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Looking for a scope ????? (1 Viewer)

NIKONwxm

NIKONwxm

Active member
Hi all.
I'm on the lookout for a scope after buying some bins late last year.
I'm trying to keep to a budget of no more than £300
Sometimes i'll need to get up closer than my 8x42's

Maybe I'd buy second hand to get a better quality scope.
What do you say is the best i can do on my budget.

Many thanks Barry

P.S I've been interested in bird a few years now BUT just started bird watching as my No1 hobby.
 
NIKONwxm said:
Hi all.
I'm on the lookout for a scope after buying some bins late last year.
I'm trying to keep to a budget of no more than £300
Sometimes i'll need to get up closer than my 8x42's

Maybe I'd buy second hand to get a better quality scope.
What do you say is the best i can do on my budget.
Click to expand...

With respect to new scopes, I would definitely recommend the vortex skyline (non-ED). It is discussed in a recent thread in the "Eagle Optics" sub forum of this forum. It was recently chosen by birdwatching.com as the top scope under $500 (which I think is approximately 250 pounds). I think it makes an excellent first scope. There is also an ED version, but it is much heavier and I think not worth it unless you plan to do a lot of digiscoping. Here is a link to a review:

http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/scopenews2006.html

Hope this helps,
Jim
 
NIKONwxm said:
Hi all.
I'm on the lookout for a scope after buying some bins late last year.
I'm trying to keep to a budget of no more than £300
Sometimes i'll need to get up closer than my 8x42's

Maybe I'd buy second hand to get a better quality scope.
What do you say is the best i can do on my budget.

Many thanks Barry

P.S I've been interested in bird a few years now BUT just started bird watching as my No1 hobby.
Click to expand...

Try EBAY.

Search specifically for "Opticron", Nikon Scope", Nikon Fieldscope" and "Kowa scope". in order. Kowa scopes can go for very good prices, as can some of the Opticron scopes. Go for ES80ga's, IS-60, 70. Don't go for anything less that 60mm, unless of course you DO wand a small scope such as the Nikon ED 50 or the Opticron MM2 or IS-50.
Try looking on Sherwoods photographic, Warehouse express returns or Hilton Photographic once you've worked out what you want.
If you have contacts with anyone travelling to the USA, then Pentax is a possibility, along with some other makes, the $,£ exchange rate is good.
 
Thanks for the info. I had looked on the votex site before my post and i did look at the skyline.
I hope buying stuff from the states is secure,as it seems a crackin piece of kit.
Tell me is eveything i need with this apart from a tripod. link below

http://www.vortexoptics.com/spotting_scopes/view/vortex_skyline_angled_80mm

Also i have been looking on ebay.... and i'll check the sites out that alan and rich suggest.
cheers for that ....... keep a look out here and i'll post asking more advice before i buy.
 
NIKONwxm said:
also........ straight or angled ?
Click to expand...

Here is a link to an article from the same site discussing the issue:

http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/scopes_angled_straight.html

I started out using a straight scope over 35 years ago; but I definitely prefer angled now. It's generally a more comfortable viewing angle, and it reduces the amount of tripod height you need. That allows you to purchase a shorter lighter tripod and/or not extend your tripod as high, which increases stability.

It is somewhat more natural to aim a straight scope at a bird, but I think the other advantages of angled scopes outweigh this advantage.

Jim

P.S.: You may want to see if there are stores in your area where you can try out various scopes; that can be one of the best ways to help you decide. And I think buying in the UK would be preferable. It is not uncommon for people to have to return to scopes for various reasons.
 
Last edited:
Nice to be part of this community. I consider myself an amateur photographer whose major interests are bird and astro photography. Have the luck to live in a true paradise of birds, Peru. I´ve been using my Nikon D70s with a TAMRON 70-300 AF and an OPTEKA 500mm mirror lens (only in very very sunny days).I´m planning to change to digiscoping using a Nikon Fieldscope 82mm ED. Does anybody has experience using this combo (Nikon D70s+Nikon 82ED)? Any other scope you´ll like me to consider?
 
Hi again.
Well its not to easy deciding which scope ? is it lol
BUT i've norrowed it down sort of to these
Kowa TS601
Vortex skyline or the nikon ED50(but this looks compact and much smaller than the other 2)
I'm going into chester today I hope the london camera exchange has a few I can look at.

regards Barry
 
NIKONwxm said:
Hi again.
Well its not to easy deciding which scope ? is it lol
BUT i've norrowed it down sort of to these
Kowa TS601
Vortex skyline or the nikon ED50(but this looks compact and much smaller than the other 2)
I'm going into chester today I hope the london camera exchange has a few I can look at.

regards Barry
Click to expand...

Yes, you can go a little nutty comparing scopes; unless you spend ridiculous amounts of money you do have to compromise somewhere. Here is a good article on the basics of choosing scopes if you feel the need for an overview:

http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/scopes_basics.html

With respect to the other scopes you mention, the ED50 is considered more of a travel/backpacking scope. I believe it has a maximum magnification of 30x; I would not want to be limited to that for my principal scope. (Some people have an ED50 as a second scope when they need to go light).

With respect to the Kowa, I do not know that much about it but it seems to be well regarded. However, make sure you are comparing apples to apples when comparing prices with the vortex. The vortex comes with an eyepiece, with the Kowa you will see a price quoted for the body, and then also have to add the price for whatever separate eyepiece you choose. In addition, it does not have a rubberized body, so you would probably also want to purchase a stay on case to use with it. (The vortex comes with a stay on case, and also has a rubberized body so that you could probably go without a case in the field if you wanted to).

Finally, the Kowa is a 60 mm scope, and the Vortex Skyline an 80 mm scope. The larger objective lens means the vortex should be better in low light situations, and also brighter at higher magnifications. Having more light is also important when digiscoping. (Though with the Kowa you do have more flexibility in terms of different eyepieces.)

my two cents,
Jim
 
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