Hi All,
I am a new one in the forums. I want to purchase my first spotting scope. The budget is under $1000. I am hesitating between Pentax PF-80ED-A with 8-24mm eye piece ($900) and Vortex Razor HD 20-60x85 ($700). I think for me the image quality (at 20-60 mag) is the first. I will mainly use them for bird and wildlife observation. Do you have any suggestions? Any idea will be appreciated.
Here are some photos I took recently with 500mm lense. I found it was limited some time. So a scope is necessary.
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Cool pictures. I'm more green than you! But I just got my first spotting scope. I'm already looking into photography given it's easy transition and relationship with optics.
I recently acquired a Kowa 55a scope and I'm the next hour or so from this post will be trying to give some thoughts and experiential knowledge despite my very recent entrance into this birding activity.
Very cool pictures maybe you can give me a good suggestion for a camera under 1k USD. I was looking at a P1000 with it's rediculous zoom and what I'm guessing is no need for changing lens. It's all one and done kit. I already have a tripod.
The bit of knowledge and wisdom I can give into your choices are these
1 How far, miles? and long, days? are you rucking your gear? Strength level, care of equipment you might need and want a car along with a tripod and it seems like you will have a camera and other gear, do you have a good backpack rucksack?
2 do you have known distances?
For me, I have relative distances of 200m - 400m, 750m, and a 1k+.
Thus far these have tended to be, due to terrain, forest, ridge/spurs/cliffs, and water, rivers, have been the defining factors in a regional area.
My scope Kowa 55A performs excellent from 17x to about 35 - 36/7.5x free max of 40x has noticeable degradation to discerning optical afficionados.
I do not have the custom Kowa neoprene stay on case yet. But it will be arriving from Germany in the next couple of weeks.
That will add slight weight, negligible to me, but the bulk volume size is a strong consideration as currently it fits so very nicely in the top zip compartment of my Osprey Atmos AG 50 liter ruck.
I'm further considering to purchase a much greater stronger bag so Thai I can store it inside the ruck of I'm going farther distances say small mountains and plateaus.
The size is excellent bc I can fit it in the top pouch of my ruck, in a backpack or side water bottle sleeve is awesome in portability. The weight is considering it's size but that bc of all the glass. Optically this is about the best of the best in its class.
Here's what you really need to ask yourself and the real conundrum....
Put yourself in my shoes....
I personally can carry more, weight, and as far as size is concerned I can fit and carry a larger scope in my pack. It won't fit, conveniently, into the top zip pocket on the ruck or anywhere else but in a case and inside contained in the ruck.
The next size up is the Kowa 66A, FYI A represents an angled scope identifier,of which I really only want an angled scope not a straight. The 66A is not that much longer or heavier neither is the 88A. The difference is the utility of this optical marvel.... The magnification power.
I'm strongly considering to sell my brand new Kowa55A and get a 66A or the 88A.
All of this consideration in the idea of getting greater magnification. I have more options with zoom and greater resolve distances with simply put a larger objective lens.
That's my 7cents on the matter. I hope it helps give you some perspective and helps in your consideration.
Distance, time, strength /endurance, weight, utility magnification, money
2Gunns
