Does anyone have any experience or suggestions regarding a scope that can be bought on a bit of a budget.
Second hand is always an option, I know, but I'm not sure about the quality of scopes like Praktica or Bresser
On a nice bright day I'm sure they are OK but do they tail off quickly as the light fades?
Any suggestions or comments would be gratefully received.
Hi Richard
Take a look at www.infocusoptics.co.uk they do days at verious locations, if you go to one of these and tell them your budget they will offer the best scope for your needs, they sell all makes and often have second hand from trade ins. I am a big Opticron fan and find them good in most light conditions and they come in several sizes and prices.
Dave
Most of the cost in a 'scope is the eyepiece and if on a budget perhaps do not consider a zoom lens which in the poor light of Teesside is often disappointing. So perhaps aim for say x25 magnification and for added benefit, pay extra for a wider angle of view. But if it is too costly, then forget it unless you plan a lot of sea watching where a wide angle is very useful. A lot is talked about costly lens systems to remove chromatic abberations but I feel this is more of an issue with binoculars than 'scopes where there will often be a shimmer from a heat haze which is more tiresome. Finally this will not be the last 'scope you will buy.
Ali McLee
I think giving a price range here would help a lot. Also if you do go to any field events to look at scopes make sure you check the on-line prices before you buy as it might be quite a saving
Don't turn your nose up at the Aldi scopes for £26 when they have them in if you want to try one out for a week or two send me a pm and I'll lend you mine.
Hi Richard
I purchased a scope from Aldi but could not get away with it so ended up giving it away to my friend and then purchasing a Celestron Ultima 80 for approx £140 which was a vast improvement. I have no regrets about this purchase whatsoever using it often for the past several months and enjoying birds with nice clear vision.
Hope This Helps
Thanks all, Richard's Celestron was about the price area I was looking at. I'll go and find one for a look
The offer still stands a certain member on here who happens to be one of the admin has one as well. Check out this thread http://www.teesmouthbc.com/forumtbc/index.php?topic=455.0