Spotting scope

Lynton

Lynton

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Lynton (yes really!)
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Mods - apologies if this is in the wrong section - please feel free to move.

Ideally, would like some input from the wildlife fraternity, as I have no idea.


Over the summer, I have kind of got a bit more into wildlife photography.... and taken a lot more interest in especially the birding side of it, though am still pretty crap when it comes to ID'ing stuff....... :shrug:

We were up at Titchwell today and pretty much every wildlife and his wife had spotting scopes. Now like camera gear or camera lenses, you can buy a cheapy off ebay, or splash £2500+ on a Swarovski or Leica......

I guess its a bit like with lenses, the L series or the Sigma EX series is built to a higher quality with better materials than the bulk standard stuff, but the bulk standard stuff is usually pretty good for a hobbyist / amateur / newbie etc....

So trawling a rather popular internet auction site I come across something like this.... Would I be spending £60 on the biggest pile of junk ever, or would I asa newbie etc, think, hmm this is ok..... I certainly don't have the interest / time / patience to spend much more than this....

Thoughts appreciated.
 
I am an amateur Astronomer, and here we go again Christmas is coming.

MORE children are put off Astronomy by parents spending £50-£100 on a C*** Argos like toy telescope than a decent £250 one.

You get what you pay for.

Spotting scope for photography.

Here is what I use. Equinox-80 PRO OTA, Astronomically it is mounted on an AltAz EQ6 HD mount (legs) with a William Optics EZtouch, for photography on a Giottos Alloy pod with a Lensmaster gimball, also reviewed on my sons site.

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy...luorite-ED-Apochromatic-Refractor-OTA_1017719

In fact you can read a short "how we undertook the review" FOR OVL here, at Patrick Moore's website.

http://sirpatrickmooresales.co.uk/telescopereview.aspx
 
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I have seen these in the local camera sshop and just cannot get my head round them.

What is the purpose of a spotting scope, to my mind if you have a cmaera with a big lens shooting wild life why do you need a spotting scope to look through aswell??

Or am I missing something??

Spike
 
SpikeK6 said:
I have seen these in the local camera sshop and just cannot get my head round them.

What is the purpose of a spotting scope, to my mind if you have a cmaera with a big lens shooting wild life why do you need a spotting scope to look through aswell??

Or am I missing something??

Spike
Click to expand...

Yes you are missing something, for the same reason that people also have binoculars, but scopes take eyepieces offering anything from 5 to 50x mag, just for "looking" they can also be used for digiscoping.
 
Lynton said:
Mods - apologies if this is in the wrong section - please feel free to move.

Ideally, would like some input from the wildlife fraternity, as I have no idea.


Over the summer, I have kind of got a bit more into wildlife photography.... and taken a lot more interest in especially the birding side of it, though am still pretty crap when it comes to ID'ing stuff....... :shrug:

We were up at Titchwell today and pretty much every wildlife and his wife had spotting scopes. Now like camera gear or camera lenses, you can buy a cheapy off ebay, or splash £2500+ on a Swarovski or Leica......

I guess its a bit like with lenses, the L series or the Sigma EX series is built to a higher quality with better materials than the bulk standard stuff, but the bulk standard stuff is usually pretty good for a hobbyist / amateur / newbie etc....

So trawling a rather popular internet auction site I come across something like this.... Would I be spending £60 on the biggest pile of junk ever, or would I asa newbie etc, think, hmm this is ok..... I certainly don't have the interest / time / patience to spend much more than this....

Thoughts appreciated.
Click to expand...

I don't know anything about that model but would suggest going to a dealer and trying out different models first. It may only be £60 but if it's naff it's a wasted £60 ;)
 
As with anything, it depends how much you're after spending.

At the upper end, the Nikon ED82 has been regarded as a good scope (but large) esp. for the price, and their ED50 is nice if you're after something more compact.

The RSPB has recently badged a HD scope. There are also good reports for some of the Chinese HD scopes sold under various names -- you might be best asking on one of the bird/ wildlife forums.

...but even an eyepiece for one of these will be well above £60.

You could try going to In Focus: http://www.at-infocus.co.uk/titchwell.html
Not bought from them, but they seem to have a reputation for having you try kit properly (their shops tend to be on or adjacent to reserves) and not pushing the most expensive kit.
 
