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Low cost Scope, tripod combo (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Ant
- Start date
Touty
Well-known member
Britner said:
There's a large variety of cheaper scopes and tripods from dealers on Ebay. If you're paying £150 - £180 for the scope you might get something useable - then try and pick up a bargain used tripod of a good make for £70 - £100.... there are more of those on the market through the photography market. They have an Opticron Piccolo for £65 which could probably make do with a lighter tripod and you could say to your mates "I just couldn't do lugging a Swarovski with a Manfrotto around". My advice? Don't scrimp on the tripod.
Tero
Retired
Well, it is one approach. If you get a deal on the tripod together with scope, you will have a good idea what you really want for a tripod after a while. I am still sorting it out myself.
Quite often people selling a scope will sell you a tripod, as they want a better one themselves.
Quite often people selling a scope will sell you a tripod, as they want a better one themselves.
given your price range it will be worth looking at secondhand scopes - try some of the well know shops such as cley-spy, birdnet and in focus, all do secondhand optics and I'm sure you'd be able to get a good deal.
If you want to go for a new scope the best option would probably be an Opticron IS60 with a fixed eyepeice (body and eyepiece should come in at about £200). You can buy a new tripod for >£40, but would do better to buy a good secondhand one.
If you want to go for a new scope the best option would probably be an Opticron IS60 with a fixed eyepeice (body and eyepiece should come in at about £200). You can buy a new tripod for >£40, but would do better to buy a good secondhand one.
Touty said:
very true - even the best scopes will be disapointing if used on a poor tripod.
Hi all,
thanks for the replies so far.
A freind of mine reccomends the Aries Cheetah 20-60X80mm scope, costing 179 USD, (102 GBP) and thats how much it is brand new. Info on this scope can be found here http://www.ariesoptics.com/spotscopes/A708060V/a708060v.htm
Its the only spotting scope they make, so not much choice from them.
thanks for the replies so far.
A freind of mine reccomends the Aries Cheetah 20-60X80mm scope, costing 179 USD, (102 GBP) and thats how much it is brand new. Info on this scope can be found here http://www.ariesoptics.com/spotscopes/A708060V/a708060v.htm
Its the only spotting scope they make, so not much choice from them.
Ant
Check the pricing on the scope, I'm sure you'll have to pay import duty if the scope is coming from USA. Also the freight and insurance will take the costs up. This can sometimes make a bargain into a loss-maker.
I for one would scour the second-hand sections In-focus, London Camera Exchange, and other UK based suppliers as other postings have advised.
Check the pricing on the scope, I'm sure you'll have to pay import duty if the scope is coming from USA. Also the freight and insurance will take the costs up. This can sometimes make a bargain into a loss-maker.
I for one would scour the second-hand sections In-focus, London Camera Exchange, and other UK based suppliers as other postings have advised.
scampo
Steve Campsall
The RSPB shops often have good value all-in-one offers, and In Focus will also give a good deal. The Velbon (or In Focus) birding tripod is fine with a single pan/tilt handle and a removable plate.Britner said:
For that price, I suspect a Nikon or Opticron is your best choice of scope.
Try the 70mm Delta scope from infocus optics (www.infocusoptics.co.uk). YOu can get it for £200 with eyepiece (3 to choose from) and they do a decent (for the money) Velbon tripod for £38 when bought with the scope.
I had a look at a recent event and was quite impressed.
I am looking for a cheap scope too. I'm flitting between a cheaper scope but coupled with a better eyepiece (Opticron HDF) or better scope and cheaper lens (Opticron HR).
Thoughts anyone?
I had a look at a recent event and was quite impressed.
I am looking for a cheap scope too. I'm flitting between a cheaper scope but coupled with a better eyepiece (Opticron HDF) or better scope and cheaper lens (Opticron HR).
Thoughts anyone?
Leupold Sequoia
I'm not sure what these would cost in the Country's you're from, but I have a couple of my friends who swear by these scopes. I'm getting ready to buy one myself if I can't find anything else in that price range that I want more. I have a bit more money to spend than they did, but this scope still seems better than most scopes that are even hundreds higher in price. The one I'm looking at buying is the Leupold Sequoia Model #55888. It has the slant eyepiece. They offer the straight one for a couple of dollars less. It comes with both the tripod, and a hard carrying case. I found it in the U.S. between $260-$350USD.
