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OpticsBlog – Thoughts and reviews of binoculars, telescopes, scopes, sights, and much more - birdwatching, astronomy, target shooting - pretty much anything related to optics, nature, and life!Friday, September 30, 2005New Canon camera
A customer showed me the latest Canon point and shoot digital camera from Canon today. He had just purchased it from a local Best Buys since we don't carry it and he needed something in a hurry. It's an Elph and I believe a 550, though I may have that number wrong. One thing I don't have wrong, though, is the 7+ MP, the 3x optical and extra large LCD screen. Great little camera (and it is tiny) from what little I saw of it. He paid $449 and was eager to use it on an upcoming Bighorn Sheep hunt in the Canadian Rockies. Can't say I blame him. (For a chance to be up in the mountains, I offered to do laundry and other camp chores, but he said the job was already taken.)
Wednesday, September 28, 2005As the weather turns ...
"As the weather turns" would be a good title for a soap opera, but at the moment I am talking about the cold front that is currently moving through our area. This will bring our first taste of really cool fall weather in the next couple of days, so "adios" to summer of 05'.
I get serious about fall when I see my first Junco. That's usually sometime in October at these latitudes, so I won't have long to wait now for them or other sparrow species. My biggest fear, however, is that I sit here pecking away at the keyboard, my fall warblers are stopping in the area without paying me a visit. This is a bi-annual thing with me. When the birds are migrating, I often wonder if I take my job too seriously and need to rethink my priorities. Then again, at the end of the month when rent comes due, I often wonder if I don't take my job seriously enough. The only real solution is to find a job where I am paid to go birding. Okay, time for a reality check. Tuesday, September 27, 2005Fall camera for colors
It's probably time I upgrade my old 2MP digital point and shoot for some fall color action. I need something purse size with at least a 3x optical zoom, 4MP and at least a 2 inch LCD screen for these tired old eyes.
Looks like that should be no problem. Just about everyone makes such a camera these days. I've been thinking along the lines of the Pentax Optio WP for its waterproof feature or the Canon Powershot S60, just because it is a Canon. Both have the lens quality and pixels to handle enlargements. I'll try to post some shots here in a couple of weeks. Friday, September 23, 2005Mystery camera
Got a peek at a new high end digital point and shoot camera yesterday and fell in love with it. I can't reveal the manufacturer, so let's just say it is a name that will make any camera lover drool.
I am constantly amazed how digital point and shoot cameras continue to squeeze more and more performance into ever smaller packages. This little gem will have 8+ MP, a 2.5" LCD screen, all metal body, a fabulous 3x optical zoom lens and more modes than an apple tree has apples. With fall colors coming soon to a forest near you, this camera would be gold. I think I need to ask for a raise. Thursday, September 22, 2005thunderstorm
We just had a vicious storm push through here while I was on the phone talking to a customer. We had to halt our conversation temporarily due to the noise of the hail on the roof. When I hung up a bit later, I looked outside to see downed power lines across the street. A few minutes later we saw smoke on the ground which quickly erupted into flames.
Makes for an interesting way to end the work day here at OpticsPlanet.com. Nothing like going out in a blaze of glory. . Tuesday, September 20, 2005Little Buddy
Have been seeing a Kestrel hunting across the street at the airport. Very considerate of him (it is a male) to show up everyday while I'm eating my lunch outside. I always salute the little guys, because they are one of my favorite birds. So if you are driving behind me and see me slow down and salute when there seems to be no one present, you won't think I am crazy. Okay, make that as crazy as I appear to be.
Monday, September 19, 2005digiscoping blues
As a product specialist, one product area that is a real headache is digiscoping. These days everyone has a digital camera (point and shoot), so how hard can it be to attach it to a spotting scope? Should be simple, right?
Wrong! The number of spotting scopes made that have digital camera adapters available could be counted with the fingers on one hand. I can't blame the manufacturers, however, since digiscoping is an application for which these cameras were never intended. To make things even more complicated, there is no standardization in these little cameras as to filter size or accessories. Worst of all, even if you do get a camera attached, it is no guarantee of results, since many camera/spotting scope eyepiece combinations are simply not compatible. This means the prospective digiscoper needs to do some homework. The first digiscopers simply held a camera over the eyepiece of a spotting scope and fired away. I've done this myself, with some surprising results. I've even held a monocular in front of a digital camera to increase the magnification. A better approach, though, is to get online and see what camera/spotting scope/eyepiece combinations others are using. Or, get crazy and experiment - that's the way digiscoping got its start! Thursday, September 15, 2005$2000 spotting scope for $200
I get besieged daily with requests for "a really good spotting scope", so when I mention the usual Kowa, Leica, Swarovski, Zeiss, or Nikon Fieldscope, the conversation moves right along until I mention price. That is usually followed by a moment of silence and then "What do you have under $200?"
