Moved to a seaside area: Need to get a spotting scope (1 Viewer)

[wllmspd]

I’m happy to let people have a look. Scopes only have focus and zoom, I do give brief instructions so people at least have a focussed image. I do fear that some people are too polite and make do with what focus I left them with. You can tell the inexperienced as they grip hold of the eyepiece rather than the handle on the fluid head, still achieves the same thing!
I’d even be fine letting others play with my binoculars, tweaking IPD and focus balance doesn’t take long….
The closer you can get with optics the more of the personalities of the birds you can observe. I feel sorry for people who go to bird reserves with no optics, they’re missing so much.

Peter

 

[callows]

Having recently gone through the process, you might find this of interest:

This one or that one

Sliding over from the Bino subgroup. I know next to nothing about scopes. Been informally birding for a very long time and happy with my grab and go system of binos and Fanny pack. Have gotten a bit more focused last couple migrations. Reluctantly admitting the desire to see stuff further out...

www.birdforum.net

I am admittedly, still a rank amateur re scopes, with very limited experience. I am though very happy with this purchase and the utility a scope has added to birding where I do, often in open, over water places.

In fact Im shocked by how useful it is!

So far I find the variable X quite useful. It was a feature I never used with riflescopes, but find I use it often on these, using lower X to get on the bird, then turning to higher to see details... I cant imagine one fixed eyepiece X that'll allow that utility where I bird, given the variable distances from my vantage point. Maybe the point is if one birds mostly in the same places, a nice working compromise of a single X works fine. As we bird among several venues, so far I appreciate the variable X.

I alluded to a spread sheet I made down in among those posts, just above my final. Like a lot of written specs that static, data oriented approach only goes so far. The Opticorn MM4 60 vs 77 is a case in point. Looking at the array of 4 scopes this dealer was kind enough to set up, the size (and weight) of the 60, compared with the 77, the other 2, (Swaro 65 regrettably not available), the 60's weight/size advantage shrunk almost to irrelevance. Once you step back and consider the task that is coming - that is carrying the blasted combination of scope plus tripod around, how you carry, how you set it up, become aware theres now a thing you have to think about to avoid knocking it over, how quickly you get on the target seemed and still seems the more important consideration. The relative size and a few ounces of weight of just the scope seems not so important. I voted for the optical benefits of the larger objective.

brilliant. Very helpful. Thanks so much.

 

[GrampaTom]

Your welcome. Glad it helped.

 

[Sancho]

HFffffttt

Your welcome. Glad it helped.

Hi Callows, have you considered Opticron scopes? Excellent value and a wide range to choose from. Black and Lizars in Belfast carry them (or at least did, last time I was there). It's a good idea to try lots of other people's scopes before you buy, just to get a good idea of your priorities. If you are ever in the Dublin area, you can have a look at my Meopta S2HD82 and Leica APO Televid 62. Very good value can be found on the secondhand market, here on BF or from retailers in the UK, or very occasionally on adverts.ie.

 

[callows]

Hi Callows, have you considered Opticron scopes? Excellent value and a wide range to choose from. Black and Lizars in Belfast carry them (or at least did, last time I was there). It's a good idea to try lots of other people's scopes before you buy, just to get a good idea of your priorities. If you are ever in the Dublin area, you can have a look at my Meopta S2HD82 and Leica APO Televid 62. Very good value can be found on the secondhand market, here on BF or from retailers in the UK, or very occasionally on adverts.ie.

yes, my binoculars are Opticron. I'll try to get to Black and Lizars. Thank you for the info.

 

[Sancho]

Hi Callows, I just noticed that Dwatsonbirder is selling a Nikon ED82A scope on the classifieds section here, UK sale. I've bought stuff from him before, highly recommended. Long ago I had a Nikon ED82A, it is a superb scope. The zoom eyepiece is a bit narrow but razor sharp. Fitted with a 30x or 38x MC eyepiece, it is as good a scope as any out there, and this one on classifieds is going at a superb price.

 

[callows]

Hi Callows, I just noticed that Dwatsonbirder is selling a Nikon ED82A scope on the classifieds section here, UK sale. I've bought stuff from him before, highly recommended. Long ago I had a Nikon ED82A, it is a superb scope. The zoom eyepiece is a bit narrow but razor sharp. Fitted with a 30x or 38x MC eyepiece, it is as good a scope as any out there, and this one on classifieds is going at a superb price.

Thank you, I'll get looking at it asap