I personally would never buy one used UNLESS it was from someone I really trusted, or that I could use first before buying. You could definitely run the risk of getting someone elses problem that way. I don't expect anyone to agree with that. I just don't feel it's wise to buy that way. There are very few items I would run the risk of buying used at all. Something such as a scope wouldn't be one of those. I would suggest getting as much feedback as you can on the scope you wish to buy, and/or trying it out before you buy if you have the capability of doing so. I do realize that that's not always possible, but at least check the company's warranty, and return policies in case you get one that is defective, or not to your liking. In other words, just cover your rear. $250 is not a great deal of money to some people, but usually still more than most would be willing to throw away.
Here is a link just to let you see what they look like: http://outdoorpioneer.com/index.cfm?event=ProductDetail&ProductID=5727
Good luck in your decision. Splash
adw73uk said:
I'm not sure what these would cost in the Country's you're from, but I have a couple of my friends who swear by these scopes. I'm getting ready to buy one myself if I can't find anything else in that price range that I want more. I have a bit more money to spend than they did, but this scope still seems better than most scopes that are even hundreds higher in price. The one I'm looking at buying is the Leupold Sequoia Model #55888. It has the slant eyepiece. They offer the straight one for a couple of dollars less. It comes with both the tripod, and a hard carrying case. I found it in the U.S. between $260-$350USD.
I personally would never buy one used UNLESS it was from someone I really trusted, or that I could use first before buying. You could definitely run the risk of getting someone elses problem that way. I don't expect anyone to agree with that. I just don't feel it's wise to buy that way. There are very few items I would run the risk of buying used at all. Something such as a scope wouldn't be one of those. I would suggest getting as much feedback as you can on the scope you wish to buy, and/or trying it out before you buy if you have the capability of doing so. I do realize that that's not always possible, but at least check the company's warranty, and return policies in case you get one that is defective, or not to your liking. In other words, just cover your rear. $250 is not a great deal of money to some people, but usually still more than most would be willing to throw away.
Here is a link just to let you see what they look like: http://outdoorpioneer.com/index.cfm?event=ProductDetail&ProductID=5727
Good luck in your decision. Splash
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adw73uk said:
Or even check out the secondhand scopes at In focus
http://www.at-infocus.co.uk/usedequipment.html
they will do the same tripod for the same price on those. They have a Nikon FS ED 60 with a 20x eyepiece for £249 thst together with their £38 tripod would be a superb choice.
Go secondhand
Personally I wouldn't consider buying a new scope on a restricted budget of around 200 pounds. I have an Opticron 60mm ED scope which I got secondhand for a lot less than one hundred pounds and it's a good scope with very clear images. A good number of birders have been pleasantly surprised by the clarity of my scope.
It might be a good idea to look through the completed listings on eBay. I noted recently that good Kowa scopes both ED and flourite lenses were going for 200-250 pounds. That has to be a very good buy and some of these had zoom lenses. They're just not the latest fetish shouting out at you from the magazines. A few years old that's all.
Personally I wouldn't consider buying a new scope on a restricted budget of around 200 pounds. I have an Opticron 60mm ED scope which I got secondhand for a lot less than one hundred pounds and it's a good scope with very clear images. A good number of birders have been pleasantly surprised by the clarity of my scope.
It might be a good idea to look through the completed listings on eBay. I noted recently that good Kowa scopes both ED and flourite lenses were going for 200-250 pounds. That has to be a very good buy and some of these had zoom lenses. They're just not the latest fetish shouting out at you from the magazines. A few years old that's all.
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Rob Smallwood
Well-known member
I agree - some ED-type scopes have sold on Ebay for a song recently.
Check the sellers rating first - but I have always found items I've bought off Ebay to be fine - and that includes telescopes.
Ignore too good to be true offers especially from abroad - they are likely to be bogus, yesterday a seller was advertising Leica APO 77's and Ultravids for next to nothing - both listings have been withdrawn.
Check the sellers rating first - but I have always found items I've bought off Ebay to be fine - and that includes telescopes.
Ignore too good to be true offers especially from abroad - they are likely to be bogus, yesterday a seller was advertising Leica APO 77's and Ultravids for next to nothing - both listings have been withdrawn.
