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  1. B

    New ATC/ STC 17-40x56 Telescope

    Thanks for the suggestion, but if the loctite had been adequate I wouldn’t have used the Voile strap.
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    New ATC/ STC 17-40x56 Telescope

    Problem solved
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    New ATC/ STC 17-40x56 Telescope

    I have the SDLv3 eyepiece on MM4 and find very little difference in acuity in the field compared to ATC. Younger eyes than mine might notice a greater difference. I do like the convenience of having the zoom control next to the focus control on the ATC.
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    New ATC/ STC 17-40x56 Telescope

    Yes, that was the first small travel scope that I owned. As an eyeglass wearer I much prefer the EPs on the Opticon and Swarovski scopes.
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    New ATC/ STC 17-40x56 Telescope

    Don’t want to contribute to thread drift here, but after downsizing from 95mm to 85mm the main difference between the two that was most noticeable was the difference in size and weight. The 85 was so less cumbersome. But most of the time the big scope stays home while the ATC or Opticron MM4 are...
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    Swarovski ATC vs ATS 65

    I own both Opticron MM4 60ED and Swarovski ATC 56, and don’t consider the Swarovski to be enough of an upgrade to justify the difference in cost. Neither will be as good as the 65, of course, but when spending several hours in the field I prefer carrying a lighter scope and tripod than the 65...
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    Swarovski ATC: which lightweight tripod?

    Over the years I’ve had a variety of carbon fiber tripods to go with light and small scopes (Nikon, Opticron, and now the ATC), and some were better than others, but none were really good. Primarily due to Herman’s high praise for the Gitzo 1545, I spent the money and tried it out today. High...
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    Opticron MM4 ED Travelscopes 50 & 60 v. Nikon ED Fieldscopes 50 & 60

    I think your conclusion is a good illustration of the necessity for field testing optics (when possible) to determine what feels most comfortable to one’s body and birding style.
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    Carrying tripod/scope

    I use this same method, although with different straps, for any scope regardless of size.
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    Carrying tripod/scope

    I like having both hands free while carrying, so I use a strap over my left shoulder with legs pointed forward in shortened or partially shortened positions. That way I can shorten or lengthen the legs while walking. Also this position gives me better control of the legs so I don’t hit anyone if...
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    Ball head yes or no?

    When used with a lightweight scope I have had adequate results with a ball head. One important factor is to have separate rotation or pan capability in addition to tightening the clamp on the ball.
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    Swarovski ATC: which lightweight tripod?

    Yes, with such a long plate, the scope balances perfectly.
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    New ATC/ STC 17-40x56 Telescope

    Yes, of course the problem is the very small amount of surface contact area between the foot and the quick release plate as I described early on in this thread. Loctite applied to the screw threads did not solve the problem. Perhaps as Herman states removing the rubber friction strips from the...
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    Digiscoping with monocular

    I am mainly interested in something to fill the gap between a scope and my iPhone for taking pictures to document eBird reports. I’ll give it a try and report back. I’ve ordered the Opticron 8x42 monocular.
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    Digiscoping with monocular

    Has anyone ever tried using a phone and monocular to take pictures? Seems less cumbersome than carrying a scope.
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    Swarovski ATC: which lightweight tripod?

    While the weight of the handle on the Gitzo head is feather light, it does take up space when packing for travel, so for years I used no handle with my 60 mm Opticron and it was okay. But because the Opticron uses two screws to attach the quick release plate to its foot, while my new ATC uses...
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    Swarovski ATC: which lightweight tripod?

    I am very content with my Gitzo 2 way head. Seems like a perfect match for the scope. I did cut the handle down a bit.
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    Swarovski ATC: which lightweight tripod?

    In years past with my ED 50 and MM 3 I’ve tried hand-held, shoulder pod, and a couple different monopods. For me, if a scope has a zoom EP I want a tripod.
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    Swarovski ATC: which lightweight tripod?

    The quick release plate I’m using has rubber strips. The problem is that the ATC does not have much surface area to contact the plate. I have never had a scope totally detach from the plate, but it’s just a nuisance and irritation to have it loosen, and then have to remove the scope from the...
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    Swarovski ATC: which lightweight tripod?

    For years I used a Gitzo ball head with my Opticron scope on the same tripod, but changed to the Gitzo 2 way fluid head with the ATC scope so that using the handle might minimize loosening the scope from quick release plate when panning.
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    Swarovski ATC: which lightweight tripod?

    I use a Proline carbon fiber tripod made by Dolica that I bought at Costco, and a Gitzo head. I carry it with a shoulder strap all day, hands free, and it is lightweight and very comfortable. I carry it with the legs forward so I can lengthen or shorten the legs as I walk. See attached pictures...
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    New ATC/ STC 17-40x56 Telescope

    I spent about 20 minutes today looking through these two scopes at various things near and far. Couldn’t really see significance difference visually, and my wife reported the same experience. But a huge difference in ease of use. I have the ATX, and I really have gotten used to having focus and...
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    New ATC/ STC 17-40x56 Telescope

    I
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    New ATC/ STC 17-40x56 Telescope

    I used the Bush Hawk shoulder pod with an ED50 and it worked fairly well. I found it most useful in a vehicle, much quicker to access than a window clamp, and could be used for any window.
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    New ATC/ STC 17-40x56 Telescope

    So, will the new ATC replace my much used (on a tripod) Opticron MM3 60ED? Well the first thing I notice from the pictures is that the quick release plate doesn’t look as though it makes a rotation-resistant attachment to the scope. Compare this to the very secure 2 screw attachment of quick...
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