Spotting Scopes & Telescopes

What is the best telescope for beginners?

We have numerous good quality telescopes for sale that are easy to use at any level. The specifications vary but generally fit loosely into three size categories: 50mm objective lenses with a typical zoom magnification range of around 12x-36x, 60mm or 65mm with a zoom range 15x-45x, and 80mm+ with zoom range 20x-60x. 

What should I look for when buying a telescope?

Image quality and any other criteria such as size, weight, and budget. There is no substitute for trying out to find the perfect fit.

What do I need to know before buying a telescope?

Other than the three size categories listed above, it's worth bearing in mind that to get the best possible viewing from a telescope, some form of extra support will be necessary (ideally a tripod) as the high magnification is impossible to hand hold.

Should I buy a telescope or binoculars?

With its higher magnification, a telescope is very useful for more distant observation but due to the narrow field of view that makes finding closer and more fleeting subjects difficult, nature enthusiasts would recommend binoculars to have enough magnification for most of your wildlife encounters, as well as being the more popular choice the majority of the time.

What is the difference between spotting scopes and telescopes?

Everything about a telescope is designed to maximise your long-range viewing of space and the night sky. It has a large optical tube for more light gathering, intense magnification capabilities for viewing things millions of lightyears away and an angled viewing lens for comfort. However, all this makes it quite a heavy and large object, which means it’s not very portable and is almost impossible for terrestrial viewing.

For terrestrial viewing, such as nature observation, this is where spotting scopes shine. The magnification is much lower and will not work well at night however the image quality due to the precision glass elements is much higher. This means that you can get exceptional close-up views of nature from great distances. Although these spotting scopes are optimised for terrestrial observation, they will offer fantastic views of the moon. Spotting scopes can be configured in have straight or angled viewing depending on your needs, However, if you want to view more of the night sky and astronomy as spotting scope is not for you.