DO NOT BUY ONE!
I went to Costco today to stock up on some stuff for my upcoming trip, and as I wandered the aisles, I saw these on the shelf.
Hmm....20~60x 60MM, angled eyepiece, in a "Pelican" type case WITH a collapsible 15" to 44" tripod.
I figured the tripod would be junk (it is), but I was unprepared for just how BAD this little scope is.
To begin with, it has such short eye relief that I can NOT use it, at all, even on the 20 power setting, with my glasses on.
At the 60 power setting, even with my glasses off, I had to have my eye completely buried in the eye cup to use it.
The image isn't very bright considering the 60mm objective lens size, so I don't know what they "Fully Coated" the optics with....maybe water?
Yes, I should have known better, considering my $400+ Vortex didn't meet my particular needs, but I thought I give one a try considering Costco's no-nonsense return policy.
My rating?
ZERO out of five possible stars.
Looks like I'll just have to bite the bullet, and get that $600 Nikon I've had my eye on.....pun intended!
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What I've Been Up To....
Started this post on Monday, then came down with a head cold, which is now progressing South. Feeling better, but still a bit woozy...... To...
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Yep, once again we learn we DO get what we pay for (or don't as teh case may be)... :-)
ReplyDeleteHence my comment that I SHOULD have known better!
ReplyDeleteI've been to the Big5 and Sports Authority stores here, and they had NOTHING for a decent quality sporring scope.
If I'm not too busy tomorrow, I'll swing by the Turner's Outdoorsman store and see what they have.
The Turner's in Redondo Beach has the distinction of being robbed, at gunpoint, not once, but twice in the last year and a half!
Man, if anybody was stooopid enough to try and hold up the range I go to, they'd be carrying them out in multiple body bags!
I'd check out Optics Planet... I have the older version of this and have been VERY happy with it...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.opticsplanet.com/leupold-20-60-x-80-sx1-ventana-angled-spotting-scope.html
Thanks, I'll check it out.
ReplyDeleteHmmm - One of my other hobbies is astronomy. Made mirrors, made mounts, the whole bit. I have four or five good telescopes within arm's reach right now.
ReplyDeleteIn spite of that, I have an absolute piece o' crap spotting scope, simply because it was cheap when I was looking (one of these, or similar http://www.amazon.com/Aim-20-60x60-Spotting-Scope/dp/B001B785ZS ) Time to put the research in.
I built several telescopes in high-school, and then bought an 8" Celestron when I was (much!) older, so I guess we share another hobby!
ReplyDeleteI've got a pair of 100mm objective binoculars I bought some time back from "Bigbinoculars.com", and I've thought about taking those with me.
I'd probably break down in tears if the tripod got knocked over, though!
My main concern is long eye relief, as it's a pain to take my glasses of to look through the spotting scope, and I prefer a large (80mm) objective for those times when it gets a bit dark or gloomy.
I'll do some more research when I'm out this month, but I seem to think the one Old_NFO recommended is the same one he pointed me at a few months ago when I asked about good scopes.
Yep, and it's got decent eye relief too!
ReplyDeleteA good sized scope for this would be one that has an objective lens of 65mm or less, is not much over 12 inches, and weighs about 36 ounces plus or minus. You will also want to invest in a good lightweight tripod.barska scope reviews
ReplyDelete