THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING A SCOPE

How Not to Buy a Spotting Scope

In 1975, after nearly twenty years of watching birds, I decided it was time for me to be a grownup birder.  I set off to buy a spotting scope. 

    

The challenge was less daunting than it is today.  Where consumers now face a confusing array of makes, models (and promises!), there were very few spotting scopes on the market when Jimmy Carter was President and only a handful of vendors serving the birding community.  I managed to buy precisely the wrong instrument, anyway, because I didn’t understand what I was looking for, I didn’t ask advice from someone who understood my needs, and in my ignorance I fell back on the stupid, age-old assumption that if I just spent more money, it would compensate for my lack of understanding.

So in my ignorance, I looked in the phone book for “optics dealers” (today people go on-line).  Found the name of a large sporting goods store in Wayne, New Jersey.  Their lineup included several brands I recognized including the Bushnell Spacemasters (a very serviceable instrument at the time) and the Swift Telemaster, a big, heavy, not so sharp, not so bright scope that boasted the ability to zoom in for a closer image.

    

The Spacemaster was less expensive and, in the store, seemed to offer a brighter, sharper image.  But the Telemaster was really seductive.  And it was more expensive than the Spacemaster (so it had to be better, right?).

    

Still, the Spacemaster did offer the better image.  I brought this to the attention of the guy behind the counter along with my intended purpose.  Watching birds. 

    

Welllll....

    

The guy got very defensive (not to mention theatrical) and pointed out that hunters made supernatural demands upon optics, demands that went far beyond mere bird watching--scanning, as he pointed out, to see the glint of sunlight reflected off the horns of a desert bighorn sheep two time zones away; straining to count the points on a Boone and Crockett record  buck as it steps from the trees and into the day’s last light.

I swear there was a trickle of saliva dribbling from the corners of the guy's mouth as he went through this soliloquy and even though he didn’t have a clue about birders and their optical needs (FACT: birders place far, far greater demands upon their optics than hunters) I bought the Telemaster anyway.  Took it on a trip to Newburyport, Massachusetts.  Set it up beside the lineup of Balscope Seniors and Spacemasters belonging to my companions, including my mentor, a guy named Floyd Wolfarth.  Cranked the magnification to 60x, and invited Floyd to take a look.

    “What do you think?” I said proudly.

    “Terrible,” he said.

   

I was shattered but having little option now (I’d spent all the money I had to buy the Telemaster) I continued to use that scope until 1978 when it was opportunely stolen.

   

Then I went out and bought the scope I should have bought in the first place.

   

Lesson learned.

Then and Now

The spotting scope world has certainly increased in size and scope and today, birders face a confidence-gutting array of instruments, performance options, and promises.  Some things haven’t changed.   

• Birders still demand a bright, sharp, distortion-free image.
• They want a scope that is easy to carry, easy to use, and dependable in all   kinds of conditions.
• They want an instrument that is rugged enough to take a fall, be set back up and used again.
• They want an honest (put it all together; give me the bottom line) price.
• Most of all, they want to be confident they have made the right choice.

   

OK.  We can give you all of that.  Now here's what you need to know about the spotting scope you’ll buy.

 

1. NOT EVERY SPOTTING SCOPE WORKS

There are lots of spotting scopes on the market and not all are suited for birding.  If you see a spotting scope included in our inventory, you have, at the very least, the assurance that it not only performs in the birding arena, it excels.

2. ESTABLISH YOUR NEEDS AND SET YOUR PRIORITIES

There is no scope that works best for all people.  Everyone has certain objectives, priorities, concerns, and constraints that help to define their particular needs and the instrument that meets those needs.

  

For example, for many people, weight is a consideration. If you use your scope primarily for sea watching or hawk watching (mostly sedentary pursuits) or are interested in digiscoping (taking digital photos through your spotting scope) a larger, heavier 77-88mm scope will excel.  If you plan to carry it over long distances or if you have a slight frame, then a smaller 60-65mm scope may be more appealing.  Ditto if you travel frequently.  A smaller scope fits into carry-on luggage more conveniently than a larger one. 

