Spotting Scope ?'s

[Schmitty]

This is my first post here on CouesWhitetail.com

 

I'm slowly beginning to see the light when it comes to good optics. I bought a pair of used Leica's a couple of years ago and thought that I had arrived. This past week I finally hunted with a pair of borrowed 15's and saw the light. I immediately ordered a pair when I returned.

 

I'm now looking to purchase a decent spotter to help w/ field evaluation and have a bit of fun digiscoping with. I can't afford the very top of the line right now, but I'm looking to get something decent mid range. I've been mulling over used Swaro, Zeiss, Leica (non APO/HD) models, along with the Pentax and Nikon ED models. Budget is in the 1K area.

 

As most of you hunt in similar terrain as I do, I 'm curious as to your preferences.

 

I know that everybody has opinions on what works best for them. I want to hear all that you have to say good, bad or ugly.

 

This scope will be packed along in rough country along w/ all of the other goodies, used sunup to sundown.

I also want to fool around with taking pictures w/ a digital pint and shoot on scouting trips as well of various local critters as well.

 

So, 65 or 80 mm? Straight or Angled? Do you even really need to pack along a spotter or will a doubler/tripler work? Do any particular scopes lend themselves better for picture taking? Zoom or fixed eyepieces? Warranty/customer service considerations. etc.

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Schmitty

[azhuntnut]

I personally have the Swaro ATS 80 and really like it. I tried the straight and angled, and preferred the angled. When I was looking at scopes I wanted to look at the Nikons, but I couldn't find anybody at the time who carried them. I currently have three pairs of Nikons binos including the high end LXL's and I think you would find it hard to tell the difference between the clarity of the LXL's and the Swaros. Go down to sportsmans warehouse and have them set up three different scopes for you and see which eyepiece feels the most comfortable and which glass works the best for you. Try to do this in the evening when the sun is going down. David

[SunDevil]

I am not positive but I am pretty sure you could get into a Nikon 65 ED scope, eye piece, bracket and camera for under $1K. Their ED scopes are very good. I have the 82 ED and other than being pretty big and heavy I love it. You can get a Nikon P2 camera which is a very good camera for $150. The brackets are camera specific. I used straight eye pieces for years but have an angled one now and prefer it. Scout'm just bought a swaro scope and got the angled eyepiece as well. There are pictures in the photo section that I have taken with my 82 with the digiscope setup I described. Let me know if you have any other questions. Chris.

[DEERSLAM]

I've got the Swaro ATS65 and love it. The angled scope, though a little harder to get use to, is very versatile. I have also found through side to side comparisions, the 65 vs 80mm scope during hunting hours, is that the 65 is more than bright enough.

[COOSEFAN]

I've got the Swaro STS 80 HD and feel it's the best on the market, BUT I wish I had gotten the ATS (angled). With an angled scope you can keep your tripod at a lower setting creating alot more stability when supporting the weight of a scope....especially with these lightweight tripods these days and when it's windy. The detail and clarity is outstanding, but it isn't that much different than the 65mm, and probably not worth the extra expense. I'm a Swaro fanatic, but I know the Nikon scope is a great scope, especially for the money. With what you have in mind, I would think the setup SunDevil has described with the 65ED scope, would be your best bet. BUT......if you run into some extra money, or can wait a little bit.....you will never go wrong with Swarovski! JIM>

[azcouesandelk]

If you can save up the money I would recomend the swarovski. I have the 20-60x80 hd with the DCB attatchent and love it. I would go with the setup that SunDevil is describing. I was able to look through one this september and for the money it is a good purchase.

[firstcoueswas80]

i got a chance this past october to check out the new Nikon spotting scope... ya know.. the tiny one that weighs like 6 ounces and only costs like $650... AMAZING!!!! the thing is tiny and super light but the optical quality of the scope is amazing!!!

 

 

Younghunter's dad didnt believe me, but i said it was very very comparable to a Swaro spotter and still do. optically, the swaro is better, but not at what 3 or 4 times the price? the size, weigth and quality of the scope is amazing, it is honestly bright and clear, nearly as good as the swaro. for my money, i would choose the nikon over the swaro just cause when i say my money... theres not much there to speak of!

[Dan H]

I have the ATS 65 and is is plenty good enough for long range size determination and works out great for pictures.

I also have two of the doublers and never use them any more.

Go with a scope you won't use the doublers enough at all.

