The Zeiss PhotoScope™ 85 T* FL is a logical next step for this top optical company, combining their optical and camera expertise in one new product.

Digiscoping may provide some great opportunities for photographing distant birds and rarities, but the constant postioning of either a hand-held camera or slotting of an adapter onto an eyepiece is far from quick or easy.

With this new product Zeiss has done away with this by combining a spotting scope, complete with a 15-45 zoom lens and an 85mm objective lens, with a digital camera that takes 7 megapixel images. The combination is equivalent to a 600-1800mm camera lens.

Best of all the camera is triggered by a remote control, removing all possibility of camera shake from this action, and there is no shutter or mirror so that birds can be watched and photographed at the same time. Like any camera it requires a battery and SD memory card.

The market launch of the Zeiss Photoscope™ is due for spring/summer 2009. See product details.

See a video demonstration of the Zeiss Photoscope™ below: