Welshieinnz
member
Reged: 06/10/06
Posts: 96
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Hi all,
I've been doing a load of research lately for a decent pair of binoculars but a friend of mine mentioned the other day about checking out a decent spotting scope with an aperture of 80mm and a possibility of 60X.
What do you think to this suggestion? Can you still get decent views through it? I know its slightly less versatile than a pair of binoculars but it sounds interesting.
All words greatly appreciated.
Edited by Welshieinnz (05/03/08 07:40 PM)
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Joe Ogiba
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/14/02
Posts: 3358
Loc: NJ USA
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Quote:
Binoculars or a good spotting or field scope?
both
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Pentax PF-80ED
Meade 102ED APO
Orion EON 72
120ST
Apex 127
C6 XLT
CR150
C9.25
XT10
Zeiss 7x42 FL
Canon 10x42L IS WP
15x50 IS
12x36 IS II
Garrett Optical 28x110 HD-WP Signature Series
Oberwerk BT-80 45
Apogee RA-88-SA
Denk II Power x Switch binoviewer w/13mm Ethos, 20mm Pentax XW's, 20mm Widescan III's.
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Tony Flanders
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 2097
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
I've been doing a load of research lately for a decent pair of binoculars but a friend of mine mentioned the other day about checking out a decent spotting scope with an aperture of 80mm and a possibility of 60X.
What do you think to this suggestion?
What are you planning to look at? Hand-holdable binoculars are far superior to spotting scopes for widefield views and the ability to move rapidly from one target to another. Spotting scopes are clearly superior to binoculars for high-power viewing.
For terrestrial use, binoculars are great for most birding, but spotting scopes are much better for distant waterfowl or viewing birds in nests.
If you're planning to use the spotting scope primarily for astronomy, I strongly recommend getting a conventional refracting telescope instead. More versatile and cheaper.
Most amateur astronomers own both one or more binoculars and one or more telescopes. They have slightly overlapping functionality, but basically binoculars and telescopes complement each other's capabilities.
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Tony Flanders
eyeglasses
6x15 and 8x32 monoculars
8x25, 7x35, 10x30 IS, 10x50, and 15x70 binoculars
70mm and 100mm achromatic refractors
4.5", 7", and 12.5" Dobs
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Welshieinnz
member
Reged: 06/10/06
Posts: 96
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Well, its mainly for traveling around. I dont have a big car so I want my binoculars when I go traveling and i've been looking at the Pentax 20 X 60. But then someone pointed outt eh spotting scopes and it would fit on my camera tripod no problem and, if need be, I could even put my camera on it.
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edwincjones
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/10/04
Posts: 4421
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I use a pair of miyauchi 22x60s as a two eyed spotting scope.
They are now discontinued, but other alternatives are available such as the fuji 16x70, the fuji clones, or the new 22x70 WO that just came out.
The spotting scopes have the advantage of the zoom eps, but when I compared, the binocs seemed brighter.
edj
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n w arkansas
Binocular, Solar, General Amateur Astronomy
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KennyJ
Reged: 04/27/03
Posts: 10143
Loc: Lancashire UK
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Hello there !
Like your name , this may sound a little half - Welsh / half - German , but after 42 years and 9 months of experimentation , I've come to the conclusion , like others above , that for travelling around , seeking longer distance terrestrial views , it is much more satisfying to carry binoculars which CAN be handheld with steadiness , AND a tripod AND spotting scope ( preferably with zoom lens ).
BUT -- if you only have a " certain " amount to spend , don't make the mistake of getting lumbered with CHEAP , POOR samples of each .
Better , in my opinion , to begin with DECENT binoculars , then if and when funds permit , add the spotting scope .
Spotting scopes with " good " zoom lenses tend to cost many times more than most people here seem prepared to spend on HUGE binoculars !
Good luck !
Kenny
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Two eyes and a preference to use both
Zeiss 7 x 42 BGAT
Captain's Helmsman 7 x 50
Nikon 10 x 42 Superior E
Swift Audubon Kestrel 10 x 50
Helios 15 x 70 Observation
Strathspey 20 x 90
Televue 76 APO
Zeiss 85 Diascope
Helios 102 f5 refractor
Various eyepieces barlows tripods mounts etc.
Panasonic Lumix DMC - TZ5 digital camera
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Joe Ogiba
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/14/02
Posts: 3358
Loc: NJ USA
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Quote:
The spotting scopes have the advantage of the zoom eps, but when I compared, the binocs seemed brighter.
