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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!Wednesday, March 31, 2010Baby boomer declaration of independenceI’m a baby boomer; I turn the big SIX O this year. These are words that strike fear into many folks, but not me. I’ve got too much to do to worry about getting old and I’ll be damned if I am going to let getting older stop me from doing what I have been doing all my life. In fact, if this last year has been any indicator, I am going to become more active in my so-called senior years. I’ve done more work with my binoculars, digital cameras, telescopes, skis, bicycles, harmonicas and my music more than ever before. I’ve spent more time outdoors than ever before and I’m just getting started. I will also be traveling more this year and camping more, too and just wait till I start fishing. I’ve got more backpacking to do in so many wilderness areas; I have yet to canoe every lake in Minnesota and Wisconsin; I have more blues songs to write; more articles to publish; They say you mellow with age and slow down. Well, this gal is still a rocker at heart; I can’t resist a hard rocking beat or kick in the butt blues tune. I still think bell-bottom jeans will come back; there’s still a part of me that says, “Stick it to the man.” I will never stop throwing my two cents worth in when I see something that is not right. I haven’t lost the faith, baby; reform is still possible and so many new and exciting things are coming I think that there should be other ways to describe the years past sixty than “old age”, “retirement”, “senior years” and so on. Frankly, I find those terms to be insulting. If I am “over the hill”, it just means that I am ahead of most folks and proceeding to the next hill. Just try to catch me. Tuesday, March 30, 2010Canoe, binoculars and digital cameras? With temperatures expected in the 70s, this week, it is time to break out the tanning lotion and maybe indulge in what I suspect is a Wisconsin tradition, namely, digging the canoe out of the woodpile and getting it ready to paddle for the season. Bill showed me his canoe, last fall, when we got married (I suspect he knew the way to a northern girl’s heart is with a canoe; it worked, too). As canoes, go, this is a bit of a departure from the touring and high performance canoes I am used to paddling. It is a 17 foot Browning Apache canoe and judging by its hull shape and jumbo 38” beam, I would describe it as a fishing canoe or recreational, family canoe. A performance canoe, it is not. I would not care to paddle it any great distance, but I do know a lake or two where it would be just the ticket for a romantic evening cruise or some fishing in a secluded back cove. Is there a better way to spend a pleasant spring evening? With its very wide flat bottom, this canoe may also be just the ticket for some photography and birdwatching with our birding binoculars at a few local lakes I spotted these last few weeks, just west of Milwaukee. The canoe appears to be stable enough that I might risk taking digital cameras and binoculars, aboard. Of course, I would have to get Bill to sit still and behave, but that’s another story. Monday, March 29, 2010Spotting scopes for birding All serious birders and birdwatchers use two basic tools - birding binoculars and a bird guides. These two basic birding tools will be all many birders will ever use. However, many birders, myself included, consider a third tool – a birding spotting scope – to be every bit as important and essential to identifying birds as binoculars and, yet, a good many birders do not use a spotting scope, let alone own a spotting scope. Personally, I can’t see how a birder can acquire expertise in all birding groups and types of birding without a spotting scope You need and use a spotting scope to identify birds when a combination of bird size and distance is beyond the reach of birding binoculars. There will be many such instances when you go birding. Shore birds are a great example. Shore birds - sandpipers, plovers and their kin - have been the bird group that has been traditionally associated with a spotting scope because, as a group, they tend to be small, subtly marked and rarely accessible for closer look with binoculars. A binocular is only of limited use, out on the shore bird mud flats. There's more to spotting scopes and birding, however, than shore birds. I have also used spotting scopes for waterfowl, wading birds and, yes, even songbirds out in open country, far from water or marsh. In fact, out on the high plains of western Nebraska, eastern Colorado, eastern Montana, North Dakota and so on, I rely on a spotting scope more than a binocular. In that country, it is possible to make identifications on song birds at enormous distances with spotting scopes and, when in canyon country, you have no option of getting closer so you can use a binocular. Besides, in that open country, birds will see you coming and often fly long before you get close enough to use a binocular. If you are heading to the beach, the marsh, the prairie or open country of any kind, a birding spotting scope will often be your primary tool, not a backup tool to a binocular. Friday, March 26, 2010Marsh birding I have yet to find a marsh in my corner of the city, but I am still looking. A marsh? Okay, a marsh is not exactly the type of thing a realtor lists at an open house when trying to make a sale and most folks would not really want a marsh in their backyard, but, then, I am definitely not most folks. Give