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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DRodrigues" data-source="post: 1275912" data-attributes="member: 55152">As Kimmo I enjoy high magnifications (well probably a little more…<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />). I agree with his zoom suggestions (lower magnifications zoom is important for digiscopy…) but my ideal is a sort of Siebert Power Mag Wheel that worked with existing birding scopes. As with astro telescopes <a href="http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=93017&page=2" target="_blank">http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=93017&page=2</a> the problem is portability and compactness, for most birders. I’m testing a 0.5x to 3x wheel (so a equivalent to a 6x zoom) with a 30mm 80º 2” eyepiece and the views are great. Better image quality than the boosters have the powermates and the Siebert's equivalents, but beside in Pentax scopes, is not easy to use them and have other limitations comparing to boosters (have a look at my test on <a href="http://pt-ducks.naturlink.pt/cr-telescopes.htm" target="_blank">http://pt-ducks.naturlink.pt/cr-telescopes.htm</a>). Regarding high power utility – on last Sunday, coming from a small week of holidays, I was on Tagus river Nature Reserve and spot a flock of about 600 Plegadis falcinellus in a rice field. As I knew that should be some colour ringed birds I didn’t want to risk to flush them (I was 200km from home…). It was 13:30, a sunny day, there were 29ºC and wind. I opened the back door of my station-wagon, putting the scope on the shadow and seated in the trunk  since I had to lowered the tripod to minimize wind effects. I was with the Optolyth 100 and as the 30-90x zoom wasn’t enough to read the colour ring codes, I putted the Pentax XW 5mm, resulting in 126 magnifications! I had my best views with this specie and read some rings - didn't saw many rings since time was short…David</blockquote>

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