 

Dan

[GameHauler]

I have the swaro ATS65 and love it. You said you would be packing it so the 65 would be much easier to take along and there is not that much dif. to the 80. I like the angled scope much better as it is easier on my neck but just a little harder to locate a target. I just got the swaro DCB which is a really nice unit for digiscoping. So if you can hold off and save the money go with Swarovski. You will end up replacing the mid range scope, so why spend the money? My$.02

Mike

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

I've got the Swaro STS 80 HD and feel it's the best on the market, BUT I wish I had gotten the ATS (angled). With an angled scope you can keep your tripod at a lower setting creating alot more stability when supporting the weight of a scope....especially with these lightweight tripods these days and when it's windy. The detail and clarity is outstanding, but it isn't that much different than the 65mm, and probably not worth the extra expense. I'm a Swaro fanatic, but I know the Nikon scope is a great scope, especially for the money. With what you have in mind, I would think the setup SunDevil has described with the 65ED scope, would be your best bet. BUT......if you run into some extra money, or can wait a little bit.....you will never go wrong with Swarovski! JIM>

 

 

Hey, Jim.... there is a little set screw on the sid of your scope (black knob)...... well there is one on the 65, so the 80 should have it.... ... anyhow...... that knob loosens the barrel of the scope. I have spun mine all the way around (upside down) and now I can use it at the same height as my 15x56's....... looks little different but works well.

 

I prefer the STS 65 HD because it is very bright and packable. The HD makes it "nearly" as bright as a regular 80 mm scope and a lot less weight. We tested an STS 65 HD against the 80 mm Swaro I used to have and at dark we lost light minutes apart. Great scope.... I highly recomend.

[muley]

I've also got the swaro 65 and love it, once I find it with my 10x42s I switch over to the 65.

I have the straight, not angle.

[Foundry Man]

Schmitty,

I just pruchased the Zeiss 65 angled scope a few weeks ago. I got a great deal from Camera Land (a coues whitetail.com sponser). It was a SHOT show special. I got the scope body for $999., and then got the eye peice. There was no shipping either. I figure I saved a couple hundred bucks. Full Warrenty as well. You might check into that. I just bought the Zeiss camera adapter. It works awsome. I got the Velbon Traker 2 tripod from Sportsmans Wharehouse (130.00). The whole set up cost me around $1950.00. There have been gale force winds around Silver City the past few days, but I have been out, and gotten some pretty good pictures with this outfit. The only draw back is, the camera adapter is HEAVY! I probably won't haul it into the whitetail hills. It weighs as much as my scope. But, I am going to have a good time with it! Zeiss optics are some of the best. I've been sleeping with mine.

[SunDevil]

one other thing to throw into the mix is that the 82ED Nikon has an eyepiece that goes up to 75X. I think the most the rest of the bigger scopes go up to is either 60X or 65X.

 

On a scouting trip in the fall of 2005, I glassed up a buck that was a long way away. In the 15s, we could tell he was a buck but didnt think he was anything special. I threw the spotter up on him and zoomed it in at 75X. I was floored. Talk about being up close and personal. He looked like he was 25 yards away. We estimated the 3X4 buck to be between 100 and 105.

 

We were glassing from a very distinct point and the buck was on a very distinct point, so when I got home I measured the distance on a topo map and was amazed to find we were 8/10ths of a mile from that buck.

 

Bigger scopes are that, bigger, and heavier but they have their advantages. My pack probably weighs twice as much as what some guys carry around because of my scope, cameras, tripod, binos, etc but hey, I'm a big guy and it serves as a reminder as to my need to get into shape. Later. Chris.

[scoutm]

I have the Swaro 80 HD and am very happy with it.

 

I've used Sun Devil's Nikon ED 82 and have used a loaned Nikon ED 65. I believe the Swaro is brighter than both of those. I preferred the 80 & 82 over the 65 even though they weigh more. Nikon eye peice that goes to 75x is definetly a plus.

 

I don't have the camera attachement for my Swaro from what I have seen though it is much easier and more universal than the Nikon camera adapter the problem with it is that you can't use it with the Swaro formed scope protective case. You have to take the case off to use the adapter. I've posted a number of pictures I've taken without the adapter and they have turned out pretty well. I just hold my camera by hand.

 

Adding the +/- up you can't go wrong with either one. If money is an issues then the Nikon wins hands down.

[scoutm]

I also should mentioned I have an angled eye piece - with the Nikon's I struggled to get the scopes lined up on my target. With the Swaro the piece used to attach the camera to the scope doubles as a sight to line up your scope. It works great.