me the sound of the wind blowing trough the cattails and the smell of marsh ooze, any day. I’d be very happy to have a marsh in my neighborhood. For sure, I’ve had some of my most memorable days outdoors at a marsh. I get excited when I see a marsh the way that some fly fishing folks get excited when they see a trout stream. More than once, I have traveled a great distance to a marsh to do some birding and birdwatching. Marsh birding is not strenuous work, but it is very relaxing and very rewarding if your goal is to see many different bird species. You simply set up your favorite spotting scope on a tripod at a location with a good view out into the marsh and wait. If you’ve picked the right spot, usually a mud flat, you will see an amazing variety of waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds, not to mention a good number of songbirds that also make their homes in a marsh. A marsh id also a great place to see some hunting raptors as well. Yes, there is always something to see at the marsh. The hours just melt, away when you are at the marsh; it is such a different world. You can, of course, use birding binoculars for marsh birding, but this type of work is really made for a spotting scope. Indeed, if I used a birding spotting scope for nothing other than marsh birding, I would still regard it as a worthwhile investment. About the pic: A marsh is also one of my favorite places to do some digiscoping. The tendency of wading birds to stand motionless or move, slowly, makes them ideal digiscoping subjetcs. This was one very cooperative Green Heron. Thursday, March 25, 2010Best beginners telescopeI like Newtonian reflector telescopes and have owned my share of these very basic telescopes. Given that telescope size, in terms of the diameter of the main mirror/lens is the primary factor in telescope performance, reflectors get you the most optical bang for the buck. For instance, size for size, a reflector can be as little as a third to half the price of the reflector’s more sophisticated cousin, the Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. The reflector, then, gets a beginner into astronomy with a serious telescope at an affordable price. Long live the reflector. My favorite reflector is a Dobsonian telescope, which, in reality, is a Newtonian reflector on a special mount. The Dobsonian mount is the simplest, most basic of telescope mounts, but it works and, if well constructed, it works very well. The Dobsonian telescope may lack all the high tech bells and whistles, a la computers, motors and other gadgetry, but, for me, that is part of the Dobsonian reflector’s appeal. When you observe with a Dobsonian, you spend all your time observing, not adjusting and aligning mounts or aligning and programming a computer. Tracking with a Dobsonian is simply a matter of nudging the tube along and this becomes almost a subconscious habit with experience. Size for the dollar, simplicity and ease of operation are why I often recommend the Dobsonian as an excellent beginners telescope. Even a small Dobsonian with a 6” mirror is far, far superior to the typical 60mm (2.4”) refractor that too many beginners mistakenly choose, only to discover that they have quickly outgrown their telescope and need to purchase yet another telescope of larger size. Wednesday, March 24, 2010Old tripods Old photography/video tripods are not usually something people regard as collectible, but I think they are interesting, if for no other reason than to compare them with current tripod models. This gives you a chance to see what tripod features have changed over the years and, just as importantly, which features have stood the test of time. I have two old tripods. One is a Star D Pro model; it was my husbands and I found it sitting in a closet. He bought it back in the 70s. The other tripod is a Husky TV model; it was a gift from my best friend; she worked for many years as the Tech director for one of the campuses of the University of Wisconsin and she rescued it from an untimely death when the school decided to “upgrade” their video equipment, back in the 80s. That tripod had already seen years of hard service at that time. Both tripods have several things in common, in terms of construction and features. As far as construction, both use machined aluminum for the tripod head, not the less expensive cast aluminum as you find on even some expensive tripods today. Machined parts are less likely to crack than cast parts and that is a confidence-building factor when you attach a heavy and expensive spotting scope, video camera or DSLR with a long telephoto lens. What you won’t find on these old tripods is much plastic; in fact, none of the working parts are made of plastic. The only place plastic or rubber is used on these tripods is to cover handles or the metal collets for the sake of comfort. As for features, you won’t find quick-release plates on these tripods, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Add a quick release plate to a tripod and you must also add some type of locking mechanism to prevent inadvertent release of the plate. Then, too, QR plates have a tendency to add some slop in the system. These tripods were designed to carry heavy loads and slop or looseness of any kind is probably the last thing you can afford when attaching a TV monitor or heavy load. The most telling feature, though, on both of these tripods is the locking mechanism used for the legs. Both tripods use collet style, twist locks. These may not be as fast and convenient as