My Pentax PF-80ED spotting scope looks very bright with my 26x Pentax 20mm XW eyepiece .
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Pentax PF-80ED
Meade 102ED APO
Orion EON 72
120ST
Apex 127
C6 XLT
CR150
C9.25
XT10
Zeiss 7x42 FL
Canon 10x42L IS WP
15x50 IS
12x36 IS II
Garrett Optical 28x110 HD-WP Signature Series
Oberwerk BT-80 45
Apogee RA-88-SA
Denk II Power x Switch binoviewer w/13mm Ethos, 20mm Pentax XW's, 20mm Widescan III's.
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Tony Flanders
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 2097
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
Well, its mainly for traveling around. I dont have a big car so I want my binoculars when I go traveling and i've been looking at the Pentax 20 X 60. But then someone pointed outt eh spotting scopes and it would fit on my camera tripod no problem and, if need be, I could even put my camera on it.
Again -- do you want these entirely for astronomy, mostly for astronomy, or hardly at all for astronomy. An awful lot hangs on the answer!
Since astronomy is my primary interest, my small telescope is an astronomical refractor (70-mm) with a 90-degree diagonal. It fits easily just about anywhere -- certainly a lot more easily than the tripod needed to support it.
I took it once on a driving trip around California, and used it many times for astronomy with great pleasure. I used it terrestrially exactly once -- but that one time would have justified bringing it all on its own. We were driving down the Coast Highway north of San Francisco, and had just come to one of the relatively few stretches where it's actually on the coast. I saw a speck on one of the rocks offshore, and my 10X binoculars made it obvious that it was a marine mammal. Setting up the scope and popping in an eyepiece for 60X, I (and my family) got an incredible view of this sea otter (as it turned out to be) feasting on a large fish.
But that's a rare exception. Given a choice between 60X only or 10X only, 10X is far more useful for terrestrial purposes.
Here's one way of looking at it. I think that everybody who's rich enough not to worry about where the next meal is coming from shown own hand-holdable binoculars. For terrestrial use alone, either 7X or 8X, and if astronomy is also desired, perhaps 10X. Hand-holdable binoculars are useful in so many different ways that I can't imagine going through life without them. And you can get a perfectly serviceable pair for $50 if you're lucky, and quite easily for $100. That's a miniscule investment for the pleasure it will bring.
Having done that, you can worry about whether you want bigger binoculars and/or a spotting scope and/or an astronomical telescope as a separate decision.
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Tony Flanders
eyeglasses
6x15 and 8x32 monoculars
8x25, 7x35, 10x30 IS, 10x50, and 15x70 binoculars
70mm and 100mm achromatic refractors
4.5", 7", and 12.5" Dobs
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mttafire
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/02/06
Posts: 1114
Loc: midwest
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2 eyes is better than one for scanning the heavens in my opinion.
Id ALWAYS choose binos over a spotting scope for this particular usage.
For daytime terrestrial viewing, i just might be willing to give a good spotting scope a try!
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God Bless America
Binocular astronomy
for me ONLY.
8x45 Garretts
15x70 Skymasters
2 eyes!
Edited by mttafire (05/04/08 09:16 PM)
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BobinKy
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/27/07
Posts: 947
Loc: Country road
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Quote:
Tony Flanders wrote:
Hand-holdable binoculars are useful in so many different ways that I can't imagine going through life without them.
Wisdom from the sages. 
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Bob
38° Kentucky, USA
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Welshieinnz
member
Reged: 06/10/06
Posts: 96
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Quote:
Again -- do you want these entirely for astronomy, mostly for astronomy, or hardly at all for astronomy. An awful lot hangs on the answer!
I'd love to be able to do some simple astronomy with it too to be honest with you.
So you reckon a good pair of binoculars would be better than the spotting scope? I'm sort of more inclined myself to be honest with you.
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Joe Ogiba
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/14/02
Posts: 3358
Loc: NJ USA
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Quote:
2 eyes is better than one for scanning the heavens in my opinion.
Id ALWAYS choose binos over a spotting scope for this particular usage.
For daytime terrestrial viewing, i just might be willing to give a good spotting scope a try!
I use my Denk II binoviewer in my small and large scopes for both astro and daytime use when I want higher power than my binoculars.
