now you won't be needing the 80/480 APO scope, right?
Ha ha ha ha. Well,
not really, because the small 80mm telescope was primarily purchased for grab & go astronomy observing, not bird photography. It is more likely that I may someday decide I don't need my heavy Nikon DSLR gear... I
do have a
disease... Years ago I renamed myself "opticoholic" to remind myself of that fact. What is the old saying? Something like "There is a fine line between a hobby and a neurosis...?" Of course, many people spend a lot of money on their hobbies, but I always feel a little ashamed about it, and I would recommend to others a more
sensible approach to bird photography. You can get great images without spending a fortune. It's easy to become a "gear head" and then you may start to miss out on simply enjoying and appreciating nature regardless of whether you are able to "capture it."
That said, I am really looking forward to spending a lot of my vacation time this spring and summer using and comparing 3 different bird photography set-ups: (1) My Nikon DSLR/500mm lens, and the new configurations using my E-M1 with (2) the new 300mm lens or (3) the 480mm telescope. These different platforms all have different advantages/disadvantages. The early indications are that the E-M1 options can nearly or completely match the quality of what I get with the more expensive/heavier Nikon DSLR on everything except BIF. Graeme was
so right above when he said "there has never been a better camera and lens line-up for amateur birders," for lightweight hand-holdable choices in particular.
One of the biggest strengths of the 300mm Olympus lens for me is its greater portability and potential hand-held use, and also its versatility as a more general-purpose nature lens for closer targets, flowers and larger insects, focusing near-macro to as close as 1.4 meters (I'm really anxious to try the automated focus stacking/bracketing on different subjects). With my bird photography I have always tried for the utmost quality, which usually meant I lugged around a tripod or at least a monopod, but from what I've seen of this new Oly 300mm lens, I would be a fool not to use it hand-held a lot; it was designed for that... So I'm planning to always have it by my side on a Black Rapid strap, and occasionally I may even carry it
in additon to the big Nikon rig on the tripod (carry 2 cameras at once, when I'm not walking too far). Another nice thing is that sometimes it will be easier for me to carry both the Oly 300mm for hand-held bird photography AND my recording equipment (I dabble in bird song recording with a shotgun microphone and digital recorder).
You know, you can really rationalize any insane purchase if you work at it. If anyone needs help with that, just let me know... I'll have you maxing out your credit card in no time.
:-O
Dave