Spotting scope ..£250/300 budget (1 Viewer)

Hi, looking for a decent spotting scope for around £250/300 ..most of my birding is at nature reserves and big reservoirs so something with a good clear zoom would be ideal normally use binoculars but fed up with not being able to identify birds out on the reservoir far away, there always hundreds ouy of my view !

Hi,

it's hard to recommend a scope with that budget. Especially if you want a nice zoom eyepiece and clear views at maximum range with it.

If pressed to recommend sth, I'd try to get used 60-80mm scope, preferably with ED glass. Obvious candidates in the price range are Kowa models ending in 3 (angled ED or Fluorite) or 4 (straight ED or Fluorite), Nikon Fieldscope ED models, Pentax PF/PR ED and the Opticron ED models. Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski are usually out of range even used.

Regarding eyepiece choice I would prefer to get one with a 30-40x wide angle fixed EP in most cases. Certainly if one got a scope without ED glass as they tend to be less sharp beyond 40x or so.
If you want a zoom, don't get the old Kowa 20-60 zoom with the rubber eyecup - they're really bad. Also older zoom EPs tend to have a fairly limited field of view especially at lower magnifications.

The Infocus used equipment list in the Retailers and Dealer subforum in here is usually a good source but currently not so well stocked (xmas coming?). Classifieds in here or local are another option. When all else fails, there's ebay.

I prefer to buy used optics in person - so I can walk away if things don't work as advertised (as I had to do with a seemingly nice astro scope last weekend).

Joachim

Does the budget include a tripod because you will need one.

EBay is a good place to look for whole setups (scope, eyepiece, tripod & case), when people are moving on.

Depending on whether you're after a small 'travel' scope or a full size (80mm), two to consider that you may be able to find at some wildlife trust centres are the Hawke Endurance 12-36x50 or the Nature Trek 20-60x80. They're quite different beasts but both are within budget and are good scopes for the money IMO.

I don't know if you have decided on a straight or angled scope. But here is a used Kowa 824 (a straight scope) although slightly above budget at £360. I would have thought a phonecall would be worth making - there might even be haggle room. Not sure you could do very much better than a Kowa 824 for that kind of money (although it may be the old zoom lens that Joachim warns against. That said, those who know more about these things than I do say the Kowa 30 eyepiece is very good).

There are a number of places that do used scopes. Try Cley Spy, London Camera Exchange, Ace Optics, The Birders Store, Focus Optics as well as In Focus. You might get a good price buying privately but if you buy from a dealer you may get some kind of warranty and the benefit of what used to be called the Distance Selling Regs so you can return stuff (within a fixed period) if not entirely happy.

I have no connection with any of the above stores although I am a satisfied custoimer of In Focus and Focus Optics and would have no hesitation about buying from either again.

dogbreath said:

I don't know if you have decided on a straight or angled scope. But here is a used Kowa 824 (a straight scope) although slightly above budget at £360. I would have thought a phonecall would be worth making - there might even be haggle room. Not sure you could do very much better than a Kowa 824 for that kind of money (although it may be the old zoom lens that Joachim warns against. That said, those who know more about these things than I do say the Kowa 30 eyepiece is very good).

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Hi,

a Kowa 824 at that price would be brilliant if straight is an option (not for me - I like 'em angled) and no, the old zoom I mean dates back from the 90s and was introduced with the TSN-1/2/3/4 series. The one for the 820 series is ok as is the current zoom for the small body Kowas.

Joachim

https://www.sherwoods-photo.com/ex_demo/ex_demo_optics.htm might be worth a look!

How about an Opticron MM3 60mm? It has now been superseded by the MM4, so you might be able to find a used one with eyepiece within your budget.
I recently sold mine, with 15-45 zoom eyepiece, for just under £300. I found it to be a good compromise between magnification power and clarity. I often it used to good effect in the circumstances you mention.

Thanks for all the replies, will
Have a look and think

Hawke Nature-Trek 20-60x80 Spotting Scope ? Good one to start with ?

Hi,

if you can try it in person and the view is sharp at 60x, go for it. With spotters sample variation does happen even with alpha brands, more so with others.

Joachim