I am new to scoping. I read loads of your threads, but still nothing appears to have prepared me for the experience. I accepted the offer from Zeiss (UK) to try the zeiss Gavia free of charge. Instead of a free test for 2 days, i am blessed testing it for 10 days. For once thanks to the new UK king and the associated long weekend!
Using a scope for the first time is a true eye opener. I am living in the right place to see some wild life, i can see it from the livingroom. I am used to watch it with binoculars, the zeiss 10 x 42 bins. Birds of prey, deer, foxes do not get that close (they stay away at least 150m), but the scope changed all of that. Deer appear when it is dusk and the picture was still good. Note I am an amateur Nikon DSLR user, with high end 35mm lenses and a D3X camera. So I am used to good optics. However nothing prepared me for this view. Deer now fill the view of the scope at dusk and it looks amazing. Never seen it that close, left us speechless. Using the scope to view deer, I could see that some are pregnant. It was a beautiful sight. Hopefully I can spot them with the new generation in the coming weeks.
After this free offer (Have to pay a deposit to Zeiss), i intend to test the Harpia too. As a keen photographer, I find it difficult to usethe Gavia focus and zoom controls in 2 different places. Perhaps the Harpia will be preferred over the Gavia as that arrangement is like the zoom lenses for the Nikon DSLR? Sadly, the Zeiss try-before-you-buy arrrangement does not cater for the supply of adapters for digiscoping. Zeiss misses out on a huge item IMHO, digiscoping should have been a significant part of the evaluation kit.
Frank
Using a scope for the first time is a true eye opener. I am living in the right place to see some wild life, i can see it from the livingroom. I am used to watch it with binoculars, the zeiss 10 x 42 bins. Birds of prey, deer, foxes do not get that close (they stay away at least 150m), but the scope changed all of that. Deer appear when it is dusk and the picture was still good. Note I am an amateur Nikon DSLR user, with high end 35mm lenses and a D3X camera. So I am used to good optics. However nothing prepared me for this view. Deer now fill the view of the scope at dusk and it looks amazing. Never seen it that close, left us speechless. Using the scope to view deer, I could see that some are pregnant. It was a beautiful sight. Hopefully I can spot them with the new generation in the coming weeks.
After this free offer (Have to pay a deposit to Zeiss), i intend to test the Harpia too. As a keen photographer, I find it difficult to usethe Gavia focus and zoom controls in 2 different places. Perhaps the Harpia will be preferred over the Gavia as that arrangement is like the zoom lenses for the Nikon DSLR? Sadly, the Zeiss try-before-you-buy arrrangement does not cater for the supply of adapters for digiscoping. Zeiss misses out on a huge item IMHO, digiscoping should have been a significant part of the evaluation kit.
Frank