I have nothing against spotting scopes under $200, but the "really good" needs to be kept in perspective. If "really good" is defined as images as sharp at 60x as at 20x, we go back to the Kowa, Leica, Swarovski, Leica and Zeiss again. On the other hand, if "really good" means seeing a reasonably good image at 20x and living with image quality that fades quickly above 35-40x, then the conversation can continue at the $200 level. Here are some of my favorites around $200, but the list of working spotting scopes is by no means limited to these: Bushnell Trophy 20-60x65, Celestron Ultima 80 and LOMO 70 LER. They are definitely not $2000 scopes, but with the money you save, you might be able to buy some new furniture or, who knows, even a tank of gas. Wednesday, September 14, 2005Fall is here
One sure sign of fall here at OpticsPlanet.com is an increase in questions about riflescopes, binoculars and spotting scopes. Judging by the questions I have been receiving lately, fall is definitely here. By the time the big push in this line of products is over, we will be right in the middle of our holiday season and that will mean telescopes, cameras and, as always, more binoculars. By the way, my favorite customers are the ones that shop early!
Monday, September 12, 2005Weather is hot, but the birdiing is not.
Since most of my marshes have dried up around here and the shorebird migration is in the final stages, I decided to do the smart thing and go looking for Warblers.
The dry weather also seems to be having its effect here as well. Did get four species after a two hour walk, but thta's a long way from the usual action I've come to expect from this area. Of course, when you can walk through the woods for two hours without a single bug bite, you should not expect insectivorous birds to be ganging up on you. Just hate to think I will have to wait till next spring to get in on some serious Warbler activity. We'll see. Friday, September 09, 2005Astronomy tonight?
A friend and I will be attending our local astronomy club meeting tonight, but conditions look less than promising. Still, much of the pleasure I derive from being amateur astronomer is the companionship of like minded people who share this great passion with me.
I remain convinced that the night sky is as firmly bedded in our human pysche as any other natural wonder. To stare upwards at thousands of shining stars under a dark sky is more than a natural urge shared by all humans - it is a birthright sadly being eroded by our own doing. I pray that future generations will still be able to look and wonder as I have on so many nights over so many years. Thursday, September 08, 2005Collimation on giant binoculars
We usually hear a lot of negatives about products made in China (I've added my gripes to the list from time to time), but there are features that I do like about some of the Chinese made stuff. Oberwerk astronomy binoculars , for instance, feature collimation adjustment screws and the Oberwerk website also offers collimation instructions on their website. That's a great help, since the really big binos can go out of alignment now and then.
So how about the other guys that make products in China? Only today did I find the same feature on the Celestron 20x80 Skymaster after a customer called about an alignment problem. This feature saved us both the hassle of a return. This just points out that a good idea is a good idea, no matter where it originates or where a product is made. Wednesday, September 07, 2005Riflescopes are in flower
It is the beginning of riflescope season here at OpticsPlanet.com and I have been very busy. My assistant (to be) asked if I could teach him about riflescopes. I said, "Sure, go out and get a lifetime of shooting and come back and see me."
That's a bit flippant, but it does underscore the value of experience. In order to teach riflescopes, I would have to teach rifles and rifle mounts. That's not going to happen in a few hours of in-house training. Now some of you may be wondering how a vegetarian, peacenik, non-violent, non-gun owner could know about guns and riflescopes. That's a long story, but the important thing is that I understand and appreciate people who do own guns and shoot. It is not my path to do the gun thing at this point in my life - I have grown too soft-hearted to kill anything, but I also believe that it is not for me to tell others what path they should follow. Besides, nearly all my experiences with outdoorspeople in general, and hunters in particular, have been positive. I enjoy visiting with them and helping them with their optics. Monday, September 05, 2005Labor Day
Guess someone forgot to tell us that people don't work on Labor Day. If that's the case, it should have been named "Don't Work Day".
I did have yesterday off though, so Gus (my Nikon spotting scope) and I set forth to find some shorebirds. Wasn't certain what the water conditions would be at the local marshes since I've been out of action for awhile. After visiting two marshes, I am here to report that you need water to have water conditions. Here in the Chicago area, we have none. All my beautiful marshes are bone dry and my little shorebird buddies have vacated the area. I did get a nice Savannah Sparrow in the scope for a good look, but no shorebirds. So I gave up on the shorebirds and visited a local nature center where I met some of my other Audubon members. We spent a beautiful morning banding birds and did see some Tennesse Warblers and got a report from the Center manager that a few other warbler species have started moving through. Looks like I'll have to concentrate on the woodlands this fall. Sorry, Gus. Friday, September 02, 2005Shorebird mix
Was going to take Gus, my Nikon spotting scope, out for some exercise to the marsh this weekend, but with gas prices what they are, I am rethinking this.
Plan A originally sounded so good, I didn't have a Plan B until a few minutes ago. Plan B is to flood my apartment complecx lawn and through out some bait to attract shorebirds - you know, the usual insects, worms and marshy kinds of invertebrates those little brown feathered sweeties love. Not sure where I can buy these, however. My local Wildbird store doesn't stock shorebrid mix, so I might have to improvise. I should probably warn the landlord, too. Should be a fun weekend. Thursday, September 01, 2005Migration
For the birds, fall migration is a less intense and more scattered phenomenon than the spring event. After all, there is no courtship and mating to get those avian juices flowing and the weather is typically more stable. For most songbirds and shorebirds, there is usually no "big push" event and fewer of those "You should have been here last week!" kinds of comments heard from birders.
So much for the birds. For a product specialist like me, who must deal in all manner of optics, fall is the beginning of the madness that peaks around Christmas. For many of us in the business, fall marks the beginning of the "makes us or breaks" us season. So while those birds are liesurely flapping overhead, I am trapped indoors tethered to a telephone and a computer. That's life in the sales world. |
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