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spotting scopes (1 Viewer)

hunterpaul

Well-known member
looking into buying a scope, I havent a clue what im looking for or what all the numbers mean... can anybody help by explaining all this without being too technical please.... thanks for any help... paul
 
Scopes are named after the objective lens. 50mm is pretty small, but there are few models, handy for travel and carrying. A 65mm scope is pretty good for all year use, mine goes to 49X magnification with current eye piece, A Pentax. If it says 15-60x, that means a zoom eye piece. Then 80mm and 100mm scopes get to be pretty big.

There are angled and straight scopes. If two people use it, the angles is more handy, do not need to raise and lower it.

Many people start with a Kowa etc. If the scope has a built in eye piece, it is tuck with that forever. For instance.
http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=4472

Being a 80mm scope, I think you would get many years use out of it. I believe they sell them in the UK.
 
Hi Paul,

The two main specifications of a scope are the objective lens (OG - expressed in millimetres) and the magnification (expressed in X). OG's generally range from 50 - 80, with 50 being small, and 80 being large. The bigger the objective, assuming the scopes are equal in terms of optics, the brighter the image. This also means they can support higher powers. 50mm scopes have advanced, but to get the best out of them, a magnification from 20-30X is best. A 60-70mm scope is often seen as the best compromise, as it still collects alot of light, can support good powers, and are usually still compact and small.
Magnification, the higher the magnification, the duller the image. Most scopes come without an eyepiece - and it is the eyepiece that defines the magnification. A typical magnification that is useful for almost any situation is the 20-30X range. There are two types - a fixed eyepiece, aka a wide angle, and a zoom eyepiece. Fixed e/p's give a set magnification, so are less versatile than zooms, which will give a variable magnification - usually 20-60X. However, while the zoom is more versatile, a fixed eyepiece - especially at the lower end of the market - will give a sharper view, with a wider field of view. Field of view (FOV) is a measure of how much 'stuff' you can see through your scope, and the lower the magnification, generally the more you can see through your scope. At the top end of spotting scopes though, the zooms are very sharp, but not as wide as a fixed eyepiece. A good zoom is an expensive eyepiece. FOV is expressed in the UK as the amount of metres you can see through the scope at 1000m. A wide eyepiece is usually ~40m. Good zooms are usually (depending on magnification) 35ish to 20ish.
Other specs are weight - ~1kg is a lightweight scope, coatings - what the optics are coated with - they improve light transmission - look for fully multi coated optics, and ED/FL/APO glass. This glass is an expensive element that improves colour correction, reduces purple fringing and makes the image sharper.

Perhaps you could give an indication of budget so we can give suggestions.
 
looking into buying a scope, I havent a clue what im looking for or what all the numbers mean... can anybody help by explaining all this without being too technical please.... thanks for any help... paul

Hi Paul,

Here are some links that may help you out:

http://www.birdwatching.com/optics.html
The above page has links to a number of excellent articles about spotting scopes, as well as a 2003 survey and review of several scopes.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=107862
The above is a link to a thread on this forum linking to and discussing the latest (2008) extensive survey of spotting scopes. You might want to read through some of the posts as well as the review itself.

Here is a general article about scope tripods from an optic's merchant:
http://www.optics4birding.com/abouttripods.aspx

Best,
Jim
 
Hi Paul - I assume you will be sketching through the scope, in which case an angled eyepiece is preferable. This means you look down into the eyepiece and can see your sketchbook within the same field of view without too much head movement.
 
Tim that is exactly what I want it for.... I have opted for an opticron, and am getting the attachements for my digital slr, so will let you all know how it goes.... thank you for all the advice, you are all far too clever... thank god... Paul
 
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