[keithbd]

Hello All, I am looking for a spotting scope that will also be good for digiscoping, my budget will not stretch to the likes of the top of the range scopes, but I do like good quality from my photography. I would be gratefull for any advice on three scopes which appeal to me on paper, they are 1)Opticron GS 665 ED, 2) Bresser Dachstein ED 20-60 x 80, and 3) Celestron Regal 80 F-ED. At 82 I may be a bit ancient to start birding, but my photography keeps me going. Thank you. keithb.

[etudiant]

One discriminant might be the availability of different eye pieces in the Opticron and the Celestron. The Bresser is a zoom, but the feedback on this forum seems to indicate that the best results, especially for photographers, are with single magnification eyepieces.
Another consideration is the size of the gear. An 80mm scope is materially more of a handful than a 65mm, so a bigger tripod becomes a requirement. That adds weight, which cuts the mobility.
As a photographer you probably have a tripod in hand and also know if this setup will be aimed at a fixed site or for rambling.
It does make a big difference, as a smaller scope is a lot easier to carry but the bigger aperture allows more magnification and reach.

[Bigshent]

Hi Kieth I have the opticron but the 80. I dont think it gives bad results and im not a photographer. All pics on my Blog are taken through the Opticron. Some at distance some pretty close. 32x wide eyepiece attached it may give you an idea what to expect.

[Josef]

The EP can't be emphasized enough. When I started I bought a non ED used Kowa and struggled with CA. Finally bought a new EP and could not believe the diff. Most of the CA was gone.

Larger optics don't always translate to heavy, My current Kowa 883 is very light.