Re: Spotting scopes that won't break the bank?
I have the Celestron ED 80X and I used it at 600 meters last week. The glass is clear, with very little color fringing, but it wasn't as bright as the Leupold that was next to it. It only cost $400 though, and I think it's a pretty good value.
Here's a post I grabbed off another forum.
<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #3333FF">The Celestron model is made in China. It arrived in 2004 and is billed in some web reviews as comparable to the highly rated Swarovski 80 HD scope at about 25% of the price.
So I ordered one. I had to wait a few weeks as the model is sold out, backordered on almost every web site I visited. The 2 sites that had them in stock were asking about a $100 premium. I purchased at $466 which included S&H.
After it arrived, I took it down to a local outfitters where they have a dozen spotting scopes set up near a large window, including a Swarovski 80 HD.
The salesman allowed me to install my scope on the tripod next to the Swarovski 80 HD and do a side-by-side comparison, looking at various objects at various distances. Both scopes were equipped with 20-60 zoom lenses.
To my eye, the Swarovski performed slightly better at the extreme zoom (60) and distance. At most settings I felt the Celestron ED was very comparable in image clarity and color. The Celestron produced very sharp, clear, colorful images and after the side-by-side I remained satisfied with my purchase.
The salesman checked out my scope and told me he plans to add the Celestron 80 ED model to his lineup of scopes.</span></span>
