Posts Made By: Davis Blackwelder

So which optics did you get? I have Nikon Fieldscope 60m ED for travel and Pentax PF-80 for home. Also Leica 10x42 and 8x32.

Received my new TMB 80 (aluminum tubes and Feathertouch focuser) a few weeks ago from Markus. P-t-V .15 wavelength and RMS wavefront error of .02 wavelenth. I have compared it to a Pentax SDHF 75, Pentax PF-80 spotting scope, 4.5 inch reflector, Celestron 4 and 5 inch Cats, Nikon 60 mm, and Brandon 80mm. When I conducted resolution tests with the USAF chart, it seemed only very slightly better than the Pentax, Nikon, and the Celestron 5 inch (usually only resolved the next smallest set of bars, but barely). BUT, when looking at birds far away, Mars, and other terrestrial and celestial objects, the TMB far surpassed all the others in sharpness, contrast, and, particularly, color. I attribute this to the excellent color correction and it makes a much bigger difference than I thought that pure resolution would indicate. My long search for the best small refractor is over. I can be content in my knowledge that if anything out there is as good, it is probably not any better. And, the TMB is a gorgeous instrument. Thanks, Markus.

Davis Blackwelder
126 Oakland Trace
Madison, Alabama 35758

I have tried both the straight and angled view. The straight has excellent star test for prismatic scope. The Angled is slightly softer in focus than the straight (perfect focus not as easy) but appears to be about as sharp once focus is reached and is easier viewing for astronomy. Yes, I have tried the zoom and it is incredibly sharp (can't tell much difference from my fixed Pentax XL eye pieces) but the FOV is much narrower and I prefer the "picture window" view of the fixed eye pieces. But one of the best zooms available (I have compared to Nikon, Leica, and Swarovski). This is a good scope to use for terrestrial and astronimical purposes that takes standard eye pieces. I am planning on selling either my straight or angled (don't know which I really prefer) for about $550. Interested? I also may sell my Pentax zoom for about $300. LNIB with papers. Check out Stephen Ingraham's article selecting it as the reference standard for 80mm spotting scopes at www.betterviewdesired.com. I have found his recommendations to be very accurate.

In comparing to Leica, Kowa, and Swarovski, which did you prefer and why?

I want the best image at fairly high magnification. So, to keep in the price range, put all the money in the objective. ED glass, either a fixed 30X or accept standard 1.25 inch eye pieces, 70mm aperture seems about right, water proofing not necessary. My favorite setup is the Pentax PF80 with the 14mm XL. This gives about 35X magnification, is bright and sharp. I don't really need the 80mm, waterproofing, or other eye pieces even though I use them. This serves me well almost exclusively. I sometimes use a wider eye piece when in thick woods and very rarely use the 7mm (72X) for terrestrial purposes.