The weight of the scope is only part of it. With a bigger scope you'll need a sturdier tripod and head. That almost always means a heavier tripod and head. That also means something like a Mulepack to carry it all. Before you know it you'll be lugging around an extra couple of kilos - the upside is that your wallet will be lighter.
Extra weight might not put you off - and I know you say you're not going on long hikes - but believe me, you will notice it... I've been there...
Over the last few years I've been all over the place with scopes and tripods - mainly because I was new to more serious birding and wasn't sure about two things:
- how much I'd actually use a scope and therefore how much to spend
- exactly where and when I'd use a scope, and therefore how much magnification I needed and how big a scope I was prepared to carry with me.
So I started out with an Opticron MM4 and a small Manfrotto BeFree tripod/head. I should have been happy and left it there, but I got an itch for a bigger scope - as I think we all do. So I upgraded to an Opticron MM4 77, then a Kowa 773, then a Swarovski ATS85 and a Kowa TSN 883 (all pre-owned and all re-sold at no loss). Lots of itches scratched there, but all of them, except the Opticron, represented an overspend for the relatively little use I was actually putting a scope to. Plus, when combined with a beefier tripod/head, the weight soared to a point where I wouldn't even take my scope on a short walk from my Cotswolds doorstep.
Finally (and for now) I've landed on a mint used 2021 Swarovski ATS65HD with a 25-50 eyepiece. It is perfect in every way - optically perfect, a great brand, and I don't need a big tripod, so the package is easy to carry. I'm still not sure I need a scope that cost me around £1,500.00, because 99% of the time it's aimed at a bird feeder... a Hawke Nature Trek would do the job.
To summarise! If I hadn't had such a deprived childhood (violins please! 😂) and the 'need' to buy the best of everything to make up for it, I would probably have stayed with an Opticron 77mm and SDLv3 eyepiece (the 60mm doesn't have a hood, which was a deal-breaker when pointing anywhere near to the sun). That said, I'm still not sure I even want a scope, as I get far more use and enjoyment from my binoculars. Take that as a comment from a casually serious (excuse the oxymoron) birder... more serious birders will throw their arms aloft in horror.
As an aside, in all cases, my decisions involved a desire to avoid a product made principally in China, not because of quality, but for reasons which are probably obvious and don't need to be discussed.
Hope that helps!!!
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