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I can also recommend Infocus I have always received very helpful advice from them. They have always given the impression of wanting to sell the right tool rather than being driven by the need to sell brand X or Y.
 
Thanks all so far.........


JSER said:
I am an amateur Astronomer, and here we go again Christmas is coming.

MORE children are put off Astronomy by parents spending £50-£100 on a C*** Argos like toy telescope than a decent £250 one.

You get what you pay for.

Spotting scope for photography.

Here is what I use. Equinox-80 PRO OTA, Astronomically it is mounted on an AltAz EQ6 HD mount (legs) with a William Optics EZtouch, for photography on a Giottos Alloy pod with a Lensmaster gimball, also reviewed on my sons site.

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy...luorite-ED-Apochromatic-Refractor-OTA_1017719

In fact you can read a short "how we undertook the review" FOR OVL here, at Patrick Moore's website.

http://sirpatrickmooresales.co.uk/telescopereview.aspx
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree you get what you pay for to a point. As I said, it's not something I would use often, and I have no interest in astronomy other than some decent pics of the moon, and where various constellations are, so £500+ on this set up would be wasted on me. Thanks for the links tough, some interesting stuff...

SpikeK6 said:
I have seen these in the local camera sshop and just cannot get my head round them.

What is the purpose of a spotting scope, to my mind if you have a cmaera with a big lens shooting wild life why do you need a spotting scope to look through aswell??

Or am I missing something??

Spike
Click to expand...

Yes, a 400mm will offer approx 8 x magnification, (compared to the human eye) and whilst a big lens, means you are a better photographer.... ;) doesn't really make that Kingfisher that much bigger.


JSER said:
Yes you are missing something, for the same reason that people also have binoculars, but scopes take eyepieces offering anything from 5 to 50x mag, just for "looking" they can also be used for digiscoping.
Click to expand...

Indeed, and it appears dead easy to bung a P&S on the back of one, though you end up with something like a F11 or F16 lens..... :gag: Not sure how easy it is to attach a DSLR, there are schools of thought that body only provides better results, but DSLR with a small lens to the scope maintains AF, at the expense of F no, so I'd be looking at F16, and ISO 25,600.... :gag::gag::gag:

To be honest, I'd use it to look at small things through....


Splog said:
I don't know anything about that model but would suggest going to a dealer and trying out different models first. It may only be £60 but if it's naff it's a wasted £60 ;)
Click to expand...

My thoughts entirely........ just wondered if anyone had tried one.....


acs said:
As with anything, it depends how much you're after spending.

At the upper end, the Nikon ED82 has been regarded as a good scope (but large) esp. for the price, and their ED50 is nice if you're after something more compact.

The RSPB has recently badged a HD scope. There are also good reports for some of the Chinese HD scopes sold under various names -- you might be best asking on one of the bird/ wildlife forums.

...but even an eyepiece for one of these will be well above £60.

You could try going to In Focus: http://www.at-infocus.co.uk/titchwell.html
Not bought from them, but they seem to have a reputation for having you try kit properly (their shops tend to be on or adjacent to reserves) and not pushing the most expensive kit.
Click to expand...


Yep thanks. Well aware of the get what you pay for school of thought, and given some of the kit today was £2500+ I was thinking how can that be 8 x better than the £300 one..... obviously there is in optics and weight etc..... but there must be a point where you pay for the name. I fully appreciate I have linked to the chinese rip off link.. but like my other passion golf, the new TM driver is £350. The chinese copy , made in exactly the same factory, with the same specs less the TM name can be yours for about £50 shipped..... so is this a mickey mouse kaleidoscope or a cheap end entry level with no labels....


Kaolin said:
I can also recommend Infocus I have always received very helpful advice from them. They have always given the impression of wanting to sell the right tool rather than being driven by the need to sell brand X or Y.
Click to expand...

Yep really helpful guys.... Have spoken to them a few times.




TO all.. It will get used 4 maybe 6 times a year so not interested in spending £1000's.... RSPB have some for between £100 and £200........ surely cannot be much different from my link. After all , I can buy a fancy cover for it..........
 
