Hello all. I'm not really a birder, rather someone who enjoys being out in the countryside and looking at all sorts of wildlife as well as the scenery. I travel a lot, as well, both for work and for holidays. I've spent 15 years fairly deeply involved with photography. I do have a set of binoculars, but at 8x25 they're not good for looking at things in detail, and they're both old and larger /heavier than I think they should be for only modest magnification.
I'm looking to buy a compact telescope for travelling, and started researching on the 'net. Specifically, I'd want a telescope suitable for wildlife from birds up to deer in size, hill walking, and watching seals off the coast. There seem to be a couple of choices in my price range (no more than £500 all up): the Nikon ED50 and the Opticron MMv2 ED version. I think (although could be proved wrong by the experts here) that I'd need a zoom lens to cover those sorts of subjects.
I appreciate that in the end I'll go into a shop and try out each for myself before actually buying a scope, but I'd like to get as much info in advance of that if I can. Are those 2 roughly comparable in terms of image quality? How about build and robustness? For my intended purpose, would they be usable from a monopod / hiking staff? Finally, if I were to get the angled version, are the scopes rotatable around the tripod mount?
I've accumulated a few tripods and a few Manfrotto Superclamps over the years with photography, so I think I'm well sorted there.
I hope that's not too many questions at once! Thanks in advance for any replies.
I'm looking to buy a compact telescope for travelling, and started researching on the 'net. Specifically, I'd want a telescope suitable for wildlife from birds up to deer in size, hill walking, and watching seals off the coast. There seem to be a couple of choices in my price range (no more than £500 all up): the Nikon ED50 and the Opticron MMv2 ED version. I think (although could be proved wrong by the experts here) that I'd need a zoom lens to cover those sorts of subjects.
I appreciate that in the end I'll go into a shop and try out each for myself before actually buying a scope, but I'd like to get as much info in advance of that if I can. Are those 2 roughly comparable in terms of image quality? How about build and robustness? For my intended purpose, would they be usable from a monopod / hiking staff? Finally, if I were to get the angled version, are the scopes rotatable around the tripod mount?
I've accumulated a few tripods and a few Manfrotto Superclamps over the years with photography, so I think I'm well sorted there.
I hope that's not too many questions at once! Thanks in advance for any replies.
