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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kevin Conville" data-source="post: 1578813" data-attributes="member: 63161">Matt says:"Every spotting scope I have used, except for really large, top notch/alpha types breaks down at about 45x (often before). The view becomes unacceptably dark. Larger scopes that number will be higher. So if magnification, and only magnification improves what detail is visible, then a spotting scope should actually have a better image as one zooms in." "Unacceptably dark" is subjective, but regarding this topic, is somewhat irrelevant. The topic is resolution, the ability to discern detail. One can have a dimmer high mag image and yet discern more detail than a lower mag, brighter image.Also, no one on this thread said anything like "So if magnification, and only magnification improves what detail is visible..." That's silly.The OP asked "In viewing animals in low light which is more helpful magnification or exit pupil?" In my answer I say, in effect, magnification first, aperture second but allowing for an optic that one is likely to use, that allows for enough light to get the job done and excludes the theoretical extremes."I would love to see a better solution to this than just Twilight Factor, which factors in exit pupil, mag, objective size and available light."What else is there? Twilight Factor is not a perfect answer and really is best applied to commonly used optics, but I'm not aware of a better answer and trying to factor in environmental variables would be a "challenge" <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></blockquote>

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