In Malaysia, the turn of the year means its shorebird season. This is the time when thousands upon thousands of migratory shorebirds congregate along the coasts of the country, to escape the bitter cold of their northern breeding grounds. I am fortunate to live within an hour of some of the best shorebird watching sites in the country. Naturally, I decided to usher in the new year by visiting my favourite mudflats. And this time, I have a new ‘toy’ to play with – the Optisan PL ED 15-60×80 Spotting Scope!

Using the Optisan PL ED 15-60×80 Spotting Scope

Spotting scopes are essential pieces of equipment for shorebird watching. Without a scope, the crucial details are difficult to discern. Even a camera with a long telephoto lens isn’t really a substitute, as the birds are often just too far away.

I have been using an SVBony SA405ED spotting scope for shorebird watching for just over a year now. Even though it’s an entry-level model, I found it to be a game-changer. Suddenly, shorebird watching became much more enjoyable, and I was able to accurately identify distant birds more easily.

Nevertheless, I was very much aware of the optical limitations of this model (understandable, considering its price). Subsequently, I have been keeping an eye out for any scope model that may be affordable enough for me to upgrade.

Enter Optisan Optics

During the 13th Asian Bird Fair in the Philippines, I was able to try out a few scope models. There were scopes from Swarovski and Bosma on display there, but it was Optisan Optics that got most of my attention. There, Optisan showcased their PL ED 15-60×80 spotting scope.  The ’15-60′ denotes the magnification range, while the ’80’ is the objective lens diameter.

The wide angle zoom  as well as the large objective diameter (means more light) were especially interesting to me. Optisan prices this model at EUR 1799.99, which is roughly MYR 8400. This puts the model in the middle to higher-end range.

Before heading back to Malaysia, Optisan graciously offered me a loan unit to test out. Obviously, I said yes!

Using the Optisan PL ED 15-60×80 Spotting Scope in Malaysia

What better way to put the scope through its paces by going shorebird watching? Keep in mind that this article isn’t a review, yet. Rather, it’s a first impression, to give readers an idea of what to expect from this spotting scope. 

The shorebird watching locations were Sungai Serdang Mudflats, and Pantai Jeram, which are also two of my favourite shore birding sites in Selangor. These spots are only 1 hour from my home. 

Optisan PL ED 15-60×80 Spotting Scope first impressions

Below is a summary of my first impressions after using this scope:

• Build quality is very good. The scope feels solid with no ‘cheap’ feeling parts.
• Lightweight and rather compact. While the scope didn’t come with a carrying case, it could still fit in easily in my backpack.
• Top-notch optical performance. It’s most definitely a step above my entry-level scope. 
• The image brightness and sharpness is amazing at the wider angles.
• Nevertheless, even at maximum zoom, the image quality was still excellent. 
• The focusing ring is at the centre barrel, which is a setup already familiar to me.

Needless to say, I was very impressed with optical quality of the scope. Several of my birding friends were similarly impressed as well. 

Digiscoping 

Below are several photos taken while digiscoping through the scope. These photos cannot truly show the optical quality of the product, since my phone doesn’t have a good camera (time to upgrade my phone, I suppose). Nevertheless, they can give a general idea of what to expect.

These photos were taken using my Oppo mobile phone. Images are cropped, resized and edited for brightness/contrast but not sharpened.

One final bonus: While using this scope, I was able to spot a ‘mega-lifer’! It was a seabird that’s rarely, if ever, seen at the Selangor coast. Find out what it was in my upcoming review article for this scope.

Conclusion

The Optisan PL ED 15-60×80 spotting scope is very impressive indeed. Even after only using it a short time, I could already appreciate its quality. I very much look forward to continue testing this scope during the remainder of the shorebird season in Malaysia. Look out for the final review of the Optisan spotting scope in the coming months.

Finally, Birdwatching Asia would like to wish readers a happy new year 2025, and thank you very much for your continuing support. Stay tuned for more birdwatching gear reviews in the future!