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Low priced, compact spotting scope needed (1 Viewer)

mTown

Well-known member
Hi to everyone,

i'm a new member in this forum and a beginner birdwatcher from germany.
I'm looking for a compact (up to 50 mm objective lens diameter) and low priced (up to 350 $ / 350 EUR / 300 GBP), angled beginner spotting scope which i can carry with me when i am hiking or cycling.

After visiting a few sites on the internet i got the following three alternatives:

1) KOWA TSN-501
2) HAWKE Endurance 12-36x50
3) Minox MD 50 W

Additionally i saw the Nikon ED 50 which actually is out of my budget, but if the quality of this spotting scope is much better than the Kowa, Hawke or Minox, it would think about spending a few Euros more.

Can anybody recommend one of these spotting scopes or are there alternatives? It would be nice if i can do a bit digiscoping with the scope too.

Thank you!
 
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Hi,

first of all, welcome to BF.

I was able to have a look through the new 501 at BTM and liked the view, especially considering weight and price - 40x was quite usable. I don't know the others.

Joachim
 
The Nikon ED50 is much better than the Minox MD 50..I compared both side by side,and the Nikon was in another league..sharper,brighter,everything...the Nikon was mine and had a fix power,wide angle ocular,while the Minox had a fixed zoom,with quite a narrow view..comparison aside,the Minox was very compact and light,and the image was ok.Overall impression was fine but no wow factor at all
There is actually an Opticron MM2 50 for sale in the forum at a very atractive price,although it is a US seller,so maybe not worth the shipping ,,That model should be a contender and price ,if you can find one,should be low,since they introduced the MM3 ,now waterproof....
I would do some research for that model,,and perhaps the New celestron Hummingbird ED models....
 
Hi,

if it really is an MM2, it is quite different from the current models MM3 and MM4 and not comparable,

I had a Hummingbird beside the Kowa 501 and liked the Kowa better - although this might well have been due to sample variation.

Joachim
 
My mistake,I meant an MM3..there is an MM3 with eyepiece for sale in the classifieds ,at a very good price...


The MM2 had two versions,an ED and a standard,with a collapsible body design,..The ED was probably a decent little scope.Vixen sold the same model with the Geoma series
 
Thank you both for your opinions and recommendations.
At this point i think that the Minox is out, because i also read a few reviews and opinions about that scope which said that the optics are not comparable to the Nikon ED 50.

The suggestion of you, mayoayo, to look in the "classifieds-thread" for a used scope is a great idea. The suggested opticron looks very nice, but i think a ship to germany is a bit to expansive and a zoom eyepiece would be better for my needs (both backyard scoping and also seabird / lake scoping).

So in the next weeks i'm going to look for a used Nikon ED 50 or Opticron MM3 with a zoom eyepiece or i order a new Kowa TSN 501 (thanks for your opinion, jring) and Hawke for compare them.
 
With respect to price of the Nikon 50ED, at least in the USA, if willing to give up proper warranty, it can be ordered direct from Japan (e.g. conveniently, via Amazon USA) for about half price. An angled or straight body is ~$300 new. Eyepieces can be ordered same way, or else can be found for less on the used market.

--AP
 
The Viking looks interesting,but a limiting factor is the minimum focus distance of 7m..Nikon for instance has a minimum distance of 3m,giving nice macro possibilities at high power
 
Hey guys,

after trying a few 50-60 mm scopes (including Hawke (non ED), Kowa (non ED), Leica (62)) not being absolutely happy with them, i concluded two things:

1) For my needs a 60-65 mm would maybe better fit my needs because actually i wont take my scope in the mountains or other trips like that as originally though. I just want a scope that i can carry with me a few kilometers when i go birding

2) Quality has its price

3) I am planning to do a bit digiscoping with my smartphone, but i dont want several eyepieces. A scope with a zoom eyepiece which can be also used for digisoping would be perfect.

Because of that i am consindering to buy a opticron MM4 60 mm scope with SDL V2 zoom. Unfortunately ther is only one shop in germany which sells this scope and its expansive (about 850 pounds without case).
So is the MM4 60 mm worth the money or do you have more suggestions in the price area of about 900 pounds (maximum)?
 
I was struggling to carry my 80mm Swarovski scope, so I bought a second hand Opticron MM3 with a 12-36 eyepiece for £260. It’s brilliant! My 74 year old eyes can’t see much of a difference between the scopes until the light starts to dim, and the low weight and small size more than compensates for that.

The MM3 is definitely recommended, as is buying secondhand from a reputable source.


Jeff
 
So is the MM4 60 mm worth the money or do you have more suggestions in the price area of about 900 pounds (maximum)?

Hi,

I think the MM4 with SDLv2 is going to be worth the money, although I only know the EP and not the body.
Another option is getting a good used Kowa TSN3 body and add an SDLv2 zoom. That combination works absolutely beautiful for me and has caused lots of Oh's and Ah's from fellow birders.
Weight is 1500g and it's not too short - but it's 77mm after all...

Joachim
 
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