Length, weight, eye relief, and FOV are similar. As youll see in the two Athlon scopes in this years test, better-quality glass can double the price of a spotter. Objective Lens Diameter. Just $1 per month , We tested the best spotting scopes from premium glass to dependable budget options, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Hunters may have a bit of a trade off here. Its angled body, with rotating tripod ring, allows for infinite adjustment, and the Arca-Swiss compatible tripod system mates up with any number of mounting options. Features: FFP, Illuminated, Lowlight-visible, CR2032, . The size of that beam of light is directly derived from two of the factors mentioned above: zoom and objective lens size. Select which one you want here. Athlon Optics . One of the lesser known technical specs that you may need to account for is eye relief. The Ultima is a fairly affordable but still massive and powerful scope that works great for astronomy and stargazing. How versatile do you want your scope to be? Emarth 20-60x60AE Angled Spotting Scope (Spotting Scope Under $100) Athlon Optics Argos HD 20-6085 Spotting Scope. Skis are easily the most efficient way to cover snowy ground on foot in winter. The redesigned Diamondback HD spotting scopes have all the horsepower the long-distance hunter needs, and they excel in lowlightright when you need it most. After consulting with other experts I compiled this guide that includes information about spotting scopes, how to choose the best one, and reviews of our favorites on the market right now. And we were a little disappointed in the relatively narrow field of view. The Ares G2 placed second in our low-light rankings and turned in very good resolution scores. Along with size, price varies dramatically. Most spotting scopes that zoom up to 60-power get so dark and grainy at that magnification that theyre really only useful up to about 50-power. Absolutely not, in fact some of the best scopes around carry the HD label. This Athlon spotting scope is nitrogen-purged to prevent internal fogging and is sealed for waterproofing, allowing the scope to be used in any weather. So a 20-6080 spotter has a 20- to 60-power eyepiece and an 80mm objective lens. Vortex Diamondback Tactical 6-2450 FFP EBR-2C MOA reticle diagram. While some scopes fall into the trap of giving more magnification while sacrificing clarity, this scope hits it perfectly at the max end of its range. Pros. The test team was divided on the merits of the relatively light weight. Clear glass combined with an oversized eyepiece and a rugged design will help you tag out season after season. Range spotters often have a reticle in the eyepiece that allows you to call shots for a buddy. You can learn more about them at VortexOptics.com. SKU: 214063. You can learn about them at Leupold.com. Its affordable and the glass is super high quality. Youll notice the images starts to get dark and grainy at about 45-power, and our low-light test confirmed that, compared with its UHD brother, the Argos HD will wink out several minutes before its peers. Nikon is one of the most well known optics brands in the world. Youll want to ensure that the warranty is up to snuff, but our expectation is that this capable spotter will give you years of adequate service. Bushnell is owned today by Vista Outdoor, a large conglomerate of outdoor products companies. Check them out at Bushnell.com. In fact, those factors increase substantially as you go up in objective sizes. They are still honoring their warrantee but have made some changes and dont have the no fault warrantee any longer. A big, serious spotter with very good glass and responsive controls, the Ares UHD is the big brother to Athlons excellent 65mm Argos introduced a couple of years ago. Most importantly, they have a solid warranty and a great reputation for taking care of their customers. 4 models Vortex Diamondback HD 20-60x85mm Spotting Scopes As Low As $498.49 Save Up to 17%. I will test and be able to give better feedback as soon as I get to the range. Theres limited utility for a spotting scope with an objective lens better suited to a full-sized binocular. It requires little equipment, can often be done from your home, and offers unlimited opportunities for expanding on the hobby with trips to see exotic birds. (130) Compare Product. Thread starter Wrencoforge; Start date Jan 20, 2020; Forums. Can be easier on the neck, particularly if looking up at something above you. I had a minor issue one time and called them about it. The controls are tight, and we especially liked the two-speed focus and the fingertip sensitivity of the fine-focus knob. I have purchased 3 Athlon Argos BTR scopes, and zero issues with any of them. We glass near and far targets in all light conditions. Vanguard is a smaller, more specialized company than many on this list, and they deserve your consideration for their quality products. That glass is good, but its not quite as bright and sharp as that Japanese S-series