crinklystarfish
Well-known member
Back in the late 90s I bought a Swarovski AT HD 80 with a fixed 30x eyepiece. At that time, in my view, there was no finer scope for birding.
It performed magnificently but I sold it. I sold it because I wasn’t using it. I wasn’t using it because the hassle of carting it and its attendant tripod about just plain put me off taking it with me; especially when just wandering randomly or when out and about on my pushbike.
And so I turned to high-power binoculars (16x56 mainly). This was, for me, a good solution and the past couple of years have seen me permanently equipped with the ability to pick off the vast majority of distant targets with the added and not insignificant benefit of full binocular vision.
Of course, 16x is good; but it is only, well, 16x.
Now, whereas I’d been aware of draw-tube scopes I never took them seriously. What self-respecting birder / natural history observer would use such a plaything with the potential to relegate its user to the status of wannabe pirate or oddball?
Ah well, whatever. Without too much in the way of expectation, I bought at Swarovski CTC 30x75 and it’s been a revelation.
I can, and do, take it everywhere; even on my pushbike as I potter round the local landscape going nowhere in particular. It’s light enough, compact enough and of good enough optical quality to knock off anything that I used to use my old AT HD 80 for. It’s incredibly friendly to use. There’s nearly always a handy rest close enough by, and even if there isn’t it’s easy enough to sit and use a knee. Even in cases where this is impracticable, because of the ergonomics when extended, it’s even possible to plausibly hand-hold the thing – especially if using the stay-on case strap as a bit of a brace. Try that with an ATX 95!
If in the car, or in hides, a quick and easy rest is more or less a given. There is, of course, also a conventional tripod mount fixing but that’s somewhere I’m not going…
Optically it has no massive vices. It’s bright, sharp (on axis), has a generous (for what it is) FoV, and doesn’t disappoint with any nasties – and to give this context I’ve previously been disappointed with and returned / sold my fair share of Leica, Zeiss and Swarovski’s ‘finest’.
Granted, it’s not optically pushing the envelope, if you drop it in water you may be in trouble and there may be the need for occasional services to clean out sucked-in detritus. You’ll also need to get past the nudgers and nodders at your local hide – even those who have left their scopes at home / in the car may think you odd.
I love scopes, I hate the hassle: the CTC 30x75 is – for me – something of a solution.
It performed magnificently but I sold it. I sold it because I wasn’t using it. I wasn’t using it because the hassle of carting it and its attendant tripod about just plain put me off taking it with me; especially when just wandering randomly or when out and about on my pushbike.
And so I turned to high-power binoculars (16x56 mainly). This was, for me, a good solution and the past couple of years have seen me permanently equipped with the ability to pick off the vast majority of distant targets with the added and not insignificant benefit of full binocular vision.
Of course, 16x is good; but it is only, well, 16x.
Now, whereas I’d been aware of draw-tube scopes I never took them seriously. What self-respecting birder / natural history observer would use such a plaything with the potential to relegate its user to the status of wannabe pirate or oddball?
Ah well, whatever. Without too much in the way of expectation, I bought at Swarovski CTC 30x75 and it’s been a revelation.
I can, and do, take it everywhere; even on my pushbike as I potter round the local landscape going nowhere in particular. It’s light enough, compact enough and of good enough optical quality to knock off anything that I used to use my old AT HD 80 for. It’s incredibly friendly to use. There’s nearly always a handy rest close enough by, and even if there isn’t it’s easy enough to sit and use a knee. Even in cases where this is impracticable, because of the ergonomics when extended, it’s even possible to plausibly hand-hold the thing – especially if using the stay-on case strap as a bit of a brace. Try that with an ATX 95!
If in the car, or in hides, a quick and easy rest is more or less a given. There is, of course, also a conventional tripod mount fixing but that’s somewhere I’m not going…
Optically it has no massive vices. It’s bright, sharp (on axis), has a generous (for what it is) FoV, and doesn’t disappoint with any nasties – and to give this context I’ve previously been disappointed with and returned / sold my fair share of Leica, Zeiss and Swarovski’s ‘finest’.
Granted, it’s not optically pushing the envelope, if you drop it in water you may be in trouble and there may be the need for occasional services to clean out sucked-in detritus. You’ll also need to get past the nudgers and nodders at your local hide – even those who have left their scopes at home / in the car may think you odd.
I love scopes, I hate the hassle: the CTC 30x75 is – for me – something of a solution.
