Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!cbnewsh!shun
From: shun@cbnewsh.ATT.COM (shun.cheung)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Birding Scopes
Keywords: Cost, Magnification, Brand Names
Message-ID: <3000@cbnewsh.ATT.COM>
Date: 11 Aug 89 10:20:45 GMT
References: <9893@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Reply-To: shun@cbnewsh.ATT.COM (shun.cheung)
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 30


In article <9893@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> jklee@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (James Kin Wah Lee) writes:
>
>(1) What is a good magnification for birding?  I guess the scope
>will be used mostly for shorebirds and waterfowl.

My wife and I have a Nikon Fieldscope (non ED, see below) and have been
quite happy with it. The eyepiece is changable; the standard one is 20X.
That seems to be a good starting point for bird watching, but larger
magnification may be necessary for small shorebirds.

>(3) Would a zoom be more handy than a fixed telephoto?  Are there
>advantages or disadvantages with either?

We used another birder's zoom once. It apparantly is an inexpensive
model and has serious chromatic abbaration.

>(5) Are interchangeable eyepieces (of different magnification) a
>good idea, or is there little choice in the matter?  I suppose this is

We are thinking about getting a 40X eyepiece for watching smaller birds.
Anyone has experience with this? We also have been considering
"upgrading" the scope by trading it in for a Nikon Fieldscope ED.
Is there significant quality difference between the ED and non-ED
scopes?

-- 
Shun Cheung, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Middletown, New Jersey
  electronic: shun@hou2d.att.com  or   ... att!hou2d!shun
    voice: (201) 615-5135