Opticron scope range (1 Viewer)

My partner & I are fairly new to birdwatching & so far have just been using binoculars but we would now like to buy a spotting scope.
I have been looking at the Opticron range as I bought my fella a pair of Opticron binoculars for Xmas & he loves them.

What I would like to know is this:

1 Are there big differences in the ES, HR & GS ranges?
2 Does the ED glass really make a big difference from the standard glass?(Is it worth the money?)
3 Are there big differences from using a 66mm to a 80mm?
4 I know nothing about the eyepieces so advice on those would be helpful.
5 I plan to use it for digiscoping in the future, does this have any bearing on the type to buy?

I want to get something decent as I don't want to be upgrading in a couple of years but then again I don't want to be paying more than I need to if features on the more expensive ones aren't that much better than the cheaper versions.

Please help. Thank you.

Ti. :h?:

Hi im from the aberdeenshire area and iv just started birding my self and iv been given really good advise from various birders. iv just purchased the opticron es80 ga ed 2006 model which is superb the 80mm objective with ed optical glass is superb and was told recently that it ---ts all over swarovski and zeiss and leica with all due respect to the other brands. iv been using optics for years iv also just purchased 10x42s dba oasis from opticron which are their top bino and they are breathtaking.
as for your question on 60mm against 80mm the 80mm will have at least 20% MORE LIGHT GATHERING CAPABILITY. and will assist in digiscoping later on but my advise is to stay with opticron their back up is second to none with 30 year warrenty and buy the most expensive you can afford. opticron are the force now and in to the future.

tigerfeet said:

My partner & I are fairly new to birdwatching & so far have just been using binoculars but we would now like to buy a spotting scope.
I have been looking at the Opticron range as I bought my fella a pair of Opticron binoculars for Xmas & he loves them.

What I would like to know is this:

1 Are there big differences in the ES, HR & GS ranges?
2 Does the ED glass really make a big difference from the standard glass?(Is it worth the money?)
3 Are there big differences from using a 66mm to a 80mm?
4 I know nothing about the eyepieces so advice on those would be helpful.
5 I plan to use it for digiscoping in the future, does this have any bearing on the type to buy?

I want to get something decent as I don't want to be upgrading in a couple of years but then again I don't want to be paying more than I need to if features on the more expensive ones aren't that much better than the cheaper versions.

Please help. Thank you.

Ti. :h?:

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Ti

I replied with this to your other post too!.

ED glass makes a big difference when digiscoping!.
Do you want a straight or angled scope?. If straight its lets out the ES80GAED.
Being in the UK an 80mm is better than a 66mm as it lets more light in!.
If you go for an opticron scope, a HDF eyepiece is a must!.
Do you want a fixed eyepiece or a Zoom. A zoom has more flexibility but narrower field of view. Many people use a zoom for digiscoping, including myself.
I use the old version of the ES80GA ED and love it. the new ED is supposed to have slightly better coatings, but a heavier body.
I cannot comment on the HR and GS as I have not a look through them.

I would suggest you visit a reserve with an optics shop to compare!.

Good luck

Alan

Thanks for that hawkeye. I've just been reading other threads & the ES80 GA ED does seem to have a great fanbase. I'm off to Perth tomorrow to see what scopes are in stock for me to have a look at so hopefully one of the shops will have this model available.
Not that I'll be buying from them when I can get a better deal online!

Ti.

Sorry I posted my question twice. didn't really know what I was doing as it was my first time, katy(mod) advised me to repost it here.

My local rspb reserve has optics days but they only display Leicas which are well out of my price range.

Thanks for the advice.
Ti.

as Alan says the HDF lenses are a must. The ES80ED and HR66ED are super scopes never looked through a GS

pduxon said:

as Alan says the HDF lenses are a must. The ES80ED and HR66ED are super scopes never looked through a GS

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Would you say the HR66ED are worth paying nearly £300 more for though than the ES80ED? Surely they can't be THAT MUCH better?

Ti.

knight4search said:

as for your question on 60mm against 80mm the 80mm will have at least 20% MORE LIGHT GATHERING CAPABILITY.

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Actually, it's much more than 20%. The amount of light gathered depends on the area of the light-gathering surface. And that area depends on the square of the diameter. So an 80mm scope will grab 78% more light than a 60mm.

tigerfeet said:

Would you say the HR66ED are worth paying nearly £300 more for though than the ES80ED? Surely they can't be THAT MUCH better?

Ti.

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that's a hard one to answer. Define worth? I once read a review that said a particular binocular was 95% of the optics of a Swaro EL for a third the price. But here's the thing some birders are willing to pay that because that extra 5% may be able to get them an id also I find that the viewing experience of a top scope/bin is more pleasurable less strain on the eyes etc.

You need to view on a cloudy, murky day and do view them side by side (on a sunny day differences are MUCH less obvious). If you can find no difference then by all means buy the cheaper scope. If you are buying Opticron then buy an HDF lens definitely worth it.

I ought to say that though I agree an 80mm scope should be better than a 66mm scope that may not be true between an ES and an HR. It should be true between an HR80 and an HR66 and a pair of GS scopes.

The ES80ED though is a very good scope especially now that the MKII is coming out and there are deals on the MK1

Hi tigerfeet

I have just upgraded from an Opticron IS60 which I had bought 2 HDF eyepieces for to a GS665 ED.

I spent 2 months researching before I upgraded because I was concerned about wether there would be much of an improvement in practice. The cost of the upgrade was £450 for the 665 ED (body only) as opposed to the £100 the IS60 body cost and I really didnt want to throw away money that I dont have to spare.

