Ok guys.
Just wanting some advice.
Thanks in advance for all help

I've been wanting to buy a swarovski spotting scope for a long time and never took the plunge.
I'm ready!

There is way too many options and I am way too uneducated about em.

What's the advantage to an angled or straight scope???
Do I want the HD???
65mm or 80mm??? They are only 7 ounces different in weight.

What are all the different eyepieces for??
Best place to buy???

Anything else I need to know??

Lol.
I want to be able to pack it in OR use it from the truck.....
Please help! Buying one this week!

65mm vs. 80mm - if all other factors are equal, the law of physics is at work - bigger objective lens gathers more light which equals brighter image in low light and better quality magnified image. Since you say that you will be "packing it in," it sounds like the mountains are on the agenda, so the 65mm sounds like the way to go. The savings in weight add up and the compactness of the 65mm is really a huge plus for room in a pack. The optical performance of the 65mm in a Swaro is really superb. The Swarovski is an outstanding choice.

Eyepieces - one good zoom eyepiece is all you need.

Angled vs. Straight - An angled eyepiece allows the scope to be placed lower on the tripod and then you bend over to look through it. The lower position makes the scope and tripod steadier in the wind thus reducing vibration of the image. Also if there are multiple users in a group looking through it, the height does not need to be adjusted. Also, when looking at upward angles such as birdwatching or at animals on a mountain, the angled eyepiece is really handy for allowing a comfortable position on the tripod. It may take a bit of time initially to grow accustomed to the angle, but once you do, it is much handier than the straight.

Vendors - Eagle Optics. Most vendors price at the minimum allowed pricing. Eagle Optics provides excellent customer service. Go through the link on the Houston Audubon website and they will donate a small percentage to Houston Audubon which is always working on habitat conservation projects along the coast. So, your purchase will help send some money back to Texas for conservation work.

http://www.houstonaudubon.org/default.aspx/MenuItemID/959/MenuGroup/Home.htm

Other - make sure to buy a cover for it. A tripod will be the other big component needed. You might want to go to a camera store in person to look at some. Also buy a quick release head and a quick release plate for the scope. A quality, solid tripod is critical to obtaining a good view. For use from the truck, use a bean bag and just rest it on the bag.

fwiw - a high quality scope will last a long time if you take care of it. Keep the lens caps on it when not in use, and clean it very carefully with a brush and lens wipes. I am using a Leica 77mm that I have been using for twenty years that has been used to lead many birding groups, and it is still going strong.

A great scope along with some great binos are a real joy in the field. Enjoy.

65mm if your packing it, 80mn if its just range duty.

I like straight eye piece. When trying to find your target you cannont use both eyes to find the target since your non-dominant eye is looking at the ground

Just as with any optics, you get what you pay for and glass quality trumps magnification.

Using from the truck get straight

Biggest difference in objective is field of view. Bigger the objective higher the field of view but also means more weight. Yes they let more light in but you only notice it last few minutes of shooting light, most the higher end glass you won't see much difference.

The best is swaro's swarovision coated spotters.

There are only two options in my mind and experience with SS. That's upper mid range and upper end price wise. You truly get what you pay for. Biggest difference in them is ability to have great sight picture at ALL power levels.

Swarovski, zeiss, lecia, vortex razor series, metapo. Those 5 are where it's at.

For most hunting applications the straight eye piece is best unless you live in the mountains. I have a Leupold Gold Ring 12-40x60 and love it. I comes with a soft shell cover which is really nice to keep the elements off the scope. I teamed it up with a Manfrotto tripod and Quick Grip release. Kind of an expensive rig but well worth the $$$. It will be used heavily this weekend scouting for MD in the Plains.

+1. The only way I'd carry an 80-82 mm spotter on a mountain hunt is if someone else was carrying it for me. And it's due more to bulkiness than to weight. I also prefer the straight eyepiece. With angled scopes, I have a devil of a time pointing it at the right place and finding the animal in the field of view.

My two current spotters are a 15-45x60 B&L Elite for packing and a Kowa 20-60x82 Prominar for truck and stand use. And like JG said, a spotting scope is NO place to go cheap. A good glass can save you a half-day of walking and climbing.

The 11-33x 50 vortex razor hd is a good little pack scope as long as you don't need to count rings on a sheep at 2 miles

My only complaint is narrow field of view, and eye relief could be a little better. The narrow field of view took me a little while to get use to but once I got use to it, had no issues scanning at 15-20x then zooming into 33.

Packing a 80mm scope is one thing packing a tripod good enough to keep it steady is another.

All around 65 is close to perfect for packing and truck.

The reason I don't even own a spotter yet is because I need it to have a Mil reticle for use on the range. And to get the quality of glass needed as well as more magnification than my rifle scope's 20X I have only one option I'm considering and that is a Vortex Razor with the 30X Mil eyepiece. That comes with a price tag over $2k and ranch equipment I still need takes priority over a spotter. So if I can't buy what I want I'm not wasting money on something that's "close enough". I learned not to do that with rifle scopes you will lose money and end up with the one you should of purchased in the first place anyway.

Bobo,

I concur with your assessment, Swaro, Zeiss, Leica, Vortex Razor. I have looked through all of them and they certainly do their job very well.

i am probably going to pick up a 11-33 once my cash back on my CC gets a bit higher...

I wish it had some of the attachments like its bigger brothers

Like a wide view eye peice, and neo cover!!!

I got not mine for a steal so hard to say no too it. I spent hours, three weeks ago picking apart cedars looking for bedded mule deer . Distances where 300- 1200 yards

It's a niche scope though. It has limitations. With that said I love the little thing. If you're use to a bigger obj it takes some getting use to just solely do to the narrow field of view. Great thing about it is the weight and size, which also makes tripod and head selections much easier. Only thing I wish I had done was get a window mount that used same quick connect as tripod. That about drove me crazy but as small as it is, it's pretty easy to spin off. The coarse and fine adjustment work great also.

It's a great little scope but just know the limitations before you buy it and you will very happy with it.

Thanks for all the input guys!!!

I wasn't expecting such a response!

I really like my 16-48x65 Razor HD.

I have a Razor HD in 20-60 x 85mm and I still pack it when I hunt out west. It's not light, it's not handy, but when you're spending that much time and effort in glassing, I'd rather have the full size. I also prefer angled. It's a little awkward at first getting used to the angle and finding what you want to find, but after you spend some time with one, it becomes second nature.

I too am looking to get the etched reticle 30x WA fixed eyepiece. It should provide a wider FOV over the variable, as well as providing utility. If you go with Swaro, you'll be good. I love my Swaro binos.

Do all spotting scopes reduce eye relief when magnification is increased or just mine?
I wear glasses and can't really use mine at higher magnifications.