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£500 to spend - what should I get? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter JRE
- Start date
JohnnyH
Aldershot till I die!
Jyothi,
I think you need to take your time mate & get to a few optics field days & test out some scopes after you have done your research & narrowed down your choices. After all £500 is a lot of dosh & you don't want to make the wrong decision. The two scopes being recommended to you, ES80ED & ED50, are both excellent, I've owned both, in fact I traded the ES80 for the ED50. The main point is though that I definately would not spend that kind of money without trying the hardware out first & certainly wouldn't go the E-Bay route. Best to buy from a good optical retailer in my opinion such as Cley Spy, In-Focus, LCE, Kay Optical etc they will give you good advice & after sale back up.
Good Luck
John.
I think you need to take your time mate & get to a few optics field days & test out some scopes after you have done your research & narrowed down your choices. After all £500 is a lot of dosh & you don't want to make the wrong decision. The two scopes being recommended to you, ES80ED & ED50, are both excellent, I've owned both, in fact I traded the ES80 for the ED50. The main point is though that I definately would not spend that kind of money without trying the hardware out first & certainly wouldn't go the E-Bay route. Best to buy from a good optical retailer in my opinion such as Cley Spy, In-Focus, LCE, Kay Optical etc they will give you good advice & after sale back up.
Good Luck
John.
scampo
Steve Campsall
Good advice - eBay can be very pricey for good optics and with no guarantees at all. I think trying before buying is sound but with the top scopes, they really are all very good. In the wider family we have four different scopes and, frankly, I could get used to any of them.
Those last two posts, Jyothi Ray, were excellent advice. I didn´t realise you were a younger up-and-coming birder, given that you´ve a few years to go before entering the workforce, it´s important that you really like what you buy and that it´s right for you. It´s all very well for us dinosaurs to be reckless with our inheritances 
, but I´ll warrant that whatever you get now will have to do you for quite a few years before you can "upgrade" (god, I hate that word!), so you want to get it right. Best of Luck with your choice, and years and years of happy birding!
, but I´ll warrant that whatever you get now will have to do you for quite a few years before you can "upgrade" (god, I hate that word!), so you want to get it right. Best of Luck with your choice, and years and years of happy birding!Have you looked at the European Retailers thread? There's a German retailer advertising a straight Zeiss Diascope 65 with 23x for 666 euro (= £452).
Paul Jarvis
Registered Member
Quacker said:
There is an second hand opticron ES80ED with SDL zoom for sale from in-focus within the next few weeks but I am guessing the price would be a shade over 500 quid. If there is an in-focus shop near you, they can send it there from martin mere.
Take your time with the search for a new scope though as you need to be sure with what you buy.
Happy birding for the future.
Paul
Jyothi Ray said:
The 821M is a very good scope, though you would be able to pick up a used one for a good deal less than that.
There are a number of very good scopes that are within your budget, and even more if you look at secondhand scopes too. As others have said the best bet is to get along to a shop and test them for yourself. No matter how much others may like any given scope, it doesn't mean it's the right one for you.
pduxon
Quacked up Member
scampo said:
you can get the ES80ED with hdf 20-60 zoom for £570 or with the 32ww for £539 from
http://www.sherwoods-photo.com/opticron_scope/opticron_scope_index_fs.htm
but postcardcv is right go somewhere and try first
scampo said:
I'd agree, that I would prefer and ES80Ed to a TSN821M, but that's me.
Out of interest why would you recommend buy new rather than secondhand? I have bought many secondhand hand bins and scope over the years, doinmg so has allowed me to own better optics than I could afford buying new. So long as a secondhand scope is in good condition I see no reason not to save some money.
scampo
Steve Campsall
It's not as clear cut as I suggest and in some ways I'm in agreement with you but, in general, for most people, I have a feeling that buying new will turn out to be less risky and often give more overall satisfaction.postcardcv said:
Partly this view is based on the fact that I have not, overall, had the best experience of second-hand equipment myself and also because when I sold kit through eBay I obtained so very much more than I'd hoped that I realised that s/h optics fetch such a premium that you are not always getting good value for money.
When shops take in s/h gear they give so little and yet charge so very much. They have their reasons, but some out-of-date kit is still on sale at, what I would say, is too high a price when put against new kit from the likes of, for example, Opticron.
David Caudwell
Dave C
Hi Jyothi! How's the search going? Hope you've had a chance to compare some of the likely contenders side by side by now! If not, be sure to pester other birders for a look through their scopes and ask them for their thoughts - gear is most birders' second favourite topic...after the birds themselves of course!!