cam locks or lever locks, but they are still one of the best systems for supporting heavy loads on a tripod and, more importantly, they are rugged and durable if made of metal. After all, the locks on these old tripods are over thirty years old and still going strong. Lastly, both of these are heavy tripods and just a bit more than I want to carry in the field for any length of time. Of course, they weren’t made for that purpose, so give me a carbon tripod, such as the Swarovski Carbon 101 tripod or a Gitzo tripod for that kind of use. When it comes to setting up a tripod and leaving it one place, though, these two old tripods are still giving me great service, despite their age. Tuesday, March 23, 2010Camping gear Can’t wait to get on the road, again. Those words may be a bit cliché, but they are as true as ever for people who either have the urge to get out and see new places or for those who need to move down that road, no matter where it might lead. Like many Americans, my husband, Bill and I definitely qualify as charter members of either group. Our western road trip, later this summer, will also be a bit of each; we will, of course, stop and camp at several predetermined destinations, but we will also take some time to explore, out pop-up camper in tow and see where the road takes us. For us, camping is still the best way to feel the spirit and character of each area. As far as I am concerned, if you’ve seen one motel room, you’ve seen them all. That's no way to travel. I have always been more of a primitive camper, as to my camping style. In my youth, I did quite a bit of backpacking, with the emphasis on making every ounce of camping gear count. I also grew up in a canoe, where, of course, you have the luxury of carrying more gear, though that style of camping also requires careful planning. So, a pop-up camper, for me, will be a new experience, but one I am eager to try. That kind of luxury makes me almost feel a bit guilty, but only almost. As much as would love to do more backpacking, I know that my days of carrying a fully loaded pack over mountain passes is about over. Canoeing or kayaking, though, I will never give up and, in fact, Bill is now busy designing a rack for our canoe. As for me, I am planning how to fit my telescope, my spotting scope, my digital cameras, my film cameras, our bicycles, my binoculars, some fly rods, a couple of tripods and who knows what else in the Toyota. The truly scary thing and maybe even dangerous thing is that I may actually have room for all this gear. That kind of luxury will be a new camping experience for me. Monday, March 22, 2010Digiscoping for Wood Ducks Bill returned home from a bike ride, on Saturday and reported that he saw Wood Ducks in the river – another sure sign of spring. I’m not surprised, as our local bike trail is surrounded by prime Wood Duck habitat. Find some trees, near some quiet water and you have Wood Ducks. No shortage of that habitat around, here, what with our recent snow melt. Although it would be impossible for me to pick my favorite bird or even favorite duck, the Wood duck has to rank as one of the prettiest of our native birds and I have yet to meet anyone who disagrees. I do have an old print of a Wood duck, hanging on my wall, taken some 15 years, ago, with my film camera, Swarovski TLS adapter and Swarovski spotting scope. What you see in the pic is a digital reproduction of that old pic; specifically, it is a digital pic of that old photograph. Now, as photography goes, that is kind of lame, so, I am going to take the challenge of adding a more current Wood duck pic by doing some digiscoping with my current birding spotting scope and digital camera. This will mean carrying a spotting scope, tripod and digital camera, over my shoulder or strapped to my bike rack, but for a good Wood duck pic, it’s worth it. See ya down by the river. Friday, March 19, 2010Bluebirds and more kind of day Saw my first pair of bluebirds for the season, out on the bike trail, and in the very habitat I would expect bluebirds to be - an open field with some scattered trees. No, don’t have a pic (that's a Red-bellied Woodpecker in the pic) and, yes, it would have been a great opportunity for some digiscoping, but, hey, there is only so much gear I can comfortably carry on a bike. A spotting scope and tripod, plus digital cameras makes for a good load on a bike and I am kind of a fanatic about going light on my biking. On the other hand, I just might take a chance and load up the bike, today, and see if I can get an eastern Bluebird added to my collection. Okay, if you want to enjoy an Eastern Bluebird, both male and female, click on this Eastern Bluebird - a page from the All About Birds website sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website. Better, yet, add All About Birds to your favorites or bookmarks list and use the Bird Guide in the top left side of the menu bar. If you love birds and birding as much as I do, you will be going back for a visit on a regular basis. In fact, while you are there, check out the Cedar Waxwing – I have a lot of these birds that typically move in flocks from the top of one tree to the next. Also listen to the song of the Red-winged Blackbird – is there any song more typical of spring, unless maybe it is the cooing of the Mourning Dove? Another call I hear all day, since there is a forest across the street, is the call of the Red-bellied Woodpecker and, on this bird, I do have a pic. This is also a bird I see at my feeder, quite a bit. I wouldn’t call