glass. Click to play video. The Vortex DB HD 10x42 are by volume the most sold pair of binoculars in . Dec 9, 2019 123 56. A spotting scope helps you get crystal clear, up close views of birds, and can also help you take pictures of them. But even more approachable scopes will set you back around $1,000. Check it out here. Vortex Diamondback HD vs Athlon Argos G2 UHD Binoculars Bullets4Bucks 18.8K subscribers Join Subscribe 212 Share Save 16K views 2 years ago Buy Here: Athlon Optics Argos:. That means dusty days in a pickup and all sorts of conditions mounted to a tripod. Or is it to view in the bright light of midday? It may not have their optical clarity, but it is more than good enough for the vast majority of bird watchers. xugz0212 New Member. Their HD-ATS-80 body is awesomely powerful when paired with a 20-60 power eyepiece. . You can get monsters with objective lenses over 100mm designed for leaving in place, or get something portable. Hunters who want a mini optic to pack into the high country, or travelers who want a little more reach than a smaller binocular should consider this little spotting scope. Which begs the question: Why arent more bird hunters using them? So for a brief period of time, I had both the Athlon Talos 20x60x80 and this Athlon Argos 20x60x85 side by side for a detailed comparison. You are using an out of date browser. Especially in low-light conditions, those extreme ranges are rarely usable. So I've narrowed it down to two scopes. I haven't had a chance to mount and shoot it yet, but construction feels solid. If the exit pupil diameter of your scope is smaller than your eyes pupil, the image you see through them will appear darker than it does with the naked eye. They offer a wide range of sporting optics, and I use their 85mm spotting scope as my go to when Im not packing in too deep. tlav21; Nov 5, 2021; Optics; Replies 5 Views 2K. In this test, we mount all scopes on tripods, set their magnification to 20-power, and then measure how long they can see into the dark, averaging the results to assess performance. By Max Mutter and Benjamin Hickok. When looking through a scope with ED glass compared to another without it, there is a massive difference. But I have had several of the midway BSAs, one primary arms, they all tracked well. Springers abuse the crap out of scopes. These are big, expensive optics for a fairly narrow segment of the market, and most hunters dont buy a new spotter every year or even more than a couple times in their careers. Vortex diamondback FFP scope also comes with elevated finger-adjustable turrets. An exception might occur if you are going to be looking through glasses first and then your spotter. That means you need to think about what you want and need a spotter to do. The Vortex Viper is a great choice. So should you avoid scopes labeled as HD? +1-800-504-5920 Live Chat Contact Us Check Order Status. 2.1 Choosing the Best Spotting . At low magnifications, the SIG has a bright image and wide field of view. All three sizes can also be had in either an angled or straight body. I would leave the range with headaches from it. The 65mm size is just about right for most backpack pockets, and it pairs nicely with mid-sized tripods. This is coming from someone who has never used either. When budget isnt a limitation, I tend to recommend Swarovski. They have many scopes under 500$ that comes in both straight and angled version. Make sure that the companys return policy and either repair or replacement will cover your purchase. Spotting scopes come in a very wide selection of sizes, more so than any other kind of optic. Gosky Newest 20-6080 Dual Focusing Spotting Scope. $139.99 - $169.99. This durable one-piece design keeps dust out of the innards but also prevents users from trading out the variable-power eyepiece for a different zoom range or a fixed-power alternative. We bought and tested binoculars from Vortex, Athlon, Nikon, Leica, Swarovski, and others to help you find the best. Very few other manufacturers give you that kind of choice with their high end scope options. This year that nod goes to Athlons Argos HD. Maven RS.4 5-30x56 FFP - Best Under $2000. The importance of the exit pupil diameter directly relates to how our eyes function. If you spend a few hundred dollars, youre going to get something that will definitely improve on your naked eyes vision and help you be successful at whatever activity you are doing. The 10MIL locking turrets on the Match Pro alone make it worth going to the top end of your budget range. The downside: Youre stuck with the 15-45-power zoom. They just work as advertised. On the other hand, the image delivered by the UHD glass was bright and free of flares and distortion, and the balance and heft of the chassis are both satisfyingly substantial. You can check the price today and see if its the right fit for you. Fully multi-coated lenses increase light transmission and a silver-coated K9 glass prism . Whale watching is a very popular activity