Follow Us!
Archive for the ‘Spotting Scopes’ Category
Birding and Beyond!
Bushnell "Legend" Scope w/o Tripods!
Think I mentioned about buying the wife a pair of binoculars for Birding. The enjoyment she has received is unbelievable. Her question now is whether there is something that will give her a little more distance. I explained that the next step might be a Spotting Scope. The power magnification is higher than most binoculars, but the downside would be portability.
Like a pair of binoculars, a spotting scope is characterized by two numbers, the magnification and diameter. The usual magnification of birding binoculars are 8 or 10 times but good spotting scopes are generally 20 to 60 times. The higher the magnification, the better you can identify the object at a distance. But, that increase in distance substantially narrows the field of vision with a noticeable loss of brightness.
However, many of these spotting scopes come equipped with a zoom lens that would let it grow gradually from 20 to 60 times. This could allow a lower magnification to enjoy a greater field of view and then zoom in to see the details. When purchasing a spotting scope, be ever conscious that you normally “get what you pay for”. Just because it’s larger, has more buttons, or even cheaper does not always equate to it being a better deal!
What’s Value?
Does It Do The Job?
A good friend of mine just bought a new scope for his Winchester 30-06 rifle. He was so exuberant when announcing that he got a real value – an $800 scope for $600. I thought long and hard about our friendship but couldn’t help myself. I responded by saying that price alone does not determine value, but rather getting the most out of the product for the price you’ve paid does.
If you can purchase non-named brand rifle scopes, with similar features for $250, did you get real value? Dollar for dollar, is the more expensive scope 2 or 3 times better than the cheaper one? Do you really need the best? Wouldn’t the lower priced scope have served your needs just as-well? – now that would have been real “Value”!
Spotting Scopes!
Visual Aid!
Deer hunting season begins in November for many parts of the country, and the lead up to opening day can be excruciating.
Generally speaking, the most successful hunters each season are those who are best prepared to hit the ground running. That means having all of the necessary equipment and clothing and making plans to head to hunting camp for an extended stay.
Critical to the Hunt’s success is an ability to identify game at a range more distant than that provided by the naked eye. Spotting scopes can provide this service. They are identified by three numbers, which correspond to magnification ranges and objective lens diameter. Quite simply, a 20-60×82 has a magnification range of 20-60x (20 to 60 times larger than the size of the image as seen with the naked eye). The last number, 82, relates to the lens diameter in millimeters. This measurement determines the size of your field of vision.
Most Commented