For a good 60mm telescope with a fixed eyepiece expect to pay around £250.
Add £100-150 for a zoom eyepiece.

From £250 to £500 you will find better telescopes and this is the starting point for scopes with larger objective lenses.

Above £500 telescope are of the highest quality. Some top of the range scopes have low-dispersion (ED) or fluorite glass lenses. A 60 mm scope with this type of glass will out-perform larger models.

Add the cost of a good tripod. A scope is only as good as its support.

Some scopes are waterproof, but it is still worth buying a case. Stay-on cases are a good idea and are available to fit most models. They offer better weather protection and help protect against knocks and scuffs.

IN CONCLUSION

For everyday use, choose a compact 60mm telescope with a wide angled 20x or 22x eyepiece.

If you want higher power, choose a 30x or 40x eyepiece in addition to, but not in place of the general one.

The larger 75-80mm telescopes are good for use in low light or from a fixed position such as a hide. The wide-angle, fixed 20x-30x eyepieces are the best, but a zoom will perform well with this type of scope.

If you wear spectacles, choose an eyepiece that has a twist-down rubber eyecup.

Telescopes may suffer from a colour fringing to greater or lesser extent. This is often only apparent at higher magnifications. Low-dispersion (ED) glass, found in some of the more expensive models, eliminates colour fringing as well as giveing a brighter and crisper image.

Before you buy any Telescope or Binoculars it is essential to try them yourself.

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