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spotting scope nightmare (1 Viewer)

milton

Member
Hello, this is my first post and i am hoping someone here can help me-
My husband has asked for a spotting scope for Christmas- We live about 100-150 yards from the river and he would love to watch the red tail hawks and water birds that do their thing around there- So here's the problem- i went to e-bay to check out spotting scopes- i have no idea what I am looking for or how much things are- I see a Burris Landmark 20X50 Compact spotting scope for $60- I go out to the internet and see retail that these go for over $100- So I bid on it thinking DEAL!!! and win. Now I have this spotting scope I know nothing about- I now realize that the 20X50 is a fixed scope, is this bad? I realize i should have done more research but now i am stuck with this for his x-mas gift- Is this useful? Will he be able to see to the river with it? Do I need a tripod? Should I just scrap it and go for one that is better & more $$- Can anyone answer my pleas??
I would appreciate any help with what i have purchased and if it is useful-
Darn e-bay anyway.
thanks in advance for any help:)

Beth
 
Hi Beth and a warm welcome to birdforum.net from all the moderators and admin staff here.

I'm sure your husband will get some sort of view of the birds but a scope like this will perform better on bright days. It's unfair to expect a great deal of optical quality from an item costing as little as this, you get what you pay for in general with birding optics. The front lens on your scope is 50mm, therefore any eyepiece with more than 20x magnification would be pushing things a bit in terms of a bright image anyway, so a 50mm with a 20x eyepiece magnification is about right. A larger front lens (65mm+) will allow a higher powered eyepiece to be used without the image being too dark.

Not knowing what sort of budget you are on for your husband's xmas present, it's hard to recommend anything else.

What he will need with a spotting scope is a tripod, though some designs allow the scope to be rested on a flat bench for viewing.

Best regards,
Andy
 
Thanks for your prompt reply Andy- i realize that I was trying to go cheap with the scope so I guess i do get what I pay for, shucks.
As for a recommendation, I would like to know what scope would be the best for
novice birdwatching at 100-150 yds- as for budget, of course the cheaper the better but what about something under $200? Again, my husband is entirely novice.
Is a tripod a must for the cheapo spotting scope i got? The advertisement said that is was lightweight, good for backpackers- This led me to believe you could hold this by hand- False advertising? Gosh i am such a sucker-

I am bummed about my scope- Anyone need a cheapo fixed scope??
At least tell me a got a good deal on it!!!!!!

Thanks again-
 
as a rule you would need a tripod or if its lightweight a monopod. I've used a really light scope hand held sitting in a bird hide.

Andy has explained what the 20x50 means and there is nothing wrong with that.

Burris aren't available over here so how good it is I don't know.

One of the US contributors should be along some during your day and may be able to tell you what is available over there.

I've used a scope costing £185 and for the money it was fine.
 
Thanks pduxton, i will check back on this thread to see if any Americans have heard of what I purchased-
I feel a little better after reading your post- I am just hoping that he will be able to see something through the scope and it sounds like he will-
Thanks again!
 
Welcome Beth. Sorry, I have not heard of that scope. The Bushnell Spacemaster sells for under $200 (on the Internet). It is fine for a beginning birder and has a lifetime warranty (limited of course). At 20X it did well in reviews. The new ones have the multi-position eye piece. Fixed or not fixed eye piece is just a personal preference IMO. I could go either way.
 
Hi Beth,
I am sure your husband is happy with the scope as any scope is infinitely better than no scope at all. On the other hand no matter how much more you put on the optics you may not get more than 5-10% improvement in performance. So I would say that at least the performance/price ratio of your purchase was excellent.

However, if you (your hb) get serious with birding, be forewarned that many commonly used scopes may cost $1000 to $2000. Birdwatchers tend to eventually desire all the performance they can get - irrespective of the costs.

Oh yes, and buying a good tripod is always a good idea.
 
I do not know anything about the scope you have got but would agree that any scope is better than none. I think you should give it a go and if he likes it and uses it a lot you can always look to upgrade in the future. It isn't worth spending to much if it doesn't end up getting used. If I were you I'd try the scope you have bought out whilst he's not about one day - you should be able to get a good idea of how it performs. As for the objective being 50mm this will work fine in better conditions and will only strugle in dull conditions.

As for a tripod I'd have to agree they are vital - and will definitely make using the scope easier. Tripods will also range in price but you can always go for a cheaper one to start you off.
 
Hi Beth,

As has been said, we don't get your scope over here, but you just need to have a try with it and see what its like. My brother did exactly the same thing and bought a cheap scope from Ebay. He has never used any other and thinks its great. And compared with no scope - it is! However, I have a bit better, and more expensive scope which I bought secondhand and I dare not let him use it as there is no comparison in the quality. If your husband, and my brother too, get hooked they will get to use other scopes and the difference in quality will be obvious to them. At that point hide your credit card!!!!

No matter what quality your scope is it will be improved immensely by using a tripod or other fixing mechanism. Monopods are good and light for moving around with, but have their limitations, as they still wobble and any vibration at 20x is to be avoided.

And look out he will be after a pair of binos next!

Good birding
 
Thank you all very much, what a helpful site this is- i feel much better about my impulse buy- i will go with the attitude of "a scope is better than no scope".
I will get to check it out before x-mas so i can see just how good it is- Since he is novice he won't know what he is missing regarding the more expensive scopes & if he really takes to it I'll be back for recommendations!!
Thanks again and good birding to all:)
 
If at some point in time you want to go for another scope, I can't say enough about the Eagle Optics Raven scope as an excellent starting scope. Not as pricey as the high end but extremely good. I believe the price range is 369. - 399.00. I use this scope exclusively right now and I do love it.
 
Thanks for the recommendation KC- This is a new hobby for him and we'll see how crazy he'll be about it- The scope you recommend is actually in my budget maybe for next Christmas?? Thanks again:)
 
milton said:
<snip> Since he is novice he won't know what he is missing regarding the more expensive scopes & if he really takes to it I'll be back for recommendations!!
Thanks again and good birding to all:)

Yes, I think that is a good attitude. Spending a lot of money initially on an activity that may not be continued could be more foolish than your "iimpulse buy". $60 is a modest sum for a scope and what your husband leans about his needs while using it may make that money well spent by allowing him to make a more informed decision about his needs if he decides he needs something more.

My first scope was a 14x40 and I learned quite a bit while using it. In fact, I still bring it with me on my outings and use it as a quick view handheld - which brings me to the tripod issue. My 14x40 is very marginal for handholding. I tend to have a steady hand, and it is still quite difficult to get a stable image. I think magnifications 8-10X or so will have most people wanting a tripod. If you already have a camera tripod of some sort, then that may be adequate for the short term.

You asked whether a fixed scope was "bad". It is true that a fixed eyepiece is less flexible than a zoom eyepiece. But it is also true that it is easier to make a good quality fixed eyepiece than a good quality zoom eyepiece. So for a modestly priced optic like your 20x50, the tradeoff is probably better optical quality for less flexibility.
 
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