Eagle optics Denali Scope (1 Viewer)

richt · Jul 14, 2009

Hi

Am looking for starter scope and notice Eagle Optics have offer on Denali scopes at present
Are these reasonable at all please ?

Also is straight or angled version any different optically i have heard angled has more lenses or is more complicated but would have thought porro designs are just based on the prism being angled differently for the eyepiece
Do angled porro type scopes lose any more light or image quality ?
Also is straight or angled best as a starter please i will share this scope with wife

Thanks
Richard

henry link · Jul 14, 2009

The image erecting system in angled scopes at this price use a combination of Porroprism followed by a semi-pentaprism, which adds 2 more glass to air surfaces and 2 more reflections, one of them mirror coated. If the mirror is aluminum the light loss compared to straight could be around 15%. Most people prefer angled scopes for sharing views.

richt · Jul 14, 2009

Hi Henry

Makes a change for me to read one of your posts on here as opposed to the other forums
Thanks for the info i thought perhaps there was some more black magic at work with angled versions
Think this means the straight version should have better image quality then at this price point ?

Anyone actually know what the Denali scopes are like generally please ?

Regards
Rich T

Jim M. · Jul 15, 2009

richt said:
Anyone actually know what the Denali scopes are like generally please ?

If you do a search for "Denali" in the scopes forum, you'll see a few past comments. Reviews seem to be decent, but not glowing -- as one might expect for a scope of this price.

Best,
Jim

richt · Jul 15, 2009

J. Moore said:
If you do a search for "Denali" in the scopes forum, you'll see a few past comments. Reviews seem to be decent, but not glowing -- as one might expect for a scope of this price.

Best,
Jim

Hi Jim

Thanks will take a look only after a starter type scope so it may fit the bill
Regards
RuchT

Tero · Jul 23, 2009

OK, Denali is here. I won't be doing extensive field tests with it but some comments are obvious.

The scope is set at 15-45x. This is about right. I will use it at 15-30 most of the time. The 45x end is obviously dimmer, but not unusable. I have a Pentax 65mm scope, and at the 45x point, it is still fairly bright. It is the one I use most of the time.

The 15x end is pretty bright, fov is not wider than my 65mm scope at the 20x end. But both will work similarly at 20x or so. The Denali loses sharpness as well past 30x.

In the pictures you can see the height. They are about the same length, but the Denali weighs almost nothing. I will use a mostly plastic tripod on it when traveling.

I have seen plenty of awful optics, and this is pretty good at 30x. I only looked as far as the neighbors bird feeder across the street so far. But it had good color in good light and at the 30x I plan to use.

It will not be good for ID of shore birds at the distance they usually appear at. I will use it for that too, but the difficult species and small birds will be too hard, for shore birds and gulls.

At say 250 dollars I might think of it as waste of money, at 100 dollars, it will finds it uses.

richt · Jul 23, 2009

Tero said:
OK, Denali is here. I won't be doing extensive field tests with it but some comments are obvious.

The scope is set at 15-45x. This is about right. I will use it at 15-30 most of the time. The 45x end is obviously dimmer, but not unusable. I have a Pentax 65mm scope, and at the 45x point, it is still fairly bright. It is the one I use most of the time.

The 15x end is pretty bright, fov is not wider than my 65mm scope at the 20x end. But both will work similarly at 20x or so. The Denali loses sharpness as well past 30x.

In the pictures you can see the height. They are about the same length, but the Denali weighs almost nothing. I will use a mostly plastic tripod on it when traveling.

I have seen plenty of awful optics, and this is pretty good at 30x. I only looked as far as the neighbors bird feeder across the street so far. But it had good color in good light and at the 30x I plan to use.

It will not be good for ID of shore birds at the distance they usually appear at. I will use it for that too, but the difficult species and small birds will be too hard, for shore birds and gulls.

At say 250 dollars I might think of it as waste of money, at 100 dollars, it will finds it uses.

Hi Tero

Thanks for posting this
So the angled version performs well up to 30 x at the bargain price
Would i gain any obvious huge optical difference in buying the straight or at this level is it just splitting hairs ?

Regards
RichT

Tero · Jul 24, 2009

Difficult to say. I have gotten used to looking at peoples scopes and I am OK with angled as well. But I prefer straight for my good scope. I can look over tall grass. Traveling, I prefer this, with the smaller tripod. And I can share it with family members on those rare occasions they want to see something.

You could go for the angled as a test. If you really hate it, send it back. Or test it in a store well enough to feel comfortable.

richt · Jul 24, 2009

Tero said:
OK, Denali is here. I won't be doing extensive field tests with it but some comments are obvious.

The scope is set at 15-45x. This is about right. I will use it at 15-30 most of the time. The 45x end is obviously dimmer, but not unusable. I have a Pentax 65mm scope, and at the 45x point, it is still fairly bright. It is the one I use most of the time.

The 15x end is pretty bright, fov is not wider than my 65mm scope at the 20x end. But both will work similarly at 20x or so. The Denali loses sharpness as well past 30x.

In the pictures you can see the height. They are about the same length, but the Denali weighs almost nothing. I will use a mostly plastic tripod on it when traveling.

I have seen plenty of awful optics, and this is pretty good at 30x. I only looked as far as the neighbors bird feeder across the street so far. But it had good color in good light and at the 30x I plan to use.

It will not be good for ID of shore birds at the distance they usually appear at. I will use it for that too, but the difficult species and small birds will be too hard, for shore birds and gulls.

At say 250 dollars I might think of it as waste of money, at 100 dollars, it will finds it uses.

Hi again Tero

Also meant to ask how did you get along with the angled viewing as opposed to straight please ?

