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Just wondering if anyone can recommend a good entry/bit better level spotting scope? We want it mainly for watching animals/bird from our deck
Thanks
Morgan

We have the Celestron Ultima 65 which is fitted with a zoom lens and which we find ideal.
It fits on our camera tripod making it perfect for bird/animal watching from hides or decks.

Thanks Elsa, I was actually just checking the Celestron Ultima 80!

Might be a later/updated model than mine, which I have had for about 2 years now.

Hi MorganQ
i have used a Kamakura for the last couple of years and they are very good.
It has a max of 45x magnification which is more than ample for any situation.
Not sure what the cost would be today but i think i paid about R3000 for mine.
Ideally they want to be used on a pretty sturdy tripod.
Mine actually came with a small tripod but its application is quite limited because of the size.
I do believe the optic quality versus money spent is very good.
Hope this helps with your search.

Yes!

Hi MorganQ and welcome to the forum.
I am a serious birdwatcher/nature watcher and own 2 scopes.
You have to go and try out all the available scopes you can afford,how much are you
prepared to pay?
Choosing a scope is a very personal thing,you might think one scope is brilliant and another person will not like it at all.
Try them all out and pay as much as you can afford for the scope you feel most comfortable with.
Unfortunately for you and fortunate for the dealer you will probably find yourself drawn to the more expensive end of the market.
Take your time in choosing and if buying second-hand try and look at the one you're interested in elsewhere,a dealer in optics perhaps.
Have you tried looking up scope reviews in birdwatching magazines?

We are going into town tomorrow to check them out,
I don't really have a price in mind, I just want something to start me off so don't want to spend too much, but as you know when you start to look you tend to get carried away!

Hi Everyone,
Which do you all think would be better for viewing wildlife in Kruger on a self-drive with hopefully some walks or the longer wilderness walk as well, a spotting scope or image stabilizing binoculars?
Can you use a spotting scope without some kind of mount while walking? (I'm obviously not very familiar with these options and actually only recently heard of spotting scopes.)
I don't really want to buy both.
Or can I just skip bringing either?

Hi tdullmaier! Welcome to the forums!

A good pair of binoculars is a must.
It does not have to be "with image stabiliser", unless you really have trouble keeping them still, or if it has a very high magnification (e.g. 16x or 20x magnification).
For these binoculars as well as spotting scopes you really need a tripod of some kind to keep it still while you're viewing game / birds etc. - not ideal while on a "bush walk".

Do you have a basic pair of binoculars?
E.g. 8x40 / 10x50 porroprism binoculars or 8x42 / 10 x 52 roof prism binoculars?
These still remain the best for general game viewing as well as bird watching.
The ones with magnifications higher than this have lower image clarity etc, simply because if they were to increase the lens size to properly match the magnification the binocs would become too big, heavy and unwieldy.

If you don't have a basic pair of binoculars, these are good value-for-money options:
Nikon Action 8x40 (porro prism)- About R800 to R1000
Nikon Action 10x50 (porro prism) - About R1000 to R1200
Nikon Monarch 8x42 (roof prism) - About R3500
Nikon Monarch 10x52 (roof prism) - About R4500
or similar Pentax models for only slightly more.

The porro prism binoculars are older technology and easier to make, which is why they are cheaper.
They are also slightly heavier than roof prism binoculars, but their image clarity is as good as or arguably even better than roof prism binoculars since they have a better depth of field.
Therefore do not automatically assume that you must buy the more expensive roof prism models.
The roof prism models are more waterproof though.

A lot of people here will tell you you must go for a Leica or Swarovski.
If you have R20,000+ to blow on a pair of binoculars, go ahead.
Otherwise the options listed above good enough.

Don't go too cheap though.
I've had a cheap 10x50 Bushnell Falcon before.
Now a Nikon Action 8x40.
Even with the lower magnification, I can see much better with the Nikon than I ever could with the Bushnell simply because the lenses are so much clearer and better.

If you do have a basic pair of binoculars and are only looking for something with more magnification, I can tell you that I've tried a pair of Pentax 16x50.
The field of view is very small so it is difficult to find what you're looking for.
Secondly the focus is so extremely fine that it is almost impossible to focus on the subject you're looking at. More useful for getting extra detail on a small bird in the medium distance, than looking at larger subjects that are far away...
Thus, if choosing between a pair of binoculars with high magnification or a spotting scope, I would recommend that you go for the spotting scope.

However, for self drive as well as walking activities, binoculars are definitely better.
You can only really use a spotting scope at "getting out" places such as some bridges, hides, picnic spots and in camp.

Hope this helps

I have recently been looking via the net for new bins, and it seems the Bushnell 8x42 NatureView should be added to the above list.

A spotting scope can, as Dabchick says, be unhandy in the car, and on walks?
The Field of view is very narrow, so a little movement and you have lost the bird.
Which, if you are in a car with someone is likely to happen.
For that same reason I would not take it on walks, but rather have some light binoculars.
Better yet, a camera with say a 100-400 lens on it, but then you are talking different prices.
But you will be needing that anyway.

Just a couple of thoughts that will probably muddy the water

Quite a few people use a monopod when walking as a steady support for long focus camcorders , bins etc., as it can be used as a hand grip when 'collapsed' or extended (as intended).
(I wished I had had one when I was trying to record (at max zoom) a hen harrier on Wicken fen - but that's not SanParks.... )
A spotting scope with a digital camera adapter can be a super-duper tele lens.
But IMO it isn't really a replacement for 'proper' camera kit, just an added extra.

If I was dripping in cash I'd go for the scope and bins
But I'm not so my choice would be a set of 10x50 or 12x50 bins (the best quality you can afford)

Welcome to the Forum.

We (Elsa & I) have a Spotting Scope that has a zoom feature which makes it much easier to find a distant object but we find that most of the time our binoculars are better and the scope often spends days wrapped in the back of the car.

I have no experience with the IS version of the binoculars but do have an IS lens on my camera and the improvement of quick shots that do not have much time to stabilize the camera would lead me to believe that IS binoculars would be great.

I love my spotting scope and what Klystron failed to say was, they are fantastic at hides or in camps where you can sit them on a table or ledge, much more magnification than our binocs.
but they have to be stabilized, no question of that.

As a serious birder I always carry my scope attached to a tripod.
But do frequently use it in the car without the tripod by part closing the window and resting it in the gap.
With the tripod it is invaluable in camp and at view points, bridges and picnic spots and is certainly popular with other visitors when you can show them very close up views!
A view with the scope is a bonus, always use your bins first.
Binoculars are a matter of choice and wallet.
Always pay as much as you can afford for the ones that suit you best (weight, feel, etc)