Bushnell spotting scopes (1 Viewer)

samuel walker

It's OK to be a little blue........

• Jan 4, 2004

• #1

I'm currently into my 2nd week with the Bushnell 50x15-45 spacemaster with adjustable eyepiece. This little noname is under 5lbs with pod does the job. At under $150 us I never liked a straight scope. The diopter can rotate 90 degrees to add elevation. The optics test came with a Northern Pintail at about 150 yards he was very bright with sharp image of the pintail. Because it is small, the effective zoom is about 15-30 mag. I admire the Swarovsky,Kowa ect. scopes and have been grateful when they were offered to me to look through. The Bushnell folks I think have a winner with price,weight and an instrument that will cover about 90o/o of the needs.
Good sightings,
Sam

 

scampo

Steve Campsall

• Jan 4, 2004

• #2

They are very highly and warmly regarded by many in the US, aren't they? They are also popular over here but not so much for birwatching. Maybe our light is poorer for much of the year and we need the extra light gathering power of a larger objective lens?

 

L

Leif

Well-known member

• Jan 4, 2004

• #3

scampo said:

They are very highly and warmly regarded by many in the US, aren't they? They are also popular over here but not so much for birwatching. Maybe our light is poorer for much of the year and we need the extra light gathering power of a larger objective lens?

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I took my Nikon 20x60 Spotting Scope to a local gravel pit, and found to my dismay that it provided just a smidgen more detail than my 8x42 binoculars! It wasn't really worth the hassle of bringing it along. I reckon the low light of a typical dreary grey English winters day was too much for the poor thing!

Steve: BTW How does your son's lovely 66mm Swaro scope perform on a dreary grey Winter day, and in woods? I'm going to upgrade my scope soon and the Swaro is on the short list.

 

scampo

Steve Campsall

• Jan 4, 2004

• #4

Hi Leif - Happy New Year to you and your family.

Well - you won't go far wrong with the Swaro 65ED, it is truly excellent even in even poor light, but I am very pleased, too, with my Nikon 82ED. In the gloom of yesterday's afternoon it really did give some incredible images. Amazingly it is just as compact in length as the Swarovski 65 and is now on special offer at In Focus. Look over both scopes before you decide - and make sure to look through wide angles as well as zoom eyepieces - the 30x wides on both scopes are stunning.

I know what you mean about the light, though. What we found the other day while looking through the twilight gloom at a short-eared owl was that both the Swarovski and the Nikon did little more than magnify the slight mistiness of the light to give quite a poor and rather disappointing greyish view. Yet both scopes were still better than either of our binos (Swaro + Optolyth) in allowing us to see more detail on the bird, so your experience was even worse than this by the sound of it. I doubt it was your scope's fault, though (but it could be the excuse you're looking for if you're thinking of upgrading! (-: ).

 

Last edited: Jan 4, 2004

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Leif

Well-known member

• Jan 4, 2004

• #5

Seve: Thanks for the informative reply and Happy New Year to the Scampo clan. I have decided to sell a few lenses that I never use to finance a new scope! Yes the 30xw eyepiece is the one I will go for.

 

samuel walker

It's OK to be a little blue........

• Jan 4, 2004

• #6

scampo said:

They are very highly and warmly regarded by many in the US, aren't they? They are also popular over here but not so much for birwatching. Maybe our light is poorer for much of the year and we need the extra light gathering power of a larger objective lens?

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I can see your point. It's the same reason I carry my mammoth Nikon 10x50s in winter and change to 10x42 Celestrons on sunnier days. I think the higher mag of the Bushnell will improve on brighter outings.
Good sightings,
Sam

 

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Bluetail

Senior Moment

• Jan 4, 2004

• #7

I have an old, battered Spacemaster which has done me proud service ever since I bought it in 1985! Back in those days it was all I couold afford and was just about the best value for money you could get. The scope itself has been very reliable and extremely weatherproof - it's only ever fogged up on me once and that was when I got caught in a torrential cloudburst. The eyepiece needs more care and I make sure I shelter it when it's raining (it's a 20x60 zoom eyepiece - an Opticron one I think - which performs just as well as the Bushnell 15x45).

