First scope advice wanted (1 Viewer)

[Wainb]

Hi everyone I'm looking for some advice on buying my first spotting scope.i have been looking at a hawke endurance ed 68 or viking swallow ed 80.my budget is £700.
I go mostly to the North wales coast for my birding /photography.
Many thanks Wayne

 

[rezMole]

For £700, you could get yourself a very nice second-hand scope. Something like a Leica APO77. We bought ours from someone on here many years ago, but there are websites such as https://www.focalpointopticsltd.com/pre-loved-equipment?Category=Telescopes which often have some good bargains.

 

[wllmspd]

Opticron mm4 Ed, svbony sv406p, should have some good choices. Do you need to buy a tripod and head with that budget or is it all for the scope?

Peter

 

[Wainb]

Opticron mm4 Ed, svbony sv406p, should have some good choices. Do you need to buy a tripod and head with that budget or is it all for the scope?

Peter

All for scope.

 

[Steve Babbs]

I agree about checking used options. Many birders change their optical gear frequently.

 

[Richard D]

You should easily be able to pick up a used Nikon ED-111-A and eyepiece or two for that and have change left over - a little heavy for a 60mm but built like a tank and still an excellent scope. You can probably just get an ED82 if you want the larger scope.

 

[Mike Crawley]

but there are websites such as https://www.focalpointopticsltd.com/pre-loved-equipment?Category=Telescopes which often have some good bargains.

I would certainly support checking the Focal Point website for used equipment. A family run business and great bunch of people working there, proper birders rather than (no offence intended) just sales people.
If you want to visit the shop, it’s about 75 minutes from Willenhall.

This pre-loved Opticron is just under £600.
I know nothing about the ‘scope btw, just an example - ask for the best price, it could be a bit cheaper

https://www.focalpointopticsltd.com/product-page/pre-loved-opticron-es-80-ed-telescope-and-tripod-kit

 

[rezMole]

Also, if you join Manchester Bird Forum there are often Focal Point Optics listings in there, which are listed slightly cheaper as well. I recently picked up a pair of Leica 8x42 Ultravids for the missus from them for £800 (about half original price). They were like new, having just been serviced by Leica. The only problem is having to wait until a bargain comes up.

 

[Steve Babbs]

Do think what size you want. My choice would be 65mm. I confess to having a range: 50mm, 65mm and 82mm. It partly depends how much you walk about but my choice for one would be 65mm.

 

[Mike Crawley]

Manchester Birds

https://www.manchesterbirding.activeboard.com/b600740/focalpoint-optics/

 

[Will K]

You can find great deals on Vortex Razors by buying second hand. They have fully transferrable lifetime warranty.

The 85mm is a wonderful scope; I'm very happy with the optical and build quality, and I also use Swarovski.

I have seen a used Razor for sale for as little as £750, as-new quality, but the RRP is about £1300.

Razors are substantially superior to Vortex Diamondback and Viper scopes, in my opinion. Reviewers often claim that the glass quality is nearly equal in the Viper, but the Razor's FOV is far wider, and its also noticeably smaller and lighter.

I also think that they are particularly beautiful scopes to look at and use, but maybe that's just me!

 

[Ratal]

Buy this. Be sorted for the next 20 years. Stunner of a scope at a seriously crazy good price.

Opticron MM4 77 ED - 11755 | Buy Online at CleySpy

The quality Opticron MM4 77 ED - 11755 is available from CleySpy with a wide range of accessories (other filter)- buy online at fantastic prices

www.cleyspy.co.uk

 

[Boogieshrew]

I'd go for MM4 60 myself. Save yourself about 500g in weight and I picked mine up for £400 used with sdl2.
I compared it with the sdl3 two days ago and saw no difference other than o tiny bit more fov on the sdl3.

 

[asp09]

Another vote for the MM4 60. If you’re carrying camera equipment as well and/or walking long distances, you’ll be grateful for the lower weight.

 

[ibramr]

Greetings and Happy New Year. You are getting excellent advice from the Forum members here; many of them are in your local market, thus, more familiar with the available options. What I would like to share is my experience as a new entrant to the world of scopes. First of all, your needs will likely change very quickly from having a scope within a specific price range to a one that you can carry over your walks and hikes, to a one that helps you more in the early or late hours of the day, to a one that is more friendly to your other family members, and the list can go on. Perhaps it is better to focus, pun intended, on a make that permits you to keep and use its quality eyepieces as you move from one of its models to another.* Further, and as mentioned above, it is prudent to factor the price of the tripod and other accessories into the equation; light and effective tripods are not cheap. You may need to increase your budget a bit, but then, the joy of a good view out of a good walk is immense. Enjoy in good health.

* I was lucky to find in the used American market an excellent recent sample of Swarovski ATS80 with 20/50 eyepiece. The eyepiece, the tripod, and other accessories can be used with the ATS65 model that I may replace/add in the future.

 

[Ratal]

Buy this. Be sorted for the next 20 years. Stunner of a scope at a seriously crazy good price.

Opticron MM4 77 ED - 11755 | Buy Online at CleySpy

The quality Opticron MM4 77 ED - 11755 is available from CleySpy with a wide range of accessories (other filter)- buy online at fantastic prices

www.cleyspy.co.uk

Just so you know- the 77 ed from Opticron weighs less than near all 65 mm scopes available . It's a perfect large lens low weight solution for sea watching.