List Price: $804.00
Sale Price: $429.99
Today's Bonus: 47% Off
I first heard about Alpen Optics at The Wildlife Society National Conference when I met a very knowledgeable representative. She made me aware of this scope's performance when compared with much more expensive scopes on the market and allowed me to test the scope in a controlled setting I was impressed. Time passed and I found myself conducting more and more raptor nest surveys for my job. As I am currently a poor college student, active in the outdoors both professionally and recreationally, I decided that based on the price and good press/reviews of this scope I would make the purchase.
After a month of full testing in a range of conditions I have come to much the same conclusion that many others have. This is one of the best scopes on the market and by far the best scope penny for penny.
At 20x this scope is as good or better than Swarovski. It is clear, sharp and makes identifying peeps a breeze. At 40x this scope is comparable with Swarovski, but on very hot days it does not seem to cut through the haze as well as the better scopes out there. This makes for a problem when you live in Texas and heat aberrations start at 0800. I have problems with this scope at 60x and this is the only reason I did not give this scope 5 stars. While viewing stationary objects under 50m, 60x has no problems. When the object starts moving and/or is farther away this scope is just not that sharp. While you can still ID some birds on a clear day at 60x, I would not feel comfortable separating a Little Gull from a Bonaparte's in the dead of winter on a distant lake shore.
The build seems a little cheap, but it has performed well in temperature extremes as well as rain, fog, and snow. It is very light for its size and makes carrying on strenuous trails through places like Guadalupe Mountains National Park much easier than one would think. I have taken a few sample digiscope photos with my iPhone and they have turned out great. I believe if you rigged this baby up with a whole digiscope system you would get great results.
If you are looking for an intro scope, or you are a poor college kid, or you want to save money for that trip to Belize than this is the scope for you. I would also recommend this scope and company (Alpen Optics) to graduate students and research faculty looking for a way to save money on projects. This scope will not disappoint and will open up a brand new view just beyond the reach of your binoculars.
For Hunters: This scope is perfect for the active sportsman. I recently used this spotting-scope to track Aoudad through some Texas panhandle bluffs. It performed brilliantly.
Edit: Skip the tripod. It is pretty much useless unless you are using it at a shooting range.
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