The old saying, "You get what you pay for" might very well have been coined for things dealing with optics.
There is almost a direct one to one relationship between the number of $$ you spend and the quality of the image you get to see through the eyepiece.
Also.... and here is the REAL BIGGIE when it comes to optics....... your ability to see fine detail in a sharp clear field lies with the size of the OBJECTIVE LENS, NOT with the magnification numbers. High magnification numbers can be very misleading... and optics makers (especially those on the low end of the spectrum) play the consumer like a fish in this regard.... by putting big numbers on the packaging.
Unfortunately... a small Objective Lens of 30-40mm is only capable of giving a reasonably clear image when the magnification is kept low... onn the order of 10-15X. It's only when you get up to a 50 or 60mm objective lens does the ability to show a fine image with more than about 20X magnification come in. AS the size of the objective goes up, so does the scopes ability to show a clear image at high mag. A decent 60mm scope will show decent resolution up to about 30x.. beyond that it starts to fade fast. The advertised "zoom" eyepieces that give 30-60x magnification are "gimmicks" to get buyers... not a real ability to make use of the true heart of any optical appliance, the Objective lens.
A 60mm objective lens will let in 225% the light that a 40mm objective will. This more than DOUBLES your ability to see fine details.
As the Objective Lens grows larger, you let in more light. More light means more for the eyepiece lens to work with in resolving detail.
As a fer-instance.... Most decent 60mm scopes will, on a clear day, allow you to resolve .22 holes out to 150-200 yds. The resolution is just not there to do so at any further distance (UNLESS you are looking at a black bull that is not backed and you have a light background that will show light through the holes from the back side).
Cranking up the magnification on the eyepiece won't make it "see" details at any further distance. You are making what you see larger, complete with whatever inherent fuzziness comes with the image transmitted by the objective lens.
Comparison.... two TV screens. One is a little 3 inch screen portable. The other is a 50 inch HD wide screen.
With the wide screen you can sit back at a comfortable distance of 10-12 feet and see details just fine. If you really want to see little details, get up out of the chair and move in to 5 feet of the screen (effectively raising the magnification of the image).
With the little 3 inch screen TV... you will be watching from a much closer distance just to be able to see it comfortably... 18-24 inches. YOu get a decent overview of the image, but no fine details. If you want to see something closer, move it up to 6 inches from your face (again raising the magnification). All you see is a blur... just like raising the magnification on a small diamater scope.
I know this has been a big rambling piece... sorry
Best regards,
Swampy
