I had my Leupold green ring Cascades next to my buddy's Vortex. the Vortex Diamondbacks were much better at low-light and cheaper to boot.
As for the Spotting scope, take a look at the Kowa's excellent 60mm scope TSN600 with the TSE Z9B 20-60 eyepiece. It is the lightest for the size and you can even get it in ED glass. Excellent for backpacking.
Check the
www.opticsplanet.com for their message boards. There are lots of comparison posts and Optics Planet has experts that monitor the board and answer questions with good hands on knowledge. No brand loyalty, just performance based evaluations. Good luck.
