Budget scope recommendation (1 Viewer)

Hi all,
I'm looking to purchase my first scope for birding. I would use it for watching shorebirds and other life out on the ocean. I dont want to break the bank ($250 budget). I would prefer an 80mm objective for brightness, but if anyone knows of a smaller scope just as bright then that would be appreciated. I've been looking at the Celestron Ultima and Konus Konuspot. Any thoughts?
-Dan

I've got the Celestron Ultima 80 and it's doing everything I need it to do, including digiscoping. The faults I have noticed are: the objective lens cap isn't particularly good at staying in place but it's not too bad, I think for eyewear users the eye relief isn't great but it's fine otherwise, brightness does tend to drop off a bit once you get past 45x mag but it isn't unusable beyond 45x, there is some chromatic aberration no matter what mag you're at but it is particularly obvious again at and above 45x. Another mistake I made was not getting a good tripod which is something you will probably want to take into consideration. I have a Velbon EX-440 and it's not ideal, wobbles a fair bit in the wind and I find is not really usable when legs are all the way out if I'm looking at birds over 100yds away.

All of that being said... The Ultima 80 has definitely opened a lot of doors for me when it comes to birdwatching. I can now look out to sea and actually tell Eider from Goldeneye, I can look out the window across the field to see Kestrels hovering over a kilometre away, and it's also let me take some much better quality photos than if I point my insignificant 8x mag camera at something. So I'd recommend it, but I have wry little experience of any other scopes as this is my first one.

Here are some of my digiscoped shots, to maybe give you an impression if the quality (baring in mind my camera sometimes doesn't handle bright light).

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/123521075@N07/16712395331/

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/123521075@N07/16440700368/

Not sure if those links will work. If they don't, feel free to look on my blog, I post quite a lot on there. The pictures with the circular shape around them are all digiscoped.

Thanks Gus, appreciate the info/photos, they look great! Ill look into some tripods as well.
-Dan

Hi there I have had the Celestron Ultima 65 and the Barr and Stroud Sahara, DO NOT go for the Barr and Stoud if available anyway in the U.S.
Its like looking through a smarties tube, Celestron was ok but I agreed with everything the guy said regarding it.
I know own the RSPB Viking AG80 and is still in your price range, I think. ??
However do try before you buy

Damian

Helios Fieldmaster ed60

Nikon prostaff 82 on ebay or amazon

check out also astro Scopes

http://theronoptics.com/SAKER_ED_60MM_SPOTTER_HKQ5.php

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=193685


I thought I would add that I did not buy this Saker ED spotter and it was sent to me. I did do my best to test it in an unbiased way. Quite a few bought this spotter and it was sold out for quite some time. I think the Helios Fieldmaster ED60 is the same scope in Europe.

>>>>>>Just a word of caution on the Saker spotter link , there are pictures that some on here might not want to look at of animals!<<<<<<

mooreorless said:

I think the Helios Fieldmaster ED60 is the same scope in Europe.

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It is :t:

Cosme if I didn't already have that non ED 60mm Nikon Fieldscope I would of bought the Theron 60ED spotter. I had other eyepieces for the Nikon Fieldscope as well, but I did get the ED 60mm Fieldscope later.
I hope you have better luck with the 100mm!

mooreorless said:

Cosme if I didn't already have that non ED 60mm Nikon Fieldscope I would of bought the Theron 60ED spotter. I had other eyepieces for the Nikon Fieldscope as well, but I did get the ED 60mm Fieldscope later.
I hope you have better luck with the 100mm!

Click to expand...

The 100 was finally sended for refund, still keep the Helios/Theron

Thanks guys, ive been reading and have seen people say that there is not much difference between a 60 and 80 mm scope, only in weight. The Theron looks really nice, especially with the ed glass. Does anyone have experience with the Leupold ventana scope? Its got some good reviews.
-Dan

Just ordered the Theron along with a Celestron Trailseeker tripod. Thanks for the help all.