  

If you bird cold climates then a scope with a helical ring focus system--one that can be operated with a mittened hand--may be easier to use than scopes offering a smaller, or split (coarse and fine) focus system.

   

It’s your scope.  You set the priorities.

3. BIG OBJECTIVE LENS VS. SMALL OBJECTIVE

Spotting scopes come in two basic sizes; large and small, and the determination largely relates to the size of the objective lens (the big lens in the front).  Big means an objective lens between 77-88mm.  Small means 50-65mm.  Big (objective lens) scopes offer, for the most part, modestly better resolution and a slightly brighter image than small models.  They also offer a larger exit pupil making it easier to line a camera up for digiscoping purposes.

    

The smaller scopes are about 20 to 60% lighter than the larger ones.  This, and their carry-on luggage sizing, is their principal advantage.

I own both.  I find myself more and more going out the door with the smaller scopes.  My shoulder doesn’t miss the weight and rarely, under normal field conditions, do my eyes (or imagination) discern any difference in image quality.

4. ANGLED VS. STRAIGHT EYEPIECES

Most scopes offer two basic design options.  Those with angled eyepieces (so users peer down) and those with eyepieces in line with the barrel (so users peer straight ahead).  Both have advantages and disadvantages, with the advantages of the angled eyepiece outweighing straight for most users.

Advantages of Scopes with Angled Eyepieces:

1. More restful long-term viewing because your free or subordinate eye is not trying to intrude by bringing the horizon into focus.

2. Two individuals of differing height can use it without adjusting the height.

3. It is easier to study subjects overhead.  Most people, with a standard sized tripod, can stand upright and peer comfortably into the eyepiece, where with a straight scope you will have to crouch and peer up.

Disadvantages of Angled Eyepieces:

1. The spotting scope is set several inches lower than your eyes so that tall obstructions (like fence rails or tall reeds) may block the view.

2. Rain drops collect on the exposed lens.

3. It’s harder to use on a car window mount or shoulder mounted stock.

Some people find straight through scopes easier to aim, at least initially.  Hunters might favor the straight through models because it does not obligate them to raise their heads higher above a horizon, alerting game. But more and more, North American birders are favoring the angled design (as European birders have for many years).

5. THE BASIC OPTICAL PACKAGE VS. HIGH DENSITY (HD OR ED), FLUORITE, OR APO GLASS

Many high performance optical lines offer two grades of glass: Basic and High Performance.  For the most part, the only material or design difference is in the optical quality or the design of the objective lens. The more expensive models (usually $200 to $600 more than the cost of the basic model) do offer a modestly brighter, sharper, and color-accurate image (approximately a 5% boost in overall image quality).  The difference varies instrument to instrument and we have seen the difference reversed between basic and HD models by simply changing eyepieces. One eyepiece was simply better than the other, and that, more than the quality of the objective lens, resulted in a superior image. 

  

The majority of people nevertheless buy the more expensive models first, because in a lifetime of birding there are bound to be times when that 5% difference makes all the difference between seeing or not seeing the field marks you need. Secondly, if you are already spending a lot of money for a key piece of equipment, who wants to spend the rest of their lives wondering whether they should have just bitten the bullet and bought the more expensive model?

    

What you are paying for is the privilege of never having to say: “I’m sorry.”

    

And when you are lined up alongside a bunch of birders looking at a distant Spotted Redshank, and they have scopes with the basic optical package--they are all going to ask to have a look through your scope and then tell you they don’t see much of a difference.

   

But they are still going to want to look through yours.

6. FIXED POWER EYEPIECES VS. ZOOM OR VARIABLE EYEPIECES

Most makes and models offer eyepieces with a fixed magnification (20x, 30x or 32x, 40x...) as well as, an eyepiece whose magnification is adjusted between low power and high--a “zoom” eyepiece.  With fixed eyepieces the size of the image, depth of field, and field of view never change.  With zoom eyepieces, the magnification can be increased with the result that the image appears larger, but depth of field and field of view diminish.

