Spotting scope recommendation
- Thread starter tracker12
- Start date
D
deserteagle500
Guest
bauch and laum. i really like mine. crystal clear.
beat this
beat this
dgwoody
Active Member
- Messages
- 353
>bauch and laum. i really like
>mine. crystal clear.
>
>
>
>
>beat this
Bauch and Laum sold out to burris. (or bushnell?) My old man bought one before they sold the company. He loved it, until the mounting piece broke while guiding. He sent it in and they sent him a new burris, which he hates. I would go with the swarovski 80mm with the angled eye piece. For something on the lower end, I love my Nikon.
>mine. crystal clear.
>
>
>
>
>beat this
Bauch and Laum sold out to burris. (or bushnell?) My old man bought one before they sold the company. He loved it, until the mounting piece broke while guiding. He sent it in and they sent him a new burris, which he hates. I would go with the swarovski 80mm with the angled eye piece. For something on the lower end, I love my Nikon.
antlerrick
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 2,626
We have a Leica and a Swaro, but sent our Leica in for some "minor" repairs when it was two months old. Three years later, they still haven't returned it, so I'll have to stick with a Swarovski as it has been so long since I used the Leica, that I can't remember... Very poor customer service!!!!!
chipc
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 1,061
I bought a Pentax PDF -65 EDA last year and love it. They are around $650 or so. I think its a great compromise between size and optical quality. I tried 'em all and In my opinion I get about 98 % of the light gathering ability of an 80mm with about 1/2 the weight and bulk. I also compared the premium german glass. The slight increase in optical quality did not come close to justifying the price difference. The Optics forum has a lot of excellent info and reviews. Check it out. GOOD LUCK. C.C.
couesbitten
Active Member
- Messages
- 649
I "accidentally" won a Swaro 65 on e-bay, but if I hadn't, I was intending to buy a Vortex Nomad. Everything I've read or heard has been great. Have a look at the link below. Scott
http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID5/10647.html
http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID5/10647.html
huntnphool
Active Member
- Messages
- 296
FWIW, I have owned most of the scopes out there and the Swarovskis are the brightest and clearest under all conditions I have run into. If price is not your determining factor, don't even waist your time, start with the Swaros and you will never look back.................rf
HNTBIGBULLS
Active Member
- Messages
- 654
LAST SPRING I BOUGHT TWO VORTEX
SPOTTERS, THE STRAIGHT 80 AND
THE ANGLE 60. I AM TOTALLY
HAPPY WITH THEM, I AM NOT SAYING
THEY ARE AS GOOD AS THE SWAROS
BUT FOR THE MONEY YOU CANT BEAT
THEM.
I PACKED THE 60 ON MY SMALL TRIPOD
WHILE ON MY MUZZY HUNT AND LEFT
THE 80 ON THE CARBON FIBER VORTEX
TRIPOD FOR MY SPOTTERS, BOTH OF THEM
WILL BE GETTING SCOPES AND TRIPODS.
I BOUGHT ALL THREE FOR UNDER $900.00.
SPOTTERS, THE STRAIGHT 80 AND
THE ANGLE 60. I AM TOTALLY
HAPPY WITH THEM, I AM NOT SAYING
THEY ARE AS GOOD AS THE SWAROS
BUT FOR THE MONEY YOU CANT BEAT
THEM.
I PACKED THE 60 ON MY SMALL TRIPOD
WHILE ON MY MUZZY HUNT AND LEFT
THE 80 ON THE CARBON FIBER VORTEX
TRIPOD FOR MY SPOTTERS, BOTH OF THEM
WILL BE GETTING SCOPES AND TRIPODS.
I BOUGHT ALL THREE FOR UNDER $900.00.
C
CouesSniper
Guest
I have a 80mm Swarovski HD and wouldn't trade it for anything. It's pretty heavy, but well worth it in my opinion. Last year me and my old man were in Mexico Coues hunting when my dad said he thought he had a good buck, but couldn't make out his antlers. He has the 65mm Swaro. He asked to borrow my scope, so of course i came over and let him use it. He sets it up, laughs and says 'nevermind, it's a bush'. Go with the 80mm Swarovski and i promise you won't regret it. There are other scopes that are almost as good, but like another person mentioned Swarovski's service is absolutely awesome.
B
bigbucks243
Guest
i would go with the swarovski 20x60 and you can still see better in the scope better than with your naked eye after it has gotten dark, and its clear.
slamdunk
Moderator
- Messages
- 10,389
peakfreak said it perfectly!!
I love my Leica 77, but also use a little lightweight Nikon for packing in or on a window mount.(that little dude is super clear!!)
However...i AM a huge Zeiss binocular fan over everything else out there, but the edges of that spotting scope ARE fuzzy like peak said.