along the coasts for both tourists and locals. The Athlon Argos BTR is an excellent mid to long-range choice. Weve rarely seen this much glass and optical horsepower for under $400. Athlon Optics / RIFLE SCOPES / ARGOS BTR GEN2 / ARGOS BTR GEN2 6-2450 APMR FFP IR MIL. They especially are a good choice for astronomy if you need your optics to be compact and/or you want to use them for more than just stargazing. A great all-around spotter, the SIG OSCAR8 has enough optical horsepower for most hunting situations and exterior styling that fits right at home on a rifle range. That would mean that the scope has an adjustable zoom range of 20 to 60. As expected, the Nikon 5 8x42 is clearer and brighter than the under $200 non-ED glass Vortex Diamondback. Get as much zoom power as you need, but keep in mind the more you zoom in, especially with a cheap scope, the more clarity you will lose. in your price range I would look at this. Thats because any object you can see at 60x will only darken at 70x, so the additional magnification might not be worth the degradation in image. Spotting scopes are measured with two numbers. Hi, looking for a new scope for my 22lr. ), here are some great resources to help you buy a scope: Cheap vs. I have a Hawke Vantage 3-9x40 on a Diana 240, and a Hawke Vantage SF 6-24x44 on a Savage Mark 2 22LR. At middle distances, like 50 to 400 yards, you can usually zoom in to see precise details of your target. Optically, its a solid performer, but its image is like the rest of the spotter, sort of middling. The straight-barrel design will appeal to viewers who want to make quick target acquisition, instead of the hunting-and-pecking sometimes required with angled eyepieces. The rubber is extremely grippy, and the mid-barrel focus allows users to make fine adjustments even while wearing gloves. -Vortex diamondback tactical 6-24x50 EBR -2C MRAD -Bushnell match pro 6-24x50 DEPLOY MIL -Bushnell nitro 6-24x50 -Bushnel forge 4.5-24x50 DEPLOY MIL -Athlon argos btr 6-24x50 gen2 APMR MIL -Athlon midas tac 6-24x50 APRS3 MIL -Athlon ares btr gen2 4.5-27x50 APRS5 MIL -Athlon helos btr 6-24x50 APMR MIL The reticle is etched but also illuminated for eye-catching ease. $329.99 - $399.99. Its a pattern weve seen play out over two decades of the Outdoor Life optics test. At a fraction of that price, this Vortex delivers an adequate image in a durable, versatile package. Long Island. Joined Jun 19, 2019 Messages 1,412 Side By Side Review Athlon NEOS 10x42 vs. Vortex Diamondback HD 10x42 Binoculars Home ADVENTURES Store About Updates Contact MIL/LEO Custom Shop Group Buy Polices UPDATE STATION . Darling of our best spotting scopes test is the new compact CS.1 from Maven, but we also like a couple of nicely priced full-sized spotters. In other words, will you use it just for hunting, or should you consider a model with removable eyepiece so you can trade out wide-angle eyepieces or ones with reticles? Theres nothing particularly ground-breaking in this introduction from Athlon, just a sized-up version of its very good 65mm Ares G2 UHD model. The Vortex Optics Diamondback is the best spotting scope for 300 dollars as it has 20x-60x magnification and a 60mm lens diameter. Glass was pretty good for the price. I just believe you get what you pay for. I honestly would be fine with a 65mm but they only offer this one. In normal bright conditions, your pupil will usually be open about 2mm. Its glass is protected by double-walled armor that resists scratching. Likewise, the triply more expensive Vortex Viper is optically superior to the Vortex Diamondback. Learn more about it here. Burris Fullfield II or Vortex Diamondback: . . First focal plane reticle stays valid at all power settings allowing you to fully utilize the specially designed reticle that shrinks or grows along with your target as you zoom in or out. We did notice a fair amount of slop in the threaded eyepiece adapter and would rather see a bayonet mount rather than the threaded ring. After consulting with other experts I compiled this guide that includes information about spotting scopes, how to choose the best one, and reviews of our favorites on the market right now. Thats our opinion of how much of a bargain or a rip-off each binocular is. With an 80mm objective lens, its big enough to handle pretty much any task you throw at it. Say you have a 20- to 60-power eyepiece on an 80mm spotter. But I will say, that no matter what I did, I could not get my eye comfortable behind the glass. Their scopes are very high quality and Id definitely recommend them. These fit with the maxim 'you get . You can read more about them here. Its a very solid scope with exceptionally high quality glass. They offer solid products at affordable prices, as well as higher end options. The SX-2 Alpine HD spotting scope is a must have for all serious hunters or shooters who are looking to add HD performance to their optics kit. The unit defaults to a 20-70x eyepiece, which you have to purchase separately from the body, but the wide-angle 30-60x eyepiece may have even more utility. Nikons Monarch Fieldscope 82ED-A W/MEP-20-60 is a fantastic one to consider for someone who has a larger budget. I'm curious about the eye box / eye relief difference in these scopes. What about 600 or even futher? Whether you choose an angled or a straight-body spotting scope is largely a matter of personal preference. W. Wrencoforge Sergeant of the Hide. Its a solid scope that is large and powerful, is available in angled and straight body options, and will get the job done. Maven has a few great spotting scope options (all of which are customizable if you order through their website). CF2-31023. Weve seen this design before, most recently from Celestron (with its similarly sized Hummingbird). If youre a hunter who packs in deep its worth serious consideration, as its lightweight frame makes it easy to carry into the backcountry. Athlon Optics Spotting Scopes. We test spotting scopes the way you use themby subjecting them to the rigors and insults of the field. Most spotting scopes have whats called a variable zoom, meaning you can adjust how close you are zoomed into what you are looking at. Celestron may have started out targeting astronomers with their products, but theyve expanded into a full sporting optics line suitable to all sorts of activities. Spotting Scope Review after Testing. While the use and need of a good spotting scope extends well beyond those needs, it still is hard to bump it up the priority list, hence the need for affordable alternatives to the exceptional high end spotters available on the market that cost well over $2000 USD. Nikons Monarch Fieldscope 82ED-A W/MEP-20-60, Fully Multicoated, Excellent Image Quality, Field of view: 108 to 60 feet @ 1,000 yards. You can think of it like the limits of your peripheral vision. This scope is offered in either an angled or straight body, and either way you can get a 16-48x65mm or a 20-60x85mm for viewing far off wildlife. Because the best spotting scopes represent a significant investment in money, durability and warranties are both prime considerations. You'll find a spotting scope useful for outdoors activities such as. The Hide Armory. Learn More . I personally used it this last year when hunting pronghorn in Idaho extensively, and it helped me pick out minute details on horns from absurdly far away! What is the rep of the Athlon Argos 2-10x40 BDC 600? Vortex viper hst is the nicest scope I have had. Far less expensive than the other scopes on this list, it doesnt offer the same kind of glass or build quality as the more expensive scopes. 1.5 #5) Leupold SX-2 Alpine HD 20-60x60mm. It can be had with three different sizes of objective lenses, so you can choose just how big your scope is going to be. From our reviews, you can see that 2 of the Vortex models recommended come with Armortek coating. The two-speed focus control allows you to riff from close-in to far-distant targets with a single revolution, and then feather the focus for precision. At 60-power, the image will be largest, but because of the laws of optics, it also appears darkest and grainiest. Itll cost you, but man does it make scopes easier to use. The Hawke AirMAx is THE ONLY scope that has survived my Diana 34 springer. I don't really want more than 3-4 x on the low end at least around here MDs are putting targets close and starting at 6x makes things tricky. 10 MIL turrets. Because our test doesnt intentionally punish submissions until they break, the durability question is necessarily unanswered. Much faster target acquisition (angled scopes can be intuitive to find what youre trying to look at because of the angle). While any scope will meet most peoples needs, it makes sense to get the optimal one. Wednesday December 7, 2022. Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. They are quick and easy to use when you are based out of your vehicle. Athlon over the years has been talked fairly highly with budget long range rifle builds and I see they have a really price friendly spotter with the entry model Talos. Budget is a very firm $500 or preferably less. As you have seen in our list of recommendations, both Vortex and Athlon offer multicoated optics. Ive been using spotting scopes for years and have used dozens of them in testing and in the field. Moreover, weighing 24.6 ounces it is one of the lightest offerings from Athlon. ! Vortex got mentioned above a lot, and there are good reasons. thanks! 1.7 #7) Bushnell Trophy Xtreme Spotting Scope. But it could be perfect scope if you are setting it up on your back porch to stargaze with. The bigger the lens, the bigger and heavier the scope. Andrew McKean is Outdoor Lifes hunting and conservation editor, drilling into issues that affect wildlife, wildlands, and the people who care about them. You probably dont want to be lugging around a 100mm Celestron that weighs 4.5 pounds even without the tripod if youre going deep into elk country. The largest, most powerful spotting scopes are among the most expensive sports optics on the market. But for hunters who aspire to own the best optics on the planet, this line of Zeiss spotters justifies the significant investment. This is a list of rifle scopes with at least 24X magnification that cost less than $750. If you want clear views, you want to minimize dispersion. Note that the price varies widely on these different models of Razors, with the smallest scope costing half as much as the biggest. Replies 44 Views 30K. Makes sense. Precision rifle shooters will appreciate the fixed 22-power lens that contains a milling PRS reticle, which allows users to make precise calls when spotting for a long-distance shooter. Vortex Optics Viper HD Spotting Scopes. athlon ares rifle scope tract optics Product Description ARGOS BTR GEN2 For those of you that are just getting started in the PRS or are looking to start, take a close look at the Argos BTR GEN2 family of scopes. It has extra low dispersion glass, a key in the world of high end optics. Demerits include the slippery, non-textured armor and the underwhelming glass, which makes images above about 45-power pretty dark and grainy with some distorted edge detail. Founded by Frank Galli in 2000, Snipers Hide has been offering informational videos, podcasts, and other support to its users in one location. German Precision Optics ED Binoculars. With a straight-body spotting scope, youd have to trade places with your buddy in order for them to see the deer. If youre a bird watcher that likes to photograph your quarry, youll be happy to know this scope has a ton of available accessories for connecting to cameras of all sorts. I didnt think the turrets, lack of zero-stop, and mediocre glass would bother me. The Maven has especially good manners. Maybe, but maybe not. All in, theres a lot of scope here for $800, a price that represents the savings possible from the direct-to-consumer optics brand. If the former, you might consider investing in models with excellent glass and mirage-taming coatings. Is it going to be used from your vehicle? The ED glass delivers a bright image that showed only minor color fringing and slight deformity on the very edge of the image at lower powers. Should the spotter ever fail, its fully backed by SIGs excellent five-year warranty. Learn more about it here. But we also assign a Price/Value score to each submission. The Argos gives excellent images for a scope in this price range, is large enough to be seriously powerful, and has intuitive, solid controls. Thats because the glass and controls of the Argos HD are slightly disappointing. At first sight, the Argos 10x42 is quite a compact binocular. I would highly avoid getting a true budget scope (one that costs less than $200). A nice feature it has that I wish more scopes would include (especially angled scopes) is a sighting line to help you line up with what youre trying to look at. These describe the zoom and the objective lens size. They rapidly expanded into a full suite of optics products spanning the entirety of the price ranges, which they still are today, though they mostly focus on the lower/mid range. SX-2 Alpine HD 20-60x60mm Angled. Big 80 and 85mm scopes from premium brands can cost upwards of $3,000. . I'll be honest I wasn't looking forward to reviewing Athlon optics. Most are designed to be held directly up near your eyes and therefore have a short eye relief, and this works perfectly for most situations. So got the Argos in mail last night and got it mounted this afternoon. It also has a dual focus knob, one of our favorite features on any scope that allows you to focus it both quickly and precisely. . Athlon Argos BTR is $280-$370ish, depending on the model. And with $500, I would definitely buy the Diamondback 20-60x85mm. Athlon submitted two full-sized spotters for this years test, but the Argos HD version (as opposed to the Argos G2 UHD) version represents the best combination of price and performance. Vortex has become a staple in the optics world recently, and for good reason. The Diamondback Tactical2 has much better glass than the ARGOS/HELOS at a cheaper price but the MIDAS has a slight overall edge in clarity image quality overall. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. We've also streamlined the exterior for a sleeker, snag-free profile, building in a helical focus wheel. Vortex Optics Diamondback Spotting Scopes - Top Pick. Which makes it a perfect option for hunters. Its not quite as spendy as the higher end Razor we recommended for hunting above, which shooters who would rather spend their hard earned money on ammo will definitely appreciate. So much so that it won our Great Buy award as the best bargain spotting scope. I noticed the gen 2 Argos is out now and it mentions upgraded turrets. Athlon Optics , Argos BTR, Riflescope, 6-24 x 50 First Focal Plane (FFP) 30 mm Tube, Illuminated APMR MIL Reticle, Black. We were able to arrive at a consensus on the optical talents of this spotter. Another very high end scope from an excellent optics company, the Kowa TSN-883 Prominar is a great option for bird watchers trying to get the best. Its hard to label a single scope as the best available since they are so personalized to different uses. Mil Dot Hunting Rifle Scopes, 50 Loft 6-Iron Golf Clubs . A more compact scope from a newer, fantastic brand, the Maven S.2 12-27x56mm means business. Joined Jan 16, 2018 . A cheerful little spotter that splits the difference between a binocular and a full-sized scope, this optic fits in a coat pocket and would make a great travel companion. This dot is what is often called the exit pupil, and refers to the actual dot of light that gets transmitted to your eyes through the lenses. A smaller company than some others on this list, Athlon continually impresses me with their quality mid range products. You can learn more about them here. This pricey, indulgent, magnum-sized optic is the last spotting scope youll own, and it parses details like no other spotter in this category. Hunters dont want to have to haul around the most massive scope, but it needs to be substantially more powerful than their binoculars. Illuminated reticle probably isn't critical for your application. These scopes have features normally only found on high-end scopes. HobieH3; Mar 26, 2019; 2 3 4. Here are my top recommendations: If youre a serious bird watcher and want to see every detail of the birds youre looking at from a long way away, Swarovski is probably going to be your go to brand. Spotting Scope, Soft sided case, Lens caps, Cleaning Cloth: Spotting scope^hard case^soft case^instructions^tripod: Athlon Optics 315001: 20-60X80 Spotter: Soft Carrying Case, 20-60x zoom Eyepiece, Spotting Scope, Soft sided case, Lens caps, Cleaning Cloth Item Dimensions: 16.9 x 4 x 4.5 inches: 18.25 x 6.5 x 9.5 inches: 16.5 x 3.75 x 6 inches Just attach your camera and youll be taking clear photos from far away. New. Is the foot large and strong enough to stabilize the optic? Argos and The Midas Tac is a $700 scope so if going that high then look at the Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25. While this Argos was very well built (and very similar in style and quality to the Vortex Diamondback which is a much higher-priced scope I've used in the past), I found the optical quality to not be as good . Can the tripod adapter be used with a wide variety of tripod models and heads? If you have the money and want to get top performance, you definitely have that option. There is a massive difference between HD and regular definition television, and everyone has seen it. Also, is 40 or 48 power enough to spot holes at 500 yards? The build boosts the durability of this spotter and gives it a stiffer and more sure-footed feel. The UHDit stands for ultra-high-definitionglass also boosts its performance. Bino Expert is a member of the Amazon Associates affiliate program. A spotting scope is sort of a low-power telescope, while also offering better magnification than a set of binoculars. I have had both and still have the Athlon. It has an 82mm objective lens, boasts ED glass for amazing image clarity, and has a field flattener lens system for crisp images all the way to the periphery. F FlatCat Member The Gosky 20-6060 HD Spotting Scope is a top seller in that price range, and gets decent reviews from its many users. Also, they are generous with the hash marks on their mil dot. This scope gives some of the crispest images around. The first instance stands for high-definition while the second is ultra-high-definition. Theres still no rigor around those terms, but the HD model was measurably darker and muddier than the UHD model. Meopta is said to be on higher tier than vortex razor. Athlon Optics Argos BTR 6-24x50mm FFP Rifle Scope; Table of Contents. In that price range, you're not getting something that is top tier. The optical quality, overall . But for someone on a budget, it will do the job. There is a range of designations that manufacturers use, and unfortunately there isnt much standardization. While zoom is described by the initial range of all important numbers on spotting scope specs, objective lens size finishes it out. Similarly, if you live anywhere with a lot of wildlife activity, it can be a fun thing to have a spotting scope set up on your back porch, trained on your local ecosystem. The spotter with the highest overall score wins our Editors Choice awardthis year it went to Mavens CS.1. Vortex diamondback vs viper. The lenses are also fully multicoated, meaning better light transmission and clearer looks at the night sky. Are you going to pack it deep into the backcountry? Is it to assess distant animals in the first and last light of the day? The CS.1 won our low-light test, beating a handful of 80 and 85mm scopes, which is a testament to its good-quality glass. I have both and would buy another Athlon. Astronomy is usually thought to be done with a big telescope setup, but a spotting scope can also work well for a hobbyist.