   

Today, the optical quality of zoom and fixed lenses are comparable--in fact some zoom lenses actually offer superior resolution to fixed lenses in the same scope body!  In general, fixed lenses (very commonly offered as “wide angle”) are more user friendly because they offer a larger field of view than zoom eyepieces set at the same magnification, making it easier to get on target and work through flocks of birds. 

    

Zoom eyepieces offering a smaller field of view (even at the lowest magnification setting) are versatile and really show their merit when subjects are backlit by harsh sunlight.  With less peripheral light surrounding the target, the pupils of your eye expand, allowing you to perceive more color and detail.

   

Zoom eyepieces are more expensive than fixed, ranging about $100 to $300 more.  If money is no object, buy both.  Use the wide angle lens for scanning; switch to a zoom if you find a bird that requires concerted study under very distant or poor conditions.  If money is a concern, buy the fixed eyepiece (a 30x is a good all around choice) and use the savings for a good....

7.  TRIPODS

One of the most important considerations involving the purchase of a scope is also one people dismiss or leave for last.  This is the tripod. Whatever you do, DO NOT CUT CORNERS ON THE TRIPOD.  It is the whole foundation upon which higher magnification functions.

   

FACT: You are better off buying an $800 spotting scope/eyepiece combination and putting it on a $250 tripod than buying a $2000 spotting scope and putting it on a $100 tripod.  

   

Where optical quality has generally increased, tripod quality, across the board, has mostly lagged.  Most of the tripod makes and models on the market today perform poorly in the birding arena; where light weight, stability, a wind resistant/vibration reduced platform, a smooth panning head, quick set up and take down and fold up portability (for travel) are paramount.

   

We sell only Gitzo and Manfrotto tripods.  Care to guess why?

   

That’s right.  They really, really work and they continue to work even after years of hard use.

     

8. DURABILITY, DEPENDABILITY, WARRANTY

The importance of these qualities are paramount although only one, warranty, is manifest (it comes in writing).  Instruments designed to be taken and used outdoors must be designed to take whatever Ma Nature is dishing out and this includes the occasional fall. There has never been a spotting scope that is impervious to gravity.  Every scope will fall and as such it should be rugged enough to shrug off a tumble to the ground, whether the cause is wind, a malfunctioning tripod head, or a bumbling friend.              

   

Mechanical dependability is a quality that only becomes evident over time.  We at CMBO take careful note of performance shortfalls and inherent foibles because they are just as important as the qualities that commend a scope (and sometimes even more determining). 

   

Bridging the gap between durability and mechanical performance is the company’s warranty.  Some are better than others.  Instruments that come with a no fault clause (it breaks, they fix it for nothing, no questions asked) certainly build that into the price but in the long run such a promise is something to prize.

9. THE LITTLE THINGS 

In a world of equals and near equals (because all of the scopes in our lineup are high quality and high performance) it is often the little, sometimes subjective things, that commend one scope over the other to a buyer.  Some scopes focus closer than others.  Some scopes offer richer, truer colors.  Some scopes focus quicker.  Some change eyepieces with greater ease.  Some just plain have more curbside appeal.

    

It’s ok to favor one scope over another just because you like the look.  And for meeting people, looking through a spotting scope is better than walking a dog.

 

10.  NOT ALL SCOPES ARE CREATED EQUAL 

Even among quality instruments of the same make and model expect variation in overall performance, including optical performance.  More troubling still, a small percentage of brand new instruments that find their way into inventories have obvious defects--stiff focus wheels, eyepieces that won’t lock into place, loose screws rolling around in the barrel, dust or fingerprints on the internal elements... .

   

We test and examine every instrument we sell.  We back this up with a simple, honest and iron-clad return policy.  Send it back in the condition it was sent to you along with all packaging and materials and we’ll replace it or refund your money.