Hi there! I’ve done a ton of internet browsing on multiple occasions, attempting to answer my question. Unfortunately, I’ve just been going in circles trying to figure out what my best option is. Upon my searches, I’ve been brought to this forum multiple times, so I’d thought I’d just post here instead and hopefully have one of you experts pick my set-up for me. I am looking to spend no more than $3,000 total. If I can keep it around $1500 or lower, even better.
Here’s my situation: I live in Alaska and my backyard is the ocean, literally. My house sits on a bluff about 300 feet above the water. From my living room, I can see 4 separate volcanoes, the closest one is situated around 30 miles away, with only ocean between it and myself. I also get pods of whales which cross the ocean, probably starting at about 2-5 miles offshore. The main migration channel for these whales is roughly 13 miles off shore. There are bald eagles that sit in trees in my backyard and also just on the beach.
Here’s what I want: The MAIN purpose of the scope will be to look out at the ocean for whales and to hopefully get high quality photo and video of them, all from my home. So, I’d love something that can get close up and personal with these whales from 15 miles out. The ability to feed close-up, high resolution video of bald eagles in my backyard is not a requirement, but a bonus. I realize a smaller scope may be needed for this. If possible and if it makes sense, I’d like something I can have sit outside that I can control (zoom/turn) via a remote from inside.
I couldn’t decide if a spotting scope or refractor telescope was the way to go. Then I got to reading how with digiscoping you may be better off just getting a long lense for a regular camera? So I am totally lost on what to do. Do I go the route of getting a nice camera with a long lense, a spotting scope with a camera and mount, or a refractor telescope with a camera and mount?
What are my best options?
Here’s my situation: I live in Alaska and my backyard is the ocean, literally. My house sits on a bluff about 300 feet above the water. From my living room, I can see 4 separate volcanoes, the closest one is situated around 30 miles away, with only ocean between it and myself. I also get pods of whales which cross the ocean, probably starting at about 2-5 miles offshore. The main migration channel for these whales is roughly 13 miles off shore. There are bald eagles that sit in trees in my backyard and also just on the beach.
Here’s what I want: The MAIN purpose of the scope will be to look out at the ocean for whales and to hopefully get high quality photo and video of them, all from my home. So, I’d love something that can get close up and personal with these whales from 15 miles out. The ability to feed close-up, high resolution video of bald eagles in my backyard is not a requirement, but a bonus. I realize a smaller scope may be needed for this. If possible and if it makes sense, I’d like something I can have sit outside that I can control (zoom/turn) via a remote from inside.
I couldn’t decide if a spotting scope or refractor telescope was the way to go. Then I got to reading how with digiscoping you may be better off just getting a long lense for a regular camera? So I am totally lost on what to do. Do I go the route of getting a nice camera with a long lense, a spotting scope with a camera and mount, or a refractor telescope with a camera and mount?
What are my best options?