budget compact scope (1 Viewer)

[deansmith]

i am looking for some advice on a budget scope i already own a cheap picollo scope which i find perfectly usable for my birding but recently i was attacked whilst on my way to work, this has knocked my confidence somewhat and i no longer feel comfortable being out and about on my own as much, and i feel less comfortable carrying around the scope on a tripod in full view so i am looking to replace the picollo with something more compact i can fit in a bag when im walking about. i dont know too much about scopes and i dont really take birding too seriously its just a hobby so im not after supreme optical performance just a usable scope for a keen amateur like myself.

the only compact models i can find in my price range are makes like nipon on ebay which ive never heard about, i would buy 2nd hand and can only afford around £100

thanks in advance for any help.

DS

 

[kristoffer]

How very sad that you can´t walk outside your house with your belongings and feel safe. Can´t imagine that happening in Sweden, so far. Anyway, nikon ed50 is small and very good for it´s size. And will fit in a bag. Hope your neighbourhood/town will improve in the future.

 

[Jason Bugay Reyes]

Yes the ED50 is excellent little scope with zoom eyepiece.

Been using it for a week on my last birding tour and what I can say now, my big ED82 will be use only for waders and seabirds.

For forest birding, the ED50 is more than enough including digiscoping

 

[dafi]

You could just spend a small amount of cash and get a simple cover made up that would disguise the scope and tripod, making it look anonomous whilst you are carrying it.

The other option, as your picollo is cheap and resonably disposable is to smash it over the head of the next scum bag that happens across your path. You can then leg it and still have a tripod!!

 

[deansmith]

probably a little out of my price range though !

 

[pdwinter]

I can get my small scope (either ED50 or Kowa 614) plus a lightweight tripod inside a 25l rucksack - I then remove it when I get to where I want to look at birds. I'm pretty sure the piccolo would fit in a rucksuck.

HTH

 

[deansmith]

I can get my small scope (either ED50 or Kowa 614) plus a lightweight tripod inside a 25l rucksack - I then remove it when I get to where I want to look at birds. I'm pretty sure the piccolo would fit in a rucksuck.

HTH

it does fit in my backpack but i find it a little awkward with the tripod aswell hence wanting to downsize the scope even though its not too heavy i dont think there is a scope that fits the bill in my price range so il probably just leave it

 

[statestat]

What a drag, probably why some folks here carry a sidearm when in the woods alone with expensive optics, although your life is more precious. I have seen a 50mm Leopold golden ring spotting scope that is really compact, waterproof, and fully coated glass. It cost $300 at the local sports shop, but I do not see it often on the web. It could fit in a big pocket.

 

[FrankD]

Deansmith,

I am not sure what price range you are looking at. I would think that would dictate many of the responses here. I do agree that the Nikon ED50 would be a good choice but we are talking about a minimum of $500 US for a demo model.

I have used a few scopes that may fit the bill.

First suggestion is the discontinued Nikon Earth and Sky 60 mm scope. It is fairly compact with very good optical quality for the price. You can still find the scope with the fixed 20x eyepiece for about $130 US at places like opticsplanet.com.

Second suggestion would be the Celestron Ultima 65. It is comparable to the Nikon optically (maybe a hair less overall) but comes with a standard zoom for around $150 US.

Third suggestion, and not really my favorite optically but still decent and the most compact scope I have owned, is the Winchester 50 mm model. It had a zoom range of something like 18-36x but it was even more compact than the Nikon ED50 and comes with its own little tripod and hardcase. Price is around $100 US.

Hope this helps.

 

[John Fleet]

I think this may the answer for you:

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/product/default.aspx?sku=1009436

I picked one up whilst on holiday in New York last year and it's a cracking little scope for not a lot of money - and it will easily fit into a large jacket pocket. It's within your budget and I'll be surprised if there's a better option at this price...

 

[young ian]

i am looking for some advice on a budget scope i already own a cheap picollo scope which i find perfectly usable for my birding but recently i was attacked whilst on my way to work, this has knocked my confidence somewhat and i no longer feel comfortable being out and about on my own as much, and i feel less comfortable carrying around the scope on a tripod in full view so i am looking to replace the picollo with something more compact i can fit in a bag when im walking about. i dont know too much about scopes and i dont really take birding too seriously its just a hobby so im not after supreme optical performance just a usable scope for a keen amateur like myself.

the only compact models i can find in my price range are makes like nipon on ebay which ive never heard about, i would buy 2nd hand and can only afford around £100


Hello Dean,
May I suggest that you try the 'Camlink 15-45x50'.
This scope is the same size as the 'nikon ed50'. I have seen
these advertised from £45 upwards. I KNOW you will be impressed
with what can see through it @ 15-30x. You owe it to yourself
to at least look through one before you decide on anything!!!

Kindest regards,
young Ian.

 

[deansmith]

thanks for everyones advice, i have seen the camlink one young ian mentioned il have to do some more research i guess or at leats learn a little more about scopes ! the only models i know are really exspensive

DS