it tame, but I have one that sits about ten feet, away, while I fill the feeder with suet. Time to hit the trail and find that bluebird, again. Thursday, March 18, 2010Astronomy binocular or telescope? Astronomy binocular or telescope? It’s no secret that I am partial to astronomical binoculars for my astronomy, though I certainly own and use telescopes. Each astronomy tool has it place, of course, so it’s a matter of what type of astronomy you wish to do when choosing a binocular or choosing a telescope. It is also a matter of personal preference as to how you approach astronomy and what types of images you want from any specific astronomical target. A good example is the little test I did, last night. Of course, any test between telescope and astronomy binocular is comparing apples to oranges, but it will reveal some of the fundamental differences between the two astronomy tools as to ease of use and view provided. My target was the Pleiades, that famous star cluster also known to astronomers as M45. For the binocular, I choose my trusty Nikon 10x70 Astroluxe; for the telescope, I chose my 80mm APO triplet refractor, fitted with a Televue Nagler 22mm eyepiece, which provided 22x magnification. The instruments, themselves were fairly close as to size, though, of course, the addition of the tripod on the telescope made the telescope a much bulkier and unwieldy object, though an 80mm telescope is considered very portable by telescope standards. I started with the telescope. After folding up the tripod, I slung it over my shoulder and headed for the backyard. First issue was finding an open area in the trees to set up the scope. That done, I set up the scope, but when I finally got it in position and adjusted the legs of the tripod, but it took several height adjustments to properly see the target through the opening in the trees. Then, when all was properly aligned, the telescope eyepiece was too low for me to observe in comfort, so I returned to the house and retrieved a stool. With everything finally ready to go, I looked through the eyepiece. The view of the Pleiades at 22x in the Nagler was, as expected, delicious. At 22x, the entire cluster just filled the entire field of view and the named stars in the cluster (Atlas, Pleione, Alcyone, Maia, Tageta, Sterope, Merope, Electra and Celaeno) were highlighted against a backdrop of many fainter stars. I then folded up the scope and tripod and returned it to the house. I returned with the binocular. I simply walked to the same spot, raised the binocular and had a look. Time elapsed to center the object in the binocular and view was about half the time it takes to read this sentence. The view in the binocular did not fill as much of the field of view as the telescope, nor did it reveal as many of the background stars immediately around the Pleiades, but it was magnificent, just the same. Compared to the telescope, though, the named stars of the cluster, did appear a bit brighter. More importantly, the lower magnification of the binocular did not spread the stars apart as much, so the overall effect was of a richer and denser concentration of stars. So which view did I enjoy? Both. If it was a matter of studying fine detail, as say for counting stars, the telescope and its higher magnification, of course, provided the better view. However, as far as the very subjective issue of enjoying the view, the binocular was the winner. The overall effect of a tighter cluster of brighter stars against a wider background of black made more of a visual impression on me. The astronomy binocular was the winner for me on this particular star cluster. On other star clusters, I prefer the telescope, that's why I use both astronomy binoculars and telescopes for my astronomy. Ease of use? No contest, there. I’ll take the binocular, every time. Wednesday, March 17, 2010Cheap telescopesI get calls, emails and forum posts from folks who think they’ve hit the jackpot when they go to a garage sale or flea market and find an old telescope for next to nothing. Very rarely, one of these “bargain” telescopes does, indeed, prove to be a good find, but most of the time, these garage sale telescopes cost more than they’re worth, even when you get them at a rock bottom price. Why? Most of them are simply small, cheap beginner telescopes that were abandoned by their owners precisely because of their poor performance. The more serious problem, though, is that most of these garage sale wonders are missing those most losable of telescope accessories, namely, the telescope eyepieces. That is a serious problem, because refitting the telescope with telescope eyepieces is not a cost effective option, given that a set of even cheap telescope eyepieces often cost as much as a new beginner’s telescope, complete with mount, tripod, finder scope and, most importantly, eyepieces. Even worse, many of these telescopes use the obsolete .965” barrel size and that is another problem for several reasons. First, this size eyepiece is difficult to find, since current model telescopes universally use the larger 1.25” barrel eyepieces. Second, even if you do find eyepieces in this size, eyepiece performance of .965” telescope eyepieces is typically dismal, at best. Third, don’t expect to find adapters to convert that .965” telescope to the newer 1.25” barrel size – those adapters are also hard to find. If you are tempted to buy that telescope, at least measure the opening in the focuser or the diagonal where the eyepieces go and make sure it measures 1.25”. If it