Another first scope help post (1 Viewer)

[FJDave]

Hello everyone. I'm looking for a small yet rugged spotting scope. This will be my first but doubt it will be my last. I like to walk in the woods and ride a dual sport motorcycle and would like to be able to bring this along as well as my small binoculars in my rather small backpack. Many times I have a collapsable walking stick that can double as a monopod. I am quite tall and will most likely need to get an angled version. I have been looking at the Minox 50mm but can't find much to read about it. I feel it might well fit the criteria I'm looking for but am looking for help and opinions from all of you who have much more experience than me. Thanks!

 

[Keith Dickinson]

check out the Opticron GS52 GA ED, this is a cracking little scope. I've been using it for a year and have been well pleased with it. Gave up using a Kowa 823 due to a fractured elbow causing problems and can honestly say I don't really notice the difference.
It's small enough to be almost hand holdable.

 

[FJDave]

check out the Opticron GS52 GA ED, this is a cracking little scope. I've been using it for a year and have been well pleased with it. Gave up using a Kowa 823 due to a fractured elbow causing problems and can honestly say I don't really notice the difference.
It's small enough to be almost hand holdable.

Thank you. I've done some reading and it gets very good reports. I can't seem to find it in the US for pricing though. And when converting the price it seems more than what I want to spend to tote around. However I would consider it later for home. I had always read that Nikon (ED50?) was the one to get but it too was more than I want to spend this time. The Opticron seems to beat the Nikon so I will study this more in the future for sure. The little Minox is less than $200.00 to my door with eyepiece. I'm looking for something better in that price range I think. If I step up to the Opticron (and I may) I probably wouldn't carry it around biking.

 

[RJM]

Opticron is a UK/EU only rebrander of asian-made optics. A VERY similar brand in the US is Vixen. Not sure what reviews you have read, but I seriously doubt there is a better 50mm optic than the Nikon ED50. But if you don't want to pay for ED objective lens, this Vixen is a nice deal. VNA aka Tele Vue, was the old authorized distributor for Vixen Japan in the USA up until ~5yrs ago. Amazing they still have some dead stock.

 

[FJDave]

Opticron is a UK/EU only rebrander of asian-made optics. A VERY similar brand in the US is Vixen. Not sure what reviews you have read, but I seriously doubt there is a better 50mm optic than the Nikon ED50. But if you don't want to pay for ED objective lens, this Vixen is a nice deal. VNA aka Tele Vue, was the old authorized distributor for Vixen Japan in the USA up until ~5yrs ago. Amazing they still have some dead stock.

Oh I understand. I will read more when I can, thanks. Here is where I was reading about the Opticron being compared to the Nikon. http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=147883

I know next to nothing about spotters. In fact I don't think I have ever looked through one.

 

[mooreorless]

I read that whole thread and no where did I see a side by side comparison to the Nikon 50ED Fieldscope. After having the use of a Nikon 50ED and even using the big zoom with it I am very impressed by it.

 

[FJDave]

I certainly don't want to argue but I took post #10 as someone who compared the two. Chris Galvin stated "As for the ED50 I have tested this against an ED50 last weekend and to me the GS52 GA ED was brighter, sharper and with a wider field of view". That was why I said what I did. I am in no way putting down the Nikon. (I like Nikon) I'm just looking for something with decent performance for as little as possible to carry around and share with my 8 yr old boy without worries.

 

[mooreorless]

Hi, Sorry if I came across a little harsh and missed that little bit of comparison, after all we are here to help each other. There are a lot of variables when comparing scopes like these, what magnification was used in each scope etc. If this scope is so good why have we not heard that much about it. I have never seen anything like this advertised in N.America unless I am missing something. I have heard people talking about the Opticron Mighty Midget. If the GS52 GA ED is anything close to the Nikon 50ED than it is worth it and would be a good scope for you and your boy. At $700 a Nikon 50ED would be a worry. I notice that some dealers in UK will ship out of the country, but then you get into more money of course.

Maybe this will bring out people that have tried this scope to say what they think.

 

[mayoayo]

For what I have read in this forum,Chris Galvin,from Opticron, is very neutral in His reviews and opinions about Opticron Optics...So If He found the small GS52 ED to be better than the ED50 ,I am sure The scope is at least as good..after all the Prism design and specifications seem to point that can be that good.(His is not the only side by side comparison I have read,most of the comparison being a tie beetwen both scopes..although the GS52 Ergonomics are also in advantage,with the rotatory collar!!!)...Problem is that with the dollar value at the moment it would be very expensive to buy in british pounds or Euros...

Vixen Optics, besides the scope that RMJ pointed, offers an ED version of the Geoma,also available in an angled configuration..Opticron also sells it ,by the way, it is called the MM II ED(mighty midget!!).
I think it will be somewhere between the ED50/GS52ED , top notch optic performance,and the Minox that you were thinking about...It is also a COLLAPSABLE scope,making it a very compact little bundle..Vixen fix power eyepieces and zoom ,are very good,,the zoom has been a standard for astronmy for years..I saw the body for 350 at the vixen site,maybe can be found cheaper with some time to research...

 

[FJDave]

Wow, thank you both very much! I look to you guys for guidance and appreciate all the help offered. I do try to read as much as I can too. My main worries with the Opticron would be as stated, the dollar value and shipping as well as warranty issues. If any should arise that might mean more overseas shipping and I don't think I would be comfortable with that. I will probably stay with names I'm familiar with for now. The Minox is very appealing because of the price. If I think I'll like scoping and would use it more I will try to save for an alpha, even if I go with pre-owned. I've come to trust the people on here so that will be a way to squeeze a little more value out of my already beat up dollar...(we won't go there though). :-O

 

[mooreorless]

I did try a cheap ED scope from Predator Optics. This one would be good if you are worried about price and comes with a nice stay on case that is actually usable. I have no money connection with this outfit, but he did send me on of these scopes to try out. If you wear glasses the ER gets tight.

If anybody is bothered by dead animal images I would not click on the customer's photos on Predator Optics site.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=193685