Vortex Nomad Spotter HERE (w/ initial review)
GPWDeer
9/13/07 7:47pm
I just got done ordering my first ever spotting scope. I ordered it from AmericanBwana. I should have it sometime next week. I will put it through its paces and then post up a review for all of you. I have been doing quite a bit of research on the company and their optics. I have not seen a single negative reveiw about the optic quality on the Vortex scopes and binos. So, needless to say, I am stoked for my new toy to show up!
GPWDeer
GPWDeer
6,535
Here is a link with all the specs.
The one I ordered was a demo that AmericanBwana had used during the summer at some trade/gun shows that he was at. So, I got a great deal.
Thank you AB!
GPWDeer
Haven't had a chance to put the glass through any tests yet, but I hope to test it out this weekend and give everyone my honest thougths.
Stay tuned.
GPWDeer
Brightness: This scope is very bright on 20 power. It gets very dark as you move up to 60 power and the sight picture constricts a little as you zoom in. It is good to about 35-40 power and then starts to taper off in brightness from there. I don't think you can expect much more for the price and I must say that I am not unhappy with this aspect. I was impressed by how clear and bright it was on the lower power settings which is where I plan to use it the majority of the time anyway. I think if Vortex offered a 12-30 spotter I would have bought it, but this was a great deal.
Clarity: I am happy with the clarity on the lower settings. The one issue that I have had is that the focus knob (only one adjustment) is a fairly fast adjustment. It can be difficult to bring into perfect focus because there is no fine adjustment. That being said, I was able to very easily determine the number of points on a couple of bucks at low light Saturday evening from a distance of about 600 yards on about 30 power and the detail was very crisp. However, I also tried to look at another hunter that was two ridges away from me and I had the scope set on 60 power and it was very difficult to focus, I did manage to get the correct focus and see what I wanted to see. I have not had the opportunity to do a side by side comparo with my buddies scopes, but I will later this season.
Size: The overal size of the scope is perfect for my application (in my pack for long hikes and glassing from ridges) as well as use from my vehicle via a window mount. The eyepiece is just about right. I have looked through a few scopes with very small or very large eyepieces and they didn't fit my eye very well which allowed alot of light in. This eyepiece seems to block most of the light out and has an adjustable (semi-locking) eye relief which I have enjoyed.
Fit/finish: The scope appears to be well built. I like the feel of it. I am a little worried about the objective lens covers quality/craftmanship. It seems cheap and is a little noisy/rattles. The base is sturdy and has worked well with both my window mount and the Nikkon tripod I purchased. The protective case, which is of the view through variety, is somewhat cumbersome and not of a very high quality, but it does the job. It is not padded at all which I wish it was. The zippers are also a little cheap feeling and we will see how they hold up. I am personally glad that this is where they chose to spend less money to make a scope that has good glass and is priced where I can afford to buy it. I would way rather have a cheap case than a poor quality optic for the price.
Other: The eyepiece cap is threaded on to the eyepiece. It is a little bit noisy to unscrew as well which I will have to work on. It makes for a slow removal as well as the threads are very fine and require about 5 full turns to remove the cover/cap. I suppose the cap is not all that necessary when the scope is in its case/cover in my backpack, so I may leave it off when the scope is in my pack and just put it on for storage.
Overall Rating: On a scale of 1-10 I give this scope an initial rating of 7.5. I would recommend this scope to anyone who would like an affordable and good quality optic and who is willing to sacrifice the quality of some of the auxillary pieces of the product (lens caps, case, etc.) for the sake of price. The lifetime warranty is a good piece of mind as well and American Baswana was a pleasure to do business with. I look forward to using this scope in the field this year and I will continue to add my findings to this forum in hopes that others will find my review useful.
If anyone has questions, I would be happy to answer them if I can.
GPWDeer