measures only one inch (.965), it is not a bargain at all In the end, that bargain telescope may not be such a bargain, at all. Instead, you might want to choose the right telescope by starting with a new telescope that has all the accessories you need to get started. That may actually save you money and, for sure, many possible headaches. Tuesday, March 16, 2010Hiking and biking the trail I am pleased and oh, so fortunate to have one of Milwaukee’s premier bike trails not 200 feet from my front door. I’ve been exploring Milwaukee County's Oak Leaf Trail for the past couple of weeks, now that the snow is gone and I am very excited about its potential for birding, especially spring warblers, later in the spring. The Oak Leaf Trail, for the most part, runs through forest, along the Little Menomonee River and, as such, provides some great habitat for birding. I was able to sample a little bit of the trail’s birding for warblers, last fall, and was very impressed. I strongly suggest that anyone walking, biking or even skiing, as I have been doing all winter, on the Oak Leaf carry both a digital camera and binoculars. Most urban areas, these days, have trails similar to our Oak Leaf Trail and these hike/bike trails are a great resource if you enjoy birding, birdwatching and digital photography like I do. I’ve found similar hike/bike trails from Portland, Oregon, to the suburbs of Chicago and on to New York City and beyond. Chances are you have such a trail not far from you, so get out the map and take a look. I prefer to travel light when biking, so I am partial to compact binoculars and small, point and shoot digital cameras, such as one of the Canon Powershot cameras. If you are walking the trail, though, you might prefer to carry full-size birding binoculars or a DSLR camera and appropriate camera lenses. When carrying a full size camera, I always carry a macro lens, as wildflowers are common. Basic trail rules always apply, no matter which trail you take: stay on the trail and leave the vegetation and wildlife, alone. This is as much a matter of your safety as it is a matter of preservation. The woods along the river are known for their poison oak and poison ivy, not to mention wood ticks. You and the flora and fauna will all be a lot happier if you stay on the trail. Monday, March 15, 2010Daylight savings Time and the telescope As an amateur astronomer, I’m not a big fan of Daylight Savings Time, since that means staying up, later, at night to with my telescopes and astronomical binoculars to do some astronomy. I might feel better about the change in our observed time if I didn’t have to still get up early, the next morning, but, hey, someone has to make breakfast, fix lunches, and get my husband out the door on time. No way am I going to let hubby root around my kitchen while I sleep! I, for one, would just as soon not mess with the old biological clock by playing clerical tricks with the time we observe. Okay, not that the local weather has cooperated, as of late, for astronomy. We’ve had a long stretch of milder weather and, typical for this time of year, that brings rain and clouds, day after day. This dependency on the weather to do some work with the telescope or astronomy binocular is about the only downside to one of my favorite pastimes. On the other hand, astronomy is more than just a pastime; it is also a science and a science that makes new discoveries on a daily basis. Just keeping up on all the new discoveries and developments in astronomy, even from a layperson’s perspective, is almost a full-time job in its own right. Indeed, I have known some astronomers in various astronomy clubs that are more interested in this side of astronomy than actually looking through telescope eyepieces or discussing the latest in cool telescope accessories. Each to his or her own, but I like doing plenty of both types of astronomy. I still watch the skies, every night, telescope and binocular at the ready. Friday, March 12, 2010Retirement? Who, me?I really did think that this semi-retirement stuff would allow me plenty of leisure time; I had visions of just sitting in my kitchen, birdwatching out the window, letting the hours pass. At night, I would just pull out one of my telescopes or my astronomical binoculars and enjoy the night sky. No hurry, just take my time, maybe even fight off a little boredom. I should have known better. For one, I have never been bored in my life; for another I’m not really a sit around type of gal. For anyone nearing retirement age, let me warn you that retirement will be very much the same as your pre-retirement life - if you were busy and active before you retired, you will be every bit as busy and active after you retire. The only thing that changes is what activities fill your day; your pace of life does not. Retirement, at least for me, is anything but synonymous with slowing down. I am now doing more of all the things I have always loved to the point of overflowing and I could not be happier. Hardly seems to be enough time in a day to get it all done. Between my birding, my astronomy, my photography, my music (I am now starting a blues band, giving harmonica lessons and working as a fill with another band), my writing, my bicycling, my skiing … well, you get the idea. I’m now at the point where I have to be very careful as to how I schedule my activities. No way, though, will I slow down. You'll see no dust collect on my telescopes, spotting scopes, digital cameras, binoculars and so on. May you enjoy your retirement as much as I