So I am in need of a spotting scope.....won't go into brand as I am not quite there yet.

The question of the day, do you prefer straight or angled and why?
(this will be most likely a 20-60, at least 16-48, and used for spotting animals in the field as a primary and see holes in paper in the off season)


Thanks much,
Smed

Angled, all the way.
Why:
1. You don't have to lie down behind the scope to use it in the field. You can sit beside it to look thru the eye piece. You can carry a small tripod that sits low to the ground for mounting the scope, i.e., you save weight in your pack.
2. You can merely move your head to view a target you're shooting at the bench; as opposed to going thru a drill of getting your head way back to look thru the eye piece.
3. If you use the spotter in your car, you can look thru the eye piece with ease with an angled spotter, as opposed to moving over to the passenger's seat to look thru it..
I bought an angled spotter last Summer, and am very happy I did so.

Thanks!!!!

quote:

I bought an angled spotter last Summer, and am very happy I did so.

May I ask which one and why?



Thanks,
Smed

Good question. I have a straight Leica. I had struggled with an inexpensive spotting scope for a while and finally decided to buy a best quality. So, I went looking for Zeiss, Swarovski, and Leica. All fantastic, I liked the Leica APO 62 Compact with 20x60 eyepiece.

I put the spotter on a Ruger Mini Ranch rifle wood stock with cable ties and used a rifle sling to carry the rig. Used backpack as rest for glassing.

I prefer the Angled spotter. Easier to use IMHO. I had a Swarovski 20X60X80 until I compared it side by side to a top of the line Kowa 20X60X88 and I kept the Kowa and sold the Swarovski.

Any of the top 4 are excellent Kowa, Zeiss, Leica, Swarovski

I like my angled eye piece, they say the straight is easier to get on target when first setting up. Never had mich trouble with mine though

I have found that for most of the hunting I do the straight eyepiece is quicker to use and requires less contortion.
On the shooting range glassing mountain slopes for sheep, goats or tahr, or if a number of people need to look through a scope - like in bird watching - then the angled ones are preferable.

Optically, due to prisms and lens coating, the angled ones give a very slight advantage - in theory anyway.

What ever you decide, find a unit with long eye relief. When laying on a mountain side all contorted, it will be easier on your neck not trying to get a full field of view with short eye relief.
For back packing I like my Leupold 15 X 45 X 60 HD. 31 MM of eye relief
For flat footed observation and angled unit is my preference.

had an angled one once, never could get used to looking somewhere that i wasn't looking

quote:

Originally posted by smedley:
Thanks!!!!

quote:

I bought an angled spotter last Summer, and am very happy I did so.

May I ask which one and why?



Thanks,
Smed

Swarovski ATS 80 HD, with a fixed 30x eye piece.
The image is outstanding. I had no way of comparing it to any other heavy weight spotters, and Swarovski has treated me right in the past. So, I went with a Swaro.
I'm sure that other high end spotters are excellent too. I had no intentions of carrying the STS 80 in the field however. It's strictly for range use.
If I was looking for a carrying spotter, I'd rethink the entire issue of angled vs. straight, and go with something in the 60-65 mm class; light weight for sure. And, there are a WHOLE lot of great spotters in that size range for consideration. I'd be thinking about variable eye pieces vs fixed too. But, I personally like a fixed power eye piece.
The ATS 80 is HEAVY!!!
This is my first entry into angled spotters, and I kind of like them now, but had some reservations when I bought it. But, I can sit at the bench, with the spotter right next to me, and just shift my left eye to peer thru the angled eyepiece, and view that shot. I'm right handed shooting rifles, and use my right eye for rifle sighting. I shoot pistols left handed.

I think it boils dow to, how much you want to spend, and then address the angled vs, straght eye piece issue. If I was buying one for field duty, I'd be listening to Phil Shoemaker a whole lot, and would probably buy a straight one.

Don

In my opinion straights are easier on the neck to use if you wish to view some thing for more time. I have both and for the range I use the straight. Might have something to do with being tall, because my neck can get sore looking through an angle finder for any length of time. FS

Straight for the Feild, angled for the bench.................DJ

quote:

Originally posted by djpaintles:
Straight for the Feild, angled for the bench.................DJ

Have one of each, but I prefer the straight. I worry about the fragility of the angled eye piece, lugging it around the mountains. It's also more awkward to pack. Another objection I've heard is that you have to expose more of yourself, while using it, which may spook game.
Grizz

I use a straight spotting scope with a 20-60x ocular. I also have an SLR camera adapter for it.

Straight is more natural for me. Easier to aim and generally easier to use, if it's set up correctly.

Plus, with the camera adapter, I have a very long telephoto lens for my Nikon digital SLR.