Help me pick a scope..... (1 Viewer)

Ok, apologies if things like this have been posted before............

I am looking to purchase a scope for what will be limited occasional use... pretty small budget when it comes to scoping. Lets say about £300.

Main use will be to look through it but may also want to use it for digiscoping.

For this I will be using a DSLR (Pentax K5) and preferred way is with a lens on the camera, as I would like to keep it airtight.

What should I be looking for in terms of a scope and what do I need?

I understand that a larger front end will let more light in etc, and the costs of this are more than the equiv 65mm etc... I assume i would be better off with a more expensive slightly smaller scope than a cheaper larger one?


Thanks for your help.

I have the tripod etc through photography and 400mm just isn't long enough... I assume they all have the standard tripod mounts that cameras and some lenses have.


Lynton

The £300 can be extended a bit, but needs to remain realistic. E.g. No £2000+ on a Leica etc etc...... 2/h is ok as well, as long as not dropped dinged smashed or crashed.

Forgot to say, needs to be an angled one.... just personal preference.

With £300 id go down the second hand route and get a better scope for your pennies

Something like this could do you

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Opticron-...Hunting_ShootingSports_ET&hash=item45fe67bf54

cheers bigshent.....

looks a possible contender, or a can get a new Nikon with a 82mm aperture with a 25x eyepiece for £300 new......

With photography, used to be a prime, as in single focus lens had better optics than a zoom, though the difference nowadays is questionable. Does the same apply with scopes? Realistically, whats the most magnification people use, whilst maintaining a sharp image?

Hi there...Image quality is not the biggest issue when comparing the zoom with a fixed ,wide angle eyepiece...Nowadays Zooms are very good,sharp and bright,as much as most wide eyepieyes.The issue used to be the narrow field of view,and ,in some cases,eye relief.
Now there are wide angle zooms,usually of less magnification,that have very wide field of views,and they grant a good compromise between FOV and power.
You ask how much power ,realistically ,people use,and I would say as much as your scope can grant.
Good scopes can hold magnification better than mediocre ones,and it is in that arena where You are going to find the limitations of a scope.

If You have a medium grade scope I think a low power,bright eyepiece, Is going to make you happier ( as long as you accept the limitations and joys of low magnification),while a low grade zoom or high power eyepiece might make You realize the limitations of Your gear ,instead of getting the job done.

This said your budget can reach a pretty good scope these days..chinese made ED scopes are now available at the low-medium price point ,with very good performing scopes for not that much money...(E.g. Celestron Regal series,Theron Saker....etc).
Also Mirror scopes or very good Astronomy scopes can be found in that price point,specially if digiscoping is something that You want seriously try.

Lynton said:

cheers bigshent.....

looks a possible contender, or a can get a new Nikon with a 82mm aperture with a 25x eyepiece for £300 new......

With photography, used to be a prime, as in single focus lens had better optics than a zoom, though the difference nowadays is questionable. Does the same apply with scopes? Realistically, whats the most magnification people use, whilst maintaining a sharp image?

Click to expand...

Hi Lynton,

I have was in similar situation as you some years ago and learned the following from this forum as well as other sources before proceeding with purchase.

• If you expect high quality from your pictures ED glass is needed. Period.
• The use of a wide angle EP is highly recommended (sometimes these EP are referred to as an eyepiece for Digiscoping). Most useful magnification should be around 30X, which renders a focal length in the magnitude 1000-1500 mm (depending on the lens used). These EP can be used for spotting as well (after realizing this I rarely use any other EP than the one I use for DS)
• DSLR digiscoping is not that easy. Most people will use P&S cameras, I recommend visiting the forum discussing cameras for digiscoping. You could of course try with your DSLR to start with, and make your mind later.
• Hand holding the camera will not produce great results. For good results you will need to acquire an adapter, or manufacture one of your own.

HTH
/Tord