I bought a diamondback spotter, did i mess up?

[Treeratslayer]

Some of you all may have seen the sweet deal blackovis was running on vortex spotters. Buy a spotter, get a carbon tripod.

I had a new spotter on my Christmas list. Currently, I own a Celestron Ultima 80. It’s huge, it’s heavy, and it’s.. mediocre. But it was my first spotter and what I could afford for getting into western hunting.

Now I’m several western hunts in and can justify a little nicer optic, but still not looking to drop big cash. On my Christmas list was a Hawke nature trek 13-39. It’s compact, light, and seemed good for my needs. I’m not trying to judge full curl rams at 3 miles. I just want to see something a little closer than I can with my 10x Binos.

Anyway, when the sale went live, I couldn’t help but grab a diamondback 16-48. Now I’ve seen several people post the ad, and the comment sections seem not impressed.

Is the diamondback that bad? Would I be better off with the hawke? Or are people just “glass shaming”?


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[hereinaz]

Do you believe in fat shaming? If you do, then yes you are being glass shamed.

The clarity of the diamondback isn't worth the benefit they bring to a hunt, IMO. You are MUCH better off buying a pair of cheap 12, 15 or 18x bino for the same money than a cheap spotter, IMO. Cheap spotters have bad glass and unless you are a pirate with one eye, you'll appreciate a bino much more. Your brain resolves detail better with two images.

It is technically easier to make smaller glass more clear than larger glass. And, if the glass is the same, think of how thick the spotter lens is and you can see how a smaller optic with the same quality glass will actually be clearer for the magnification. If you have to double the thickness you are doubling the amount of crap and distortion in cheap glass.

And, 15x is plenty to glass out further than you will ever want to walk, especially if you aren't a trophy hunter judging game. Lots of AZ hunters who glass really hard run a 10x on the chest and an 15/18 in the pack. Both get run off the tripod, but the big bino always does. Many have spotters that get left in the truck or at home.

I NEVER advise anyone to buy a spotter unless they want to spend at least $1300 or so for a used one that normally retails for close to $2000.

Its not that they are completely worthless, it is just that you can do much more with your money and have a bigger and better impact on your hunt. After going to the range or a hunt with friends with Diamondback, Viper, and ever Razor spotters, they usually see why they could change their optics set up.

Quality over quantity. One pair of clear 10x or 12x is better than two pair of lower quality glass. I have a buddy that runs 10x swaro cause that is what he bought, and doesn't want to spend the money to get bigger optics with the same clarity.

If you don't want binos, then put the money towards a better rifle scope. Don't "glass" with it, but I don't think there is anything wrong with using the 25x power to look at an elk. You won't be pointing your rifle at hunters across the canyon randomly looking for animals.

That's my two cents on the matter.

 

[Marshfly]

I used to own a diamondback spotter. It never got used because anything other than minimum zoom was worthless. Yes. It’s junk.


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[hereinaz]

I used to own a diamondback spotter. It never got used because anything other than minimum zoom was worthless. Yes. It’s junk.


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Give it to him straight doc, don't pull your punches, he can take it, lol. As an optical tool, it really is at the bottom for quality just like the price point. There is no cheating light.

 

[Marshfly]

Give it to him straight doc, don't pull your punches, he can take it, lol. As an optical tool, it really is at the bottom for quality just like the price point. There is no cheating light.

Just hate to see people waste the same money I did. I didn’t learn from others but others sure can learn from me.


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[Gone4Days]

Do you believe in fat shaming? If you do, then yes you are being glass shamed.

The clarity of the diamondback isn't worth the benefit they bring to a hunt, IMO. You are MUCH better off buying a pair of cheap 12, 15 or 18x bino for the same money than a cheap spotter, IMO. Cheap spotters have bad glass and unless you are a pirate with one eye, you'll appreciate a bino much more. Your brain resolves detail better with two images.

It is technically easier to make smaller glass more clear than larger glass. And, if the glass is the same, think of how thick the spotter lens is and you can see how a smaller optic with the same quality glass will actually be clearer for the magnification. If you have to double the thickness you are doubling the amount of crap and distortion in cheap glass.

