Your first stop before committing to buy any camera should be here:

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I'm hardly one to talk about great altitude shots; I don't know the set-ups that several people here have, but I do know Chuck has some great stuff.  He shoots a Canon T1i

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with a 100-400 L-IS lens

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with lots and lots of talent and knowledge!

This is the exact set-up I would like to get, but I may opt for the Canon T2i since I'll be spending the money (at some point).

If you don't want to get into that expense, there are some high-end point-and-shoots that offer a bit more control and freedom than typical point-and-shoots that also have significant zooming capabilities (optical zoom=good whereas digital zoom=overrated garbage that ruins photos).  I'm not really in a position to recommend one as I've not kept up on what's out now since I bought my last camera almost a year ago.  Tax season is coming up soon, so I might have to blow my return on some equipment!  What I'd REALLY like:

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Mark Plumley wrote:You can also get a Telescope. I am still perfecting the technique. I got the scope, the camera equipment but just need more pract

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I'm still wanting to do this, too, Mark!  Are you getting any good shots yet?  I'd love to check out your set-up sometime.