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Pentax PF-80ED
Meade 102ED APO
Orion EON 72
120ST
Apex 127
C6 XLT
CR150
C9.25
XT10
Zeiss 7x42 FL
Canon 10x42L IS WP
15x50 IS
12x36 IS II
Garrett Optical 28x110 HD-WP Signature Series
Oberwerk BT-80 45
Apogee RA-88-SA
Denk II Power x Switch binoviewer w/13mm Ethos, 20mm Pentax XW's, 20mm Widescan III's.
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mttafire
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/02/06
Posts: 1114
Loc: midwest
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Quote:
Quote:
2 eyes is better than one for scanning the heavens in my opinion.
Id ALWAYS choose binos over a spotting scope for this particular usage.
For daytime terrestrial viewing, i just might be willing to give a good spotting scope a try!
I use my Denk II binoviewer in my small and large scopes for both astro and daytime use when I want higher power than my binoculars.
Nice pic!!! And you get to use both eyes!!
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God Bless America
Binocular astronomy
for me ONLY.
8x45 Garretts
15x70 Skymasters
2 eyes!
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Tony Flanders
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 2097
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
I'd love to be able to do some simple astronomy with it too to be honest with you.
So you reckon a good pair of binoculars would be better than the spotting scope?
Yes, if you're just starting out in astronomy, I can just about guarantee that you'll have an easier time with binoculars than a spotting scope.
Spotting scopes are, at best, an awkward compromise for astronomy. They don't have the convenience and superwide field of view that makes binoculars so attractive, but on the other hand, they don't have the aperture and high-magnification capability that you'd really like from a telescope. And above all, hardly any of them offer the 90-degree viewing angle that's nearly essential for astronomy.
The one thing a spotting scope will do that binoculars can't -- and it's a biggy! -- is show half-decent views of the planets. But again, if that's what you really want, you'd do far better with an astronomical telescope that's specifically designed for the purpose.
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Tony Flanders
eyeglasses
6x15 and 8x32 monoculars
8x25, 7x35, 10x30 IS, 10x50, and 15x70 binoculars
70mm and 100mm achromatic refractors
4.5", 7", and 12.5" Dobs
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Joe Ogiba
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/14/02
Posts: 3358
Loc: NJ USA
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Quote:
Spotting scopes are, at best, an awkward compromise for astronomy.
You have to be a real sad person if the only time you use a spotting scope is at night.
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Pentax PF-80ED
Meade 102ED APO
Orion EON 72
120ST
Apex 127
C6 XLT
CR150
C9.25
XT10
Zeiss 7x42 FL
Canon 10x42L IS WP
15x50 IS
12x36 IS II
Garrett Optical 28x110 HD-WP Signature Series
Oberwerk BT-80 45
Apogee RA-88-SA
Denk II Power x Switch binoviewer w/13mm Ethos, 20mm Pentax XW's, 20mm Widescan III's.
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rookie
sage
Reged: 01/14/06
Posts: 330
Loc: St. Petersburg, FL
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A good place to start in astronomy is hand held binoculars (10x50's or 9x63's or 8x56's) you can carry anywhere and a book to teach you. The binoculars should be tripod adaptable so you can add one if you wish. A little flashlight with a red light is also a good idea.
This is a good book to teach you the sky.
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93722-Sky-Maps/dp/B0000665V8
It has a planisphere on the front cover, and its laminated pages are arranged by the skies of the season. It is not an expert guide, but it's helpful for a someone self-directed. It also tells you which objects are binocular targets within each constellation.
If you are truly interested, buy the best binoculars you can and consider it a purchase for your lifetime. If you get "hooked", then you can buy a spotting scope, then a telescope, then a binoviewer, then lots of eyepieces, then a bigger telescope, then build an observatory, ...... 
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Shirley
Celestron CPC 800XLT~Feather Touch
G0 BT80~45degree; Fujinon 16x70 FMT-SX
Celestron Ultima 9x63 & Regal LX 10x42
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BobinKy
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/27/07
Posts: 947
Loc: Country road
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The question of binoculars versus spotting scope has been on my mind for over a year. Last month and today I did some mini tests.
In the binocular cornerPentax DCF ED 10x50
Exit pupil: 5.0
Advertised FOV: 5.0
Apparent FOV: 49.7
Close focus: 11.5 ft.
