I am thinking about buying a like new Leopold Gold Ring 12X40X60 with a Vortex tripod. The guy wants $600 for both. Is that a good spotting scope and is that a good buy?
I have one and am very pleased with it. I can use it for extended times and never suffer eye strain. It's compact for tossing into your day pack. They sell for $999.00. Sounds like a good deal to me.
Dan
I'm a big fan of the Saker, but it's definitely a step below the gold ring. I'm very impressed by the gold rings clarity in such a compact little scope. I'd be all over it at that price.
Depending on if you need a tripod, and which one it is, that's an OK deal. If you have a little patience, you can pick up the scope for $500-$550 on eBay.
ETA- the age of the scope plays into how good of a deal this is too because the lens coatings have changed over time.
Buy this. Better than anything Leopold or Theron makes. Nikon just launched thier lifetime warranty and I know they take care of you on the fieldscope because I fell and broke my ed50 and they sent me a new one back to me.
Dave, that sounds like a pretty good deal to me. I have that Leupold spotter and have been really happy with it. I've borrowed/used some physically bigger scopes from Swaro and Vortex that were fantastic optically, but depending on budget and size constraints they may not be the best fit. Optics opinions are many and varied, but in my limited experience and opinion the Leupold you're considering is a good one.