help please

[bow hunter]

im hoping for some informative input here so if you guys could help me out i would sure appreciate it. im trying to decide between a 20x60 and a 20x50wide view eyepiece for my spotting scope. its an 80mm. anyone have any advice? thanks, rob

 

[trevore]

I've had a very limited experience with what I would call good spotters. The ones I have used were useless at full power due to mirage. Granted we're talking Texas, but it was winter. So I'd probably go with the 50 wide angle base on my limited experience.

 

[bnkwnto]

If you have really good glass there will be times you can use 60x. Most of the time you won't need more than 50x. I have the 20-50 wide eyepiece on my leica and it's awesome 90 percent of time but there was a few times when looking/judging sheep I wish I had the 60x. (conditions do have to be just right for anything above 45-50). They both have up and downs so it's up to you.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

With an 80mm scope you are probably best equipped to use a 60x eyepiece, but reguardless of the glass there will be times that it is not useable at its highest setting. If your body was a 60mm, I would say 60x might not be worth it.

I have a reletively inexpensive spotter (Vortex Skyline 20-60x80mm) and when there is plenty of light and it isn't too hot 60x works great. I will post some pictures I took through it last year in WY of some elk with it set on 60x. Conversely, as the light is low (dawn/dusk) you might not be able to set it much higher than 40 and still have a clear picture.

Roughly my experience has been high power setting on your spotter requires alot of light being brought in the objective lense, this is helped by higher quality glass/coatings. The other factor is the qualities of the air you are looking through, higher magnification will also magnify the distrortions of haze/fog/mirage/ect.

Having said all of this I have never used a wide angle eyepiece, and while I understand the concept I haven't seen the benefit of it first hand. Is there a cost difference between the two? Another observation I have made with my 80mm scope (especially on higher power settings), is a little heavier tripod with a good head makes it much easier to use. I use a Vangard Alta (http://www.vanguardworld.com/index.php/en/os/products/hunting-outdoor/detail-2-13-102-107.html) it is a little heavy, but is super solid and has a really smooth fluid head.

 

[bow hunter]

the cost is a little diff in the cost, but that isnt really a factor for me. the scope is a swarovski 80mm. it isnt a hd.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

I took these through my Vortex Skyline 20-60x80mm (not ED glass) without a camera bracket (which is probably apparent in that the pictures aren't centered). They were taken at about 700yds on 60x. The last one was taken about an hour before dark, and you can start to see the image degrade with the lower light and overcast. If it was me I would probably get the 20-60x. I got some good video through my spotter as well of a couple of rag horns fighting, it was pretty cool.

 

[bow hunter]

wow, those are great pictures! thanks for all the advice, it sure helped me alot

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

The only thing that would have made them better would have been if I had an elk tag in my pocket when I took the pictures ;-) Glad to help!

 

[bow hunter]

yeah, that seems to be par for the course!