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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Scope Stay on case worth the money? (1 Viewer)

2

2nd_winter

Books are not just to prop up your bed!

Hi All Here's a thought Binoculars do not have 'stay on cases' but you can part with the £££'s to have one for your scope. Value for money or dressing up?;)

What are the real benefits YOU have found? :king:
 
The real benefits, as you have inferred, are for the dealer who sells you one.

It's sensible to have a padded bag to transport the scope to a birding location but once in the field, you don't need a case.

Most scopes are waterproof and many are now rubber-armoured and I suspect that a stay-on case would abrade the paint finish of non-armoured scopes. My old Zeiss Diascope survived 6 years of birding without a case virtually unmarked.

Stay-on cases also prevent you from rotating the scope about its longitudinal axis, so if you are using an angled scope in a hide, you may need a ladder! ;-)

John
 
Hi John LOL to the ladder in the hide.
Like you I transport my scope in a daysack to the birding area & have been using a scope without a stay on case for seven odd years (with no damage) & I go through bouts of all most buying one and just veering away before purchase.................
 
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Would never use a scope without a stay on case; it may not need the extra weather -proofing but prevents minor impact damage/scratching which in turn maintains its value.
Tiny financial investment compared with initial scope outlay; mine's a Swaro ATS 65+25-50 and still looks 'new from the box' under the cover.
 
Tarsiger said:
Would never use a scope without a stay on case; it may not need the extra weather -proofing but prevents minor impact damage/scratching which in turn maintains its value.
Tiny financial investment compared with initial scope outlay; mine's a Swaro ATS 65+25-50 and still looks 'new from the box' under the cover.
Click to expand...

That just about sums it up. If you are going to keep the scope until you're to old / feeble / decrepid ( getting there myself ;) ) to go out birding then a few scratches and a bit of wear doesn't matter, but if you may be upgrading in the future it's best to keep it as pristine as possible.

Chris
 
I'm with John Russell on this one. I hate SOC's. They ruin the handling and focussing of your scope (particularly if it has helical focussing), make it impossible to rotate, and the flappy bits flap about in the wind decreasing stability. I have a padded scope-cover that I bought from BF member Squidge, which protects the scope in storage and transportation. It zips right off and gets pocketed when the scope is actually in use.
 
A few years back I got a surprisingly good price for my old scope which, despite years of use, the dealer described as being in 'excellent condition'. I'm sure that this was due to the stay-on-case protecting the body and a filter to protect the OG. The problems of using a scope with helical focus in conjunction with a stay-on-case is one of the reasons I shy away from them. The filter has a slight trade off in image quality I suppose but nothing I've really noticed. Not sure why cover are always made from more expensive 'breathable' fabrics though,
 
John Cantelo said:
Not sure why cover are always made from more expensive 'breathable' fabrics though,
Click to expand...

I had a grey metal-body Zeiss diascope some time back, and although I don't like SOC's, I cut the arm off a neoprene wetsuit I wasn't using, and made a snug cover for the exposed metal bits, to make it more comfortable to use in colder weather. If anyone wants to try this, I now have an unused neoprene wetsuit with one arm and two legs, so you're welcome to an arm or a leg. (OTOH, if there are any one-armed swimmers who want a wetsuit.....;))
 
I always use my Nikon ED III with the case on but, to be honest, I don't know why. It does interfere with the helical focusing wheel and the lens caps flap about in the breeze. I also use a Cley Spy stay on case on my ED50 all the time but I think this makes more sense as the plastic body of the scope is much more easily damaged than the robust ED III. It also gives a better grip for my hands and provides an attachment point for a strap if required. The ED50 doesn't have a rotating collar anyway, so that is not a problem. I think it also makes the scope look a little more butch. ;)

Ron
 
I too favour the SOC for keeping the scope in good nick, I've traded in a couple of scopes that were wearing SOC and both times got a bit extra for the pristine condition of the scope body.
Someone mentioned in an earlier post about not being able to rotate the scope in a hide, I solved that by getting a tripod head with a moveable quick release mechanism. I can swing the scope through 90 degrees without any bother at all.
 
I had a soc for my swaro scope and sold it. I then bought another one as I just didnt feel comfortable using the scope without one. Like it had no clothes or something like that.;) As regards the focussing wheel the soc does rub against it giving it a faint clicking sound but I actually find it soothing so its no bother. I suppose its down to personal preference in the end. Ger.
 
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