new scope

[om2h]

Hi all,

Would I eventually wish I'd opted for an 80mm objective scope if I go for a 60/65?

As it's a once in a lifetime purchase I don't want to make a mistake... at the moment not thinking about photography.

many thanks:t:

[Andrew]

I went for an ATS65 and haven't felt gripped off by 80mm owners at all. I have the power of the zoom and the lightweightness combined. It is a personal thing really, the best thing is tion try and view two next to eachother.

[peter hayes]

om2h

First of all, welcome to the Forum. Good to have another member from Scotland. I hope we'll be seeing you during our Scottish trip (details soon).

I would be interested to hear of your decision, as I am also about to buy a scope.

Kevin: I entirely take your point about playing with the goodies in specialist shops before you buy. But where can you get the best deal? Is it actually cheaper to buy from LCE than, say, an RSPB shop?

[Reader]

om2h

I fully endorse Kevin's comments. I would also point out what you expect your budget to be because that can also determine what you can buy. Obviously if you can budget for the top end then that is where you should be looking.

I used to have a 60mm scope but sold it and boughta Kowa 822. The change was remarkable. I had an unfortunate accident with it (fortunately covered by an insurance policy). I had to put it in for a major repair and found that upgrading it to Flourite at that time (seeing as they had to open up the scope and change everything any way) wouldn't cost much more to fit so I went for it. I now have the equivalent of an 824. The light gathering is amazing with this scope now.

I know that you are not thinking of photography now but you have stated that this is a once in a lifetime purchase. That being so, is there any possibility that you might want it for photography in the future. If it possibly yes then a scope that is ideal for that medium should be considered first and foremost and good light gathering is a very important issue. Also to be considered is perhaps how good are the zoom eyepieces on these scopes. The 20-60zoom on mine is excellent. As a telescope what I can see towards dusk can be amazing with this eyepiece. What you could possibly take using a camera would be further enhanced by the clarity of the eyepiece being used. Basically you have to consider all angles to make sure you cover all eventualities.

I have been through all stages of scope and would highly recommend that you go for an 80mm. Which one will be down to your own preference.

My tip. Go to a recognised dealer that has sites in the field and test as many as possible before making your decision. Go home and do an internet search for that scope and see what the cheapest price is that you can get it for then approach the dealer where you tested it and see if he can price match the product with the price you have found. If not get in touch with the internet dealer (as long as they are reputable) and buy it. If you are not sure of how good that dealer is a question on this forum about them should produce the info you require.

Hope that helps!

[peter hayes]

Thank you both for that sound advice. I will look carefully before buying anything. And Kevin, have you got your EL's yet?

[Johnny1]

I started off with a Bushnell spacemaster 60mm with a 15-45 zoom, I found it adequate for my needs except when sea watching but as I very rarely went sea watching it was a minor problem. However when I took up digiscoping I realised that sooner or later I would need an 80mm, I finally purchased an Opticron 80mm just before Christmas, although I havn't used it for sea watching yet but in all other areas it out- performs the 60mm. I don't think there's much difference in the weight of the 80 compared to my old 60-another pluss factor! Finally I'm getting better results with my digi-scoping.

[peter hayes]

Excellent! Should we start an EL club within the BF?!!!

As you know, I have the 8.5 x 42, so it'll be good for me to compare the two. I got them because I felt the light was better as the slightly lower magnification. I'll now be able to see if I was right! Actually it won't matter once I get my scope.

Anyway, congratulations on completing your wish list.

Do tell us where you go tomorrow and post a report. As for me, I'm on a guided trip around Cockwood on the other side of the Exe estuary from me. Should be excellent whatever the weather.

[om2h]

Many thanks to all... the next step is the RSPB on a grey day.

om2h

[tonyh]

kevin
can i ask how much you paid for your EL's ??
if you dont mind me asking ???
you can pm me if you would rather not post in the forum :-)