most-up-to-date coatings etc. This specimen is virtually unmarked, with pristine optics and near perfect mechanicals - about 2mm lash in the focus is about the only thing to harp on. I have a...
  8. james holdsworth

    Anyone owned / tried a 15x45 Conquest?

    The older series, not the HD's. I've been interested in getting a high mag. bin for some time and have never given this model any consideration, mostly looking at the 15x56 HD. I'd save a bunch over the HD's but it would hardly be worth it if they are optically much inferior. Hope to hear some...
  9. james holdsworth

    Tried the Habicht 8x30

    A friend came over for a glassing session from my back deck, armed with his brand new Habicht 8x30 and his SV 8.5X42 for reference. I also did some direct comparisons with my HT and a few Zeiss Classic models. The Habicht was simply superb - very bright, superbly colour neutral and transparent...
  10. james holdsworth

    Does the 8x42 HT have ''significant astigmatism''?

    I hate to dig up this old chestnut again but I'm just flummoxed by comments made recently, and in several threads, by Alexis Powell that the 42 mm HT's have ''significant astigmatism.'' Now then, the vast majority of users have commented that edge sharpness / or sweetspot size in the HT was...
  11. james holdsworth

    Allbinos article - Zeiss 8x30 porros

    Apologies if this has been posted previously... http://www.allbinos.com/index.php?art=171 I own a late-model wide-field 8x30 and it is an absolute gem - both in optics as well as build. It lacks only transmission and colour neutrality, something modern coatings would take care of - result...
  12. james holdsworth

    Testing the Zeiss Terra 8x25

    I’ve had a 8x25 Terra for a week now - managed to find one for a reasonable $300 USD - and have been able to test it in a range of conditions. I tell you though, for real testing of CA, colour-balance and whiteness, you have to test in a snow-covered landscape – the stark differences observed...
  13. james holdsworth

    Elite's - manufacturer?

    I'm talking about the 1st/2nd/3rd gen.s, from the late 80's into the 90's. I know that Bushnell licensed the B&L name and logo for the Elite series but would like to know which Japanese OEM was the actual designer / creator of the series. Was it Kamakura? I've been a longtime fan of the Elite...
  14. james holdsworth

    All Binocular Manufacturers

    The recent Maven discussions got me thinking - just how many bonafide binocular makers are left in the world these days? We have a huge increase in selection compared to 20 years ago, but has anything really changed? Most of these new bins tend to be rebadged Kamakuras, with multiple...
  15. james holdsworth

    DIY Fix for a 7x36 B & L Elite?

    Hey, I have a nearly mint 7x36 Bausch and Lomb Elite that I like very much, even though it lags a bit compared to my modern glass. I say nearly mint as the objectives show signs of moisture penetration - some traces of dried water droplets between the two objectives. I'm not sure if it affects...
  16. james holdsworth

    The Death of the Traditional Binocular

    I have been thinking about just what a fully sorted Digital Binocular will bring to the party, and just how obsolete all of our current glass will become, when that digital binocular becomes field worthy. Think of it.... - Virtually unlimited magnification / zoom - including both optical and...
  17. james holdsworth

    Another 'Best of 2013'' Binocular Test....

    ...to set tongues wagging and critics a'scorning.... http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za/african_birdlife/AB01(3)48-52.pdf
  18. james holdsworth

    Conquest 32 mm owners thread / reliability, durablity

    Conquest 32 mm owners thread / reliability, durability I have a 8x32 Conquest on order - just had to see what all the fuss was about - but I do worry about the robustness of this model. A friend of mine had a 8x32 Conquest with a defective eye-cup straight out of the box and have heard of...
  19. james holdsworth

    Some more HT - FL musings

    To preface - I don't pretend to understand the technical minutia of these two optics, so my observations presented are just my personal understanding of what is going on, and I'm sure that some of what I am assuming / proposing is not technically accurate. Apologies in advance. As it has...
  20. james holdsworth

    A Question about Exit Pupils

    This is one for the experts, I had some observations today that I thought I would write about, but I first need to try to understand the reason for what I observed, so I need to have a few technical points clarified for me. Regarding exit pupils - given two binoculars of the same model [and...
  21. james holdsworth

    Zeiss 20x60 S - optics

    This may well be a pretty short thread, as respondents will be few I'm sure, but I am interested in the optical qualities of this binocular. I have read a lot about the stabilizer, but not much about the optics apart from some anecdotal reports. So, how would the 20x60 compare to something like...
  22. james holdsworth

    To all the lovers of the EII - Allbinos test

    Let the lovefest begin again..........[you will need a translate program] NOTE - transmission is NOT 77%! http://www.optyczne.pl/index.php?test=lornetki&test_l=270
  23. james holdsworth

    Optical Differences - Ultra HD 42mm vs. 36 mm

    My wife has a pair of Bushnell's 10x36 Ultra HD, and I have been seriously underwhelmed with the performance of the binocular - small sweetspot, very finicky too-fast focus, muted colours and poor-ish brightness. Worst of all is chronic stray-light intrusion, especially in overcast conditions -...
  24. james holdsworth

    Conquest destruction test vid.

    A bit of good fun.... http://www.youtube.com/user/fieldsportschannel Somehow I doubt they stayed in collimation, but still amusing. BTW - this is a hunting site, so stay away if the idea bothers you. I suppose the mods may feel the need to delete the whole thread, come to think of it, so look...
  25. james holdsworth

    Zeiss Hensoldt binoculars

    I often see lots of these for sale on e-bay and elsewhere but have yet to try one out. Considering there are many models, seemingly in widespread circulation, it's amazing just how rarely any of these Hensoldts get discussed. Anyone here with experience with the brand? What are they like? Most...
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