Quick answer - the difference 'for me' is stunning, and I am thrilled I took the leap. I really wish I had done it first as now I am not sure what to do with the IS60 body!

Whats good and whats bad - a quick comparison -

IS60:
This is a very compact lightweight scope which is no effort to carry around. The optics are super at 20x and by eye appears very good at 32x (but I had not had the chance to look through anything better!).
I am into digiscoping and the 20x magnification photos are - well stunning really. But the 32x photos were poor. They were not sharp and suffered a lot of purple fringing.

GSED665:
I couldn't believe the difference optically. The image is so sharp its almost frightening at 22x (this scope alters the magnification slightly from the IS60). At 34x its is still stunning - no more soft wooly photos or purple fringing! - and to my eye, well I grin hugely everytime I look through it at this magnification now.
But - and there is always a but. The 665ED scope is far heavier - you know you are carrying it around. It is also slightly bigger - and because of its weight requires a sturdier - read heavier - tripod.

The expense was serious, but so was the image difference.
Now I wouldn't consider Opticron non ED glass unless I was using 20x magnification or less. (It appears many digiscopers only use a 10x eyepiece for this reason, but this is no good when the birds are a 100 meters away!)

But due to the more serious commitment of carrying it all, I have noticed I am a lot more choosy about when I go out birding (read that as less often).

Finally:
My birding photos - even at 34x are now very very good (sorry if that seems like I am blowing my own trumpet).

If you can afford it do it - buy ED. You really won't regret it. I had a job finding the cash, but wish I had done it first.

Hope that helps. Best of luck.

Adrian

tigerfeet,

Excellent advice from Adrian - there are many of us who have gone through the expensive "gradual upgrade" pathway. Just keep saving until you can afford good ED optics. You may or may not notice the difference immediately just by looking through the scope, but you will always see a huge difference in digiscoping.

Re the scope size: larger Opticron models have usually longer focal length, which means that the same eyepiece on a large scope gives more power at equal brightness. Ie. smaller scopes can be as bright, but they do not give the same "reach".

As others have said, the HDF eyepieces with good (=long) eye-relief are comfortable on the eyes and essential for digiscoping.

Best regards, :t:

Ilkka

iporali said:

tigerfeet,

Excellent advice from Adrian - there are many of us who have gone through the expensive "gradual upgrade" pathway. Just keep saving until you can afford good ED optics. You may or may not notice the difference immediately just by looking through the scope, but you will always see a huge difference in digiscoping.

Re the scope size: larger Opticron models have usually longer focal length, which means that the same eyepiece on a large scope gives more power at equal brightness. Ie. smaller scopes can be as bright, but they do not give the same "reach".

As others have said, the HDF eyepieces with good (=long) eye-relief are comfortable on the eyes and essential for digiscoping.

Best regards, :t:

Ilkka

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Thanks Ilkka, theres some great advice on here, I'm so glad I found the site while doing an optic search.

what about the GS range, i got a 66mm one (not ED) it only cost £260 for the body, seems a very good scope for the price.

Thanks for the help Pete/Adrian, I'll keep in mind everything I've read here. My main problem now seems to be finding a shop which stocks all three ranges. I emailed Opticron & they sent me a list of shops in Scotland selling their ranges, but even they said I'll be lucky to find a shop stocking more than 1 or 2 of the ranges.
Oh well the hunt is on.

tigerfeet said:

Thanks for the help Pete/Adrian, I'll keep in mind everything I've read here. My main problem now seems to be finding a shop which stocks all three ranges. I emailed Opticron & they sent me a list of shops in Scotland selling their ranges, but even they said I'll be lucky to find a shop stocking more than 1 or 2 of the ranges.
Oh well the hunt is on.

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Yes Tigerfeet - I must admit I didn't try or compare any scope physically as i was unable to. So I just did lots of reading and researching for months before I finally comitted - blind so to speak.

Best of luck

Adrian

I had a look at a GS665 non ED with a HD lens - selling for £300, nice scope, but felt a bit insubstantial. Whether that was because it was light compared to others I looked at I don't know but it was larger than I thought. I did think about the offer WE is doing on the HR66 with 30x and case for £299, camera/optics shop went to said it was heavy (they didn't have one in at the time but will pricematch). Ended up getting a Minox MD62W scope with a 30XWW, case and Opticron hide clamp for £300. Prefer the lens as it has a twist up eyecup and not the rubber ones of the opticron. Think I got a bargain.

I have an Opticron GS815 and I like it, it's fitted with the HDF zoom which has a twist up eye cup, I haven't done a comparison test and now that I have bought it I am not sure I want to, got to get a better tripod though.

Mick

scope

just bought an optricon es80ed with a 20-60 hdf from southwest optics , unbeatable price with stay on case and free postage, get one now before he runs out ... and its the 2006 mk11 8-P

The ES80Ed is an excellent value fo rmoney scope, and the 2-60 x zoom performs very well.
Someone stated that it ***ts all over Swar etc. Sorry to disagree, you generally do get what yo pay for. I had the chance to compare my ES80Ed and 20-60 zoom with a Wsarovski ATS80 & its 20-60 zoom, and have to say on maximum 60 x zoom the Swar was substantially better in term sof calrity. the Opticron Zoom struggles at max zoom, especially when looking at a distant bird. I was at haweswater in the lake district looking at Englands only Golden eagle perched. I do not think the Opticron would have been able to digiscope in this circumstance, but the Swarovski would. But this was the most testing of circs & if you are looking at "not distant" birds the Opticron is probably as good as the top ranges.