Thanks
RichT

Tero · Jul 24, 2009

Yeah, it is OK. You have to think "scope", where you want to set the level first and then pan right and left. I have looked at lots of peoples scopes, some are angled and no problem ever there either.

richt · Jul 24, 2009

Tero said:
Yeah, it is OK. You have to think "scope", where you want to set the level first and then pan right and left. I have looked at lots of peoples scopes, some are angled and no problem ever there either.

Hi Tero

Thanks for your advice and patience on this thread
Will have a think and hit the button on a straight or angled version soon before they are gone (veering toward angled )
I guess its only $99 so no big risk really

Regards
RichT

Tero · Jul 25, 2009

I had it out for a day. It may be a bit frustrating for a beginner scope. I had yellowlegs, both kinds, and pectoral sandpipers. Peeps will be hard. I went just over 30x to see the eye ring on a wood duck. Terns on a sandbar in the wide Missouri were just too far, but did get black tern in a pond. Field of view is a bit narrow to find the bird at 15x, but I really do not need a acope at less than 15x. You need to scope the bird at 15x and then zoom in.

For my use, it will be just an extension of my 10x binocculars, but then 3x bigger. At past 10x I would need a tripod anyway.

The table top tripod it comes with is useless, unless you use it on a car hood or roof. The angled scope I guess on the hood if anything. A window mount would be more useful as a freebie.

richt · Jul 27, 2009

Tero said:
I had it out for a day. It may be a bit frustrating for a beginner scope. I had yellowlegs, both kinds, and pectoral sandpipers. Peeps will be hard. I went just over 30x to see the eye ring on a wood duck. Terns on a sandbar in the wide Missouri were just too far, but did get black tern in a pond. Field of view is a bit narrow to find the bird at 15x, but I really do not need a acope at less than 15x. You need to scope the bird at 15x and then zoom in.

For my use, it will be just an extension of my 10x binocculars, but then 3x bigger. At past 10x I would need a tripod anyway.

The table top tripod it comes with is useless, unless you use it on a car hood or roof. The angled scope I guess on the hood if anything. A window mount would be more useful as a freebie.

Hi Tero

Thanks for more input yikes i had a look at some other 15-45 scopes in the cheaper range and they seemed to have even smaller fields of view at 15 x
Maybe its a compromise needed at this level and/or type of scope

You are making me wonder again if i should can this purchase although for the money and what you have commented on i can probably do worse
I have mailed friends to purchase the angled version ahead of my arriving in Jacksonville Florida later in the year but as yet no response so could be undone

Are there better starter scopes for around this cost or a touch more you know of please ?

Thanks

Regards
RichT

Tero · Jul 28, 2009

Well, to improve on this you need a 65mm scope with a zoom. But it still does very little at past 50x. They usually zoom 20-60x. The Vortex sanpiper only goes to 45x, but should be better at 45x.
http://www.opticsplanet.net/vortex-sandpiper-15-45x65-angled-spotting-scope-sbs-spr65-a.html

My Pentax ED 65mm body alone was 550 and that was a good deal.

Reflector scopes are cheap at times. I would not buy one without seeing it first:
http://www.opticsplanet.net/vortex-...d-spotting-scope-zoom-eye-piece-imt-70ra.html

richt · Jul 28, 2009

Tero said:
Well, to improve on this you need a 65mm scope with a zoom. But it still does very little at past 50x. They usually zoom 20-60x. The Vortex sanpiper only goes to 45x, but should be better at 45x.
http://www.opticsplanet.net/vortex-sandpiper-15-45x65-angled-spotting-scope-sbs-spr65-a.html

My Pentax ED 65mm body alone was 550 and that was a good deal.

Reflector scopes are cheap at times. I would not buy one without seeing it first:
http://www.opticsplanet.net/vortex-...d-spotting-scope-zoom-eye-piece-imt-70ra.html

Thanks Tero for the options
I did come across an "unbadged" Vortex Nomad at some places still for $199 which seems ok and has one or two decent comments
Its an 80mm though so not as compact perhaps

Will keep looking etc before final decision as friends have not ordered Denali as yet and await my advice

Regards
RichT

Tero · Jul 28, 2009

The Denali is very light, my Pentax weighs quite a bit. They take the same room, as carry on luggage, limited to 10 lb on most airlines.

Tero · Aug 9, 2009

Well, my first travel with a scope was useless. The only real birding I got on this trip was useless to bring a scope. We were on a whale tour. Only binoculars needed.

Scope traveled well on plane in carry on luggage. Had to wrap tripod in plastic so it would not stick to every strap and bag we had in the car trunk. A tripod case would be handy. Normally I would put the tripod in checked luggage, but my wife had it in the car. I had spare tripods to send ahead.

mayoayo · Aug 9, 2009

About the narrow FOV,and the difficulty finding targets with a scope,I really recommend one of those Red Dot finders you put on the air guns,or telescopes,..as a 1X finder..is a really good feeling to find Flying birds easily(mmm that black tern..)

xmeecosmic · Nov 7, 2009

I am planning on purchasing a straight Denali Spotting Scope as I am looking for a reasonably decent performing lightweight/compact scope as I often hike at least an hour or two to reach various ponds and lakes or to climb to hill summits in our area.
What compatable/adaptable lightweight/compact durable (w/extended height of at least 60") monopod would you suggest.

Les

FrankD · Nov 8, 2009

Les,

I cannot help you with the monopod issue but I wanted to comment on the Denali scope. I ordered one to give as a present for a young, local birder. He is very happy with it. I looked through it on several occasions when it first came in and thought that for $100 it was a decent little scope.

On the other hand I would probably suggest the Celestron Ultima 65 over it for image quality plus the Celestron is just as light and typically sells for between $100 and $130 US.

Just something to think about.

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