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

Kowa's TD-1 Spotting Scope DSC super-telephoto zoom digital camera (2 Viewers)

Thanks fo posting this. I'd seen an earlier thread about it, but details were vague and in Japanese.

It certainly sounds promising and hopefully other manufacturers will cotton on to the idea. A 55mm objective doesn't sound overly large in terms of letting much light in for the longer zoom lengths. In a dull climate for nature photography it may cause problems.

I'll be interested to what the pricing point will be and what reviews it gets when launched.

AndyB - any chance of you getting your hands on one for a Birdwatch review ? ;)
 
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"AndyB - any chance of you getting your hands one one for a Birdwatch review ;) "

It looks slick, desirable and easy to use..... so I'd be way down the list of those wanting to check it out 3:)
I wonder if Pyser will have it on show at the Birdfair in August? Looks like a real show stopper.
Andy
 
I happened across details of this potentially amazing camera/scope today and thought I'd post the following update (June 2003) for those who, like me, hadn't been aware of this instrument's existence." The Kowa TD-1 Spotting Scope / DSC" features a three megapixel digital still camera built into a spotting scope, offering the ability to take digital photos at focal lengths equivalent to 450 - 1350mm on a 35mm camera. Kowa Japan has now delayed the model indefinitely, apparently for a fairly detailed redesign. Specifically, the company says that the form factor will be changed to improve useability, the LCD display size will be changed, and the digital camera function will be extended.

No pricing or availability for the camera was ever given in the USA, and we are currently awaiting a response from our contacts here to ascertain how the Japanese announcement will impact plans for the TD-1 to be sold stateside".

Just when, if ever, it comes on the market I'd assume that, in keeping with the developments digital camera market as a whole, it will have rather more than 3 million pixels! It has certainly made me wonder if I should put off my intended purchase of a new camera & scope in 2004 until I know whether this little beastie is going to appear! John
 
TD-1 update and digiscoping ep's

I just returned to Oregon from LA and left my 824fl with Kowa in Torrance for refurbishing.. also got the flyer on the TD-1 and staff claims it IS coming to the US.. April I think. Lots of specs on the very thorough flyer and good pics of it too. BTW my 824 rubber armor was badly worn off where right hand rested crossing the top in front of peep sight to adjust focus wheel. As Ian mentions, this is a great focus wheel system for fine digiscoping tuning. They'll replace the mid-section called "prism box" do a cleaning, nitro purge, pinhole test and check optics for abt. US$85. I was very pleased.. lets hope it ships back in tip-top shape.

They'll have three new eyepieces for 600/660 and 820M series (power/eye relief/exit pupil): 21x wide/20mm/3.9mm ; 32x wide/20mm/2.6mm; 27xLong Eye Relief/32mm/3.1mm. I'm thinking to get that last one for digiscoping.. this is the only one I see with significant improvement from specs on the same power ep's shwon in my 1997 manual that were for the 77mm TSN with an adapter ring called theTSE-EC. In the case of this new 27x LER the Real field of view is 2 degrees and the Apparent FOV is 54 degr. compared to the 27xLER in my manual at 1.7 degr. and 45 degr respectively. The exit pupil and eye relief are the same as in my manual, however I'm not sure there was not loss in the conversion from the 77mm size with the adapter ring for the old 77mm models. I feel the lower 27x from my current 32x ep might in itself improve its digiscoping worthiness.

In addition Kowa is coming out with TSN-VA1, an 8.7x (8.0 for the 660 series) eyepiece that's basically for digiscoping with high power and vignette-prone cameras with super long eye relief of 57mm. I'm not at all a technophile and don't claim to know the worthiness of the so-called "improvements" but some make sense to me, as I too have a low-power digiscoping eyepiece from EagleEye Optics.. good for certain kinds of shots.

Well, the TD-1: too many specs to put it all down, but 3.14MP CCD 1/2.5"; 3x optical zoom camera and 10-30 zoom scope, 55mm lens. f2.8-4 camera with 1.8" color LCD. Stores on SD Mem card; power is 4 AA battys. LCD is on the flat back of the scope under the eyepiece. It's 385mm long and weighs 2.3 Kgs.
 
Forcreeks said:
They'll have three new eyepieces for 600/660 and 820M series (power/eye relief/exit pupil): 21x wide/20mm/3.9mm ; 32x wide/20mm/2.6mm; 27xLong Eye Relief/32mm/3.1mm. I'm thinking to get that last one for digiscoping.. this is the only one I see with significant improvement from specs on the same power ep's shwon in my 1997 manual ...
In addition Kowa is coming out with TSN-VA1, an 8.7x (8.0 for the 660 series) eyepiece that's basically for digiscoping with high power and vignette-prone cameras with super long eye relief of 57mm. I'm not at all a technophile and don't claim to know the worthiness of the so-called "improvements" but some make sense to me, as I too have a low-power digiscoping eyepiece from EagleEye Optics.. good for certain kinds of shots.

Thanks, Forcreeks, for excellent news! I have been very happy with my Kowa 823 in normal viewing, but have always felt a little envy of how easily the owners of the "big brands" get such wide (well...) views in their digiscoped images. Now it looks like that's going to change: an eye-relief of more than 15 mm - in the whole product line. If the optical quality of the new eyepieces is what we can expect, Kowa is back also in digiscoping!

Ilkka
 
TD-1spotting scope/DSC

TD-1 all that is written is of last year(now it is 9.05.05)-could anyone please let me know if any one has used the TD-1. Would like afeed back about this camera +scope-new birder. :h?:
 
Dr Manjeet Singh said:
TD-1 all that is written is of last year(now it is 9.05.05)-could anyone please let me know if any one has used the TD-1. Would like afeed back about this camera +scope-new birder. :h?:
We have a member called 'Roland RIPPOL' who I believe uses one, seem to remember some shots in the gallery from him (and they were good).

cheers,
Andy
 
Hi Manjeet

I recently enquired about this kit om BF. Rezmole (a BF member) informed me there was a review in Birdwatch magazine April issue (number 154) - might be worth checking it out. Unfortunately I have not yet been able to get hold of the April issue but perhaps you will have more luck in your locality. Apparently the review was favourable.

Cheers
 
GaryS said:
Hi Manjeet

I recently enquired about this kit om BF. Rezmole (a BF member) informed me there was a review in Birdwatch magazine April issue (number 154) - might be worth checking it out. Unfortunately I have not yet been able to get hold of the April issue but perhaps you will have more luck in your locality. Apparently the review was favourable.

Cheers
Thanks Gary-will do that --Where there is a will there ia a way(ah). B :)
 
I've tried it. It's crap.

Average camera (3.2 Mpixels I seem to remember) and an average 'scope (rectangular view which is just plain weird and only 52mm) making it an average piece of kit for a top end price. The infra-red remote control shutter thingy also has way too much delay between pressing the button and the photo being taken - which is obviously an enormous hinderance for taking photos of anything other than stuffed birds nailed to fence posts.

Remember that in the UK for the same price you can get yourself a Swarovski ATS80HD and a Coolpix4500 and thus achieve top end digiscoping results.

It doesn't take a genius to work out why they aren't selling!
 
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tom mckinney said:
Remember that in the UK for the same price you can get yourself a Swarovski ATS80HD and a Coolpix4500 and thus achieve top end digiscoping results.

It doesn't take a genius to work out why they aren't selling!

I see you can get a coolpix4500, ED82 30wa lens the accessories for £1300. It does make you wonder who they are aimed at. Suppose it stops the faffing about.
 
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