JSER said:
Yes you are missing something, for the same reason that people also have binoculars, but scopes take eyepieces offering anything from 5 to 50x mag, just for "looking" they can also be used for digiscoping.
Click to expand...


Ah right ok now I get you, these are used just for purley looking at things through same as a bird watcher would use a pair of bino's

i was getting a bit confused thinking why have something that can see Y miles away when your lens will only reach X

so these spotting scopes are not used for spotting a bird to take a pic of they are used purely to spot things.
got it now

I knew I was missing somthing

spike
 
SpikeK6 said:
Ah right ok now I get you, these are used just for purley looking at things through same as a bird watcher would use a pair of bino's

i was getting a bit confused thinking why have something that can see Y miles away when your lens will only reach X

so these spotting scopes are not used for spotting a bird to take a pic of they are used purely to spot things.
got it now

I knew I was missing somthing

spike
Click to expand...

I think you still might be ;)
 
SpikeK6 said:
Ah right ok now I get you, these are used just for purley looking at things through same as a bird watcher would use a pair of bino's

i was getting a bit confused thinking why have something that can see Y miles away when your lens will only reach X

so these spotting scopes are not used for spotting a bird to take a pic of they are used purely to spot things.
got it now

I knew I was missing somthing

spike
Click to expand...

As I said they are also used by bird photographers (and others) for imaging via digiscoping, and can in places be better than a lens.
 
Lynton said:
TO all.. It will get used 4 maybe 6 times a year so not interested in spending £1000's.... RSPB have some for between £100 and £200........ surely cannot be much different from my link. After all , I can buy a fancy cover for it..........
Click to expand...

The Chinese ones seem difficult to call as the same or near identical scope seem to be sold under different names and while some are excellent, others can be average and have quality control problems. What you're paying for with badged copies is some assurance that someone has done their homework and is willing to sort out any remaining problems. Looking on a bird or wildlife forum is obviously a good start if you're looking at unbadged ones -- but there seem to be few reports of the scope you're looking at.

As for the big price differences between top and bottom, you're looking at issues such as size, weight, ability to handle low light, resistance to optical problems (when you have the crazy lighting conditions you get around marshes and lakes, for example), eye relief, size of the projected image, suitability for digiscoping, availability of eyepieces, and how well they handle higher zooms (for example, the Nikon ED82 handles 75x fairly well). These may or may not be an issue for you, and this is why people always advise trying scopes and bins in similar situations to how you'll be using them to get the right mix. You could end up buying something you're really not happy with, or paying far more than you need. ...I have cheap pair of bins that are great for wandering about with but the image falls apart if there's reflected light from water, etc., yet my more expensive bins handle the same conditions fine.

If you're serious about getting a scope it'd probably be a good idea to head back to the reserve and ask what people are using and how they like their scopes -- there's normally a good mix from low end to high end, and provided there's not a purple footed albatross flying in people are normally happy to have you take a look through whatever they're using. You should also be able to have a play with the RSPB ones.
 
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many thanks Andrew, some sound advice there....
 
Like this thread, scope buying is hard work! As the guys have said, In Focus as well as London Camera Exchange optics at various reserves (some might be towards the home counties in your direction) are good for getting hands on.

My own experience - initially I bought a 'cheapy' like the one you mentioned in the beginning; cheap and not-so cheerful is what I found. Like all equipment, the cost has to be relative to your planned usage...and if you end up not using it much, you can always sell it on however that usually rings true really only for the 'known' brands (Opticron, Nikon, etc..). I've dabbled with Opticron (HR66), then found a cheap Swarovski ATS65 on eBay once (cheap = £700 including 20-60x zoom) and was quite happy with that until I bought a Nikon RAIII 82mm with 20-60x eyepiece as a retirement present for a boss, as a bundle costing around £300.

This gave me the chance to directly compare a serious scope to one that most consider to be at the low end of the Nikon family; put it this way, the optical difference between them (bearing in mind the Nikon had a wider front end over the 65mm Swarovski, therefore better light) didn't justify the extra £400 of a little-used, 'just sitting there' Swarovski, so I sold it and got myself the Nikon.

