Vanguard Endeavour HD 82A vs Celestron Regal M2 80ED

The question this week comes from a reader looking to get their first spotting scope, which they want to use for both wildlife observation and for digiscoping, but cant choose between two:

Answer

Great question and it can always be difficult to decide which to get once you have narrowed your shortlist down to a few options, but I have found the best way is to go through and compare the main features and specifications of each side by side:

Right Spotting Scopes for Digiscoping?

First off, I would just like to add that you have narrowed your choices down to two great scopes, both of which should work very well for both wildlife observation and for digiscoping.

Indeed both Vanguard and Celestron make digiscoping adaptors specifically for use with these scopes:

For vanguard, look out for their PA series of camera-spotting scope adapters that can be purchased separately. The PA-202 Digiscoping Adaptor works with the Endeavor HD (65A/65S/82A/82S) & Endeavor XF (60A/60S/80A/80S) Spotting Scopes.

Whilst Celestron include a T-adapter ring with the Regal M2 80 ED that you can easily attach to a 35mm or DSLR camera.

Another thing I would like to mention is that whilst I have fully tested and reviewed the Vanguard Endeavor HD 82A Spotting Scope, I have not had the opportunity as yet to use the Celestron Regal M2 80ED Spotting Scope, but I have used and written a full review on the similar Celestron Regal 100 F-ED, so in this instance, I will assume that the overall quality is about the same.

	Celestron Regal M2 80ED	Vanguard Endeavour HD82A
Objective Lens	80mm	82mm
ED Glass Lens	Yes	Yes
Anti Reflection Coatings	Fully Multi-Coated	Fully Multi-Coated
Prism Glass	Bak-4	Bak-4
Body Material	Magnesium	Magnesium
Dual Focus Wheel	Yes	Yes
Interchangeable Eyepiece	Yes	Yes
Included Eyepiece	20-60x Zoom Eyepiece	20-60x Zoom Eyepiece
FOV @ 20x	110ft wide @ 1000yds	110ft wide @ 1000yds
FOV @ 60x	52ft wide @ 1000yds	52ft wide @ 1000yds
Eye Relief	20mm	19mm – 20mm
Weight	56.7oz (1607g)	63.8ozs (1809g)
Dimensions	?	38cm x 18cm

As you can see for the table above, these two scopes are very, very similar in almost all aspects, making it very difficult to choose between them.

Objective Lens Size / Aperture

One difference between the two is the size of their objective lenses.

Other than increasing the size and weight (an to a lesser extent the price), a bigger diameter objective lens diameter is usually a good thing.

This is because this larger aperture can capture more light and thus potentially deliver more light to your eyes and thus produce a brighter image. During the day and in good light the difference between the two will probably not be at all noticeable, especially as the quality of the optics and the coatings between the Vanguard Endeavor 82A and Celestron Regal 80 is very similar.

However in poor light and especially when using the scope for digiscoping, the slightly larger lens on the Vanguard will be a very slight advantage, but as the difference is so small, I would not worry too much about this.

Body Size & Weight

Celestron don’t list the dimensions of their Regal M2 ED Spotting Scopes, but as they weigh a little (approx 200g) less than the Endeavor 82A and as they have a smaller objective lens, I would guess that it is a little smaller or at the most the same size as the Vanguard. What ever the case I these two are very similar again and there really is not much to choose between them.

Price

The Vanguard Endeavour HD 82A
had an original price of around $860 in the US, but can now be found for around $530. Whilst in the UK they now cost about £650:

• Compare Prices & Where to Buy Vanguard Endeavor Spotting Scopes
  includes retailers in the US and the UK

The Celestron Regal M2 80ED
has a list price of $899.95 in the US, but is now available for about $700. Whilst in the UK they were initially sold for £750 and now cost about £650:

• Compare Prices & Where to Buy Celestron Regal M2 Spotting Scopes
  includes retailers in the US and the UK

Conclusion

It is unfortunate that I have not used the Celestron Regal M2 Spotting scope, so I can’t comment on the view through through them, but even if I had, my guess is that it would be very similar to that of the Vanguard Endeavor HD, which was excellent.

I would say the only ways of choosing to these two very evenly matched optics is either by choosing which you like the most of, which brand most appeals to you or if it was me, I would go with which was selling at the best price where you are.

Further Options

Whilst I know that you are already having a tough time deciding between these scopes above, I have decided to add a spanner into the works by pointing out a few other similar ones that I feel may also be worth considering. Like the others, if you spot any at a discount or on a special deal that may be what swings it for you:

I hope that I have not confused you even more, but would also like to assure you that I am sure that whichever one you do decided to go with, you will not be disappointed with the result. They are both excellent scopes in this price range and come with many of the high end components and features on scopes far more expensive than these.

Further Reading:

• Vanguard Endeavor HD 82A Spotting Scope Review
• About Celestron Spotting Scopes