[birdman]

So.. Angled or Straight.

I guess one is suitable in some cases, the other in other, but to my thinking that splits in to

Straight suitable for Hides, Angled for everything else.

Or do you lose any clarity with angled???

What do you reckon???

[Ashley beolens]

Angled scopes are easier to look through, in just about every situation, in my oppinion. I wouldn't have thought clarity would be lost, its the same mirrors used just angled differently.

[Colin]

Birdman,
I use a straight scope and always have done so that is my personal preference but if you have an angled you can get round the 'hide problem' which is usually not being able to get high enough to look through it by having a tripod head which has the ability to be 'flipped over' thru 90 degrees and you can look sideways into the scope if you see what I mean. Not all tripod heads are capable of doing that.

Colin

[Andy Bright]

The fact that angled scopes rotate means that they tend to cover most eventualities.... I started with a straight and do remember more problems than I have with an angled. If you intend using a car window mount, a straight will be a major benefit.
I know you shouldn't be thinking of it yet.... but straights don't command as high secondhand prices as angled scopes.
Be interesting to hear the views of N. American members, as straights are far more popular over there.
Andy

[stevo]

I used straight scopes for years,then about a year ago I bought an angled scope which as I do a lot of raptor watching I find it much easier to use.At the end of the day it`s all down to personal choice you need to ask yourself where will I be doing most of my birding?.As for optics I dont notice any difference in clarity between using straight/angled scope the real difference is in the quality of the glass used.

Regards Stevo.

[Glen Tepke]

I'm one of those North American birders who has used only straight scopes because finding the bird in the scope seems more intuitive and therefore faster when you are looking in the direction of the bird, but I am sure you can learn to aim an angled scope just as quickly. Angled scopes are clearly better for sharing with birders of different heights and for looking up into trees. Glen

[Michael Frankis]

Angled scopes are more comfortable for prolonged use, e.g. seawatching, but less easy to aim on a bird.

One big problem for angled scopes - if it rains, the eyepiece gets wet much more easily. And just one drop of water on the eyepiece, and you can't see through well. So you have to get a lens tissue out much more frequently, and that damages the lens coatings. Or else, not use the scope in wet weather, period.

Michael

[mak]

The optical qualities are the same for a straight or angled spotting scope.

The difference is that the manufacturers rotate the mirrored roof prism for the angled spotting scope. Transmission is the same.

Surely the preference of angled or straight is down to the user. In the UK, angled spotting scopes are sold in higher quantities than straight (user preference, no doubt), and nothing to do with a change in optical quality.

[CJW]

Hello again Birdman, don't forget that if you intend to use the scope for digiscoping an angled one is more user-friendly and makes using the viewscreen easier, especially as you won't need to elevate your scope to such an extent that would make the whole contraption less stable (that said the rotating body of the Nikon Coolpix series negates this).

[birdman]

Many thanks to everyone for their comments.

[phyllosc]

And another thing...

I'm a recent convert to angled scopes and here's a couple more observations.

If you are sharing a scope with another birder and there is a reasonable height difference between you, then finding compromised tripod height is easiler with an angled scope.

Viewing birds that are high above you - like raptors or canopy dwelling stuff - is easier with an angled scope. The result being you don't have to buy a tripod that extends to your height. Quite handy if you're over 6 foot I would have thought.

Dave