Again as others have said, it's down to your preference. As for prices, at the mo it's worth looking at the likes of Amazon and Uttings Outdoors not only for bundles of scope plus eyepieces (and even digiscoping attachments), but to find the best price even consider buying the various parts from a number of sources to keep costs down.

Good luck!

Mike
 
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Cheers Mike,

More sound advice... and I guess it would be good to have something Nikon in the bag / on the rucksack....

The amazon link is far more than my budget but I can find it elsewhere for half of that...
 
The scope in the first post doesn't look great to me. Given that you are in Norfolk I'd recommend a trip to Cley Spy (in Glandford near Holt), they have the largest range of bins and scopes in the UK and are very helpful. They also sell secondhand gear (often more in store than on their website) so you could well get a better scope for your budget.
 
cheers Mike,

from Lynton not Mike!!!! :lol:
 
hmm no longer available....
 
Another vote for Infocus - http://www.at-infocus.co.uk/shops.html.

We spent about 2 hours in their shop at London Colney and tried out loads of scopes (and binoculars). There was no pressure at all to buy and the bloke there was keen that whatever we bought should be right for us.

IMO the only way to buy a scope is go and try lots within your price range.

Dave
 
Lynton said:
Mods - apologies if this is in the wrong section - please feel free to move.

Ideally, would like some input from the wildlife fraternity, as I have no idea.


Over the summer, I have kind of got a bit more into wildlife photography.... and taken a lot more interest in especially the birding side of it, though am still pretty crap when it comes to ID'ing stuff....... :shrug:

We were up at Titchwell today and pretty much every wildlife and his wife had spotting scopes. Now like camera gear or camera lenses, you can buy a cheapy off ebay, or splash £2500+ on a Swarovski or Leica......

I guess its a bit like with lenses, the L series or the Sigma EX series is built to a higher quality with better materials than the bulk standard stuff, but the bulk standard stuff is usually pretty good for a hobbyist / amateur / newbie etc....

So trawling a rather popular internet auction site I come across something like this.... Would I be spending £60 on the biggest pile of junk ever, or would I asa newbie etc, think, hmm this is ok..... I certainly don't have the interest / time / patience to spend much more than this....

Thoughts appreciated.
Click to expand...
Hi Lynton,
It is almost 7 year passes by...I am willing to ask you for whether your recreation turned into a passion for photography or not? If yes, then I guess money matters a little to you, right? Whatsoever, what is your experience, identically, about spotting scopes in the last 7 years?
Waiting for a positive response of yours.
Thanks!
 
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The design is good. Perfect size for what I want with it feels fine. Good sturdy build at this reasonable price. I keep it in the GATOR when I feed fish and other animals. I never have to get off if I see something I question. I bought this for myself as a daily tool.
 
after drifting into photography from birdwatching, had many scopes and binoculars, don't be tempted with the cheap stuff I have had opticron, pretty good scope ( i still use their binoculars)
had a Swarovski spotting scope, fantastic lens, but didn't think i would get my moneys worth out of it , so sold it.
got a second hand kowa scope that i keep in car, these are good value scopes second hand , (the older versions) new ones are expensive.
and my favourite one, pentax 80mm which i use with a good astro eyepiece,
make sure that you get a scope thats fog proof , theres a gas in them that stops them fogging up in the cold,theres nothing worse than grabbing the scope from the car, then cannot see anything through
them until they clear.
 
I don’t know what part of the country you’re in but I’d certainly recommend Cleyspy - they’re local to me here in Norfolk and I’ve made many purchases from them over the years and can only agree that they are more than helpful and have a tremendous range of scopes, both new & secondhand, some of the older models are absolute bargains and you can try out in store overlooking the mini reserve at Glandford.

You do get what you pay for to an extent, Leica, Swarovski & the top range Nikon’s are superb but overkill for an average user.
I was there a couple of weeks ago and they had a secondhand Kowa TSN2 for just over £100 with eye piece which is a great scope and an absolute bargain.
If you want a lightweight option, you could do worse than an Opticron Mighty Midget which sell quite cheaply these days.

Anyway, good luck in your search and decision but definitely avoid the cheap and nasty EBay ones as you’ll regret it not too far down the line.
 
Holy necro-bump Batman!! ;)

Would be interesting to see what the OP went with though...
 
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