[indianBirder]

I'm looking for a compact scope that i can take with me on treks.
It needs to be small and NOT very delicate.

The Nikon ED50 is a bit out of my reach and i haven't heard good things about the bushnells.

The Minox MD 50 seems to be checking a lot of the right boxes.
http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/minox.pl?page=62225
Anybody has any hands on experience with them??

Joy

[mooreorless]

Hi Joy, Hard to find anything on the Minox MD 50.
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread....Spotting+Scope

This fellow never came back to say anything. I know about the Nikon ED 50 and it is highly recommended. Here is one by Val and Rex

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread....Spotting+Scope

[indianBirder]

Most people seem to treat it as 2nd scope.
Well for me, i'll be using it as my primary scope and use the extra money to actually go on birding trips.
I'm currently in Toronto and finding it hard to lay my hands on one of these to try them out.

Anything else with similar characteristics in the market??

Joy

[mooreorless]

Hi Joy, I forgot to say welcome to BirdForum. If you are already in North America I would go with the Saker Theron 60ED spotter. It would be a little heavier, but is a good buy for the buck/rupee.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=193685

[mayoayo]

Originally Posted by indianBirder

Most people seem to treat it as 2nd scope.
Well for me, i'll be using it as my primary scope and use the extra money to actually go on birding trips.

Joy

Hi Joy..Welcome....I have two scopes at the time..a large,but very light 82mm and the ED50..As pure Visual,There is no comparison...the Reach and detail that the large scope can deliver,can't be matched by the ED50,no matter the distance or the light conditions...But at its own pace ,the ED50 is just extraordinary! Its size/performace ratio makes It perfeKT .Pure Birding ,really..I was thinking the other day,about which one would I prefer to keep,If I had to give Up one,and I am pretty sure the ED50 would be the keeper ...If You are thinking about Birding trips,a 50-52 is a great choice..

I havent seen any of the other small ED scopes available,but there are excellent reviews of the opticron GS52ED...The Vixen Geoma ED52 (same as Opticron MM EDII,,)also seems very good,and has been reviewed well ,perhaps a tad behind those two other models,but very good ..AND If you can find one,there was a Brunton Eterna 52 ED ..interesting scope too..always wanted to try one...

[FrankD]

Not sure of the pricing on the Opticron models bunt I was impressed with them at a birding event last year. Comparable to the Nikon optically.

I had the Minox last summer and it didn't impress me optically. The detail I wanted to see just wasn't there.

Ditto on the Theron Saker.

[motts]

I had the Minox MD50 and returned it. It is built really well, but I was not impressed with it optically and the eye relief when zoomed was not good. I don't wear glasses either. I would think for someone who does where glasses, the eye relief would not be enough.

I'd look at the Leupold Golden Ring compact 15-30x50. Good eye relief, good warranty, built tough, and good optics. The optics on the Nikon ED50 are better, but it's not as tough, more expensive, and not good eye relief. If you want something tough with decent optics, I think the Leupold is the way to go.

[SPOTTED FLYCATCHER]

I to had a Minox MD50 for a short while, nicely made, rather stiff focus wheel but the optics were quite average. The Opticron MM2 travel scope is a LOT better optically, perhaps not so robust, but you can get a stay on case for it, It is available in standard or ED glass versions, but the Standard glass is very good and a lot cheaper than the Nikon ED50.

Steve

[Lawlu]

Vortex is coming out with a 50mm Razor early 2013, I hear. Should be interesting!