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Message: <blockquote data-quote="solitaryVSong" data-source="post: 1608575" data-attributes="member: 77930">I decided to open a new thread on this though my guess is that it will be short-lived. Still people might revive it from time to time with new thoughts and questions.It seems to me that most people here have scopes and use them in their work, though I may be wrong. For me I know it's really necessary. I just don't see enough with just my eyes and it's difficult to use binos, then put them down and draw, pick them up again to see, put them down, etc. I love my binos but they don't work well for sketching.I've been using an ancient Bushnell Spacemaster but have decided to buy a new scope. Based on all the good reviews of the tiny Nikon ED50 I decided to order that. And I did but I got a larger Nikon 60 mm Fieldscope III delivered instead. I actually started a thread on whether to keep it on the scopes forum.But this is probably a better place to ask. What do you use? Do you find that the most important thing is light weight because then you actually carry the scope with you? Do you use a 60mm all the time and find that you don't notice the weight? I haven't yet tried the 60 mm. It's twice the cost of the ED 50 which I talked myself into believing I could afford. Do you have separate scopes for birding and for sketching? My guess is that the artists here are no wealthier or less impoverished than artists anywhere so they probably only have one scope.Thanks for any thoughts on this. I really do lean toward the tiny, light ED50. But I know that the 60mm is  probably better. It's just a matter of whether I'd actually carry it with me all the time because of its weight, and if it makes sense to spend all that extra money.Ken</blockquote>

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