Thread: Spotting Scopes

Anyone used or have any reviews on the Konus spotting scopes or similar cheaper brand scopes?

I know the old saying about "buy once, cry once" but just don't have anywhere near the spare cash lying around to afford swarovski or the likes.

Any advice appreciated. Maybe some brands between the two, price wise that you've had success with? Should I be looking at lugging a decent camera around instead?

Or should I just start saving and buy a premium one in another year or twos time?

Cheers guys

well if you get a chance to look thru before you buy - I have had a look at a konus - yeah was quite okay in optics - I want a 10-60 spotting scope for target shooting so not worried about waterproof etc I had a Leupold 10-45 I think the model was wind river optics were bloody nasty sold it but that was a scope from 20 years ago ?? at least new ones may be way better - my main criteria I want to see bullet holes at 50 m and 100 m and one needs at least 50 power to do that - so I am still looking - we had swarovski at work they are really at another level - of mid range Nikon have good optics - had a look at a bloody cheapie in Auckland at a chinese emporium $140 with angle eyepiece and tripod actually it was way better than what one would expect- for just a range day likely okay - going up again soon will have another look may suit what I want

I have a cheap one, it’s Perfectly good on the range and is the only place I ever used it

Would not take it hunting. It’s not clear enough to make out animals - eye relief is terrible- wouldn’t trust it could take any sort of wet weather either.

There's a couple of threads about this on here, I just read them the other day. Not sure if things have changed in the last couple of years, but the conclusion was you are better off with a "ultra-zoom" bridge camera (such as Nikon Coolpix or the Canon equivalent with 60x zoom or greater) than a lower end spotting scope.
here's a couple...

https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....-advice-48390/
https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....giscope-59559/

Hadn't seen those threads before. Tried looking but must have been looking in the wrong place. Looks like I'll be buying a camera.

So now to find either an sx60 or a p900.

Thanks guys