am enjoying mine! Thursday, March 11, 2010Rule for wildlife photography Joanie's basic rule for wildlife photography is to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right equipment, usually a digital camera with the right telephoto lens and a tripod. Yesterday, I managed to get two out of the three; I was in the right place at the right time but had forgotten to strap the camera around my neck. I was biking on my rapidly thawing bike trail when I heard an unusual call, so I stopped to investigate. It took me a few moments to locate the bird and, when I did, I was quite pleased to spot a Sharp-shinned Hawk about thirty yards, distant, perched on a limb over the river. My first thought was that I hadn’t often heard this bird call, so that fact made my day. My second thought was I might get a picture of the bird if I could sneak a bit closer, using a tree to stay out of the bird’s sight. My third thought was I might get a good picture IF I had been smart enough to bring a camera. Ninety-nine and nine tenths percent of the time, you just accept the fact that you don’t have your digital camera and head on your way, resolved to bring a camera, next time. Call me stubborn, though; this was one time I was not going to just let it go. I was only a five-minute bike ride for the house, so I made a quiet, but careful, retreat and headed back to the house. On my return trip, I kept telling myself that the odds were very much against the bird still being, there, but I powered up my digital camera, anyway and got ready. To my surprise and delight, the Sharp-shinned was still there, so I made my stalk, staying out of sight behind the tree. I slowly peered out from behind the tree, then used the tree to steady the camera in lieu of a tripod and began to fire away with the Panasonic ZM50 camera lens set at 420 mm. I took six pics, then slowly backed away from the bird and returned, home. It took a lot of cropping in the photo software, but I did get this keeper. Next time, though, I will have the camera. I’ve used up my share of luck for a while. Wednesday, March 10, 2010Garmin Nuvi to the rescueI have been using a Garmin Nuvi GPS to navigate in my car, for some time, now and I have been very pleased with the results even though it is one of the older, cheaper Nuvi GPS models that I got on sale as a closeout. If the base model of Nuvi works so well, would love to try one of the more advanced versions of the Nuvi, sometime. In fact, even this base model of Garmin Nuvi has yet to steer me wrong, though, like any GPS, it has its limitations. For instance, after making a pit stop, we found ourselves navigating though the bleak industrial sections of Gary Indiana, late at night, in an attempt to get back on the Interstate. We quickly discovered that there had been construction in the area and many roads were blocked or closed. The Nuvi didn’t know this, either, but I am pleased to say that the Nuvi kept recalculating new routes as we were forced to make one detour after another and, eventually, the our little Garmin Nuvi did get us out of Gary, Indiana and back on track to Milwaukee. I dread to think what we would have done without that Nuvi. The industrial section of Gary, Indiana is no place to be lost, at any time of the day. Now, if I could only get a GPS that could calculate the best bike route for me, I would be happy. I do plan to mount a Nuvi or other GPS on my bike with a bike mounting kit, but I would rather find a GPS that was made specifically for bicycles. However, I can’t see how any GPS could calculate the condition of the streets or the suitability of one street or another as a safe choice for bike riding. You have to be much fussier about selecting your streets when riding a bicycle in a congested city. A route that is good for a car is often a terrible choice in terms of bicycle safety. Then, too, it only takes a few potholes or cracking pavement to make life miserable when riding a bicycle. My search for the best bicycle GPS continues. Tuesday, March 09, 2010Digiscoping rare birdsNow is the time to pack up that birding spotting scope and tripod and head to the marsh, assuming your local marsh has at least some open water. Doesn’t take much open water, either, as migrating birds in the spring tend to push the envelope a bit in their haste to get to their breeding grounds. Indeed, spring is the time of year to see that truly rare bird in your spotting scope and add it to your life list. Looking back, through all of my years of birding, I recorded more rare birds in the spring than all other times of the year put together. Unfortunately, I have little in the way of pics to prove it, since I was birding many, many years before there was even such a word as digiscoping (holding any small digital camera over the eyepiece of a spotting scope to take a pic, such as a Canon Powershot) or digital cameras, for that matter. Granted, I did a lot of bird photography, but the equipment we used for bird photography back in the film days was much more of an investment in time and equipment than the equipment used in digiscoping and, naturally, when a rare bird appeared, I was not set up with the camera. No excuse for that, anymore, thanks to digiscoping. When a bird appears that begs to be photographed, I just grab my point and shoot digital camera, hold it over the eyepiece of my spotting scope and fire, away. I always carry a small digital point and shoot camera when I head to the marsh, now. If only those rare birds I have seen would all just come back … Monday, March 