Cameras and Lenses
Colo(u)r and binoculars?
Last week, I went to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Sanctuary with a friend. The area is mostly salt marsh, open water, and a little bit of woods. She was carrying an old no name 8x40 binocular, while I was using an 8x30 and more importantly a Leica 12x50 BA, on a unipod. From far across a pond, I saw a white bird which was too short to be a great egret. My first guess was that it was a snowy egret, which I have never seen.
When we were much nearer, I could make out tan or yellow legs, while she insisted that the legs were black or gray. The colour of the legs and the crest meant that the bird was not a snowy egret, but a cattle egret, much to my delight as it was a first for me.
The question I have is whether my observation of the colour of the legs was a matter of better coating, higher magnification or something else? Given the height of the sun, it was near its zenith, is this a matter of better shadow detail?
Happy bird watching.
Arthur Pinewood 
You don't say if you saw the 'true' colour in your 8x30 as well as your 12x50's. If it was more pronounced in the 12x50's I guess this is the combined benefit of more aperture and more power. This fits with my observations (earth and sky) using a 15x58 Minox. I always see more colour with them than an 8x.
Happy watching !
[QUOTE=solentbirder]You don't say if you saw the 'true' colour in your 8x30 as well as your 12x50's. If it was more pronounced in the 12x50's I guess this is the combined benefit of more aperture and more power. This fits with my observations (earth and sky) using a 15x58 Minox. I always see more colour with them than an 8x.
Happy watching ![/QUOTE]
Dear Solentbirder.
As it happens, I was only using the 12x50 for these observations. At the distances involved, I was in need of the long reach of the twelve power.
Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood