purchasing a spotting scope

Confused · Guest

Hi,
I am confused as to which scope to buy for a mixed use of hunting and some star gazing. Should I get the 15x45 power 65mm or the 20x60 power 85mm? I read the comments about atmospheric distortions with too much power. I am also concerned about easy of use afield. Should it be HD? I read about the dimness in low light. I am looking at Zeiss, Swarvoski, and Leica and would entertain other good brands. I wondered about the CTS 85 Swavorski, is it available? How rugged is it?

Jne_K · Site Admin Joined: 24 Sep 2003 Posts: 5669

Hi

Forget the CT - not available in North Amercia, though yopu may still find it for sale in Europe. Really won't do anything the ATS/STS cannot do as well or better.

Portability always favors a 65mm and will do about 95% of the same thing that a comparable 80mm will do. If you want that list bit of performance, though, go with an 80mm scope, especially if size and weight are not a factor. An 80mm scope is also a plus for astronomy and portability is not an issue, here.

HD produces sharper images at any magnification for photography and visually at magnifications above 40x and in a premium scope, like a Swarovski or Zeiss, images at 60x can be as sharp as 20x, assuming the atmosphere cooperates. Absolutely no reason not to go with one of these scopes and get 60x if you need it. They will deliver beautifui images at any magnification. Even here in the east where I do my birding there are always some days when I was glad I had 60x.
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