UKC

https://www.aldi.co.uk/maginon-spotting-scope/p/708152422421900

This is incredibly cheap, so I know it's not going to be fantastic, but maybe worth buying for such a low price. Does anyone here have one? And generally, is there an advantage to a scope over binoculars? It would be used mainly for watching the sea, looking for dolphins and whales etc. 

There's some reviews on the jungle. Aldi stuff tends to be better than you'd expect for the price! 

https://www.amazon.com/Maginon-Definition-Spotting-20-60x60-Watching/produc...

I bought what looks to be an identical scope from Lidl when they opened a new store nearby. Same spec, same price but mine is badged as "Bresser".  I already owned some excellent Bresser 11x56 binoculars so half expected a real bargain but the price says it all. Perfectly acceptable at the bottom end but barely adequate even for the money at the top end. And I'm far from being an optics snob: I still swear by Opticron as a product and don't believe in the Zeiss/ Svarovski hype.

I don't know anything about spotting scopes but when I have been tempted by a "bargain", eg tools, clothes, tents, stuff like that, I usually regret it. If you have the spare cash, I'd definitely get something better. I don't see how a 25 quid piece of optical equipment can be much cop. 

Then you have not looked through a state of the art Svarovski, Zeiss, or Leica spotting scope or pair of binos, or you are blind!

Whether for your needs the massive price difference is justified is a different issue entirely!

The stubby Bresser scope, under whichever badge it is sold, is great to take on hiking tours, as it is easily stabilized on a rucksack, is much lighter than the expensive bits of glass and the maximum achievable damage if you drop it down a crag or into a lake is limited by the price of getting a new one....

CB

At that price it is not going to be great, or perhaps even OK, but £25 is not a lot to shell out. Even if it is so bad you want to throw it away, you'll have a tripod to play with.

The tripod not going to be great either but for that price it is probably worth a punt.

The advantage of a scope over binoculars is the larger diameter of lens(bigger means it collects more light and therefore should give a brighter image) and the higher magnification which is handy for more distance subjects.

The disadvantages are cost(though not with this one), the need for a tripod and much less easy to carry with you and use quickly. You can carry a scope and tripod around but it much less portable than a pair of binoculars.

I have an 80mm Opticron scope and a pair of 10x50 binoculars and although the scope is optically much better than the binoculars and I spend a lot of time on the coast of NW Scotland(or did until this year) where the distances to the birds and other animals can be big, my binoculars get far more use than the scope.

I think it depends on you level of interest. If you are a very keen wildlife watcher in areas where the subjects at likely to be far way then a scope is useful. If you are a more casual wildlife watcher who does other things but likes to get a better view of wildlife than binoculars are probably better. However, I know of and have seen many wildlife enthusiasts who have only binoculars but I haven't seen any who only have a scope.

As said at that price you are not losing a lot and almost certainly not getting a lot either.

Dave

I've looked through matching scopes by Opticron, Zeiss, Svarovski and Kowa, all 80mm objectives, all set up in the shop at the same time and focussed on the same chimney pot.

I'm not saying there is no difference but I am saying that the differences are exaggerated   and wouldn't be immediately apparent to an observer in normal  light. A lot of people don't need their glasses to perform brilliantly in marginal conditions.As others have said, optics are very much a case of diminishing returns when you compare like for like in specification and across the price range.

In the same shop at a later date I compared some  Svarovski 8x42 s to the same spec Opticron Oregons my mate was buying and  found the differences even less apparent.

I haven't compared top end binoculars to medium(or even low medium) ones myself but what you say is similar to what I have read elsewhere.

The Zeiss, Kowa etc optics are better than the lower priced ones but the difference is not commensurate with the difference in price.

Dave

Thanks for the replies.

I considered a scope or binoculars a few years ago and tried both out before buying (at Cley on the Norfolk coast). I found a scope to be better for looking at fairly stationary objects but for scanning and moving objects the binoculars were the choice for me.

You really notice the difference between expensive and cheaper optics in low light but I wouldn't say that necessarily justifies the extra expenditure, especially not to start with.

Start cheap, see how much use you get out of it and then you can always upgrade.

About 10 years ago there was an offer on 10x25 binos in Lidl and I bought a pile of them for the rescue team. They turned out to be quite good and are still in use in the vehicles and kit bags. £6.99 each. An amazing bargain. 

However, my favourite bargain optic was my Broadhurst Clarkson, 2-1/4",  three-draw plus pancratic 25-40x, stalking telescope. £128 on ebay back in 2010. It is an awesome tool. It's been used for searches in Kintail and Knoydart, and for military stuff. I remember using it to watch folk milling about at the summit of Pen Y Fan and later worked out that was from 23km away.

There are lots of good quality stalking scopes out there for sale. Not many are as good a bargain as my big BC. The thing about the traditional telescopes is that they are meant to be easily user-maintainable and if they are looked after properly will last a couple of lifetimes.

Some of the expensive kit is rather nice though. Some of my MR colleagues work in conservation jobs and have really good kit. I had a wee try of the Zeiss 60x scope that the French CPA snipers use and that was awesome. A hell of a thing to try to keep steady at any thing over 40x but worth it once that was sorted.