Best spotting scope under $1,000

[Browninglover1]

Be careful buying at this price, as they are typically factory refurbs from Nikon, and only carry a 90 day warranty. That being said you can typically find the non-ED 20-60x60 for just under $1k. They are one of the most durable scopes for the money, and very packable. The optics, despite not being ED/HD, are top notch.

I would assume it's just a private sale so I don't know how Nikon handles that type of warranty issue. I bought a refurb Nikon ED angled fieldscope and love the heck out of it. The money I saved buying it would easily pay for any warranty work I'd ever need done on it, but that's just the way I look at it.

 

[Trickymissfit]

I don't know what Nikon you're thinking of, but the Fieldscope is water proof according to all the literature I've looked at.

The Nikon failed the water test that Precision Shooting did. It is listed as water resistent, but not considered to be water proof. Plus it's also did not make the grade as shock proof. Bushnel Elites failed these tests as well if that matters much.
gary

 

[solitude]

The Nikon failed the water test that Precision Shooting did. It is listed as water resistent, but not considered to be water proof. Plus it's also did not make the grade as shock proof. Bushnel Elites failed these tests as well if that matters much.
gary

Do you have a link to the review? Are you sure this test was performed on the Fieldscope and not the ProStaff line. ProStaff and the Bushnell series would be competing products, but the Fieldscope is more in line with Swaro and Zeiss. Your evaluation of the Fieldscope is contradictory to all other reviews I've seen. I've owned the Fieldscope for years, and found it to be a very reliable and durable scope.

 

[Trickymissfit]

Do you have a link to the review? Are you sure this test was performed on the Fieldscope and not the ProStaff line. ProStaff and the Bushnell series would be competing products, but the Fieldscope is more in line with Swaro and Zeiss. Your evaluation of the Fieldscope is contradictory to all other reviews I've seen. I've owned the Fieldscope for years, and found it to be a very reliable and durable scope.

It was their top of the line Field Scope. They liked the scope and felt it had some of the best optics out there (I still think the Swarovski is another rung higher on the ladder). On red hot black at twelve noon; nothing beats a Swarovski. The one advantage the Nikon has over the others is that you can find filters much easier, and a good filter might move it up another notch (even at 77mm [polarizing filter] it won't be cheap at $200). 82mm filters are out there, but real expensive. The KOWA with the flourite lenses is another ball game, and is right there with the Swarovski
gary

 

[Browninglover1]

Nikon defines a "Refurbished Product" as any product that has been returned by a retail partner/authorized Nikon dealer. Once the product is returned, Nikon conducts a rigorous evaluation of the appearance and all product functions to make sure that the item meets their quality standards. Your product will function identically to a brand-new Nikon product, however it is possible for a reconditioned product to have a scratch or blemish on the surface, not the optics. Nikon demos come with a 90 day warranty. After that 90 days is up it would still carry the 25 year no fault coverage, however, if any work is ever performed you will be charged $20.00 to cover return shipping and paperwork.

I guess that solves our warranty issues. I'm surprised that the Fieldscope failed a water test because it was one of the things the birding community really seemed to like about the scope. One way or the other I've been very pleased with mine for what I payed for it.

 

[ZSteinle]

im going to throw one into the ring here. Right around your price range is the Zen-Ray ED2. Never looked through one but recently got a chance to try out the new ED3 binoculours and was blown away by the clarity of the product! simply amazed! Made my bushnell elites look like junk!

 

[Harddrive]

I know this is an older thread, but I wanted to put in my two cents in case someone else stumbles across it looking for spotting scope info. Whenever the subject of hunting optics comes up one thing that doesn't get enough attention is durability. I once read that when Leupold was asked why one of its tactical fixed 4x riflescopes costs over a thousand dollars they answered, "Because you can run it over with your F150 and it will still work."

There are other good brands out there, but I used to guide in Alaska with a Leupold 12-40x60 gold ring, and it is a great compromise of size and capability. We didn't run it over with an F150 but we may as well have--and it never failed or fogged. That was years ago, and I have no doubt someone is still using that scope somewhere.

So for hunting glass, be cautious of stellar optics marketed for birdwatching. Eventually, you WILL drop it tumbling down a rocky hillside or be stuck in a blizzard. That extra money is so it works after that when you need it most. When you think about all the time and money it takes to get on a great hunt in the first place, nothing can ruin that faster than broken optics.