Hi Pete, For good value for price, check out Vortex products. I bought my scope 10 years ago, so I won't mention specific products as they change over time. However, I did learn several important lessons that I'd like to pass along. In no particular order....
Get a decent tripod. You want one that is stout enough to be steady in wind, but not too heavy. If the scope is bouncing around because the tripod is not steady, the use of the scope is seriously diminished. Also, consider how small or big it is when it breaks down. It's one thing to reduce it to half size to fit in the back of your car. It's a completely different thing to want to take it in your carry-on on a plane. Or, even get it to fit in your checked suitcase. Consider power carefully. I considered quality of the glass in the eyepiece and whether it maintained clarity and correct color out to the edges. However, I chose a smaller power (45x) to cut costs. Big mistake. Everyone else has 60x or even 85x. Ducks and grebes they are picking out and discussing the finer points of feather molt just look like dark dots in my scope. Don't scrimp on power. Shape of barrel (straight or angled). Don't even consider a straight barrel. I have one. That was by far the single worst decision I ever made with any of my optics. If the bird you are trying to look at is up in a tree, the straight barrel is completely useless unless you lay on your back on the ground. If you want to show other people something through your scope, you'll be constantly moving the scope up and down. I lead field trips, and my straight barrel is very, very frustrating. Angled barrels allow you to see things that are nearly straight up (at least 70 degrees), and you can turn the scope on its side with a quick adjustment to allow a shorter person to use it. When you get it, practice with it a lot. Carry it around with you all day long. Most importantly, use it to locate birds for hours on end. The more used to it you are, the more functional it will become, and the more fun will be your birding. Good luck! Jody Jody W. Enck, PhD Conservation Social Scientist, and Founder of the Sister Bird Club Network 607-379-5940 On Mon, Apr 27, 2020 at 8:45 PM Peter Saracino <petersarac...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi folks. I'm in the market for a relatively inexpensive (but halfway > decent)spotting scope (straight barrel), and am wondering if anyone out > there can recommend one. > Thank you. > Pete Sar > -- > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > *Archives:* > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > *Please submit your observations to eBird > <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>!* > -- > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
