Spotting Scopes at Aldi - £26 (1 Viewer)

Marmot · Feb 2, 2009

For those of you interested in a cheap scope as a spare or even a starter. Aldi have got the scopes back on this Sunday [8th] for £26.

I have one myself and it is good for the money paid. It comes with a 3 year guarantee.

So if you want one suggest you be standing on the steps of your local Aldi as the doors open on Sunday.

Gez · Feb 2, 2009

Well Spotted.

Marmot · Feb 3, 2009

Here is the threads/write up on the ones members have got in previous years offers and on the whole it is a thumbs up.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=106929&highlight=aldi
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=77832&highlight=aldi

Carless · Feb 4, 2009

I don't have a tripod at all, so am very tempted. The best magnification we have are some old soviet 20x60mm binoculars which seem to me (limited experience and knowledge) quite good, particularly if you can rest them on something, like the "window" of a hide. If the tripod has a standard screw and is of acceptable quality, it would be worth it for the tripod alone. And the 60x magnification would probably be quite useful in good light conditions too, I'd imagine.

Claymore · Feb 4, 2009

Carless said:
I don't have a tripod at all, so am very tempted. The best magnification we have are some old soviet 20x60mm binoculars which seem to me (limited experience and knowledge) quite good, particularly if you can rest them on something, like the "window" of a hide. If the tripod has a standard screw and is of acceptable quality, it would be worth it for the tripod alone. And the 60x magnification would probably be quite useful in good light conditions too, I'd imagine.

I think the tripods are only 12" tall, the scopes are very good for the money. They have been selling identical ones in Sunday papers etc for £99.00 so they are a bargain!
Cheerio
Brian
ps has anyone tried digiscoping with the Aldi/Lidl scopes?

Carless · Feb 4, 2009

Claymore said:
I think the tripods are only 12" tall, the scopes are very good for the money. They have been selling identical ones in Sunday papers etc for £99.00 so they are a bargain!
Cheerio
Brian
ps has anyone tried digiscoping with the Aldi/Lidl scopes?

The 12" tripod isn't as tempting as a full sized tripod, but better than nothing. The links above suggest that the image gets dark around 32-40x. Since our maximum magnification at present is 20x, this scope would be useful. I think I'm going to buy one (or attempt to buy one). I live a shortish distance from an Aldi, so that helps.

Claymore · Feb 4, 2009

Carless said:
The 12" tripod isn't as tempting as a full sized tripod, but better than nothing. The links above suggest that the image gets dark around 32-40x. Since our maximum magnification at present is 20x, this scope would be useful. I think I'm going to buy one (or attempt to buy one). I live a shortish distance from an Aldi, so that helps.

I bought one last year and they are excellent for the money, I saw some larger ones at Lidl recently but they were larger front lens and £99.
Cheers
Brian

Carless · Feb 4, 2009

Claymore said:
I bought one last year and they are excellent for the money, I saw some larger ones at Lidl recently but they were larger front lens and £99.
Cheers
Brian

After speaking to my partner who is interested in astronomy too, it looks like if we're going to spend even £26, we'd be better off getting a full size, even if not incredible quality tripod, and the correct adapter to connect our tento binoculars to. Less magnification, but more stability.

Though, my reason for posting this is: if anyone has other viewpoints, I'd appreciate hearing them and will consider them. But it seems that our limiting factor at the moment is not the amount of magnification itself, but holding the magnifying device still.

In the long run, something more expensive but with a bigger objective lens might be the way to go. I do like the idea of spotting scopes and am jealous

when I see people with them.

Claymore · Feb 4, 2009

Carless said:
After speaking to my partner who is interested in astronomy too, it looks like if we're going to spend even £26, we'd be better off getting a full size, even if not incredible quality tripod, and the correct adapter to connect our tento binoculars to. Less magnification, but more stability.

Though, my reason for posting this is: if anyone has other viewpoints, I'd appreciate hearing them and will consider them. But it seems that our limiting factor at the moment is not the amount of magnification itself, but holding the magnifying device still.

In the long run, something more expensive but with a bigger objective lens might be the way to go. I do like the idea of spotting scopes and am jealous when I see people with them.

Hi,
I can recomend these: http://www1.clikpic.com/Redsnapper/photo_1036442.html
They are excellent tripods, very solid and well made! I have one myself.
Cheerio
Brian

Carless · Feb 7, 2009

Famous last words, saying I wouldn't buy one of the Aldi scopes. My local Aldii had a huge pile of them. They assured me that I could return it if I didn't like it, so I bought it. I set it up quickly outside Aldi, and it seemed promising. I was reasoning that our family day out (park, birds, bread, snow) had cost almost nothing. It was there on the shelf, and I wanted one. So now we have one.

The tripod is a bit of comedy relief. But I'm decided that we're going to get a good one at some point.

