I replied direct to Judith, but it is probably also worth recording some of
my comments for the list. I have also added some comments on tripods.
I have a Kowa TSN-823 scope with a 20-60 zoom lens. Optically it is very
very good. Mechanically it has problems. The front half of the scope
rotates. You can adjust, but it gets worse over time. The cover is very
good, except that it can make access to the zoom adjustment difficult. The
zoom adjustment is fairly coarse. So I am fairly disappointed overall.
The best scope that I have seen is the Swarovski (model 80 or
whatever?). I only used it briefly but I was very impressed, but it may
have problems that I didn't notice??? I would certainly recommend this
over the Kowa.
I agree with Bob Forsyth about preferring a zoom. A 60x zoom can be useful
on many many occasions. There are times when it is useless due to heat
haze, but I find that there are many more times when the extra
magnification is very useful. It can be a problem for other people as they
invariably use the zoom rather than the focus even after you explain the
two controls.
Another point is to make certain that you get a good tripod! It should be
easy to use, easy to setup, easy to pack up. And check on the
height. There is nothing worse than paying a lot for a good scope, and
breaking you back by having to lean over because the tripod won't raise the
scope high enough. Similarly when seawatching, the trick is to keep your
profile as low as possible. So you should be able to sit on the ground and
set your scope up that low also.
Don't go just by price for tripods. I used to have a Hanimex tripod that
cost about $80. This was very good except when quite windy. It was also
light. I have a Manfrotto 205 tripod. This had some problems with one of
the tightening screws falling off. Why do they make the thread so
short? However, I have now got used to the problems so this is quite a
good tripod, except for the weight! Very heavy to lug around. I also
agree with Bob Forsyth's comments about a matt finish (or black finish).
___________________________________________________________________
Frank O'Connor Birding WA http://members.iinet.net.au/~foconnor
Phone : (08) 9386 5694 Email :
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