which spotting scope?

[grit]

I'm in the market for a new spotting scope, as my old one was stolen.

I realize it's entirely unpopular not to mortgage something to buy glass, but I don't want to. I would appreciate all your recomendations for a mid priced spotting scope.

I looked through a leupold sequoia with the angled eye piece. I didn't take this scope outside, but it cetainly looked good in the store. The eye relief was much better than the b&l elite I had before. Any comments on this scope?

Thanks all.

 

[Buffalobob]

Well, I wouldn't know a good spotting scope from a toad frog but the advice I took was to get the Kowa 82 mm with a fixed wide angle lens (not flourite). It certainly is in a different league than anything I have ever looked through before. Of course, I mortgaged the house to pay for it and now live in a hole in the side of a hill.

 

[Jimm]

What hill ? how far ?

Dig down , /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Jim B.

 

[abinok]

How much you looking to spend? Theres some great scopes out there in the 300-400 range, and a few lower... but not many.

 

[Buffalobob]

Hobbit Hill. You just need to burrow in far enough so the woofs don't get you at night.



One the subject of spotting scopes what I learned in my effort is that the variable lenses are second class lenses. For clarity, sharpness and field of view go with fixed power eye piece lenses. You might have to buy a couple of eyepeices to get all of your needs covered.

 

[grit]

Abinok,
Hmm, I'd prefer to stay under $500. Leupold Sequoia was $289. Virtually painless.

 

[royinidaho]

I have a Nikon Spotter XL II that I am plum pleased with.

Most of my "finding" is w/16X and 'Serious' stuff is around 20X. 30X is max for these old eyes.

I would think that a 20X fixed would be about optimal..

 

[Jimm]

Grit ,

I bought one of my sons the Leupold Sequoia. At a 600 yd shoot a little while back I got to look through it alongside the Kowa that Buffalobob . There was no comparison , however the Leupold has a variable eyepiece and the Kowa had a fixed power . Still the Kowa was light ( heh, heh ) years ahead of the loopie . I think the Kowa angled body can be bought for a tad over 500 , Ask Buffalobob he knows , that would still leave you needing an eypiece but hey ! just consider that a different purchase /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If you buy the Leupold the chances are you will want to upgrade at some point so spend now save later . /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Jim B.

 

[bailey1474]

[ QUOTE ]
If you buy the Leupold the chances are you will want to upgrade at some point so spend now save later .


[/ QUOTE ]

Amen. I wouldn't waste my money on the Leupy. Save up and buy something good the first time. It will be cheaper in the long run.

 

[grit]

I'll take a look at the Nikon. I'm of fan of thier rifle scopes. Thanks Roy. Nice to hear from ya.

 

[goodgrouper]

Guys, the Sequoai is a Wind RIver product and is only sold through Leupold. Leupold has their own line of spotters which I think look 95% as good as my Swaro but they are double the mentioned price range.

I agree that the Wind River stuff is pretty bad but in optics, you get what you pay for unfortunately. It is one area of life where there is no free lunch.

My advice has been and always will be that when it comes to optics, buy right once and cry once then be glad you did. It is better to eat Ramen noodles for a few months and get what you really want rather than buy crap now and wish you had bought better for the rest of your life (whilst all along you pay the extra few cents to supersize your value meal when you could have been eating noodles instead!). Get my point?

 

[grit]

Hey GG,

Always the champion of Leupold. I know the wind rivers are only distributed by Leupold, and they're not high quality. Are they good enough for me? I dunno yet.

Your advice to buy the best is good advice. Your experience is undeniable.

My thinking is this:
First, there's a point of diminishing returns. An example would be my hunting partners binoculars. Swaros, $1700. Mine, Bushnell elite, $350. Are his better? Absolutely. 5X better? Not even close. Am I happy with mine? Absolutely. Having looked through both, would I spend the money to buy his? Never. Why? First, I appreciate value. Second, It wouldn't be ethical for me to spend $1700. $1700 would represent to great a chunk of my more important responsibilities.

What I want is a high value to quality ratio. I can afford mid range optics. I can tell my wife I spent the price of mid-range optics without her telling me I've squandered our precious resources (have to keep the gas tank full).

I'll use my most recent optics purchase as an example. I bought a Nikon Monarch. I looked at the leupys and ziess as well. The Nikon was 60% of the cost of a comparable ziess or leupy. My opinion is the scope is at least 100% of the quality of the zeiss or leupy.
You may argue Nikon doesn't have leupolds customer service. You may be right. I don't think I'll find out.

Perhaps, as I become more experienced mid range glass won't meet my needs. It does now. I don't think I ask of my glass what you do of yours.

Thanks for the input.

 

[bailey1474]

[ QUOTE ]
Guys, the Sequoai is a Wind RIver product and is only sold through Leupold. Leupold has their own line of spotters which I think look 95% as good as my Swaro but they are double the mentioned price range

[/ QUOTE ]

My dad has one of these (there gold ring spotter I believe)and while it is very high quality, it doesn't hold a candle to the Swaro Lerch and I just bought, but I don't expect it to at about 1/3 of the price. Still though it is a very good spotter.

 

[barnesgrunt]

hey grit, I bought a 22-66x100 Celestron a couple months
back and love it. It's a big piece glass and a little on the heavy side, but for some serious long range glassing I think it does an awsome job. Costs around $350.