Spotting Scope Recommendations?

I'm looking into spotting scopes for birding and other terrestrial viewing. I like the Pentax PF-80ED-A. It comes with a zoom eyepiece and will also be compatible with the Pentax XW eyepieces. Is it light enough for walking around out in the field? Is the angled eyepiece the way to go for more comfort? Are they any good at all for Astronomy with the Pentax eyepieces?

What about a good lightweight tripod?

Any commments or recommended alternatives will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Demetrios

The Pentax instruments don't seem to have gotten high marks from birders. On the other hand, birders have a general dislike for instruments that are not waterproof and that take "slip-fit" eyepieces.

I use one of the original AP Stowaways (90mm f/5) for birding, but usually only by setting up on a lake shore or my back deck and staying in one place. For field work, I picked a 65mm dedicated birding scope with an angled eyepiece. I used a 60mm scope with a straight-through eyepiece for two decades, and it was a horrid annoyance for looking upward into the tree tops. The angled scope is much more satisfactory, and works on a lower tripod, which helps with stability.

As far as carrying the PF-80ED-A around in the field goes, you are probably the only person who can answer that question. I like to travel light, but other folks are quite willing to carry a lot of stuff with them, and will put up with more weight than I will.

Clear skies, Alan

I use a Pentax PF80ED and it's a great scope for birding and digiscoping. I have the straight through model because it is much, much easier to acquire your target with it. If a bird is directly overhead you will have a hell of a time finding it with an angled setup--trust me. It is also a situation seldom encountered as most targets are between zero and eighty degrees from horizontal. This scope comes with a nice case which you can attach a shoulder strap to, making it much less of a burden than the tripod that you will be carrying. I am a little 74 year old man and find the PF80ED to be very easy to tote around. But if you are a sissy----------