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Which scope for me? (1 Viewer)

hr21

Active member
Hi all,

Looking at getting a scope.

These are my options from what is available.

Hawke Endurance 20-60x85 non-ed model £259

Hawke Endurance 16-48x65 ed model £299

Opticron MM3 Sdl v2 16-48x60 £399

I mainly need the scope for birds in trees/ distance, I don't do a lot of sea birding etc.

Weight isn't really a concern.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks.
 
If weight is not an issue then of the 3 you've listed it has to be the Hawke Endurance ED 65mm.
I rule out the non ED 80mm purely on it being a lower quality glass.
 
If weight is not an issue then of the 3 you've listed it has to be the Hawke Endurance ED 65mm.
I rule out the non ED 80mm purely on it being a lower quality glass.

I'd be inclined to agree; a 65mm scope will get you your identifications 95%+ of the time so why bother carrying the extra weight of an 80mm - unless you really want to, that is?

RB
 
After endless agonizing, I think I'm going to get what seems to be an approximate American equivalent of your middle choice, a 65mm scope with 'HD' (some sort of ED) glass, the angled Vortex Viper HD 15-45x65 ($645).

This size and tier of price and quality seems to be right at a confluence of characteristics that make it a great compromise for anyone who can't get an alpha scope, and who doesn't want one that's unmanageably large.

So if, as everyone urges, you did get the 65mm model, it would certainly be a choice that made sense, and one with as good a chance as any of delivering Optical Contentment.

P.S. Just found this comparative assessment of 65mm ED scopes, centered on the one you're considering, for whatever it's worth:

http://opticsthoughts.com/?page_id=187
 
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