Please help me choose my first scope (1 Viewer)

I am after my first scope after predominantly using binoculars until now and would be very grateful for some advice. Im in New Zealand, so am a bit limited as to what I can get here, unless order online and factor in paying GST/Duty etc when it arrives into the country.

I am wanting a scope that would be suitable for a variety of climates, and had thought that I would want a waterproof scope as I may end up in humid rainforest type climates and we had a Canon SLR die after a trip to the Amazon once, and I want to avoid any chance of getting water/fog/condensation in the scope.

I had been looking at the Opticron MM3 60ED but I see that this is rain and dust proof and not 'waterproof'. Does anyone have any thoughts on this, and how important actually being 'nitrogen filled/waterproof' actually is? and if this is critical in this climate, then which scopes should i be looking at?

I've got about $2000 - $2500 NZ dollars to spend, which works out to be $1300-$1500 US dollars or 900 - 1100 british pounds. (less gst and shipping etc) Any advice would be very gratefully received, as i will need to be buying one without actually trying them due to the lack of retail outlets selling this sort of stuff in New Zealand.

Many thanks!

IMHO I would recommend a scope that is light enough to easily pack and sturdy enough...nothing is going to stop condensation, fungus and mold forever so a scope from a company that will service their product and back up their warranty. Some names that I have personally used are Kowa, Nikon and Swarovski and some that I have heard good things about here in the US are Vortex, Pentax, Zeiss and Leupold...Leica seems to be variable in service in my personal experience.
You might be able to find a clean, used Swaro, Nikon, Kowa or Zeiss in your price range by calling Eagle Optics, Cameralandny and SWFA. Sometimes Midway (which deals in hunting and shooting supplies) has good deals also.
Good luck.
Art

Hi. I have the Opticron MM3 and find it a superb little scope. Mounted on a nice light tripod its easy to carry all day no problem. With the waterproof case fitted have had no problem even with the uk weather. Regards CHris

I have the Pentax 65 EDII and paired with the Pentax XW14 (28x magnification) wide angle (70 degrees) gives a wide, bright image. The scope is light and both the scope and the eyepiece are fully waterproof. The scope cost me, in the UK, £314 last year from Microglobe in London - http://www.microglobe.co.uk/pentax-pf-65ed-straight-65mm-ed-ii-spotting-scope-body-p-5421.html - and the XW14mm eyepiece was £230 from another dealer. Infact since selling my angled Celestron Regal 80 F-ED scope I am now looking to get a Pentax PF 80ED straight scope to compliment the 65mm.
For the money I think it is an excellent package and you would have to spend an awful lot more for a slight benefit.
Food for thought anyway.

Les

Hi and welcome to Bird Forum.

One thing to bear in mind when you're choosing a scope is whether you prefer a straight-through or an angled body? Personally, I use an angled scope. It helps as I'm quite tall (well over 6 ft) and have to have my tripod centre column pretty well fully extended.

Where would you be using your scope the most? I find an angles body easier to use in forest conditions when scanning a canopy, but doesn't necessarily make much difference in other situations.

My own scope is an Opticron HR66 ED which I find superb value for money. As mentioned in previous posts, try and stick to a manufacturer with a good reputation for customer service. Again, don't dismiss used equipment. You can sometimes find some bargains. I appreciate that your number of suppliers may be limited, but don't be afraid to ask to try other birders' equipment to get a feel for usage in the field.

These are just my personal opinions, I'm sure there are plenty of others out there who can offer more advice on particular models etc.

Good luck with your selection.

Cheers

Thanks all. Ive been in touch with Opticron who confirmed to me that the MM3 60 ED is in fact waterproof. Now to get back into the research and make some decisions!

I decided on the Opticron MM3 60ED angled version with stay on case and the SDLv2 eyepiece. I bought it from In Focus in the UK and they shipped it to New Zealand. Excellent service, and a great scope in such a small package. Im delighted. The stay on case is also great and suits me well. The neoprene strap on the green case option is very comfortable. Many thanks again to all who assisted, both on this thread and as I've scoured the rest of the forums here while gleaning advice.

Glad to hear you are happy with your new scope Kiwi. I am sure it will continue to provide viewing enjoyment for years to come.

FrankD said:

Glad to hear you are happy with your new scope Kiwi. I am sure it will continue to provide viewing enjoyment for years to come.

Click to expand...

Frank,
What are the advantages of the SDL zoom eyepiece over the HDF. The site doesn't say much about it.

Hi,

while I am not Frank, I suspect that it's the field flattener in the SDL zoom - mine is sharp to the edge - unlike the Kowa zoom which would have been an alternative - never tried the HDF zoom unfortunately.

The Opticron pages are not too elaborate on the eyepieces...

Joachim

Pileatus said:

Frank,
What are the advantages of the SDL zoom eyepiece over the HDF. The site doesn't say much about it.

Click to expand...

Pileatus,

If I am not mistaken the SDL V2 is waterproof and with a slightly wider field of view at one end of the magnification range.

The SDL is also sharper than the HDF, the eye-relief doesn't vary as much across the zoom range and whilst not totally par-focal, it requires less re-focussing than the HDF.

As Frank mentions, it is waterproof which the HDF is not. FOV is wider at the high end of the zoom range but slightly narrower at the low end.

HTH

Cheers, Pete

I really haven't had much time to play with my MM3 60 w/HDF, but it's really hard to imagine the SDL is a sharper eyepiece!

Of course I see Pete is the marketing mgr...

hey mate congrats on your purchase..

I went through the same process as you in that being in Perth, Western Australia - we are also very limited in the no. of retailers who carry spotting scopes and also have stock of them.

I ended up buying the Vortex Razor 65mm, but the itch to get a larger diameter scope just didn't go away, so I ended up with a Razor 85mm.

Rest of my optics have always been Swaro (couple of EL binos) so the itch to just get the Swaro spotting scope was STILL there so I ended up with a Swaro ATS 80mm.

Now i have 3 spotting scopes where I only intended to get one.

The one additional use I had of my scope over the wildlife viewing and birding was astronomy. I camp a lot with my kids and I wanted a portable, all in one, solution so I can sweep the skies. I also have an 80mm refractor but this isn't weatherproof or dust sealed etc so I prefer the ruggedness of a spotting scope.

That was the key driver in me upgrading from 65mm to 85mm. The change from the Vortex to Swaro was because I struggled to get focus to infinity on the Vortex. Focus knob stops almost AT infinity but doesnt quite get there. just seems to be a couple of degrees off...

so this compounded with me always wanting the Swaro since first looking at scopes made me just get the ATS 80 in the end anyway but at twice the cost when i consider the purchases of both Vortex scopes.

visually, there's very little between the Razor 85mm and the Swaro ATS.

Thats my opinion based on some visual checks - I certainly haven't done any technical tests between the two, however to my eyeball(s) there appears to be identical contrast, sharpness and colour rendition between the two units.

Now i just need to get rid of 2

cheers
Jeelan

Bill Atwood said:

I really haven't had much time to play with my MM3 60 w/HDF, but it's really hard to imagine the SDL is a sharper eyepiece!

Of course I see Pete is the marketing mgr...

Click to expand...

I have the SDLv2 on an MM3 50 and have compared the HDF, personally I thought the HDF was a little brighter and less fussy about eye placement, I find the SDL more prone to blackouts. But to me the SDL does show more detail above 30x, IMO, and has a sharper edge, also the fact its waterproof here around Dartmoor clinched it for me, and I`m sure it will be important in New Zealand.

Trouble is it does make the 50mm feel unbalanced because of its bulk and weight, I`m sure it would be a better fit with the 60mm.