Customer Reviews

Alpen 20-60x80 w/45 degree EP, waterproof Spotting Scope

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I shopped around to improve on my Celestron 65mm scope. I was looking into mid-priced scopes - no more than $500. I came across two internet articles by professional scope viewers who enthusiastically recommended this Alpen scope. I was surprised at how well it was rated given that it doesn't use specialized glass nor expensive coatings. It uses BAK-4 glass and fully multi-coated optics, however, and they rate it as high as some scopes costing twice as much.

I really like this scope. I use it on a mid-priced Manfrotto tripod with a trigger-gun head for easy viewing. I'm a bit particular and will someday move up again to a high-end scope, but in the meantime I have no regrets over this scope. While others claim that their views at 60X are every bit as clear and detailed as at 45X, I cannot agree. I find that the maximum "sweet spot" is about 50X. That is to say, the view at 50X is as good as at a lower zoom setting. Above 50X and the view necessarily dims a bit. On clear days that's no problem and maxing out the zoom was fine. But if there's shade or high humidity, maximum zoom will only magnify it.

The other day I was viewing some waterfowl on a lake about 100 yards away. It was a warm day with mid-level humidity. When I zoomed out to 60X, I couldn't fine focus the birds since the scope magnified the heat waves from the humidity. Backing down a bit helped. I also had the opportunity of viewing birds at about 60 yards with a Kowa scope. I admit the Kowa presented a terrific view. My Alpen didn't match it but it came close. But then again, the Kowa cost over 4 times as much!

Bottom Line: There's no scope on the market in its price range that can touch this Alpen scope - even spending four hundred bucks more won't get you a better scope.

After researching several different brands this spotting scope from Alpen Optics is the best value I have found.
The optical quality is exceptional, fully multi-coated with long eye relief of 18-19mm. the large 80mm objective lens allows for clear bright viewing at dusk and dawn yet the size and weight are comfortable for the backpacking I do.
The Tripod includes fine adjustments for both windage and elevation.
Check the quality of other brands at this price and you'll see why Outdoor Life magazine gave this scope their Great Buy award.

I had been looking for a decent affordable scope for birding for years (meaning under $1000, ideally under $500). With all the other ones in this price range that I had tried in stores, the image got very dark and the field of view very small when I zoomed in, making the zoom feature pretty useless. Then I read a good review of this scope on [...] (it was rated best of the mid-priced scopes they tested) and decided to give it a try. I was very pleasantly surprised at the image quality and brightness, and the eye relief (ability to see the whole field when using glasses) is good until you zoom in to about 40X (this is common in scopes). The image is still bright and sharp at 60X. Recently I was able to identify some ducks using 60X that were so far away I could barely see them with my naked eye, and while looking at some Canada geese that were about 900 feet away (across 3 sports fields, using 60X) I was able to see and identify a bluebird that was on the ground near them, with the blue back and reddish breast clearly visible. There is a slight bit of purple fringing on the edges of objects, especially at 60X, but it's not very noticeable. I have tried digiscoping once and it worked well, even under completely overcast skies.

This is my first spotting scope, and although I have no prior experience with one, I am very happy with the Alpen 20-60x80 overall. I had been using 10X50 binoculars as an amateur birdwatcher and didn't realize until now how much more visual close up the spotting scope provides.

I wear glasses and like the eye relief which allows me to use the scope without having to remove them (with my binoculars, I always had to remove them). In fact, the large eye relief allowed me to hold my cell phone camera up to it and take a picture. It came out pretty good. The Alpen 20-60x80 specs are accurate and should be well understood so as not to expect more or less for this instrument. I was very impressed with the well made desk-top tripod that came with the scope. Also, the scope was packaged with great care and came in a soft carry case.

I did a simple test of the scope using a target at 215 feet away with the scope set at 60X. The basketball-sized object filled the field of view at about 75-80%. I was pleased with the closeness and clarity (late afternoon sun light).

Because I am not a serious user of a spotting scope, I could not justify buying a more expensive one. But I didn't want to spend less money on a cheaper scope and have it lack what the Alpen 20-60x80 provides.

I feel I got more than my monies worth.

I am very happy with my purchase of this scope--I have been birding for a while now, and had just decided to take that big step and get my first spotting scope. While I didn't want to pay a lot of money to get a really high end scope, I still wanted to use my money wisely and find a mid-priced scope worth buying. After reading several reviews for scopes on the web, I decided to give this one a try. And am I ever happy I did! This scope offers good viewing, the magnification works well, and the views are comparable to some of my other birding friends' who are using scopes that cost 3x as much. Now I can finally see and identify all the ducks even if they are all the way on the other side of the lake!