08, 2010Summer vacation What does a northern gal do when all her snow starts to melt? Okay, she puts the skis away and grabs her mountain bike or her canoe or kayak and just keeps moving. It’s mind of a bitter sweet situation, since I love using skis, snowshoes, bicycles, canoes and kayaks, but, hey, it’s my job to adapt; it is not Earth Mother’s job to tailor the climate to my likes. Adapt I do, ever so humbly. Had one of my best ever seasons on the cross-country skis, but time to start planning for the warmer months headed my way. For instance, my thoughts are turning ever more to our summer road trip, out west. Bill and I will be traveling out west for about three weeks and I am planning to keep a daily log, complete with pics, all the way. I will be using digital cameras and film cameras, and we will also be taking a canoe and at least one of my mountain bikes. (I’d no sooner leave my mountain bike, behind, as my digital cameras, tripods or other photo equipment.) I will also be using my Garmin Nuvi GPS to get us where we need to go in the car, but I may also add a handheld GPS, such as the Garmin GPSMAP 76 and back it up with a good compass, such as the Brunton Clinomaster to get me back to camp when need be. For a gal that has spent a very full life, outdoors, my sense of direction continues to be an embarrassment. Better to swallow my pride and resort to technology, than to become another tourist that got lost in the backcountry. Okay, back to planning my route. How much of the west can we see in only three weeks? Friday, March 05, 2010Galaxy huntingFor amateur astronomers, spring is traditionally the time to go hunting for those elusive and faint little balls of fuzz, namely galaxies. We call these and other objects outside our solar system, such as star clusters and nebulae, deep-sky objects. Galaxies, though, are perhaps the most sought after deep-sky objects, not because they are anything spectacular to view in telescope eyepieces – most are simply little grayish balls of fuzz - but because, by their very nature, galaxies are objects of mystery and awe. For one, galaxies, even our closest galaxy neighbors, neighbor are immensely distant objects and it sometimes strikes me as a miracle that we can even see them at all in our telescopes. For another, galaxies are truly immense objects; they typically appear small in our telescopes because they are so distant. Then, too, each galaxy may hold many millions of planets, some of which may harbor life and intelligent life, at that. As I look through my telescope at a distant galaxy, I sometimes wonder if some alien life form is looking at my galaxy and wondering the same thing. Galaxies may not be great fare as a visual image in an amateur telescope, but they do make the imagination soar. Galaxy hunting in our amateur telescopes is an endangered pastime, however. Not to worry, the galaxies are still there and, in fact, the Hubble keeps finding more and more; the problem is light pollution. Galaxies, even relatively bright galaxies, are faint objects as far as deep-sky objects go. Light pollution washes a dark sky with so much scattered light that it becomes impossible to detect the faintest galaxies and, since light pollution is an ever spreading and growing problem, due to our urban population growth, it is becoming harder and harder to hunt for galaxies. In fact, the hunt for galaxies is as much a hunt for a site that offers dark skies, free of light pollution, as it is a hunt for the galaxies, themselves. For most of us enthusiastic galaxy hunters, then, our only option is to pack a telescope in our car and drive to dark rural observing sites, far from urban areas. I fear that we galaxy hunters are becoming as rare as those dark observing sites. Thursday, March 04, 2010Other telescope accessoriesWhen we think of telescope accessories, the first think that typically comes to mind are telescope eyepieces, since telescope eyepieces are certainly the most important telescope accessory for most folks. Ten, too, we might be thinking of accessories used with telescope eyepieces, such as planetary or nebula filters. However, there are other telescope accessories that can be very useful. One of my favorites in the world of telescope accessories has been laser pointers, such as the Meade Green Laser Pointer or the Celestron Laser Pointer. In the past, I have used astronomy laser pointers when working with the general public as an observatory tour guide. These laser pointers work great for outlining constellations and pointing to specific stars and pinpointing the location of interesting objects in the sky. Prior to the advent of these laser pointers on the market, we used to use flashlights with an adjustable beam, but the laser pointers worked so much better, that we all put away the flashlights. Another great telescope accessory is an adjustable height chair, such as the Televue Air Chair . These astronomy chairs quickly put you at the right height to be comfortable and will definitely allow you to spend more time at the telescope. I especially recommend them with refractors or other telescope designs that place the eyepiece at the bottom of the telescope. These telescopes are nearly always used with a chair, anyway. An absolute must for any astronomer is a red light and a dim red light at that. A dim red light is the best choice to save your precious night vision when working around your telescope. You can make your own astronomy flashlight by adding red plastic over the lens or painting it with several coats of red nail polish or you can also buy an astronomy flashlight, such as the Celestron Night Vision Flashlight and be ready to go. Wednesday, March 03, 2010Nikon Ecobins at a great price
