Fixed vs. Variable Scopes

[Gunneegoogoo]

Hi,

Question - are fixed power scopes nicer to look through than variable?? Reason I ask is that my spotting scope has swap-able eyepieces, and the fixed ones CRUSH the variable in terms of FOV and brightness.

-J.

 

[jrcarbine]

Well it all comes down to which optic you purchase. A high end scope like leupold with be very clear with variable zoom. The more money you shell out the clearer the optic will be.

 

[StevieK]

In my experience fixed power scopes are slightly better in quality than the equivalent brand and model in a variable power. It's just the physics of optics though. As soon as you have more layers of glass and moving parts inside the tube you will lose a very small bit of optical quality to achieve the variable power. The closest comparison I have to the difference is a fixed 6x Nikon monarch vs a 2-10 monarch. The fixed is slightly better but it's honestly not that noticeable. The biggest difference that actually is significant to me is that a fixed power scope is much lighter and compact

 

[J996]

What spotter do you have? I have the Pentax 80mmED and yes their fixed astronomy lenses are sharper. That said their astronomy lenses are very high quality and probably employ better lenses than they put in the zoom lens.

The best rifle scope I have is an S&B. It is a variable (3-12) and the glass is amazing, I doubt it would be clearer fixed.

 

[Gunneegoogoo]

What spotter do you have? I have the Pentax 80mmED and yes their fixed astronomy lenses are sharper. That said their astronomy lenses are very high quality and probably employ better lenses than they put in the zoom lens.

I have the Pentax 100ED.

I find the fixed not only sharper, but the field of view is very very wide and bright right to the edges.

-J.

 

[J996]

I have the Pentax 100ED.

I find the fixed not only sharper, but the field of view is very very wide and bright right to the edges.

-J.

I concur, the XW series are amazing. I have the 10mm and can read the small numbers at the bottom of a transformer 500 yards away from my house. In the 80mm it gets 52X power. I will be getting the 7mm soon which should yield close to 70X.

 

[nowarningshot]

Fixed optics are something i associate with the post WWII optics. It is very rare to see a fixed optic. Perhaps on a package rifle or dangerous game uses. If someone was to compare a new optic in a variable to a new fixed, there might or might not be a noticable difference. Compare a new variable to a 20 year old fixed ....much more likely. When one looks through old optics, the new are much clearer. On the other point of view, years ago, very few offered proper warranty. Now they all do, most often the low end scopes are simply replaced to fail again, while more established companies fix their problems, not treating problems like a bic lighter.

There are a lot of guys that swear by fixed 6X Leupolds. I personally would pick a variable over a fixed every time.

 

[Gunneegoogoo]

I concur, the XW series are amazing. I have the 10mm and can read the small numbers at the bottom of a transformer 500 yards away from my house. In the 80mm it gets 52X power. I will be getting the 7mm soon which should yield close to 70X.

Ya, 100%. I have the 7mm, and might get the 3.5 sometime. I also got a diagonal and camera adapter made for it as well so I don't have to hunker down to get my eye behind the piece.

You ever look at the moon?? It's freaking awesome. I've never been an astronomy guy, but it's pretty cool. I'm told you can see Saturn's rings but I haven't yet put in the effort.

Fixed optics are something i associate with the post WWII optics. It is very rare to see a fixed optic. Perhaps on a package rifle or dangerous game uses. If someone was to compare a new optic in a variable to a new fixed, there might or might not be a noticable difference. Compare a new variable to a 20 year old fixed ....much more likely. When one looks through old optics, the new are much clearer. On the other point of view, years ago, very few offered proper warranty. Now they all do, most often the low end scopes are simply replaced to fail again, while more established companies fix their problems, not treating problems like a bic lighter.

There are a lot of guys that swear by fixed 6X Leupolds. I personally would pick a variable over a fixed every time.

I see what you're saying. So it's safe to say the optic companies have put more time and effort into developing variable rifle scopes than they have variable spotters and eyepieces?

-J.

 

[Ar180shooter]

I see what you're saying. So it's safe to say the optic companies have put more time and effort into developing variable rifle scopes than they have variable spotters and eyepieces?

-J.

An eyepiece that you strap on to a scope to get variable function will not give you the same results as a dedicated variable spotting scope.

 

[nowarningshot]

No not at all. I was talking about rifle scopes, whereas, the thread seems to have derailed to talk about spotting scopes.

I guess i would get a fixed target scope, knowing that the target distance is always the same. Other than that, i dont know why i would intentionally buy a fixed over a variable. My experience in BC, has hunting distances typically close but needing the variable for that rare long shot. Fixed leaves one looking at a view of entirely hair...to large a mag at close range.....or a tiny figure at long distance. Give me a good variable with adjustable objective all the time over a scope without the flexibility.

My bad, the OP is talking about spotting scopes.......

 

[Gunneegoogoo]

An eyepiece that you strap on to a scope to get variable function will not give you the same results as a dedicated variable spotting scope.

I didn't even know those existed!!!

What I'm asking is: Is the difference between a variable and fixed rifle scope as big as the difference between a variable and fixed spotter??

 

[J996]

I didn't even know those existed!!!

What I'm asking is: Is the difference between a variable and fixed rifle scope as big as the difference between a variable and fixed spotter??

With high end rifle scopes, no. My German über scope is every bit a clear and sharp as anything fixed I've looked through. With average glass.......maybe.

