It was with great joy that I received the news this morning that not only are three new Wingscapes cameras now available, but that examples of all three are presently on their way to me. (more…)
I seem to recall that it was in Douglas Adam’s novel A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy that the advice “always know where your towel is” was given. This afternoon, I found myself in the uncomfortable position of not knowing.
However in my particular situation, perhaps not unlike some mysterious sub-textual meaning in Adam’s novel, my “towel” was a metaphor. I found myself being faced with a moth perfectly positioned for a photograph and I found myself at a loss as to the whereabouts of my camera.
Fortunately, the camera was not lost; unfortunately, it was not within reach – being in my shoulder bag in my car that was parked across the street. However that knowledge in and of itself was not immediately helpful. Thus faced with the choice of capturing a poor quality image of the moth or none at all, I chose the former and reached for my BlackBerry. The results are not impressive. It is likely a member of the Geometridae but beyond that I can’t determine and from this photo will not be likely to do so regardless of the reference material consulted.
Now I am well aware that the designers of the BlackBerry did not place “must be able to capture up close images of members of the Lepidoptera” on their list of technical requirements for the built-in camera. However should they ever wish to expand the feature list for a future model, I humbly offer to them that suggestion. I’d certainly upgrade to such an enhanced model.
Sadly, I suspect that such a feature upgrade is not likely to be soon forthcoming. Thus I must simply remember to always know where my pocket digital camera (my “towel”) is, and to have it with me. I get it now Doug, I get it.
Moblogging from the Garden Writers Association 2008 symposium, peace and good bird watching.
This past Sunday I took a hike around Virginia Lake (no relation to Veronica) on Sauvie Island, Oregon. Not so much for the hike itself, mind you, but for the opportunities that area affords for nature photography. The lake itself, seasonal and quite variable in nature throughout the year from open water in winter to a reed covered mudflat in late summer, is surrounded by a trail that traverses everything from shady forest to open farmland. Consequently, it is quite good for watching birds, butterflies, dragonflies, assorted mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and just about any other fauna one would care to mention.
I took along a new camera I was “auditioning” as a possible replacement for my dearly departed little Canon PowerShot. This new potential camera sidekick, a Canon PowerShot SX100 IS seemed promising due to its 10x optical zoom, 8.0 megapixel CCD, and its optical image stabilizer. However I soon proved to myself something I have long insisted to others when querried about binoculars – bigger is not always better, sometimes more is even less.
The camera itself is a little larger than the PowerShot Digital ELPH series of which my former camera was a member. The SX100 IS seems to be designed around the older PowerShot chassis; it reminded me of an PowerShot A620 I once owned. Consequently, like that long past A620, it was a little more difficult than my beloved SD600 to tote in either a (larger) belt case or in the waist strap pocket of my day pack. Due to its size and more dramatic contours, it was also more difficult to extract quickly from either of these carrying devices.
Now I’d like to be clear about one thing – there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the SX100 IS. For a general camera user it would be a fine option and the $249.00 price makes it quite affordable to most buyers. What I write of here is the ability of it to help me accomplish what I wanted to accomplish. Foremost among these requirements was the ability to zoom in on small creatures – be they bird, butterfly, or dragonfly – and record their image in a clear and crisp manner.
My first subject was an Eight-spotted Skimmer dragonfly, Libellula forensis, seen perched atop a small tree at a distance of about twenty feet from me. At this distance my Swarovski EL 8×32mm bins clearly picked out all the needed details of the dragonfly. However the camera, despite many attempts (with the zoom run out to between 8x and 10x), could not record these details with equal clarrity.
The closer I cropped and enlarged the image in post processing, the less satisfied I was with the result.
If this was not a species upon which field marks were large and clearly visible, it would have been very difficult to identify from the photograph at all.
The next subject was a Red Admiral butterfly, Vanessa atalanta, with a large “bird bite” scar (a triangular-shaped piece of the wing missing) on the right hindwing. As the butterfly was feeding on a pile of Coyote scat, it was relatively approachable and a perfect candidate for photography.
However even at a distance of less than ten feet, I could not achieve the proper focus on what should have been a simple shot that I have made many times before with my previous camera.
While the scar on the hindwing is visible, it is not clear to the level I would like, especially for an image that I hoped to use in my butterfly and moth lecture presentation material.
Finally, I tried it on a perched Anna’s Hummingbird, Calypte anna. At a distance of approximately twenty feet, the results were passable but not to my satisfaction.
Now I realize that with a DSLR and the right lens, these all would have been simple shots of superb clarity. However I don’t have the $2,000.00 on hand at the moment for that lens and don’t always want to be packing my DSLR along with me in the field. When added to bins, spotting scope, tripod, and other assorted field equipment, a DSLR body and lens is quite possibly the tipping point between a field naturalist’s kit and “full battle rattle.”
My intention was to try to replace my little PowerShot SD600 with something similar but with the added value of a higher optical zoom. While there may very well be cameras on the market that would allow me to bring this intention into reality, the PowerShot SX100 IS isn’t the one to do it. As I noted earlier, it’s a perfectly nice camera for general use; however as a naturalist I need something more. I’m suspecting that the replacement for my SD600 may very well be one of its close next generation cousins, such as the PowerShot SD1100 IS, and that I simply need to make the long term investment in a better lens, such as a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM for my DSLR.
Peace and good bird watching.
As with any good American Birding Association convention, the field trips available to the attending membership were plentiful and highly productive. I ventured forth with the group visiting Mirror Lake in search of the Black Rosy Finch and with another group travelling to Antelope island in quest of the Chukar population there to be found. While I have images of neither of these “target” birds, I was able to capture a few interesting images of other wildlife along the way.
Bison, digibinned on Antelope Island using my Swarovski EL 8×32mm bins, the Snap-shot Adapter, and the late Canon PowerShot SD600 camera.
Common Raven, also digibinned on Antelope Island using my Swarovski EL 8×32mm bins, the Snap-shot Adapter, and the late Canon PowerShot SD600 camera.
Unidentified white damselfly recorded with the late Canon PowerShot SD600 camera set on macro.
I’m really going to miss that little camera.
Peace and good bird watching.
Dear friends – we are virtually gathered here today to bid a fond farewell to a little camera that has done yeoman’s service to an amateur naturalist these past few years. Although sturdy, crisp of image, and always ready to digitally capture the wonders of nature at a moment’s notice, this little Canon PowerShot SD600 took its last photo on the final day of the ABA convention in Snowbird, Utah before falling victim to the hazards of airline travel and suffering a mortal injury in the form of a dented casing and a broken viewing screen.
Although it was no longer a production model in the Canon product family, it was a good and true little camera that will be dearly missed. In tribute, let us ponder one of the camera’s last known images – a still as-of-yet unidentified (by me at least) dragonfly recorded on the Antelope Island causeway near Salt Lake City.
Peace and good bird watching.