As for my thoughts: If it was me at 13 yrs old I would go for the best 60mm waterproof ED scope I could afford - the Nikon EDIII at W/E is an absolute steal at the current price!! Why 60mm? I'm just wondering if an 80mm scope's going to quickly seem a mistake. By the time you've paired it with an appropriate tripod & stay-on-case etc you'll be over 3kg - a heck of a weight to lug around all day without a car. As for the 50mm Nikon - a mini marvel yes, and as a second travel scope it's a dream, but as your ONLY scope for the next 5 years or more? Maybe not. I'd have my doubts as to the durability of the ED50 tripod mount until they make some modifications (which I expect they will) but more seriously it's not going to give you the level of performance of a 60mm ED scope in poor light conditions or at higher mags. That's just mathematics!! In the end whatever you choose is a compromise of weight to performance but a good 60mm ED scope is going to see you into your twenties with few regrets I reckon! And you won't think twice about carrying it with you on the long slog up Blakeney Point or wherever!! Oh, I also agree with posters recommending to buy new - warranty, service back up etc.
Anyway, whatever you go for make sure YOU like it!! Optics are such a personal thing and what seems fabulous to one pair of eyes absolutely drives someone else up the wall!! For instance: I love the Leica scopes but just cannot get on with their current bins!
Best wishes with it all and do let us know what you choose in the end!
Dave C
As for my thoughts: If it was me at 13 yrs old I would go for the best 60mm waterproof ED scope I could afford - the Nikon EDIII at W/E is an absolute steal at the current price!! Why 60mm? I'm just wondering if an 80mm scope's going to quickly seem a mistake. By the time you've paired it with an appropriate tripod & stay-on-case etc you'll be over 3kg - a heck of a weight to lug around all day without a car. As for the 50mm Nikon - a mini marvel yes, and as a second travel scope it's a dream, but as your ONLY scope for the next 5 years or more? Maybe not. I'd have my doubts as to the durability of the ED50 tripod mount until they make some modifications (which I expect they will) but more seriously it's not going to give you the level of performance of a 60mm ED scope in poor light conditions or at higher mags. That's just mathematics!! In the end whatever you choose is a compromise of weight to performance but a good 60mm ED scope is going to see you into your twenties with few regrets I reckon! And you won't think twice about carrying it with you on the long slog up Blakeney Point or wherever!! Oh, I also agree with posters recommending to buy new - warranty, service back up etc.
Anyway, whatever you go for make sure YOU like it!! Optics are such a personal thing and what seems fabulous to one pair of eyes absolutely drives someone else up the wall!! For instance: I love the Leica scopes but just cannot get on with their current bins!
Best wishes with it all and do let us know what you choose in the end!
Dave C
Perry Grin
Well-known member
My turn now.............
I'm a bit older than you, but am looking for a scope with the same budget, the only difference is I already have an Opticron HDF zoom and so am looking at body only. I've had a look through the GS665, GS665ED and ES80ED.
Based on these observations (in shite light), ED is better than non - image is sharper and slightly brighter (wether this is worth the extra £'s is a moot point). As for 60mm (66.5) vs 80mm, at lower mags there was nothing in it, but at +40x range, as expected the 80mm scope showed a noticeable improvement.
If you think weight will be an issue, and you won't use over 40x, go with a 60mm ED. If you want more mag and don't mind a wonkey shoulder ;-) go 80mm ED. However on a budget, one option is to go 60mm non-ED and buy a better eyepiece with the money saved, knowing that in a few years time you can upgrade the body. Whatever you do - as advised elsewhere - try before you buy that's the best piece of advice you can get
Me....... I'm looking again at the ES80ED on Sunday. My shoulders say the GS665ED, but I know once I get out in the field I'll pine for the extra magnification and light!
I'm a bit older than you, but am looking for a scope with the same budget, the only difference is I already have an Opticron HDF zoom and so am looking at body only. I've had a look through the GS665, GS665ED and ES80ED.
Based on these observations (in shite light), ED is better than non - image is sharper and slightly brighter (wether this is worth the extra £'s is a moot point). As for 60mm (66.5) vs 80mm, at lower mags there was nothing in it, but at +40x range, as expected the 80mm scope showed a noticeable improvement.
If you think weight will be an issue, and you won't use over 40x, go with a 60mm ED. If you want more mag and don't mind a wonkey shoulder ;-) go 80mm ED. However on a budget, one option is to go 60mm non-ED and buy a better eyepiece with the money saved, knowing that in a few years time you can upgrade the body. Whatever you do - as advised elsewhere - try before you buy that's the best piece of advice you can get
Me....... I'm looking again at the ES80ED on Sunday. My shoulders say the GS665ED, but I know once I get out in the field I'll pine for the extra magnification and light!
