First... I am an eyeglasses wearer. That alone pretty much limited me to what I could actually *really* use when it came to a spotting scope. I tried all the `usually suspects' when it comes to `inexpensive?' (Read: `Cheap') spotting scopes. On most of them I found my glasses banging off of the eyepiece even at the lowest settings. On the ones that that didn't happen I'd end up banging my glasses whenever I went up in `power'. Gave me both fits and a bit of indigestion from frustration.
Then I found a dealer who had some of the more expensive ones. Even a lot of those also had problems. But! Waa Hoo! He pulled out a Leupold! Nirvana! That 12 - 40x 60mm variable was great! Not only was I not banging my glasses against the eyepiece but it was also crystal clear. The focus and `zoom' rings are nicely placed *and* have a different `feel' when you go to give one a twist and their movements are silky smooth. Sure it *did* cost a bit more than those `inexpensive?' ones but I won't be banging my glasses on the eyepiece *and* I have a scope that'll easily outlast at least 2 or 3 of the others. (A friend of mine bought one of the `inexpensive' ones about the same time I bought mine, about a year ago, and he is now on his *third* one! The first one literally just quit focusing on him one day. He sent it back and they told him that he'd `obviously?' mistreated it and it wasn't covered under warranty but they `would' replace it for `half price'. He then went out and bought one of another brand with about the same specs. A month or so later he went to take it out of his trunk and when we opened the case the objective lens fell out. He'd only used it once before and had just left it in his trunk figuring that he'd have it if he ever needed it and hadn't done anything else with it until then. He went out and bought another one by yet another maker to use while the second was being repaired. Still hasn't seen the second one even after writing 3 letters about it. The third one he *baby's* and even with all the TLC he's giving it it is still starting to become a PITA. The knobs are starting to grind, it's looking like it is fogging up, and the clarity leaves *a lot* to be desired. He's now, *finally* coming around to getting a Leupold!)
Bottom line... At least from what *I* have seen it's worth it to get something of quality *once* rather than something `inexpensive' many times. If you *have to* save your nickles and dimes and get the Leupold. It'll be well worth it in the long run.
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Doleo ergo sum,
-HALFPINT-