Depends on what he wants to do with it. If he is just going to take it out of the truck and walk 10 yards and set it up then that is one thing. If he is going to backpack into a remote area with it that is another thing. There is a wide range in weights.
There is a wide range of lenses available. I have two lenses - 21XWA and 32XWA and will probably get another. They all have a functions and purpose. There are advantages to zoom lenses and disadvantages.
Much like rifle scopes and binoculars, the size of the objective will govern the light it admits. If your friend is just shooting benchrest or Pdogs where low light will not be encountered then you will not need a big objective.
In other words a piece of equipment should be selected to fit the need for which it will be used. Compromises will most likely need to be made. If you provide more information on then you will get better answers.