W/Canon 20D digital SLR for 1-25 miles

Hobart · Guest

Dear Opticsplanet.com Adviser,

Please help me decide which scope to buy. I mostly will not be using the scope for photography, but I want it to be multi-purpose so that when I do want to use my camera I can. With such a nice digital SLR that I will be using, it would be nice to have good optics too.

I live on a mountain in a suburb with an amazing view of Taipei, Taiwan and within 1-25 maybe even 40 miles on a good day, I would like to see about 2 million homes (I am not a peeper), military bases (I am curious not a spy) on distant mountains, the ocean, hikers on the tops of nearby mountain ranges, my friends house on the other side of the valley and so on.

It is very tropical and humid here so water proofing would be nice.

Finally, my budget is between $200 and $450. Maybe later I will upgrade, but for now, that is about all I want to spend, unless for a little more I can get superior optics and something I will be able to use for a long long time.

Thank-you so much for the advice. Great website and I am so happy that you ship internationally!!!

Regards,
Hobart an American Expat in Asia.

Hobart · Guest

After reading more on your site I decided I can allocate more money for this purchase so that I can get something that lasts and is potentially usable for astronomical viewing as well as looking around the world near my home.

I am looking for quality in build, perhaps water proofing and versatility for future expansion. I see that I can upgrade the magnification by changing the eyepiece. I would like a scope that can grow with my budget if that is possible. I also want something that will last for many years and allow me to take some astronomical photos. My purpose for this purpose is not astronomical, so more important would be the ability to view ships on the ocean near my house or viewing the city from my roofdeck. Portability is not that important as I do not forsee myself ever using it on a rifle, or traveling with it or using it in the field to view wildlife. However, I will be taking in and out of my house to the balconey or roof deck.

My budget can increase to $700. (I just bought the $1600 camera and a $700 wide angle lens and will buy another $600 lens soon, so my wife might lose her patience) I could also wait a couple of months and up my budget to around $1,000 to $1,200 if that could help out immensely.

Hobart · Guest

I found the following FAQ quite helpful.

http://opticsplanet.com/info/telescopes/#05

You list some spotting scopes that can also be used for astronomy. The Swarovski and the Pentax look really solid, but without finder scopes, which I am thinking is a good thing. Don't finder scopes get quickly out of alignment? Or is it that because of the type of scope they are, they do not need finder scope attachments?

I have a lowend telescope I bought on a whim at a mall booth. Awful build quality. Really crap product. I don't want marketing hype. From another post, I saw someone say that one company claims half a mile away one can read a license plate or see someone walking two miles away. That marketing hype was Meade.

From that list, or some things better suited for me not on the list. Please recommend something that has great build quality.

Thank-you.

Hobart · Guest

I think I have narrowed it down to these two for my price range

1. Bushnell Elite 20-60x80mm ED Glass 45 Deg. Angeled Spotting scope 788045 Rainguard http://www.opticsplanet.net/628045.html
2. Meade ETX-125 Spotting Scopes with 26mm Super Plossl Eyepiece (1.25"), Erecting Prism & Finderscope http://www.opticsplanet.net/meade-125etx-spotting-scopes.html

Taking into consideration my above posts, which would be better for my needs? Anyone?