Spotting scope....good step up from Binoculars?

Shinto

Dear folks,

Appologies if this isn't the right forum, but i checked the archives and this Shooting forum comes up quite a lot for 'spotting scopes.' Since ye use them for shooting/hunting, i figured ye'd be the best experts to ask...

I'm thinking of getting a Spotting Scope for me ould lad...

I have my eye on this one on Ebay for 200 Euro...
http://cgi.ebay.ie/Zoom-Spotting-Scope-telescope-20-60-x-80mm-45-TOP_W0QQitemZ250151174607QQihZ015QQcategoryZ3636QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

He has a house in Connemara and he uses his 10x50 binoculars ALL the time for general observation (not shooting)....the scenery is amazing. I know he'd like a more powerfull tool to look at far away objects. I know that spotting scopes are designed for birdwatchers and for shooting, but would they be any good for just general observation at long distances? Would they be able to focus on a boat or a building at a distance of 1.5km ?

Warm Regards,
Shinto.

freddieot

A spotting scope would be very good for that sort of thing, possibly somewhere in the 30x range or even more. However, they are a lot more hassle to handle than a good pair of binoculars. Heavier, more cumbersome and many people don't like the 'one-eye' view. You also must use a tripod of some sort with them as they are basically small telescopes.

Your Dad might benefit more from a very good pair of binoculars with about 20x. These would be pretty big anyway but at least he could carry them in a case around his shoulder and you can lean on just about anything in order to steady a pair of binoculars.

Cost wise I expect you wold pay about the same for a good powerful pair of binoculars as you would for a decent spotting scope. Either way, go for a known brand. The optical quality is as important as the magnification.

We shooters use them because we can set them up staring directly at a piece of paper or target at long range and see the bullet holes in the paper etc. Guys that hunt, I suspect, would still favour binocs as you can scan larger areas very quickly.

freddieot

bigred

From my use of both over the years, I've found binos the best for 'taking in a view'. If you're fixated on a tiny spot at a distance (i.e. a target) or need a hand free, the spotting scope is good, but if you like admiring the view (as I used do) the good binoculars are the one - adjusted properly the field of view is amazing!

Shinto

thank you very much.