Even today I think it's a very good scope. However there are so many times these days times when I want the extra performance of a Leica or Swarovski that I've finally decided I'm going to have to save up for one.

Jason

 

scampo

Steve Campsall

• Jan 4, 2004

• #8

Do try the Zeiss and Nikon, too, Jason!

(-:

 

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Bluetail

Senior Moment

• Jan 4, 2004

• #9

Indeed. But what with a wife, family and building society to support it's going to be a bit of a long haul. By the time I can afford it there may well be other contenders too. I suspect I'm going to asking everyone's advice!

Jason

 

scampo

Steve Campsall

• Jan 4, 2004

• #10

Now - Warehouse Express are all but giving away the last few Nikon ED78s! Your BSoc manager would be impressed with your spendthriftness!

 

pduxon

Quacked up Member

• Jan 4, 2004

• #11

Was trying a Fieldscope III with zoom on Saturday, it was just sitting there asking to be used! Got to be honest wasn't overly impressed with it. From a userability point of view and the optics didn't seem as good as my ES80 (wern't able to compare them side by side).

Did get to use a Leica APO Televid a few weeks back (thanks to a chap at Amwell) - now that was seriously good in very poor light.

 

scampo

Steve Campsall

• Jan 4, 2004

• #12

The newer design Fieldscope IIIED has been top-rated by reviewers several times, Peter, and some on this forum have the older model and speak very highly of it. I did read that the older design zoom is showing its age rather.

The Leica is a different kettle of fish - alongside the likes of the Swaro 80ED, Nikon ED82 and Zeiss T*85, I should think.

 

pduxon

Quacked up Member

• Jan 4, 2004

• #13

scampo said:

The newer design Fieldscope IIIED has been top-rated by reviewers several times, Peter, and some on this forum have the older model and speak very highly of it. I did read that the older design zoom is showing its age rather.

The Leica is a different kettle of fish - alongside the likes of the Swaro 80ED, Nikon ED82 and Zeiss T*85, I should think.

Click to expand...

Who is this Peter guy? Is this the teacher in you 3

It was brand new sitting in an RSPB shop on a 'pod. As I say wasn't impressed whereas I was with the Nikon bins I tried a while back.

Yup the Leica is that much more and boy did it show it.

 

scampo

Steve Campsall

• Jan 4, 2004

• #14

Aren't you Peter, Pete? You know it might well be the teacher in me - but I do often use full names. Does it sound teacherly?

Odd that I should write "Peter" really... I suppose if someone called me Steven here, it would seem unusual, too...

(-:

 

Last edited: Jan 5, 2004

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Edward woodwood

Member

• Jan 4, 2004

• #15

as scampo says Warehouse Express are almost giving away Nikon 78 EDs - the body was 1,000 a few years ago alone! You could get this and a lightweight Nikon or Kowa 60mm ED sec. hand for less than a new Swarovski 65mm (much more portable too!)


and if you want to see in the dark get some 7x42 Zeiss Dialyts

 

Last edited: Jan 4, 2004

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youngbart

Looking for answers.

• Mar 30, 2005

• #16

Bushnell Spacemaster 20-60x60mm with adjustable eyepiece

Sam,
I am looking at the Bushnell Spacemaster 20-60x60mm with the adjustable eyepiece. My budget is not very flexible at the moment so if this scope will do the trick for now I will be extremely happy. You mentioned that your 15-45x50mm was very bright and sharp. Have you been happy with your scope through and through? I was looking at the 20-60x60mm because of the larger objective lens, hopefully adding some brightness to the viewing. Have you found that the effective zoom of approx. 30 has been enough for you? Do you think that any mag over 30 with these scopes is too much (therefore making the 60 mag useless)? I have not had a chance to look at this scope as most stores in Canada do not have them in stock I was hoping that if you could answer these questions you could be my eyes for me.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Bart

 

samuel walker

It's OK to be a little blue........

• Mar 30, 2005

• #17

I've had the bushnell for over a year now.i don't find the field of view much good above 25-30x.That may be due to the size of the diopter.If the scope your looking at has a larger diopter it may prove better in the 30+ range.
Sam