And, 15x is plenty to glass out further than you will ever want to walk, especially if you aren't a trophy hunter judging game. Lots of AZ hunters who glass really hard run a 10x on the chest and an 15/18 in the pack. Both get run off the tripod, but the big bino always does. Many have spotters that get left in the truck or at home.

I NEVER advise anyone to buy a spotter unless they want to spend at least $1300 or so for a used one that normally retails for close to $2000.

Its not that they are completely worthless, it is just that you can do much more with your money and have a bigger and better impact on your hunt. After going to the range or a hunt with friends with Diamondback, Viper, and ever Razor spotters, they usually see why they could change their optics set up.

Quality over quantity. One pair of clear 10x or 12x is better than two pair of lower quality glass. I have a buddy that runs 10x swaro cause that is what he bought, and doesn't want to spend the money to get bigger optics with the same clarity.

If you don't want binos, then put the money towards a better rifle scope. Don't "glass" with it, but I don't think there is anything wrong with using the 25x power to look at an elk. You won't be pointing your rifle at hunters across the canyon randomly looking for animals.

That's my two cents on the matter.

This

 

[hereinaz]

Just hate to see people waste the same money I did. I didn’t learn from others but others sure can learn from me.


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I agree 100%. I could have saved so much money on gear. You are doing a great service!

 

[Marshfly]

Honestly if I remember the deal correctly, it is good enough to sell the scope and end up with a cheap carbon tripod. I have that tripod with a VA5 head and it’s great even with the weight of my Kowa 77.


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[NRA4LIFE]

V-Junk

 

[Jethro]

Honestly if I remember the deal correctly, it is good enough to sell the scope and end up with a cheap carbon tripod. I have that tripod with a VA5 head and it’s great even with the weight of my Kowa 77.


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Now you’re just hitting the guy below the belt. Announce his spotter is junk, he wasted his money, suggest he try to sell it

 

[Marshfly]

Now you’re just hitting the guy below the belt. Announce his spotter is junk, he wasted his money, suggest he try to sell it

Wasn't the deal $400 for both?
I would 100% buy that deal, sell the spotter for $225-250 in the spring, and have a nice light carbon tripod for $150-175. Without question.
Those spotters sell for that price on Facebook all day long.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I had a diamondback spotter for a bit. Things actually appeared darker through the glass than they did with the naked eye.

 

[Marshfly]

This thread is great.

 

[Treeratslayer]

I had a diamondback spotter for a bit. Things actually appeared darker through the glass than they did with the naked eye.

Yikes! Sounds like I’ll be filing a return!


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[Treeratslayer]

Wasn't the deal $400 for both?
I would 100% buy that deal, sell the spotter for $225-250 in the spring, and have a nice light carbon tripod for $150-175. Without question.
Those spotters sell for that price on Facebook all day long.

That’s a good thought. I may consider that. I have a pretty solid tripod, but it’s not carbon.


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[Treeratslayer]

Thanks everyone for the advice so far! I especially like the idea of a heavier set of Binos. Less room in my pack, easier on the eyes.


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[Jethro]

Wasn't the deal $400 for both?
I would 100% buy that deal, sell the spotter for $225-250 in the spring, and have a nice light carbon tripod for $150-175. Without question.
Those spotters sell for that price on Facebook all day long.

I don’t know. I only clicked on this thread because OP’s title caught my attention. I’ve been educated and entertained.

Hope it all works out for @Treeratslayer

 

[hereinaz]

I had a diamondback spotter for a bit. Things actually appeared darker through the glass than they did with the naked eye.

They did! I think lower end glass is extra left over from bathroom windows with privacy glass.

But seriously, that is exactly the problem with cheap spotters, the lenses are so big and so many in the stack that they just block too much light. The same glass in a bino is way clearer just because there is less glass to block the light.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Yikes! Sounds like I’ll be filing a return!


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Not to be a negative Nancy, but I would. I used that spotter for about 30 minutes before deciding it just wasn’t the play.

 

[Treeratslayer]

I don’t know. I only clicked on this thread because OP’s title caught my attention. I’ve been educated and entertained.

Hope it all works out for @Treeratslayer

Yeah they were running a pretty sweet sale. Still are I think, and it’s on all the vortex spotters. Just most of them are more than I can justify for one trip a year.


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