This year, probably late summer when i have some time, i intend to take some photographs that will hopefully add to the debate on the flat earth.
Is there a member here who can advise what is the best camera set-up for taking such long-distance topographical photos? Please bare in mind i have a limited budget, so won't be able to afford top-of-the-range- equipment?
Has anyone taken (and indeed, posted up on this forum) any photos of this nature?
Thank you, Mizuki x
Depends on what you mean by 'limited' budget. A nice digital SLR (Nikon, or perhaps Canon, etc) with an interchangeble high-power zoom lense and a tripod would be ideal, but I think you'll be spending $1000 at least.
For a couple hundred you can get a decent Nikon with an optical zoom, probably 12-14mp, and a cheap tripod. Use the 'self-timer' to take a picture without any movement from your hands. If the zoom isn't powerful enough, get a variable power spotting scope ($80 to a couple hundred, more money will get you better clarity of course), and make a camera mount for it, or buy one from the various telescope sites. I saw one that came with a telescope, and I need to find it again to see if I can get just the mount. It takes some messing around to find the right combo of camera zoom and positioning though.
Here's some examples of what to expect.
Here's with a 7.2mp Sony with the 3x optical zoom maxed looking at Mt Rainier.
Taken through some $30 12x 25mm-lense binoculars
Same as above, only with camera zoom used. I was having some trouble with that left side.
Mt. St. Helens with just camera.
Camera and binos.
These were taken without a tripod, and the St. Helen pictures were taken in windy conditions and with very cold fingers, so with a better camera, better spotting scope, actual camera to scope mount (I was holding the binos in one hand, and the camera in the other) , and a tripod, one should get even better results. I should also mention my camera has only has about a 17mm lense, which fits the eyepiece of the scopes pretty good. It's the same setup I pictured in the 'sun-size' thread.