My other friend just compared the Swaro and the Leica side by side at Sportsman's and walked out with the Leica.
(he wouldn't listen to me!)
But....to each his own, they're all really good.
Skull Krazy
"No Bones About It"
I love my Leica 77, but also use a little lightweight Nikon for packing in or on a window mount.(that little dude is super clear!!)
However...i AM a huge Zeiss binocular fan over everything else out there, but the edges of that spotting scope ARE fuzzy like peak said.
My other friend just compared the Swaro and the Leica side by side at Sportsman's and walked out with the Leica.
(he wouldn't listen to me!)
But....to each his own, they're all really good.
Skull Krazy
"No Bones About It"
R
redrabbit
Guest
Leica is redoing their line of spotters for 2008. They should be smaller and lighter.
R
Racktracker
Guest
I was in your exact same position about 2 years ago. After doing a little research, someone recommended that I look on the bird watching forums (I know, but don't laugh). Those bird watchers are optics nuts. They talk about spotting scopes like you or I would talk about rifles.
So my advice to you would be to google a bird forum or two and see what they have to say about spotting scopes.
After I finished doing my research I bought the 82mm Nikon field scope and haven't looked back. Its arguably as good as any and about half the money of the swaro.
So my advice to you would be to google a bird forum or two and see what they have to say about spotting scopes.
After I finished doing my research I bought the 82mm Nikon field scope and haven't looked back. Its arguably as good as any and about half the money of the swaro.
tracker12
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 1,597
LAST EDITED ON Oct-10-07 AT 05:57PM (MST)[p]That was good advice on the bird forums. That is one place I have been looking. Scope to them is like our guns and bows. I bought my binos based of some of ther recommendations. Problem is they do not evaluate glass for looking at 1000 yards. There concerned with 100 0r even 10 feet. I have never owned or used an angled scope. Any advantages with it vice the straight?
slamdunk
Moderator
- Messages
- 10,389
The angled eye piece was meant for bird watchers in mind as well, but some people really like them for hunting.
Personally i dislike them and could never get used to them. When i want to look at something quick, i can look straight at it with my eyes then simply pull the scope up and it's there.
Another thing to consider is if you are an antelope hunter, or do some spotting in the prone position in very open country. Having a straight eye piece will keep you head down as low as possible.
But if your going to Africa on a monkey hunt, get the angled!!
j/k angle eyepiece owners...don't beat me up!!
Skull Krazy
"No Bones About It"
Personally i dislike them and could never get used to them. When i want to look at something quick, i can look straight at it with my eyes then simply pull the scope up and it's there.
Another thing to consider is if you are an antelope hunter, or do some spotting in the prone position in very open country. Having a straight eye piece will keep you head down as low as possible.
But if your going to Africa on a monkey hunt, get the angled!!
j/k angle eyepiece owners...don't beat me up!!
Skull Krazy
"No Bones About It"
N
nwbucknbullchaser
Guest
All good advice. Ditto on checking out the optics conference. Here's a few opinions on the angled -vs- straight eyepiece. http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID27/788.html
You may also want to check out the coues whitetail forum http://www.coueswhitetail.com/ as they probably glass more than any of us.
You may also want to check out the coues whitetail forum http://www.coueswhitetail.com/ as they probably glass more than any of us.
S
stevenclark
Guest
i have a sworovski 80mm with angled eye piece. i love the angled lense but that part is up to you. these scopes are amazing.
C
CDclub
Guest
I pack a Swaro ATS65HD angled variable eye piece with a light weight tripod. I can sit low and be comfortable but the angled eye definitely takes a little getting used to, learning to aim quickly. If your worried about peeking over a ridge or brush you can easily turn it sideways so the eye piece is horizontal. My .02....
smokepolejohnson
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 1,335
televid 77 is for real!!!!!!!
S
slider
Guest
Leica APO-Televid 77
A spotting scope that goes beyond bright, to brilliant
Michael and Diane Porter and a team of Iowa birders tested 24 spotting scopes for a review in the March, 2003, issue of Bird Watcher's Digest. This account of Leica's APO-Televid scope is part of that review.
The Leica scope goes beyond bright ? it's brilliant, and it has incredibly sharp focusing ability from center to edge. Even at high magnification, the image is remarkably free from color fringing.
Interchangeable bayonet-mount eyepieces attach with a quick twist. Our judges particularly admired the high-quality 20-60mm zoom, which has excellent eye relief for glasses wearers. Its twist-up eyecup lets you set the amount of eye relief you require.
The zoom is purchased separately.
