Hi I am new to birding. Heard good things about Swarovski scope which has a diameter of 65mm and 85mm. If I only need it for 10-15X magnification as I am viewing birdings that are quite near to me, should I get a Swarovski scope and a eyepiece that give me 10-15X magnification (If there is any). Will there be a improvement over my current bino setup as I was thinking the diameter represent the light-gathering ability and my Fujinon 70mm should be able to match with the 65mm Swarovski and the 85mm Swarovski should have marginally better performance than my Fujinon. Thanks in advance.
If you don't need the extra magnification, stick with the binoculars. Two-eyed viewing is always pleasanter than squinting through a spotting scope
Well, depends on the distance involved. Shorebirds & waterfowl are generally out beyond 100m and move a lot, requiring a lot of change in focus. Your Fuji is IF and unless on a sturdy mount, is going to be a handful. Also 15x, even thru a good scope, is likely not going to be enuf for the tougher ID's. 25-30x is about right for most of that. If, on the other hand, woods birding is on the menu, the big 10x is gonna be a handful, good as the optics are. For that, you might wanna consider a good 7-8x widefield bino. If you shop around a little, either the scope/eyepiece or the bino, can be picked up for very reasonable $.