Weight: 30.5 oz
Height: 6.7 inches
Width: 5.2 inches
Waterproof: Yes
Eye relief: 22.0
Price: $787.50 (now mostly seen above $1000.00)
Warranty: Lifetime
Fujinon Polaris FMT-SX 16x70
Exit pupil: 4.4
Advertised FOV: 4.0
Apparent FOV: 63.4
Close focus: 36.0 ft.
Weight: 76.1 oz
Height: 10.7 inches
Width: 9.8 inches
Waterproof: Yes
Eye relief: 15.5
Price: $685.00 (also seen in the $500.00s)
Warranty: Lifetime In the Spotting Scope cornerKowa TSN-661
Glass: Normal (non ED)
View: Angled
Eyepiece: 30x Wide (fixed, non zoom)
Aperture: 66mm
Exit pupil: 2.2
Advertised FOV: 2.4
Apparent FOV: 72.0
Close focus: 19.7 ft.
Weight: 35.6 oz
Length: 12.2 inches
Waterproof: Yes
Eye relief: 20.0
Price: $828.00 (including eyepiece and canvas case)
Warranty: Lifetime Round 1: American White Pelicans Pentax 10x50 binoculars mounted on a Manfrotto 679B monopod / 3232 adjustable head displays a flock of large white birds landing in the water on the opposite shore of Kentucky Lake, approximately 2000 yards distance. The only distinguishing details are the count of the birds (27) and the white color of their plumage; the color and shape of their bills and feet are not apparent. As good as the Pentax binocular is, it cannot reach the distant shore and fails to earn an identification, which amounts to the unpardonable among several bird watchers perched behind me on park benches.
Kowa 30x66 spotting scope mounted on a Bogen 3001 camera tripod / 3126 fluid head displays the incoming flock to be American White Pelicans Pelecanus erythrorhynchos. A fact which welcomes me back into the fold squawking at my back. Identification was possible because the Kowa spotting scope brought into view the unique shape and color of the bill and curve of the neck. Round 2: Where are the Red Tail Hawks?Round 2 returns to the location of Round 5 in Fujinon FMT-SX 16x70 vs. Garrett Signature 22x85 .
Fujinon SMT-SX 16x70 binocular mounted on a Manfrotto 3246 tripod / 501 fluid head displays a dead Chinkapin Oak, Quercus muehlenbergii Engelm, located on a rolling hillside overlooking the Kentucky River. The oak lies 1075 yards due South of my location. On May 1, I observed a pair of Red Tail Hawks on a limb in this tree. However, today the pair of hawks are no where to be seen. So I study the 4.0° FOV for other detail. A large hole is discovered in the trunk of the tree. The Fujinon binocular provides enough detail to see that this hole may provide entrance for some animal into the hollow of the tree. The panorama of the 4.0° FOV is nice.
Kowa 30x66 spotting scope mounted on a Bogen 3001 camera tripod / 3126 fluid head displays the dead Oak and the large hole in the trunk. The image size is approximately 10% larger than in the Fujinon binocular. However, the 2.4° FOV of the Kowa scope fails to satisfy as much as the Fujinon binocular. I am surprised at how similar in size the two images are—16x vs. 30x. However, this is what Kenny Jones must be talking about when he points how two eyes make the brain appear to function more effectively. Round 3: Robin on the lawn Fujinon 16x70 binocular fails to display a Robin on the lawn 25 feet away. The bird is too close for the Fujinon binocular to focus, even if the bird remains stationary long enough to focus each eyecup independently.
Kowa 30x66 spotting scope quickly swings around on the Bogen tripod and focuses with alarming sharpness within 3 seconds. I am amazed at how fast the focusing knob on the top of the scope actually functions. The sun is shining and the Kowa scope provides plenty of detail to the bird’s feathers. The bright sheen of the small feathers of the Robin’s crown is stunning, an observation I have never seen on a robin before. ConclusionThe Fujinon FMT-SX 16x70 binocular brings in almost as much detail at 1075 yards as the Kowa TSN-661 spotting scope. What’s more the wider FOV and ease of using both eyes gives Round 2 to the Fujinon. When sparring with the Pentax DCF ED 10x50 at 2000 yards the Kowa scope easily wins Round 1. When it comes to up close detail on the lawn in Round 3, the Kowa scope also wins.
Yes, I agree with Joe O and others, the serious terrestrial observer definitely needs a spotting scope as well as a collection of different purpose binoculars.