The scope is waterproof. On the built-in lens hood, small post-and-notch sighting bumps let you line up on your target accurately. The Leica Televid is unique in having two focus knobs, with separate gear ratios, one for fast, and the other for fine focus.
The scope comes in angled and straight-through models, and with the special apochromatic lenses or with the less costly achromatic lenses.
The only complaints about this scope came from two judges who found the fast focus wheel a little stiff and hard to turn.
Ruggedly constructed and finely engineered, this scope is beautiful to look at as well as through. It was one of the judges' favorites in Michael and Diane Porter's July, 2000, trials for Bird Watcher's Digest.
2003 update: This is still a great scope. However, now it must be compared to the new Zeiss Diascope and the new Swarovski ATS80. Although the Leica is just as sharp as the Swarovski and almost as sharp as the Zeiss, it is noticeably larger than either.
A spotting scope that goes beyond bright, to brilliant
Michael and Diane Porter and a team of Iowa birders tested 24 spotting scopes for a review in the March, 2003, issue of Bird Watcher's Digest. This account of Leica's APO-Televid scope is part of that review.
The Leica scope goes beyond bright ? it's brilliant, and it has incredibly sharp focusing ability from center to edge. Even at high magnification, the image is remarkably free from color fringing.
Interchangeable bayonet-mount eyepieces attach with a quick twist. Our judges particularly admired the high-quality 20-60mm zoom, which has excellent eye relief for glasses wearers. Its twist-up eyecup lets you set the amount of eye relief you require.
The zoom is purchased separately.
The scope is waterproof. On the built-in lens hood, small post-and-notch sighting bumps let you line up on your target accurately. The Leica Televid is unique in having two focus knobs, with separate gear ratios, one for fast, and the other for fine focus.
The scope comes in angled and straight-through models, and with the special apochromatic lenses or with the less costly achromatic lenses.
The only complaints about this scope came from two judges who found the fast focus wheel a little stiff and hard to turn.
Ruggedly constructed and finely engineered, this scope is beautiful to look at as well as through. It was one of the judges' favorites in Michael and Diane Porter's July, 2000, trials for Bird Watcher's Digest.
2003 update: This is still a great scope. However, now it must be compared to the new Zeiss Diascope and the new Swarovski ATS80. Although the Leica is just as sharp as the Swarovski and almost as sharp as the Zeiss, it is noticeably larger than either.
slamdunk
Moderator
- Messages
- 10,389
Excellent post slider, very nice sleuthing.
Like i said above, i absolutely love my Leica.
I work for a big outfitter that employes many guides and the majority of use use the Leica. I am a huge Zeiss binocular fan, to me nothing compares to the 10x40 classics as far as clarity goes. A fellow guide just bought the new Zeiss Scope and i was disappointed how the outside edges were fuzzy. And when you are panning across a hillside, you require full clarity from edge to edge. I'm not dogging on the Swaro's, i have those bino's too in an 8x30, but i just don't like how the color actually changes from what my eyes really see.
All the top optic companies are excellent, it's like splitting hairs really.
Skull Krazy
"No Bones About It"
Like i said above, i absolutely love my Leica.
I work for a big outfitter that employes many guides and the majority of use use the Leica. I am a huge Zeiss binocular fan, to me nothing compares to the 10x40 classics as far as clarity goes. A fellow guide just bought the new Zeiss Scope and i was disappointed how the outside edges were fuzzy. And when you are panning across a hillside, you require full clarity from edge to edge. I'm not dogging on the Swaro's, i have those bino's too in an 8x30, but i just don't like how the color actually changes from what my eyes really see.
All the top optic companies are excellent, it's like splitting hairs really.
Skull Krazy
"No Bones About It"
R
ruttinhard
Guest
I would have to disagree about the Zeiss being blurry(at least the older ones). Mine is four years old and I picked it over the Swaro in a side by side test. I think alot of it is personal preference with the high end stuff. They are all great.
BPKHunter
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 1,744
SWAROVSKI!
I live near a Cabela's and used their guaranteed return policy and tried them all. Bottom line I own a swaro 65MM HD, Swaro 15x and 8x SLC's and couldn't be happier. My only regret is that I'm 40 and waited toooooo long to quit dinkin around with those other "great for the money" models like Nikon and Bushnell Elite.
I live near a Cabela's and used their guaranteed return policy and tried them all. Bottom line I own a swaro 65MM HD, Swaro 15x and 8x SLC's and couldn't be happier. My only regret is that I'm 40 and waited toooooo long to quit dinkin around with those other "great for the money" models like Nikon and Bushnell Elite.
B
BRstinger
Guest
I also must disagree about Zeiss being fuzzy. I have the 85mm and it's about 2 years old and I also chose it over a Swarovski. Only way for you to tell is to compare them all.
