Greetings,
I owned a Zeiss DiaScope for several years and without going into detail, thought I had found 'scope nirvana.' Unfortunately, I had to sell the instrument due to an unexpected lapse in employment and associated financial strains (of course 'blowing' $1700 U.S. on the Zeiss certainly didn't help my financial situation!)
Alas, I am once again in a position to purchase another spotting scope. However, the thought of spending another huge sum on a DiaScope isn't very appealing at this moment, despite how much as I admire the glass.
I have been a birder for many years and am quite familiar with most high-end optics. I have talked with several 'optics experts', including the fine folks at Eagle Optics (I have purchased all my optics from them over the years) about under $1000 (U.S.) scopes and all have suggested I take a strong look at the latest Bushnell Elite offering. Regarding the Elite, I haven't seen much posted here or anywhere else for that matter on the Bushnell's merits or lack thereof. One individual with whom I spoke even went so far as to say that there exists a certain 'snob factor' amongst optics reviewers and thus, are reluctant to give high marks to a scope with the Bushnell name on it. This same individual also feels the Elite is a better scope than the Pentax, which is ~$300 more. I'm somewhat skeptical about the 'snob factor' because, let's face it, in the real world, a $700 scope isn't going to offer the same performance as the likes of Zeiss, Leica, Swarovski, and Nikon. However, I do feel the aforementioned scopes are overpriced (I can't blame a company for making as much profit as they can, after all, if folks are willing to pay, then prices will remain astronomical).
Does anyone here have any experience with the Elite? It appears to be a solid bargain - $700 includes a 20x-60x eyepiece and see-through case.
Good birding!
I owned a Zeiss DiaScope for several years and without going into detail, thought I had found 'scope nirvana.' Unfortunately, I had to sell the instrument due to an unexpected lapse in employment and associated financial strains (of course 'blowing' $1700 U.S. on the Zeiss certainly didn't help my financial situation!)
Alas, I am once again in a position to purchase another spotting scope. However, the thought of spending another huge sum on a DiaScope isn't very appealing at this moment, despite how much as I admire the glass.
I have been a birder for many years and am quite familiar with most high-end optics. I have talked with several 'optics experts', including the fine folks at Eagle Optics (I have purchased all my optics from them over the years) about under $1000 (U.S.) scopes and all have suggested I take a strong look at the latest Bushnell Elite offering. Regarding the Elite, I haven't seen much posted here or anywhere else for that matter on the Bushnell's merits or lack thereof. One individual with whom I spoke even went so far as to say that there exists a certain 'snob factor' amongst optics reviewers and thus, are reluctant to give high marks to a scope with the Bushnell name on it. This same individual also feels the Elite is a better scope than the Pentax, which is ~$300 more. I'm somewhat skeptical about the 'snob factor' because, let's face it, in the real world, a $700 scope isn't going to offer the same performance as the likes of Zeiss, Leica, Swarovski, and Nikon. However, I do feel the aforementioned scopes are overpriced (I can't blame a company for making as much profit as they can, after all, if folks are willing to pay, then prices will remain astronomical).
Does anyone here have any experience with the Elite? It appears to be a solid bargain - $700 includes a 20x-60x eyepiece and see-through case.
Good birding!
