I'm hoping to invest in a high-end scope very soon, and I'm looking for some feedback.  I've been birding with a Nikon RC scope for 10 years now, purchased for $260 back in 1997.   I have the opportunity to get a significant markdown on an angled Leica Televid 77.  What I'm wondering is, since this is a discontinued line, am I better off waiting until the new Televid 82 to come out, or going with some of the other top-end scopes, like the new Kowa 880 series, Swarovski, etc?  Are the (now) old Leica Televids going to be fairly obsolete and out-dated now that these three major brands will have come out with higher performing models?  Will peformance be significantly lower?  The scope I'm interested in is new, but the price would be nearly half as much less than say a new Televid 82, Kowa 880, or Swarovski scope.  I don't have big bucks to spend, and I've tried the Kowa and the Swarovski's.  They say go with "feel", but I like them all.  In fact, I really like the

Hi, everyone, I'm hoping to invest in a high-end scope very soon, and I'm looking for some feedback. I've been birding with a Nikon RC scope for 10 years now, purchased for $260 back in 1997. I have the opportunity to get a significant markdown on an angled Leica Televid 77. What I'm wondering is, since this is a discontinued line, am I better off waiting until the new Televid 82 to come out, or going with some of the other top-end scopes, like the new Kowa 880 series, Swarovski, etc? Are the (now) old Leica Televids going to be fairly obsolete and out-dated now that these three major brands will have come out with higher performing models? Will peformance be significantly lower? The scope I'm interested in is new, but the price would be nearly half as much less than say a new Televid 82, Kowa 880, or Swarovski scope. I don't have big bucks to spend, and I've tried the Kowa and the Swarovski's. They say go with "feel", but I like them all. In fact, I really like the Kowa, and apart from the weight and the cost, I'd go with that one, but at 66% the cost, if performance is not significantly compromised, this seems like a good value. Any feedback is appreciated, and you can reply offline. Thanks! Ross Ross Geredien Good Migrations Photography www.goodmigrationsphoto.com 1-610-850-5035 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

     I'm hoping to invest in a high-end scope very soon, and I'm

Hi Ross - Just so you know up front, I am Swarovski's field guy, and of course I have a certain bias. However, I have also worked at retail selling binoculars and scopes since the 1970s, and have always tried to sell the customer what fits THEIR needs best. 1) is the Leica a standard Televid, or the Apo Televid? That is a crucial point. The scopes designated Apo / HD / FL / ED are all clearly superior to their "standard" bretheren, especially given the needs of birdwatchers - excellent resolution, contrast AND color fidelity. Most of the good birding shops don't even bother to stock the "non" scopes anymore. 2) I checked out your website photos - excellent. Are you considering using the scope for ultra-telephoto photography? Using either a D-SLR or good-quality P&S digital camera, a top-shelf (HD, ED, Apo, etc.) spotting scope can operate like a telephoto lens of 2000+ mm focal length, and produce some stunning images. Plus, the setup is waterproof, rugged, and a lot lighter than hauling around a 600mm f/4. I'd be happy to send you a few sample images. The Leicas have the fewest options for camera adapters, with the Kowas and Swarovskis having the most. 3) Years ago Pete Dunne wrote something to the effect of "spend as much as you possibly can on your optics, you will not be sorry". While it is surely a temptation to get a "deal", if you take the difference between the "deal" and buying a top-shelf scope, and spread that cost out over your next few photography trips, can you afford NOT to? 4) I was just at a birding festival in GA, and Leica has not yet even shown a pre-production model of their new scope to the industry. In point of fact, it was supposed to have been introduced in February 2007 and shipped to dealers by July 2007. They stopped production on the "old" scopes from their supplier, and then realized that the "new" scopes were not going to be ready. There are no prices announced for the "new" scopes, and the April date for shipping the Apo is certainly not etched in stone. Caveat emptor. 5) That said, are you planning on taking another trip between now and April 2008? If you buy the "old" Televid to have for the trip and intend to sell it and buy the new one when it is out, what guarantee do you have of even getting your money back out of it when you go to sell it in the spring? Of course, if by then you find you are happy with it and don't have any intention of selling it, the point becomes moot. 6) As for the Other Guys - as much as I think everybody should own a Swarovski, I fully recognize that every customer is different, and reacts differently to products. I have always likened it to a buyer looking at a Mercedes, BMW and a Lexus - they are all excellent cars, and sometimes it comes down to which one has something intangible and seemingly minor (like a cupholder that securely holds your favorite travel mug) that makes you purchase it. Try out all the scopes (Fat Robin, Audubon Shop, North Cove Outfitters, Mass Audubon, etc.) and see if any one of them fits your needs better. 7) Practical advise - can you use the scope in the field before buying it? Take it to Lighthouse Point or wherever there are birders, and compare it to the other scopes that are there. If the Leica compares favorably, then the price is right. If some of the others are better, will it bug you in the future knowing that the guy with the Swarovski or Kowa next to you might be seeing the birds better than you are? Good luck, Clay Taylor Moodus, CT ctaylor@att.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ross Geredien/Good Migrations" <goodmigrations@yahoo.com> To: <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> Sent: Friday, October 19, 2007 9:10 AM Subject: [CT Birds] Birding Optics Question > Hi, everyone, > > I'm hoping to invest in a high-end scope very soon, and I'm looking for some feedback. I've been birding with a Nikon RC scope for 10 years now, purchased for $260 back in 1997. I have the opportunity to get a significant markdown on an angled Leica Televid 77. What I'm wondering is, since this is a discontinued line, am I better off waiting until the new Televid 82 to come out, or going with some of the other top-end scopes, like the new Kowa 880 series, Swarovski, etc? Are the (now) old Leica Televids going to be fairly obsolete and out-dated now that these three major brands will have come out with higher performing models? Will peformance be significantly lower? The scope I'm interested in is new, but the price would be nearly half as much less than say a new Televid 82, Kowa 880, or Swarovski scope. I don't have big bucks to spend, and I've tried the Kowa and the Swarovski's. They say go with "feel", but I like them all. In fact, I really like the > Kowa, and apart from the weight and the cost, I'd go with that one, but at 66% the cost, if performance is not significantly compromised, this seems like a good value. > > Any feedback is appreciated, and you can reply offline. Thanks! > > Ross > > > Ross Geredien > Good Migrations Photography > www.goodmigrationsphoto.com > 1-610-850-5035 > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ > This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. > For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org