Spotting Scope size? Is there a way of drawing a comparison between spotting scope and telephoto lens focal length? I appreciate the eyepiece will have an effect on this if it's a...

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

Is there a way of drawing a comparison between spotting scope and telephoto lens focal length? I appreciate the eyepiece will have an effect on this if it's a zoom.
At a past show I asked this and a scope manufacturers rep quoted me a figure of 400mm equivalent for a particular model, but zipping back and forth between the Canon stand and the scope stand suggested it might be a bit more.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

John N wrote:

Is there a way of drawing a comparison between spotting scope and telephoto lens focal length? I appreciate the eyepiece will have an effect on this if it's a zoom.
At a past show I asked this and a scope manufacturers rep quoted me a figure of 400mm equivalent for a particular model, but zipping back and forth between the Canon stand and the scope stand suggested it might be a bit more.

Multiply the telescope’s power by 50 to get the equivalent focal length in millimeters. A 400mm telephoto lens would magnify 8X. Note this is general, not necessarily exact.

wmurnahan Loc: Bloomington IN

RWR wrote:

Multiply the telescope’s power by 50 to get the equivalent focal length in millimeters. A 400mm telephoto lens would magnify 8X. Note this is general, not necessarily exact.

I agree with you math and logic, now it makes me wonder about my spotting scope. My dad back in the '70 bought a Bausch and Lomb zoom spotting scope, according to the zoom ring it goes up to 60X which would be 3000 mm using the above logic. But according to the Bausch and Lomb adapter the max zoom is equivalent to a 4000 mm 35 mm lens. My parents just moved into a retirement home and in cleaning out the house I ended up with the scope and have just started playing with it. I've seen sharper pictures of the moon, some hand held, then I can get with the spotting scope.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

A good zoom spotting scope like a Swarovski with a 20x to 60x zoom eyepiece will run over $1000 used. The B&L zoom spotting scopes with a 60x zoom sell used for less than $100. I tried an inexpensive spotting scope for digiscoping and found it was terrible, and returned it.

innershield Loc: phoenix, az

The eyepiece for the swarovski will run about $2,000

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

I don't know much about them, or if the Swarovski Habicht AT 80 Spotting Scope with 20x - 60x Zoom Eyepiece is their standard model or a cheaper version, but it's on ebay now for $1350 with the eyepiece.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/swarovski-Habicht-AT-80-Spotting-Scope-with-20x-60x-Zoom-Eyepiece-/162213696248?hash=item25c4b092f8:g:1R0AAOSwmLlX5CzU

Bob

innershield wrote:

The eyepiece for the swarovski will run about $2,000

innershield Loc: phoenix, az

You can't buy the AT 80 new, unless NOS. You can buy the AT 80 HD and that will cost you about $2500 on a good day.