Spotting scopes with ZOOM!!

[donaldflanagan]

Hello all,
Fairly recent JHO'er here. I have used a Wind River 15-45x spotting scope, and (briefly) a lower-priced and older Burris. On both units I noticed that there is a significant loss in image quality as the magnification is increased beyond 25x. What spotting scopes do you all use, and how is the image quality at full magnification? I am beginning my research into scopes, and hope to purchase one in the next year, but I don't want to invest in a scope that is ineffective in the upper half of it's listed magnification range. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
D

 

[Dirtytough]

O use a Swarovski and it works through all the ranges. it is the 20-60X 80 HD. good luck finding a scope.

 

[Tom Petterson]

We have a leoupold spotting scope that has that same problem with getting blurry at higher powers and it is only good for like 20x. We also have a Zeiss 20-60x with a 85mm lens and it is great. There is no blur at the 60 power at all.

We used the Ziess on my antelope hunt in NV this year and my dad made an interesting comment. He said"when we used the leoupold we looked at things half or a mile away and things were blurry now we us the zeiss and look at things 2-3miles away and because of the heat waves things are blurry :hittin-self:Haha I guess we always try to look further than we can.

The high end glass will be better than the lowend stuff. Zeiss ,Swarovski, Leica not in any neccasarily in that order, are all good choices. But they will be expensive. Swarovski is good but ther are two levels of there coatings regular and HD high definition. The HD cost a few $100 more.

Go someplace with a bunch of different ones and try them all. Remember you can't ware them out by looking through them so get something good for you and you will use it for a long time. If you get something that dosen't work for you and you really get into glassing you will want to upgrade latter on.

You will need a good sturdy tripod also. If your not packing far go with a Bogen 3001BN

 

[donaldflanagan]

Thanks for your input guys!

 

[betelgeuse]

I had a Bushnell Elite 15-45x60 that that go blurry once you got past about 35x.

I ordered a Nikon 20-60x80mm and am waiting for it to come in and see if the same thing happens.

Will post the results

 

[dhall61]

I agree 100% that the above scopes are the best available, if you want to spend that amount of coin. I bought this model Barska a few days, which you can go to Big 5, or other places and view for yourself.

Its has multi coated lens, water proof, fog proof, extended shade for lens, and weights next to nothing. It comes with tri pod, hard case, and soft case.

I am extremely pleased with this spotting scope so far, I have had it out at 0' dusk thirty the last few evening and am not getting any loss of image quality at 60 magnification. In fact, there is a small strip mall around me, @ 200 yrds, with 60 magification, I can see inside the mexican food joint located there, and see what they were watching on the small TV they had on back by the kitchen no less, I am amazed at the quality for the price I paid.

 

[donaldflanagan]

I checked out that Barska Blackhawk scope, and it was better than some, but I still wasn't sold on it. Last week one of the guys at a local bow shop offered to bring in his Nikon scope and let me look through it. It's a Nikon Fieldscope III 60mm ED, and I must say that I was VERY impressed! By the time you put an eyepiece on it it'll cost over $1000, but it sure is nice. The eyepiece he has is a 20-45x unit, and I still had great resolution at full magnification. Now if only I can find a place to try out a Swarovski STS-65.... Not too many local shops that carry quality scopes.
Thanks again for your input.

 

[el_vaquero]

My understanding is that with variable power (or even fixed powers) scopes it that when you go over about 30x you will get distortion from heat waves. It's kinda like being on a road in the desert on a very hot day and you see the waves coming up off the hot asphalt. At least, that's what I read in Dwight Schuh's book on mule deer hunting...there is a chapter that covers optics and which are better to use. I would imagine that with very high quality glass (and $$$) you will probably get less distortion.