Spotting Scope vs 600mm lens (2 Viewers)

[Barry Duggan]

Hi,
This may sound like a silly question....

I have been a keen wildlife photographer for a few years now. I use a Sigma 600mm lens and I am happy with it.

Through my photography I have gradually become more interested in bird watching, I joined a local club and invested in a good pair of binoculars.

I am considering buying a spotting scope to mainly use beside a huge estuary, where I live.

Will a scope give me much advantages over my 600mm lens with camera?.
Im not looking to digiscope, i won't be selling my 600mm lens. The scope would just be for bird identification. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Barry

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Hi Barry, welcome to birdforum.
A 600mm lens would give approximately 12x magnification in 35mm format - more akin to a powerful pair of binoculars than a telescope (where magnifications vary, but are generally in the 20x to 60x range).
Using a telescope for viewing over a prime lens would confer noticeable advance when trying to identify birds at range.
There are many threads on here where you can investigate what would be your best option in your given budget, but I would advise something in the region of an 80mm ED glass objective, with around 30x magnification, or a 20 - 60x zoom if you want more power.
Hope this helps!

 

[Barry Duggan]

Hi Barry, welcome to birdforum.
A 600mm lens would give approximately 12x magnification in 35mm format - more akin to a powerful pair of binoculars than a telescope (where magnifications vary, but are generally in the 20x to 60x range).
Using a telescope for viewing over a prime lens would confer noticeable advance when trying to identify birds at range.
There are many threads on here where you can investigate what would be your best option in your given budget, but I would advise something in the region of an 80mm ED glass objective, with around 30x magnification, or a 20 - 60x zoom if you want more power.
Hope this helps!

Thats really helpful advice, thank you.
My budget would be relatively low, 500-600 euro.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Thats really helpful advice, thank you.
My budget would be relatively low, 500-600 euro.

If you are happy with used, a Nikon ED fieldscope (82mm or 60mm) or Kowa (ending with 3 or 4 E.G. TSN-3 or Tsn 824) would be a nice option, giving up very little to the latest and greatest.

I will leave it up to others to comment on new options (Opticron / Hawke perhaps best).

Don't forget to allocate some budget for a decent tripod (if you don't already own one).

I've just noticed the following which would be a great value purchase:

KOWA TSN3 C/W NEW STYLE 30XWA & 20X-60X ZOOM SUPPLIED WITH KITE STAY-ON-CASE. - In Focus

MINT CONDTION CLASSIC KOWA SCOPE WITH 30XWA ( TWIST-UP EYE CUP), 20X-60X Z00M AND KITE STAY-ON-CASE.

www.at-infocus.co.uk

 

[jring]

Hi Barry,

first of all, welcome to birdforum!

Good advice from Daniel, there is a 77mm variant of the Nikon classic series too, which is also good, albeit rare. In general, classic fieldscopes are best bought with EPs included... as those are getting a bit rare nowadays and thus can get expensive if it is a desirable one...
Avoid the original 60mm Fieldscope or Fieldscope ED aka Mk I - they can use only some of the many eyepieces for the fieldscope series.

As for Kowa, some of the small bayonet Kowas (TSN-3/4, TSN-6XX) can use modern Opticron EPs which usually give a very nice combination if they work. See the Kowa eyepiece compatibility thread in the Kowa subforum.
The 820 series must absolutely come with the EP as they use a special mount and EPs are very rare. There is an adapter to use small body EPs but it's 150€ for the adapter alone...
Modern large bayonet Kowas are probably not in budget.

Joachim

 

[Montereyman]

Hi,
This may sound like a silly question....

I have been a keen wildlife photographer for a few years now. I use a Sigma 600mm lens and I am happy with it.

Through my photography I have gradually become more interested in bird watching, I joined a local club and invested in a good pair of binoculars.

I am considering buying a spotting scope to mainly use beside a huge estuary, where I live.

Will a scope give me much advantages over my 600mm lens with camera?.
Im not looking to digiscope, i won't be selling my 600mm lens. The scope would just be for bird identification. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Barry

A 600mm lens provides 12x image magnification. A 12x50 binocular will provide the same image magnification. I carry around 10x25 binoculars that weigh only 12 ounces when carrying a camera and a super telephoto lens in the field.

With the scope I own I put a Arca-Swiss lens plate on the bottom so I could use the same tripod with the scope or with lenses.

 

[TheBlackGrouse]

The preview screen of the camera has a zoom function so in the end you have at least 40x (effective) magnification. That said, when outside you can only identify birds by zooming, you don't find them with the viewfinder, unless you get a picture of every distant bird.

A scope makes it easy to find the interesting birds and to remember the important environmental details. Then you know where to aim even if you don't see the bird in the viewfinder. This method is used when you need proof that you saw a bird.

 

[Gzoladz74]

If you are in Ireland I have an Opticron HR GA ED 80mm angled to sell in mint condition. Specs below.

https://www.opticron.co.uk/our-products/fieldscopes/hr-fieldscopes/hr-80-ga-ed45-fieldscope