Which is a more "user friendly" feature in a spotting scope, a straight eyepiece or an angled eyepiece. My old scope has a straight eyepiece and I like it, but it is not an easy to use kit if shooting prone or sitting. On the other hand, it is very nice standing. It won't be a piece of equipment that will be used solely in matches; I guesstimate that most of it's use will be in the field glassing potential hunting areas.
I really would appreciate suggestions.
aj
An angled eyepiece is consider an upgrade on a spotting scope and is a nice feature to have. It might be a bit bulky for the field but the Konus 20-60x80 is a great bang for the buck and has good clarity. https://www.amazon.com/Konus-7120-20x-60x80mm-Spotting-Tripod/dp/B001DX7Q8W
Friendly advise: Don't buy the 50.00 spotting scope at Harbor Freight. I did and made three trips: One to Harbor Freight, two to the range, three back to Harbor Freight to get my 50 bucks back :)
Quote from: B.C. on November 25, 2017, 06:53:27 PM
Friendly advise: Don't buy the 50.00 spotting scope at Harbor Freight. I did and made three trips: One to Harbor Freight, two to the range, three back to Harbor Freight to get my 50 bucks back :)
^^^ Aint that the truth... I started with the $70 Simmons "El Cheapo" spotting scope at Cabelas and at max power you literally couldn't jam your eye in far enough to get the right eye relief, too bad I didn't check that until I got home. It was quick 5 minutes at home before I drove back to replace it...
I started with, and own, an ooollllldddd (late 50's-early 60's) straight eyepiece spotting scope and wanted to "upgrade" to a newer/better scope. In looking around through other guy's scopes I note that an angled eyepiece drives me nuts trying to find the target and stuff. May just be me but it seems I am used to and like a straight through scope.
Angled is better. Much, much easier to use from prone. There is basically nothing the straight scope does that the angled doesn't.
Having said that, my only spotter is a straight eyepiece, but it's optimized to save space and weight for the backcountry. I will eventually have another one, angled, specialized for range use.
Maybe I'm just old, but I like the straight scope. I have an ancient Redfield and while a bit long, it works as well as any new one. I didn't like turning my head away from downrange to look through the scope. Properly placed, in prone and sitting it takes less head movement for me to use the straight scope than the angled one.
I chose straight as well, even though angled is easier on the neck at the range, I wanted the most compact-packing one I could find for the aperture; I take a motorcycle to the end of the pavement and hike out into the desert with everything - a Rifleman is mobile!