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Straight or Angled (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter AlanF
- Start date
Personally I use an angled scope - I had a straight one for years and only changed a few years ago - I am far happier with the angled, but it is definitely a matter of personal preference.
As for tripods I'd recommend getting a Manfrotto, very solid and well built, you'll struggle to find any better.
As for tripods I'd recommend getting a Manfrotto, very solid and well built, you'll struggle to find any better.
trealawboy
Well-known member
postcardcv said:
ditto
Edward woodwood
Member
straight
easier to follow flying birds with
quicker to get onto stuff
can be used with a shoulder pod to make getting onto stuff amazingly quick...
angled are useful if you do a lot of standing still kind of birding.
Tim
easier to follow flying birds with
quicker to get onto stuff
can be used with a shoulder pod to make getting onto stuff amazingly quick...
angled are useful if you do a lot of standing still kind of birding.
Tim
CornishExile
rydhsys rag Kernow lemmyn!
Yeah, another vote from me for straight. All the same points as Tim. Plus seawatching with an angled scope is a pain in the neck - literally!
Plus I'd always recommend going the whole hog and going for as big an objective as you can afford; the 80mm beasties have such better light-gathering. You'll only end up regretting not having one when you've used a 60miller for a while and see the difference when you look through someone else's 80miller.
ce
Plus I'd always recommend going the whole hog and going for as big an objective as you can afford; the 80mm beasties have such better light-gathering. You'll only end up regretting not having one when you've used a 60miller for a while and see the difference when you look through someone else's 80miller.
ce
Last edited:
Pinewood
New York correspondent
Alan,
I bought an angled Zeiss 'scope. For astronomy, when observing well above the horizon, the angled 'scope is virtually a necessity. It also makes sharing the view others much easier, as people of diferent heights can bend down to one position for a sighting.
American hunters seem to set the standard for the preponderance of straight 'scopes in the States.
Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood
I bought an angled Zeiss 'scope. For astronomy, when observing well above the horizon, the angled 'scope is virtually a necessity. It also makes sharing the view others much easier, as people of diferent heights can bend down to one position for a sighting.
American hunters seem to set the standard for the preponderance of straight 'scopes in the States.
Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood
The main complaint I have heard about the angled is that it is harder to "point" and find the bird than the straight. Also, with a straight you can attach the scope to your window. I have not found an angled hard to point, at least not with a little practice.
The main complaint I have heard about the straight is that you have to get a bigger tripod and have to get the scope very high in order to use it, unless you want to bend down to use the scope.
The big advantage I have heard about the angled is that it is easily shared among a group. I have not found this to be so. If you have persons quite a bit shorter than you, the shorter persons cannot get high enough to look down into the eye piece.
All the above said, my friends who have straight scopes advised me to get an angled scope, which I did, a Pentax 80. I am very happy with it. Then again, I might be just as happy with a straight. Personally, I do not use it very often, but do keep it in my trunk so that it is available when I need it.
I do like the idea of the 2 focusing rings of the Zeiss.
Good luck with your decision!
Lew
The main complaint I have heard about the straight is that you have to get a bigger tripod and have to get the scope very high in order to use it, unless you want to bend down to use the scope.
The big advantage I have heard about the angled is that it is easily shared among a group. I have not found this to be so. If you have persons quite a bit shorter than you, the shorter persons cannot get high enough to look down into the eye piece.
All the above said, my friends who have straight scopes advised me to get an angled scope, which I did, a Pentax 80. I am very happy with it. Then again, I might be just as happy with a straight. Personally, I do not use it very often, but do keep it in my trunk so that it is available when I need it.
I do like the idea of the 2 focusing rings of the Zeiss.
Good luck with your decision!
Lew
Corax67
Well-known member
Hi,
Have owned both straight and angled over the years and settled on straight when I bought my Leica APO 77 - Tim has covered the main positives in his response, and although there will be many recommendations for both, you really need to get to a good optics shop & try both types to see what suits you best.
If you can get to one of the larger reserves with an on site optical dealership (such as WWT Slimbridge, etc) then you will have the opportunity of trying scopes in a 'live' birding environment which will be more realistic for you to compare models.
I also find that when photographing with an SLR alongside the scope the transition between the two is more natural and I can get on to birds much more quickly.
Have owned both straight and angled over the years and settled on straight when I bought my Leica APO 77 - Tim has covered the main positives in his response, and although there will be many recommendations for both, you really need to get to a good optics shop & try both types to see what suits you best.
If you can get to one of the larger reserves with an on site optical dealership (such as WWT Slimbridge, etc) then you will have the opportunity of trying scopes in a 'live' birding environment which will be more realistic for you to compare models.
I also find that when photographing with an SLR alongside the scope the transition between the two is more natural and I can get on to birds much more quickly.
mickporter
Oswaldtwistle birder
I have the angled Zeiss 85. If I am watching outside a hide, or seawatching its great, you can sit down low and keep out of the wind.
However in some hides its really awkward. For some reason some hide manufacturers believe that all bird watchers are over 6' in height, and put the windows really high up. You get a real crick in the neck with an angled scope in those conditions.
However in some hides its really awkward. For some reason some hide manufacturers believe that all bird watchers are over 6' in height, and put the windows really high up. You get a real crick in the neck with an angled scope in those conditions.
Otto McDiesel
Well-known member
i have owned and used straight scopes for 20 years. I prefer them for the reasons mentioned on this thread. That being said, i see one advantage of the angled scopes: they are better when watching soaring raptors at raptor hotspots such as Hawk Mountain, Gibraltar, Bosphorus and so on.
I think it is in the Kowa forum that there has been a lot of discussion about light loss through an angled scope, as there is a third prism in the light path. Apparently in some scopes it noticably darkens the image. Can anybody comment on whether this is noticable when comparing straight and angled Zeiss copes?
jon
jon
The angled Diascopes utilize a one-piece Schmidt prism. If anything, it should be slightly brighter than the corresponding straight Diascope, which utilizes a two-prism porroprism set. Swarovski also uses a Schmidt for angled scopes. These prisms need to be phase-coated for optimum performance, and the roof angle needs to be very precisely ground. Nikon (in Fieldscopes only, not in spotters) utilizes a modified Schmidt (also one piece) which apparently does not require phase coating.
The bottom line is that for these three lines of scopes, the old "truth" that straight is brighter than angled no longer applies. For scopes that utilize a third prism (in addition to a porroprism set) to turn the light path the required 45 degrees, light loss is indeed inevitable.
Kimmo
The bottom line is that for these three lines of scopes, the old "truth" that straight is brighter than angled no longer applies. For scopes that utilize a third prism (in addition to a porroprism set) to turn the light path the required 45 degrees, light loss is indeed inevitable.
Kimmo
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