If you haven't heard about OpticsPlanet making a special purchase from Nikon on the Nikon Ecobin 10x25 binocular, you really should check it out, especially if you are in the market for a compact binocular and especially if you are in the market for a good compact binocular at an unbelievable price.
Okay, what is the world's best selling compact binocular under $100? Based on numbers sold, years in production and value for the money, the world's best selling compact binocular under$100 title would probably go to another Nikon binocular, the Nikon 10x25 Travelite, or, perhaps, one of the competition's binoculars, such as the Pentax UCF X II 10x25 binocular. Both are great compact binoculars for the money, but neither one of these compact binoculars is waterproof and eye relief on the Nikon Travelite 10x25 is a bit stingy for eyeglass wearers. In the past, Nikon binocular fans had to step up to the more expensive Nikon Prostaff 10x25 binocular to get a waterproof binocular and a 10x25 that has enough eye relief to be used easily with glasses. Not anymore. The Nikon Ecobin 10x25 is essentially a Nikon Prostaff 10x25 binocular but with more ecologically friendly features in its production. Like the more expensive Prostaff, the Nikon Ecobin is also waterproof and the Ecobin has the same eye relief and field of view. It's the same binocular! That Ecobin price, though, is hard to believe. I'm going to buy a couple for my nieces and nephews at that price.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010Best spotting scopesIt’s hardly a secret that the best spotting scopes are getting very expensive. Okay, maybe it’s just that old-timers like me never thought we’d see a day when spotting scopes could cost as much as a used car, but, obviously, that time is, here. Despite the prices, though, sales on high end spotting scopes continue; there are obviously enough folks who will pay the price to own the very best and the spotting scope manufacturers have responded. Okay, I love great optics, but like most folks, spending several thousand on a birding spotting scope just isn’t in the budget at this time. On the other hand, if our bank account was even close to handling the expense, I expect I could convince myself to spend thousands on a high grade spotting scope, easily enough. Convincing my husband to spend that much on a spotting scope might be another matter, entirely. I would start with the argument that quality does cost and that the best always costs even more. Then, too, buying the best is the best value in the long run, right? Hey, these spotting scopes are made to last a lifetime of hard use and over the course of, say, twenty or thirty years, that big price tag is not quite as scary when you average the price out an a yearly basis. In fact, it seems downright cheap that way. There is also the undeniable fact owning the best spotting scope provides a measure of satisfaction and pride and that, in turn, tends to motivate and get you out in the field, more. That makes you a better birdwatcher, of course. Lastly, looking through a spotting scope with superb optics is a reward in a class of its own and you can multiply that by the many thousands of times you will use it to see birds in all their glory. So far, so good; now all I have to do is convince Bill. Monday, March 01, 2010Spotting scopes out westFolks who live in the eastern part of the country or, anywhere forests dominate the landscape, rarely think about spotting scopes as a necessary tool for observing distant birds or other types of wildlife. Binoculars are the observing too of choice for easterners. This is a natural outlook on optics, given that observing distances in the eastern half of the country are often on the shorter side and a binocular does a more than adequate job in most cases. Still, even in the East, a spotting scope can be a very useful tool. Things change as we head west, as many easterners discover when they cross the Missouri. Out on the Great Plains and the intermountain country, the horizon stretches for miles in many directions and observing distances are often beyond the reach of a good binocular. Spotting scopes are a very necessary tool in the great wide-open spaces and, in fact, birders in the open country of the western states often use birding spotting scopes more than birding binoculars over the course of a day. I can remember many a day on a western marsh when I never touched a binocular; a spotting scope did all the work for me. Out in this country, you can make positive bird identifications at enormous distances with a good spotting scope. Spotting scopes are also a must for up close and personal views of some wildlife. For instance, folks heading to Yellowstone, specifically, to observe wolves and grizzlies always pack a spotting scope. Many of the questions I used to receive in sales were from people who needed a spotting scope for this very application. Spotting scopes allow an observer to observe these animals from a discreet and also a safe distance. Spotting scopes also make excellent tools to take pics, via technique called digiscoping, which is nothing more than attaching a small digital camera to a spotting scope. By all means, pack a binocular when heading west, but you might want to add a spotting scope, too. |
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