scope and tripod set BUDGET! (1 Viewer)

HI ALL!

I''m thinking about getting a set! but can anyone point me the right way in terms of what one!

Main use in fields, woods, lakes and maybe res

You don't mention your budget so it's difficult to give you a proper recommendation ... you need to visit an optics demonstration day at a reserve to try out a few models to see which YOU like.

However I have been very pleased with some of Kowa's and Opticron's range of scopes, having owned Kowa 821 and 823 as well as the Opticron Classic 75 model (my first scope). My current scope is the Opticron GS 52 ED scope.

If you can afford ED glass then I'd recommend getting this for sure as the view through ED glass is superior to non ED glass. That's why you see me having had both the 821 (nonED) and the 823 (Ed) from Kowa. I bought the 821 first then traded up later to the 823.

If you cannot afford ED glass then get the biggest objective you can in the non ED models, this will allow the maximum light through the scope.
Don't be afraid to source a second-hand scope, they can be very good and a fraction of the cost of new. I'd avoid any scopes you see offered in the ads pages in newspapers, the sort of thing that is billed as 100x mag for a less than a hundred pounds, they are almost invariably so optically poor that they are useless.

Tripods need to be sturdy enough to give stable support to the scope without being so heavy that you can't carry them any distance. However the sco-pac and mule back-packs are very good for coping with a heavy set-up.

Carbon fibre is probably the lightest material that is used but these tripods tend to be the most expensive, the cheaper option is aluminium and other light metals. I use a Velbon Delta tripod (not carbon fibre) that I got when I bought my scope from In Focus a few years ago, I got the tripod and hide clamp for a good deal less than purchasing them separately to the scope.

One last thing, scopes are pretty much useless in woodland especially during the summer as the amount of light is usually not enough to give bright images through the scope, the field of view with the scope is usually so narrow it can take ages to locate the bird you are interested in and you have more problems setting the tripod up as the ground is usually very uneven. For woodland use a pair of binoculars are best.

Hope this helps and happy birding:t:

Ebay or the second hand section here on birdforum will be best. I bought a Nikon Ra III 65 with 16-48X zoom eyepiece on ebay for £160.

Yeah, a rough idea of your budget would certainly help us to help you, since scopes are spread on a really wide price range.
As Keith suggested, the best choice will be achieved if you have the chance to check yourself every scope that's within your allowances. What your own eyes tell you is far better than any others' test you can find. But since this is not always possible, a good beginning in front of your PC screen could be to check some of the many tests published by reasonably neutral birding specialists. E.g.:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1039#top
It's certainly not the latest test report you can find, but most of the findings about the scopes then tested as well as the general hints for a good choice are still fully valid. As you can see, they support Keith's opinion about Kowa, while from my perspective Nikon is also a very good choice. I have the ED82 and, as I've already posted more than once here, I'm quite happy with it.
Regarding tripods, as already posted too, my material of choice was wood for being by far the best compromise of sturdiness, stability and weight at the price range you should otherwise go for aluminum or other (rather weak) light metals.