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Bob
38° Kentucky, USA
Edited by BobinKy (05/10/08 06:41 PM)
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Rick
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/12/05
Posts: 2574
Loc: Tokyo, Japan
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Hi Bob,
FYI, the Kowa TSN-661 is waterproof and to a higher standard than the Fujinon and Pentax binos too. You should also say that at ~1000g it is a good 2x lighter/smaller than the Fujinon too.
I have just started playing around with spotting scopes myself. I have both the Kowa TSN-663 Prominar and a Pentax PF-65ED. The Pentax can accept standard 1.25" astronomical eyepieces. But what I think makes a spotting scope really cool is their ability to take a cheap $100 digicam and transform into a fairly fast F2.5-F5.5 800mm-2500mm terrestrial telephoto lens. An equivalent DSLR zoom lens if even made in these focal lengths would cost $10,000's more and be 20x heavier!
clear skies,
Rick
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www.japanastro.com
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BobinKy
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/27/07
Posts: 947
Loc: Country road
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Rick--
Thank you for the correction--yes the Kowa scope is waterproof. I will go back and change my post.
When I purchased the Kowa scope I had two agonizing decisions: Whether to go with ED glass? Which eyepiece?
I opted to stay with the normal glass since I did not think I would be doing any digital photography. Now, if I had the purchase to do over, I would consider the ED glass.
The second decision was which eyepiece. I wanted to stay with the fixed (non zoom), so I considered the 20x Wide, 30x Wide, and the 25X Long Eye Relief. I finally chose the 30x Wide. I visited your website and noticed you have the 25x Long Eye Relief. I would like to hear how you have found that particular eyepiece.
I also purchased two filters for the scope: Clear protective filter and a circular polarizing filter. As most scope owners, I keep the protective filter on at all times. I find the polarizing filter very helpful in reducing glare over water and penetrating fog and haze in the mountains and along river valleys--which we have in abundance here in Kentucky.
Thank you for sharing your experience with spotting scopes.
--------------------
Bob
38° Kentucky, USA
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Rick
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/12/05
Posts: 2574
Loc: Tokyo, Japan
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Bob, the 25x LER has 35mm of eyerelief so is very nice to use on bright days when I wear sunglasses. But the AFOV is 52° so it lacks the immersive views I get from my Pentax PF65 using a 13mm Nagler T6.
I got interested in fieldscopes/spotters a few months ago when I discovered Tokyo has a seaside bird park and had lots of fun using my C5/binoviewer setup for scanning the offshore mud flats. The C5/binoviewer would be my prefered choice if I could use it from a fixed location or did not have much of hike.
But for moving quickly back and forth between the various blinds the park has set up around the ponds and digiscoping, nothing beats a small fieldscope for ease of use.
clear skies,
Rick
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www.japanastro.com
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Joe Ogiba
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/14/02
Posts: 3358
Loc: NJ USA
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Quote:
Hi Bob,
FYI, the Kowa TSN-661 is waterproof and to a higher standard than the Fujinon and Pentax binos too. You should also say that at ~1000g it is a good 2x lighter/smaller than the Fujinon too.
I have just started playing around with spotting scopes myself. I have both the Kowa TSN-663 Prominar and a Pentax PF-65ED. The Pentax can accept standard 1.25" astronomical eyepieces. But what I think makes a spotting scope really cool is their ability to take a cheap $100 digicam and transform into a fairly fast F2.5-F5.5 800mm-2500mm terrestrial telephoto lens. An equivalent DSLR zoom lens if even made in these focal lengths would cost $10,000's more and be 20x heavier!
clear skies,
Rick
You are not getting F5.5 @2,500mm , you would need an 18" aperture.
--------------------
Pentax PF-80ED
Meade 102ED APO
Orion EON 72
120ST
Apex 127
C6 XLT
CR150
C9.25
XT10
Zeiss 7x42 FL
Canon 10x42L IS WP
15x50 IS
12x36 IS II
Garrett Optical 28x110 HD-WP Signature Series
Oberwerk BT-80 45
Apogee RA-88-SA
Denk II Power x Switch binoviewer w/13mm Ethos, 20mm Pentax XW's, 20mm Widescan III's.
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Rick
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/12/05
Posts: 2574
Loc: Tokyo, Japan
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On the contrary Joe, this is what makes digiscoping so darn cool! Check this out!
