The Wildlife Photographer

This wildlife/nature photographer is writing a book about

digiscoping -- using a 'telescope' attached to a digital slr camera

at an approximate equivalent slr millimeter setting of 2200, to see

the whiskers on sea otters faces, and he claims few problems related

to light fall off at the edges with high grade Nikon optics. See

also camera(s) draped around his neck. Your ratings and critiques

are invited and most welcome. If you rate harshly or very

critically, please submit a helpful and constructive comment/please

share your superior photographic knowledge to help improve my

photography. Thanks! Enjoy! John

Very good capture. Congrats !

I thought this would be of interest to photographers (that's a Nikon D2X or D2Xs on his left side -- our right as we view him). I think he's shooting with a Canon, at least that's what I seem to remember he said.

 

He's one serious guy about digiscoping -- watch for a book in a year or so -- he may set whisker watching and wildlife eyeball watching in a more affordable range in the near future, who knows?

 

John (Crosley)

I attended a Family reunion not long ago and a gentleman there was doing the same thing. He set it up and we were able to see birds so far away....it was amazing. I was just checking up on you and thought I would throw my 2 cents in!

J

I talked to this guy (and didn't have a pen to write down his name, or a Blackberry either), and he said that light fall off toward the edges was NOT an issue as I had expected, nor was pincushion or barrel distortion.

 

Now of course, he has a fish to fry here, since he's writing a book, but he seemed an honest guy.

 

The light fall-off is called 'vignetting' though vignetting sometimes has other features as well, such as evidence of circular lines, as I recall from my older days with lens 2x magnifiers (doublers).

 

But those days are gone.

 

And if this guy is right and if I go on safari, I'll heed his advice and get one of these things to examine lioness whiskers and suckling young lions from way, way way afar, where I'm not in danger. My 200~400 f 4 Nikkor weight in about about 2,000 pounds, compared to this miniature setup with about 6 times the focal length.

 

Thanks for stopping by, Janis.

 

John (Crosley)

A safari? How absolutly wonderful if you go. I know I sound like a "know it all" or an "oh yeah I did that" type..I am not..BUT, my sister-in-law and her husband are leaving today on a mission trip to Africa. I am sure she has her little disposable with her!

J

When God entrusts their souls to that disposable as they attempt to take the photo of the uvula (that thing that hangs from the back of the throat) of the lions and lionesses and cheetahs, I'll pray for their souls.

 

In the meantime, it'll probably be a superlong tele or a digiscope for me.

 

In God we trust (in church). In the veldt, I trust in great distance from the wildlife -- no point and shoots for me with those King and Queen of Beasts.

 

Or Now I Lay My Soul to Rest.

 

John (Crosley)

I at first assumed this was you but then I see equipment that neither of us can afford. The shot is pretty original. Without the color treatment would make it better and that is a general opinion that I have on every photo.net with this.