Spotting scope advice (1 Viewer)

[Richard SP]

Hi All,
I am fairly new to bird watching about 3 years now. I bought a second hand RSPB AG80 scope to get me started.
I am now looking to upgrade to something better. Any advice to which makes to get or avoid would be very welcome. Budget is up to £1000

 

[William Lewis]

Hi All,
I am fairly new to bird watching about 3 years now. I bought a second hand RSPB AG80 scope to get me started.
I am now looking to upgrade to something better. Any advice to which makes to get or avoid would be very welcome. Budget is up to £1000

Hi Richard. Welcome!

Just to get the ball rolling what size scope are you looking for and do you want a zoom or fixed eye piece?

Will

 

[Bubbs]

Welcome Richard, perhaps take a look at some of the Vortex range of scopes. I’ve always preferred an angled scope with a 20X eyepiece but others will possibly advise a zoom. Do let us know what you one day choose 👍

 

[Richard D]

Are you willing to consider used?

 

[Richard SP]

Hi Richard. Welcome!

Just to get the ball rolling what size scope are you looking for and do you want a zoom or fixed eye piece?

Will

Hi Will
I was thinking 80 or 85 with a zoom eyepiece

 

[Richard D]

You should be able to pick up a near mint Nikon ED82 and zoom within budget either by keeping an eye on UK dealers or from one of the Japanese sellers on ebay.

 

[William Lewis]

That's pretty much what I did, monarch 82 with the 20-60 zoom. Had to swap one sample out for a better one but the whole lot with the zoom was £990, Nikon x demo with a full warranty.

Very rare to get a naff one of any of Nikon's field scopes from what I've read.

Bit boring but more or less the best you can get, as it has been for the last 30 odd years ...

Will

 

[Richard SP]

Are you willing to consider used?

Yes will look at all options

 

[Richard SP]

Welcome Richard, perhaps take a look at some of the Vortex range of scopes. I’ve always preferred an angled scope with a 20X eyepiece but others will possibly advise a zoom. Do let us know what you one day choose 👍

Like the look of the Vortex Viper 👍👍

 

[Bubbs]

Like the look of the Vortex Viper 👍👍

There are some impartial Vortex reviews on YouTube which are so worth watching. I’m thinking of upgrading (after 40 years with Kowa ) to the Vortex Razor HD 85. It’s a little outside your budget though. The Vortex guarantee is for life I believe.

 

[Bubbs]

 

[antoine22]

I will speak from my experience
I started with a pair of binoculars for about 300$ that I thought was good, then little by little I started to find that there was too much CA, soft edges, poor ergonomics and so on
So I saved up and went straight to buying a pair of alpha (NL pure) and it was definitely the best decision I made
Now I also want a spotting scope so I'm not going to make the same mistake, I'm going to save up to buy an alpha scope (even if it means I won't be able to get it right away), which I advise you to do too

 

[Old Jack]

Hi Richard, new member like yourself. Best advice is "try before you buy", I recently upgraded all my optics and surprised myself by saving £2.5k just by comparing different scopes and finding which best suited my eyes. Don't know where you are in UK but can vouch for great advice and service from both Cley Spy and Viking Optical, Halesworth (not far from RSPB Minsmere). If you're near a reserve, keep an eye out for demo events, try to visit on a dull, overcast day, and don't write off the so-called budget options. All the best, Jack

 

[etudiant]

I will speak from my experience
I started with a pair of binoculars for about 300$ that I thought was good, then little by little I started to find that there was too much CA, soft edges, poor ergonomics and so on
So I saved up and went straight to buying a pair of alpha (NL pure) and it was definitely the best decision I made
Now I also want a spotting scope so I'm not going to make the same mistake, I'm going to save up to buy an alpha scope (even if it means I won't be able to get it right away), which I advise you to do too

Definitely the logical game plan, but...
Scope sizes cover a bigger range than binoculars, so tripods and heads become part of the package. That weight will impact your birding opportunities.
An alpha scope for sea watch duty will not shine while on a hike for birding.
The 'best scope for the situation' will always be driven by circumstances, physical, economic or environmental. Even if money is not the issue, there is no clear ideal choice.

 

[Bubbs]

Go with your gut feelings because in no time on this forum you will become very confused. As the above post proves!

 

[KevinL]

Definitely the logical game plan, but...
Scope sizes cover a bigger range than binoculars, so tripods and heads become part of the package. That weight will impact your birding opportunities.
An alpha scope for sea watch duty will not shine while on a hike for birding.
The 'best scope for the situation' will always be driven by circumstances, physical, economic or environmental. Even if money is not the issue, there is no clear ideal choice.

Wise words. There's a scope configuration for many uses. Small scopes for packing and large scopes for the best view possible. Medium sized scopes for a balance of packability and view quality. Price wise, theres anywhere from inexpensive scopes to top tier glass costing thousands. A good 65mm or 85mm scope will meet most peoples needs. In my opinion, it's worth while to reach up to buy the best scope you can afford. There are many fine models.