Helios Fieldmaster ED60 DS (1 Viewer)

Helios Fieldmaster ED60 DS alternatives

After much deliberation and many hours spend researching spotting scopes on the internet I finally decided to buy Helios Fieldmaster ED60 DS as my first spotting scope. The reasons I chose this scope were primarily ED glass and generally positive reviews. I also wanted at least 20x-45x zoom and >= 60 mm objective lens. OTOH digiscoping is not my primary concern.

I tried to order this scope at multiple UK retailers (there are none in my country), some of which were showing the scope "in stock". However, all my orders were cancelled with an explanation that the scope has been, as of today, discontinued by the importer :-C Needles to say this has been quite a disappointment |=(|

Are there any comparable alternatives in the sub £200 range, or am I just out of luck? I've been offered Hawke Nature-Trek 16-48x65 with an explanation it is even a bit better than ED60, but I am not really sure about that (no ED glass, only few reviews for the non-ED version). Any other suggestions?


PS I am open to the usually suggested "buy used" route. However as I do not live in the UK, I would need to find a reliable seller, as I cannot check the scope before purchase and sending it back for a refund (if available!) would cost me extra. Moreover, many sellers do not ship outside of the UK anyway. (In my country the market for used spotting scopes is almost non-existent.)

Sub £200 might be difficult, but https://www.amazon.co.uk/Acuter-Grandvista-Speed-16-48x65-Spotting/dp/B00L13CIA0 The zoom lens can narrow the FOV at higher end. It accepts Standard 1.25" Push-fit Telescope Eyepieces - so you can also get a WA lens further on eg https://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-eyepieces/celestron-x-cel-lx-eyepiece.html I use the 12mm with the Acuter.

The Helios is fine, I recommended it for a friend and he's satisfied with it, but has more or less replaced it with a Nikon P900 bridge camera.

Trawled that auction site tonight and found that there were many Celestron Ultimas that were very reasonably priced. I don't know how good or decent they are, but I don't think they're the worst out there.
Not sure about sample variation, either.

Faced with the decision, I'd look for a Nikon Fieldscope II or III. Straight versions of all used scopes seem cheaper, you sacrifice the good ergonomics an angled scope offers but they can really be bargains.
If you'd prefer buying from the UK, CleySpy and LCE Group have online shops for used equipment.

Good luck!

//L

cefnlad thanks for the suggestion :t: The Acuter seems to be a decent choice if one is looking for a cheap-ish scope with standard exchangeable eyepieces. And amazon ships internationally, which is also a plus. However otherwise it seems to be an achromat similar to the Hawke Nature Trek.

looksharp65 I've considered Celestron Ultima before, however the reviews are not as good and it is also missing the ED glass. One good thing about Celestron is that I can buy locally, as many eshops carry that brand. I would rather avoid straight scopes, moreover Nikon Fieldscopes seem to be out of my price range (especially once you throw the eyepiece in).

I'm kicking myself for not ordering earlier and missing out on a great deal

Hi,

with the given budget it will be hard to get an acceptable spotter new.

Since you were talking about it, there is an Ultima 65 ED in the classifieds not too far away - as new, still with some warranty
and within the budget. If you are really interested I could offer you to go there with a tripod and an artificial star, test it and get it if it's ok. Send me a PM if you're interested.

Joachim

Joachim that's an extremely generous offer (thank you!), but that won't be necessary. I am sure something will turn up sooner or later

(But yesterday was really frustrating, as I also lost some money on two of the cancelled orders - even though I got refunded in full, there is the buy/sell exchange rate spread, as my card currency is not GBP.)

There is a new Spacemaster with ED 60mm and 15x to 45x zoom ep on the actionoptiocs web site for £199