We've tried pointing it out of our window. With the fading light, we didn't get much on higher magnification. But it looks very much that the scope will easily justify its price and we'll keep it. Even with the stuff we have already, we usually decide what selection we're going to take out with us, and this £26 scope will make a useful option.

Tonight my partner is going to try and point it at the moon. We're aware this is being rather optimistic, but it doesn't hurt to try.

BTW: Including the scope, and a fair selection of food, my shopping came to under £30.

Marmot · Feb 7, 2009

Well done, and good on Aldi letting you have it a day early. It can easily be put in the boot of the car and not really matter if it gets knocked about a bit. Who knows there may be one day you see something in the distance and out comes the scope and you find that rarity!

One thing it took me a day or so to find out was that you can extend the far end of it. Felt so stupid when I eventually found this bit out.

Carless · Feb 7, 2009

My local Aldi always seems to put out the specials a day early. And stock is always plentiful. I bought the rice cooker from a few weeks ago a day early, and they still have those now. My local Aldi has about 40-50 of the scopes in stock, which I thought a bit ambitious.

With the bag to put the scope in, it'll be easy to carry around. But not in the car boot! (See my username).

Sunday morning edit: Now that the sun's out, I've been looking at lichen on people's roofs. Even at 60x it seems OK. I can see fringing on edges, and the colour seems a bit washed out compared to 20x. But I certainly think that in good light even 60x is usable.

SiG · Feb 8, 2009

Picked up three of these today. One now permanently here in the study focussed on the feeders. Bargain.

Doncaster_birder · Feb 8, 2009

Bought one of these today, i was impressed with the quality of the scope for the price! All i need to do now is find a hide clamp to fit it on to!

For the people who have one of the scopes do you think it would fit onto an Opticron Universal II hide clamp?

Marmot · Feb 8, 2009

When I got mine a few years ago at Aldi they only had about a dozen in the shop at opening time, when we went today [for the nestbox cam] there must have been about 40 scopes. They must have upped the amount ordered due to increased demand for them.

The bloke behind us got 2.

Clive A · Feb 8, 2009

Also picked one up today,at £26 you can't go wrong. Great for watching garden birds, or just leave it in the car for everyday use.

Capercaillie71 · Feb 8, 2009

I also got one today, as I was passing Aldi on the way to my mother-in-law's. As everyone else says - you can't go wrong at that price. I found the image lacked a little sharpness and it was definitely more effective at 20x than 60x, but it does the job really very well. The tripod is a bit of a joke, but who cares?

There were 30-40 left in the shop (Westhill, Aberdeenshire) when I was there at mid-day, so there should still be plenty tomorrow - it didn't look like they were going that fast.

paffman · Feb 8, 2009

Aldi Scope

Hi all,

New to this forum. Just bought the Adventuridge scope from Aldi's - £26. Just bought it as a first scope as I have not had one before. I have read about the failings, but as it is cheap you can't complain.

Questions...

When you use anything from 40x plus the vision is darker and less sharp - I take it this is normal??

When I focus one something at about 40x and re-adjust the focus the thing I have focused on moves, nearly out of vision as if the focus adjuster seems to move something - is this normal for a cheapie scope or is there a fault?

Regards,
Steve
:eat:

IanF · Feb 8, 2009

paffman said:
Hi all,

New to this forum. Just bought the Adventuridge scope from Aldi's - £26. Just bought it as a first scope as I have not had one before. I have read about the failings, but as it is cheap you can't complain.

Questions...

When you use anything from 40x plus the vision is darker and less sharp - I take it this is normal??

When I focus one something at about 40x and re-adjust the focus the thing I have focused on moves, nearly out of vision as if the focus adjuster seems to move something - is this normal for a cheapie scope or is there a fault?

Regards,
Steve
:eat:

On any scope the view dims as you increase zoom magnification.

Ideally if the subject is in the centre of the view at 20x then it should be at 60x as well and shouldn't change position when adjusting the focus - more likely a reflection of the budget scope though than a fault as such.

They're great value though.

Lawts · Feb 8, 2009

Capercaillie71 said:
I also got one today, as I was passing Aldi on the way to my mother-in-law's. As everyone else says - you can't go wrong at that price. I found the image lacked a little sharpness and it was definitely more effective at 20x than 60x, but it does the job really very well. The tripod is a bit of a joke, but who cares?

There were 30-40 left in the shop (Westhill, Aberdeenshire) when I was there at mid-day, so there should still be plenty tomorrow - it didn't look like they were going that fast.

Is it not a " for one day only" offer though?

I'll probably get one for the following scenarios:

1) Birding abroad - so what if it gets bashed about in the suitcase, or lost.

2) Birding at Skelton Lake, (Leeds) - go ahead mug me.

3) Sat out in the pouring rain on a long twitch - keep it as dry as possible, but keep your best scope drier.

Just not sure if they can be bought the day after.

Spotting Scopes at Aldi - £26 (1 Viewer)

Well-known member

Active member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

On a mission

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

New member

Moderator

Supa Silly Un

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread