Spotting Scope Recommendations

[DripDryMcFleye]

I would like to buy a spotting scope for my wife at Christmas. She has significant vision loss in one eye. We already have both 7x50 & 8x40 binoc's. I want something with significantly more power but not so much as to make it difficult to use. We do have a few tripods we can use. It's use would be mostly for birds and mammals in national park type settings. Please share your experiences and recommendations as to brands and magnification. I'm willing to spend some $ to get quality but Swarovski is probably a bit pricey for me. Thank you all for your help.

 

[Waldo3]

I like their scopes, both rifle and spotting. Take a look at these:

Optics - Spotting Scopes - Razor

vortexoptics.com

Jim

 

[Garyh58]

I also would recommend Vortex. Especially the Razor line . I have the 16-48x 65 which is a discontinued item but it is really great. I have also had their newer 20-60x85 scope which is exceptional. I sold it and Purchased a Kowa tsn 883 for $1000 more and have never felt I got an extra $1000 of performance over the Vortex. The Vortex warranty can’t be beat either. If you are not hunting with it, the 22-48x65 Razor may suffice.

 

[Thern]

Price and quality do go hand in hand, certainly with (spotting-)scopes and binoculars.
However this does not mean you need to spend the money for a top-end scope.
The difference in quality has a lot to do with lightgathering and transmission of a scope and things like good eyerelief, wide field of view and offcourse the application of fluorite and ED glass.
Quality ranges from a kit lens like quality till supertele quality with respective prices.

You have to answer yourself first some questions.
When do I use it? When you’re using the scope during dusk and dawn you want a scope with a good lighttransmission (large frontelement and fully multicoated)
Does your wife wear glasses?
If so an exit-pupil of at least 18mm preferrably more is key for useabillity.
Ease of use has a lot to do with ease of focussing (some scopes come with dual focus) the field of view (the wider the easier) angled or straight eyepiece, personally I prefer angled, it’s easier to ‘look up or down’ and since I use mine for game observations I want to stay as low as possible. (If you’re using a car regularly a straight one might be handier)
Weight isn’t a real big issue but off course a smaller frontelement will result most of the time in a lighter and smaller package.
Are you going out in wet and cold conditions?
Look for good weathersealed and nitrogin filled scopes.
Last but not least do you want to digiscope?
If so you’re looking at the steaper priced offerings.

 

[luckmurph]

I use a Kowa TSN 880 and it’s fantastic so clear even in lowlight! Digiscoping is brilliant too!
when I purchased it the shop set up this one Swarovski ATX and a Leica APO 82 all side by side for me to use, and the Kowa was so clear and bright when looking through it!

 

[Yezdi]

You can check these out.

Spotting Scopes

Maven spotting scopes bring the image to you. Do everything, go everywhere, see everything... high performance optics with a lifetime warranty. Browse here.

mavenbuilt.com

They are at par with the big boys like Zeiss & Swarovski with great reviews.... They are handmade in the USA, can be customized and have a lifetime warranty. If you are staying in the USA, they also have a Demo Program (Try & Buy) where you can try out first and put it to its paces for 2 weeks and they if you are pleased can buy. Their customer service is impeccable. I have a Maven Binocular B.2 9x45 and have been using it for the past 5 years now and they are superb. They use an Abbe-Koenig prism and an ocular field flattener to take advantage of every ounce of light and are specifically designed to handle early morning, late evening, and dimly-lit situations.

You can contact them at
Maven Outdoor Equipment Company
160 South 4th Street
Lander, WY 82520
USA

Phone: 800.307.1109
Email: [email protected]

 

[Ralph]

Here is a side by side comparison of ten scopes reviewed by Bird Watcher’s Digest. Sept-Oct. 2020 edition. Hope it helps. By the way, it is a great magazine. Highly recommend for the birders out there.

You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

 

[MartyD]

I have the Vortex Viper HD 20-60 x 85 angled and we like it very much. We primarily use it wildlife watching but it has been great for us. I would definitely find someplace where you can compare spotting scopes side by side. I believe that the 85-95mm objectives are worth the extra cost if you are going to be using it regularly.

I added a fairly inexpensive fluid head to my spotting scope tripod and I believe it makes it much easier to use.

If you are interested in doing some digiscoping with your cell phone look into the PhoneScope cell phone adapters.

I use my Z6 as a spotting scope at times when we are watching something too far away to photograph by using the EVF to zoom in.

 

[jeffnles1]

Up until about 5 years ago I was heavily involved in black powder cartridge silhouette shooting and long range target shooting. Swarovski and Kowa were the sweethearts on the lines in those competitions. One thing to consider is we were watching for bullet impacts at 500 -1000 yards which is a totally different ballgame than looking for a Carolina wren at 100 yards.

For my money, the Vortex line is a tremendous bang for the buck. My wife has a Vortex monocular (she cannot use binoculars) and it is clear and bright. If money is no object and your wife will be trying to spot differences in waterfowl at 1000 yards then the Swarovski and Kowa are really hard to beat.

 

[Todd K]

I also would recommend Razor Vortex. I have an 85mm, 27-60X, angled, and it is a fantastic scope.

 

[DripDryMcFleye]

A big THANK YOU! to all those who replied to my request. I have read every word and checked out every link and product provided in your posts. I'm leaning heavily toward the Vortex Razor or Leupold at the moment.

 

[bsinc1962]

You can check these out.

Spotting Scopes

Maven spotting scopes bring the image to you. Do everything, go everywhere, see everything... high performance optics with a lifetime warranty. Browse here.

mavenbuilt.com

They are at par with the big boys like Zeiss & Swarovski with great reviews.... They are handmade in the USA, can be customized and have a lifetime warranty. If you are staying in the USA, they also have a Demo Program (Try & Buy) where you can try out first and put it to its paces for 2 weeks and they if you are pleased can buy. Their customer service is impeccable. I have a Maven Binocular B.2 9x45 and have been using it for the past 5 years now and they are superb. They use an Abbe-Koenig prism and an ocular field flattener to take advantage of every ounce of light and are specifically designed to handle early morning, late evening, and dimly-lit situations.

You can contact them at
Maven Outdoor Equipment Company
160 South 4th Street
Lander, WY 82520
USA

Phone: 800.307.1109
Email: [email protected]

I second this recommendation.

They're produced nearby to me and I know the owner.
Foremost though, they're a Quality product from folks who know what hunters and birders look for in outdoor optics.