As mentioned by others a fixed scope is not ideal for certain things like hunting or rifle matches. Variables give you the flexibility to find and frame your intended target perfectly from close to long range. A variable FFP with target turrets can do a lot and it can do it quickly.

 

[Gunneegoogoo]

I know very well the advantages (and sometimes necessity) of a variable.... I was just asking if the rifle world is similar to the spotter world....

 

[TAP375]

In my experience fixed power scopes are slightly better in quality than the equivalent brand and model in a variable power. (snip) The fixed is slightly better but it's honestly not that noticeable. The biggest difference that actually is significant to me is that a fixed power scope is much lighter and compact

My experience exactly. However, these slight differences were enough for me to replace all but one of the variables on my hunting rifles with fixed optics. Two rifles have two different focal length scopes on good quality QD mounts, one is permanently mounted. My other "plinkers" have variables. As to comparing apples to apples, I had Leupold VX-II and VX-III models, now replaced with scopes in FX-II series, and one Zeiss Conquest 4x.

And, by the way, all these are decent scopes; Going to fixed models was a matter of preference, not a "need."

 

[Rayleigh_Scattering]

It's like adding features to any other system.

Making a scope variable focus introduces complications that the designer/fabricator has to allow for (extra parts that have to move in some precise relationship to each other while remaining aligned). Those complications can be dealt with, and they can be deal with well, but the design time, expertise, tooling capital and manufacturing costs spent dealing with them could also be used making the scope lighter, or tougher, or clearer. Or you could save those costs and ship a cheaper scope.

All things being equal you can expect to pay more for a variable scope of similar maximum magnification, optical quality, toughness and weight as you would for a fixed scope of that magnification. The question for you is whether the additional $ (or the reduction of optical quality, lightness, and toughness) is worth it to you to get that nifty variable zoom feature.

A question I would ask, for those with variable scopes, is how often do you actually find yourself changing the setting in the field?

 

[Dogleg]

I change power constantly in the field, due to terrain varying from thick bush one minute to being able to see for miles the next. Although I do have a real appreciation for the optic quality of a FX3 or S&B 6x I can never be completely happy with one. Most of my shots are taken at maximum power, partly from habit of looking through scopes cranked right up at the rsnge and partly because that's where the reticles work.

 

[stubblejumper]

Well it all comes down to which optic you purchase. A high end scope like leupold with be very clear with variable zoom. The more money you shell out the clearer the optic will be.

Once you look through a truly high end scope by Swarovski , Zeiss or S&B, you won't consider Leupold to be high end. Even a mid range Zeiss or Swarovski variable will compare favorably to most fixed power scopes by other manufacturers, as far as brightness and clarity are concerned.

 

[TAP375]

It's like adding features to any other system.

Making a scope variable focus introduces complications that the designer/fabricator has to allow for ... but the design time, expertise, tooling capital and manufacturing costs spent dealing with them could also be used making the scope lighter, or tougher, or clearer. (snip) All things being equal you can expect to pay more for a variable scope of similar maximum magnification, optical quality, toughness and weight as you would for a fixed scope of that magnification.

True, up to the point when the designs are finalized and tooling is complete. At this stage, production volume make the profit margin on variables better, and manufacturing fixed scopes is not as profitable anymore. The whole process is driven by creating the "need" (want?) for variables, be it with rifle scopes or other optics. At the same time, as Dogleg notes, he finds the variable power scopes useful in the environment he hunts and the way he is making use of the reticles - a clear, concise, and logical explanation why this works for him. Perfect!

Returning to optical qualities in general, a fixed SLR camera lens beats a zoom lens, any day. A zoom lens may have a sweet spot where the differences are negligible, but generally the extremes of focal length are compromises. But these days, fixed focal length lenses are rare, except for specialty work (eg. Micro Nikkor, super wide-angle lenses, etc., and these command a premium price - laws of demand and supply in action.) As to the OPs question re: spotting scopes, I venture to guess that the same rule applies re: image not being equally sharp at the extremes, especially at the high magnification.

 

[AP]

True, up to the point when the designs are finalized and tooling is complete. At this stage, production volume make the profit margin on variables better, and manufacturing fixed scopes is not as profitable anymore. The whole process is driven by creating the "need" (want?) for variables, be it with rifle scopes or other optics. At the same time, as Dogleg notes, he finds the variable power scopes useful in the environment he hunts and the way he is making use of the reticles - a clear, concise, and logical explanation why this works for him. Perfect!

Returning to optical qualities in general, a fixed SLR camera lens beats a zoom lens, any day. A zoom lens may have a sweet spot where the differences are negligible, but generally the extremes of focal length are compromises. But these days, fixed focal length lenses are rare, except for specialty work (eg. Micro Nikkor, super wide-angle lenses, etc., and these command a premium price - laws of demand and supply in action.) As to the OPs question re: spotting scopes, I venture to guess that the same rule applies re: image not being equally sharp at the extremes, especially at the high magnification.

pretty much ALL (with one exception) of the Leica M lenses are fixed focal length...

 

[TheTooner]

Well it all comes down to which optic you purchase. A high end scope like leupold with be very clear with variable zoom. The more money you shell out the clearer the optic will be.

That is not as true as we would like it to be. It's hard to get high quality without paying a high price. It's not hard to pay a high price without getting high quality.