Or this!
The focal lengths I mentioned are 35mm lens equivalents. It is also why using a small digicam is preferable to using a DSLR where you are limited to F12-13. At these slower speeds, a big heavy mount is needed and the image can still be affected by "mirro slap" when the shutter is released. Using a "fast" digicam lets you get by with small, lighter weight mounts.
clear skies,
Rick
--------------------
www.japanastro.com
Edited by Rick (05/10/08 09:54 PM)
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Joe Ogiba
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/14/02
Posts: 3358
Loc: NJ USA
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So if I use my 50mm F1.4 lens on my Pentax DSLR with adapter ring to fit on an eyepiece on my 2350mm F10 C9.25 it should change the C9.25 into a F1.4 lens. 
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Pentax PF-80ED
Meade 102ED APO
Orion EON 72
120ST
Apex 127
C6 XLT
CR150
C9.25
XT10
Zeiss 7x42 FL
Canon 10x42L IS WP
15x50 IS
12x36 IS II
Garrett Optical 28x110 HD-WP Signature Series
Oberwerk BT-80 45
Apogee RA-88-SA
Denk II Power x Switch binoviewer w/13mm Ethos, 20mm Pentax XW's, 20mm Widescan III's.
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Luigi
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/03/07
Posts: 2053
Loc: Massachusetts
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Tony, Kenny J, and others have it right. One thing I would add to get a good set of bins that are small and light enough so that you usually have them with you. Something in the range of 8x32 or 8x42. Larger bins, though better for astro, don't often get taken along. Only get a spotting scope if you need a rugged waterproof scope. Various eyepieces are generally available for the better spotters though the most commonly used are zoom EPs. These can be pretty good but they sacrifice FOV and edge sharpness compared to fixed fl EPs. Astro scopes are much more versatile.
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17.5" f/5 Discovery Truss
IM715 7" f/15 MCT, Eon-120ED
Lunt 60mm single etalon HA
CG5A coffee grinder, Orion Skyview Alt-AZ
35,19,15 Pans.9 Nag. Meade 24.5 4kSWA, 4.7 5kUWA.
BO-TMB 7mm planetary.
Zeiss Diascope 85
Zeiss, Leica, Canon IS, Fujinon, Nikon binos
One each generic rescue Greyhound (pictured)
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Wes James
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/12/06
Posts: 2457
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I have started reading this thread with interest, as I have zero knowledge or familiarity with spotting scopes. I have a SV 80mm NHNG scope... how would that compare with the current range of spotting scopes?
Edit: I do realize there's the issue of correct/upright image which would have to be dealt with in the diagonal.
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Wes
Atlantic Beach, FL
Some bino’s from Miyauchi 5x32 Binon's up through Garrett 20x110 Signature's,
Some telescopes from a Stellarvue 80mm NHNG up through a couple of 8” reflectors…
And a wonderful 4.25" Delmarva Shiefspiegler!
Some good friends, made here on C/N.
Oh- several cats and a wonderful wife!
Anyone want a cat???? :-O
"When your work speaks for itself- Don't Interrupt" -Gamble Rogers
Edited by Wes James (05/11/08 12:59 PM)
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Rick
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/12/05
Posts: 2574
Loc: Tokyo, Japan
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Hi Wes,
Astro scopes are generally optically superior to fieldscopes mainly because of the fieldscopes built-in RACI prism. The TV-76/85, C5, Questars, and MC90/127 are tops in this class. They take much higher powers than the dedicated fieldscope's 60x-75x but how useful that is depends on the atmospheric condition. Common useful fieldscope mags are 20x, 30x, 45x, and 60x. 30x is probably the most common visually and 20x is best for digiscoping.
Dedicated fieldscopes are usually smaller and much lighter than astro scopes, typically 500g-1500g for 50mm-85mm sizes. Only the BORGs can compete with this spec. With the exception of the Pentax line, fieldscopes all use proprietary eyepiece designs.
Digiscoping with a digicam and fieldscope was "invented" by a now deceased Malaysian birder and is a relatively new development that now has the full embrace of the various fieldscope OEMs. Probably the biggest boon for the birding hobby in decades.
hope this helps,
Rick
--------------------
www.japanastro.com
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Wes James
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/12/06
Posts: 2457
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Rick-
Thanks so much for the addtional insight... you covered many obscure differences in a very brief way- thanks for the information!
Wes
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