Upgrade binoculars or buy a scope? (1 Viewer)

[Joe Glencoe]

I have a pair of Viking Harrier ED 8x42 binoculars. Perfectly happy with them for the stage I’m at, but no doubt like many others would like to upgrade one day. I’ve just been on a 3 day birdwatching trip, and the leader and another client both had scopes. With some of the trip being coastal wetlands, the difference the scope made in being able to get a close enough look to ID things was stark.

So I have been looking at scopes, and having been quite happy with the Viking binoculars, am considering their Swallow ED scope at £450-500. I can’t find much in the way of reviews of it online. I’m aware I’d need a tripod as well.

I’m not really in a position to spend £1000+ on posh binoculars, so I think the answer to my question is probably quite obvious - but would welcome any thoughts or things I’ve not considered?

 

[Jos Stratford]

If you're happy with your binoculars, you probably already have the answer

If you're going to be doing quite a lot of wetland/coastal birding, the scope is the obvious addition. By contrast, if in reality you're going to do most of your birding in nearby woodlands, river edges, etc, a scope is frequently more hassle than it's worth.

Best bet is go to some optics exhibition or shop and try out various options - but it can be an expensive slippery slope, you may find an upgrade on binoculars may indeed be just what you want

 

[Mono]

You are going to be able to get views of more birds with a combo of a mid-level bins and a mid-level scope than you are with posh bins and no scope.

If you don't mind secondhand then it is worth keeping a eye on eBay as folk will often sell off whole scope set-ups; scope, eyepiece, case and tripod.

I wouldn't imagine it will end up at £50 but!

Opticron HR.66 GA Spotting Scope With 28xWW Eyepiece & Pyser 520 Tripod | eBay

I have taken the following from the Opticron website Opticron HR 66 GA This combination maximises colour contrast, clarity and definition especially at higher magnifications under a range of different light conditions.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[puff the magic dragon]

Here's a review for the scope you have in mind.

Review Viking Swallow 50 ED Compact Spotting Scope - BirdGuides

Pushing the quality envelope, Viking Optical has significantly upgraded its smallest spotting scope. Mike Alibone takes a look at the new Swallow 50 ED Compact.

www.birdguides.com

This thread on here might be of interest as someone asked a similar question back in 2019

Viking Swallow scope, anyone looked through one?

I've been happy birdwatching just with binoculars for many years, but lately I've been wondering whether possibly a compact scope and tripod would be worth taking along to bring more stuff within watching range. I've decided to start with something at the cheaper end of the market and after a...

www.birdforum.net

 

[dw87]

Some great advice already.
With a budget of £500, you could get an excellent set up: Used Opticron MM4 60 GA ED + 15-45X Eyepiece| London Camera Exchange -Hereford though as you've mentioned you will need a tripod. A used Velbon sherpa would be a good starter for under £50.

 

[Owene]

You really can’t go wrong with an opticron mm as a first scope and the size means you’ll be happy carrying it

 

[jring]

Hi,

by all means, get a scope. Beyond a decent midrange pair of bins increasingly smaller steps of improved image quality tend to get paid for by increasingly larger steps in price on the way to alpha land...

Cannot comment on the Swallow ED scope, as I have seen one in real live, let alone tried it. Specs read ok, probably MiC in one of the big optics companies also responsible for the plethora of cheap and often surprisingly good astro ED scopes. Can be a cherry or a lemon, depends on luck and partly whether Viking paid for real QC...

My general advice would be to get at least a 65mm scope or larger. 50mm tend to get used mainly as lightweight second scope by those who have a full size scope too. Angles is preferably over straight for general use due to needing a less tall tripod and also due to the ability to easily share the view as there is no need to get the scope exactly at eye level as with a straight scope. Exceptions being scopes used exclusively while sitting in a hide or from a car..

Also, since sample variation unfortunately does happen for all manufacturers and I have personally have looked though a handful of $$$$ alpha lemons, I would recommend to thoroughly test the scope before you buy and buy the example you tested (bonus points for getting a discount for buying a demo unit).
Or when a brick and mortar store is not an option, make sure to order from a mail order company with a no questions asked return policy and test it inside the return period.
The minimum test should be a crisp image at the maximum magnification in good seeing (try a cool and overcast day) with an easy to find point of best focus.
Or read up on the star test and how to make an artificial star from a led flashlight and some aluminum foil and adhesive tape and observe at maximum magnification at a distance of 30m - slightly out of focus to either side - 2 or 3 well defined concentric rings on either side are a cherry as in one in lifetime after having tested a few hundreds or thousands...
Well defined concentric rings on one side and slightly fuzzy rings the other (slight spherical aberration) are probably still very good at the nominal maximum magnification. Easily visible ellipses changing direction (astigmatism) or non-concentric rings (coma) are less desirable.

Joachim

 

[Ratal]

Some great advice already.
With a budget of £500, you could get an excellent set up: Used Opticron MM4 60 GA ED + 15-45X Eyepiece| London Camera Exchange -Hereford though as you've mentioned you will need a tripod. A used Velbon sherpa would be a good starter for under £50.

Tear their hands off on that offer. Seriously great scope and brilliant performance.

 

[Patudo]

It kind of depends what birding you do, or want to do. I have access to a scope, yet hardly ever use it - I don't think I looked through it once this year. There are some situations (very few, for me) where the brute magnification of a scope is required, but the scope and (as R.B. Treleaven put it so well) its attendant devil, the tripod, are a pain in the arse to cart around and even when needed, always begrudged. For my birding I would much rather be free and unencumbered. If a bird is out of range, let it be; there will be birds that are out of range even with a scope.

But my birding is waiting, watching, hoping that birds I'm familiar with will do something interesting. If your birding is driven by getting IDs and ticks and photos, what you require in the way of equipment may well differ.

 

[beacon hill]

Not got round to reviewing the Swallow 50ED (long list of optics to test).
But can tell you the levels of CA are extremely low for something in this price range.

Have reviewed the 80ED a while back

 

[Joe Glencoe]

Thanks for all the replies, plenty to think about!

 

[dalat]

It kind of depends what birding you do, or want to do.

This! If you do a at least a good part of your birding at wetlands, at the seashore, in open country, where birds are far away, then a scope is a must. You will see so much more. Only if almost all your birding is in forests, or on long hikes where you wouldn't lug your scope, better upgrade your bin.

With limited budget, I would recommend a small scope. You will get decent quality, and you can do with a lighter and cheaper tripod as well.

 

[Owene]

If price is an issue an opticron mm3 with a new sdl eye piece is really good, not as good as the mm4 but you won’t notice much difference especially as a first scope.