120mm scope for $490?

[Airconvent]

Hi,
I know this is a spottin scope but I'm wondering if its worth it to buy this scope as a "casual" scope...only S$490 with 120mm aperture.
With 25x-75x, strictly for wide view and of courses, for bird as well....


http://sg.classifieds.yahoo.com/display ... 153&rpre=0

[kayheem]

Hi,
I know this is a spottin scope but I'm wondering if its worth it to buy this scope as a "casual" scope...only S$490 with 120mm aperture.
With 25x-75x, strictly for wide view and of courses, for bird as well....


http://sg.classifieds.yahoo.com/display ... 153&rpre=0

Forgive me if I sound too cynical, but the scope does not look 1 mm more than 80mm. I do not believe spotting scopes like that are made more than 100mm in aperture.

I know a shop selling a 80mm zoom spotting scope for <$300. If anyone sees that it is really 120mm aperture for $490, I'd say grab it if the image quality is OK.

Kay Heem

[Airconvent]

Hi,
I know this is a spottin scope but I'm wondering if its worth it to buy this scope as a "casual" scope...only S$490 with 120mm aperture.
With 25x-75x, strictly for wide view and of courses, for bird as well....


http://sg.classifieds.yahoo.com/display ... 153&rpre=0

Forgive me if I sound too cynical, but the scope does not look 1 mm more than 80mm. I do not believe spotting scopes like that are made more than 100mm in aperture.

I know a shop selling a 80mm zoom spotting scope for <$300. If anyone sees that it is really 120mm aperture for $490, I'd say grab it if the image quality is OK.

Kay Heem

HI kayheem,
of course such scopes will not interest serious astronomers like yourself who have already upgraded to 10"!
I am talking more of people who wants a jack-of-all-trades birding cum astronomy cum parade cum maybe concert scope.
They don't seek premium performance but enough to just make it.
Once they are comfortable with the hobby, they can move upstairs and let an up and coming nephew/niece/son/daughter inherit this scope, thus the cycle repeats...
you're right about the appearance..it does look small but sometimes appearance can be deceiving. the C8 looks small in the pictures but hugh in real life...
so when can we see the "KayHeem Telescope" ?

rich

[kayheem]

HI kayheem,

I am talking more of people who wants a jack-of-all-trades birding cum astronomy cum parade cum maybe concert scope.
They don't seek premium performance but enough to just make it.

so when can we see the "KayHeem Telescope" ?

rich

Hi Rich,

Don't get me wrong. I am not against anyone starting off with a spotting scope. In fact, I would say a 80mm spotting scope for S$300 would be OK for starting on DSOs (but not for planets). My gripe about the '120mm' scope is that it is unlikely to be really 120mm, which would be almost 5" diameter. A simple search on the net would show that 100mm would be about the max for this type of spotting scope.

There are 120mm short tubes, but they are built for astro purposes and do n't resemble the one in the link.

Kay Heem

P.S. I may put up some pics as I build the scope slowly. Unfortunately, my brother is currently hanging on to my digital camera.