What say you guys?
Best bang for the buck?
What are your thoughts on economics?
Most inexpensive spotters work good at the lowest power range but suffer quickly as the power ring is turned up.
I have a 12-40x60 Gold Ring non HD and IMO this is probably considered the low end of good to better spotters
Is this a leupold gold ring?
I was thinking about 300-500 or so?
http://theronoptics.com/SAKER_ED_60MM_SPOTTER_HKQ5.phphave a pair of their binos for my truck. Great performance for little money. Birders are big on them.
My field glasses are Leica Geovids and my spotting scope is a Vortex Razor HD.
Planning on a Saker for rangework .
Is this a leupold gold ring?
I was thinking about 300-500 or so?
Yes it is
In the past decade I have owned 3 other spotting scopes. All 3 were low-ish cost spotters at about $250 to $350 each....Wind River/Leupold and Nikon....all disappointed me.
With hindsight being 20-20 I recomend not/never wasting your hard earned money on any of the spotters below "mid" range.....mid-range is debatable
The lesser spotters will disapoint in low light and clarity using the variable and waste your money....spend money on great glass and never look back
I've got a Sightron SII 20-50x80 I'd be willing to part with. Shoot me a PM if you have any interest.
I just picked up a brand new Kowa 601 and 20-60 eyepiece from B&H for under $550. I am truly impressed with the optics and while it's not armored it is truly a lightweight spotter and feels very well made.
I have no regrets and in my mind it represents the best bang for my buck under $750. Not ED glass but CA seems fairly well controlled in high contrast situations and while hunting I don't intend on it being an issue at all.
Nick
My experience is similar. I have a Bushnell (Spacemaster, I think) 15-45. It works great up to just under 25X, then it gets finicky. I read years ago, may have been by MD, that it was more difficult to make a good variable eyepiece than it was to make a good fixed.
For example, I can see the moons of Jupiter at high power, but focus is critical. At about 22X, I can study the rack on a desert mule deer a mile or so away, but focusing at 30X or more is difficult. If you can find one, I would suggest a fixed 20 or 25 in a moderately priced unit for hunting.
Best wishes,
Jack
I had a Vortex Viper for about a week. Took it back. Decided I'd rather have 15x56 bins for hunting or a spotting scope I'm not willing to pay for for use at the range.
I picked up an old Leupold 25X50 Gold Ring a few months ago. Love it. Small and easy to carry. Clarity is at least as good as any of the $300 range spotters I have tried. Best part is that I take it with me because it is small and light. A big old spotter that gets left at the truck is pretty much worthless.
I'll second this suggestion. Very good for the price IMO.
Minox MD50. you can get them for around 200. good as it gets for that price.
I'll second this suggestion. Very good for the price IMO.
I will 3rd the recommendation. For the under $300 price tag that these sell for they have no competition.
What you decide on. Been glassing the airport 5 miles away with my binos. Blue angles due to fly fleet week exercises in next 30 minutes. Still amazed how good these Theron binos are in spite of their price.
Hello! It can be daunting can't it? I've been looking into scopes of all types for my blog. There are some Nikons that might be a good fit for you. You can check out my review
www.habitathacks.com here.
Good luck! Keep us posted as to what you decide on.
Vortex viper HD. Don't pay full retail either call around
How about a 15x bino for a spotter? I've been very impressed with the Nikon Monarch V 8 x 56 bino. It is also available in 16 x 56 and 20 x 56 bino. In my 8 x 56 the glass and the consequent image is very, very good. I've looked through the 15 x 56 bino and the image is excellent. Just a thought.
Jordan
What are you using the spotter for? Looking to check targets at extended ranges? Looking to find game at extended range? Looking to evaluate trophy quality or legality of game at extended range? Are you going to be using a spotter for hours per day and for hunting trips that will last a week or more?
Lots of factors play into what is the best bang for the buck. If you're criteria are less demanding of a spotter, then you'll be happy with a lower priced unit. If you're straining every last bit out of a spotter you're likely not going to be happy with a lower end unit.
Pentax pcf-65a spotter with XL-14 or XW-14 eyepiece for a very crisp and open fixed 28x (FOV larger than most big name variables set to 20x, btw...). Get eyepieces used on astromart for <$200. XW-10 or XL-10.5 gives you fixed 37x +/- with again a big clear view, but eye position is a bit more critical. Also, 37x is a bit more sensitive to mirage. I use the XL-10.5 that I got for $150 used, and got the bare scope for $399 back in 2007.
You cannot compare the Leupold 12-40 golden ring image to my Pentax. Not in the same league.