This scope has very good optic which only shows signs of blurring at very high magnifications. The overall construction is very good and should last a very long time. The included tripod is good if you are viewing from a suitable platform, but I purchased a full size tripod. The scope was packaged well and shipped promptly. I am very happy with this scope and it is a good value for the price.

I'm a beginner when it comes to scopes but I knew that in order to get a decent scope I had to spend a little money. This scope is worth every penny imo. From minimum to maximum magnification and anywhere in between, this scope has no weaknesses. It's as simple as using binoculars but with a much much greater viewing range. I'm really looking forward to using this scope. On a side note, if you're going to spend the money on a nice scope like this one, then I would recommend spending a little extra on a nice tripod to go with it. I tried to save a little money on a cheap tripod for it and I was disappointed how it worked out. I later bought a SLIK tripod and it gave me much more stability and a nice fluid motion for viewing. The small tripod that comes with this scope is very nice however.

Great scope and service from the Alpen headquarters. The tripod supplied with the scope had a screw which had been cross threaded not allowing the scope to be mounted to the tripod. One call to Alpen and and a replacement was mailed immediately. Nice to have good timely service.

I've been researching spotting scopes for months now, and thought I'd found the perfect combination of price, value, and optics - but it was not to be. I was encouraged by the positive reviews I'd read on this scope from several sources, as well as the endorsements from major magazines' gear reviews. After using he scope for a few days, I feel betrayed.

The first harbinger of trouble was when I unpacked the scope, and part of the tripod just fell apart. Now, I knew the tripod wasn't going to be bulletproof, and that it was a light-duty included accessory that would require gentle handling, but REALLY? It couldn't even make it out of the package before failing?

I realize that any scopes less than German optics like Zeiss and Leica are going to be made in China, Korea, or the Philippines. This was born out upon opening the box and being assaulted with that nauseating smell of Chinese rubber and plastic. Ever been in a Harbor Freight Tools store? Same smell. I'd hoped that paying what this scope cost would ensure a little better fit and finish than the $59 versions at the local discount sporting goods store, but everything about it screams "cheap import..." Crappy cardboard box, poorly made case, and that smell, that nauseating smell.

But it's supposed to be about the optics, right? So let's see how it performs. Be forewarned, the scope is heavy. While this gives it a solid feel, it's impossible to secure on any average tripod such that it doesn't vibrate and quiver if so much as breathed on.

I knew eye relief would be a problem since I wear glasses, but at the higher powers the exit pupil is really hard to align. I'm used to dropping my glasses to use most optics, but at anything above 20X moving your eye any fraction from the centerline of the eyepiece cause you to lose the field of vision instantly. It's a game of trying to find the sweet spot to be able to actually see through the scope.

The focus knob, while smooth and easy to turn, requires about a dozen turns from close focus to infinity. Since I wanted this scope for both shooting range use as well as birding, that's a major problem since the Ring-Necked ducks I was trying to observe weren't inclined to sit still while I fiddled with the focus for 30 seconds trying to get things even close.

A peek inside the objective end with a flashlight revealed a scarily crude quality of construction internally. Rough nuts and bolts, gobbed with black paint.

The "soft carrying case" is a crude canvas bag with no padding, but the dealbreaker is that the zipper is on the BOTTOM of the case! You have pack everything in and turn it over, then if you're carrying it by the shoulder strap and the zippers aren't closed well, your scope falls out the bottom.

If I'd paid $100 for this scope, I'd have resigned myself to having to live with these shortcomings for the price paid. But at over 3X that, I feel like like I was badly misled.

I can't imaging this being anyone's "best buy," and I can't imagine that a hundred dollar option could be any worse. I'll never be able to swing a Leica scope, and I'm disappointed to find that everything in the sub-$500 range is just junk.

For being a pretty good scope, by all accounts, I was disappointed that the scope lacks some of the most basic features, such as a sighting aid built into the body of the scope to help you properly aim the scope at your subject. A small ring on the side of the eyepiece cap and lens cap would be handy so that you could hang the caps off the scope while it is in use, rather than having to stash them somewhere and possibly misplace them. Easy items to add, disappointingly absent.