My father in law has a beach condo and is looking for a spotting scope that would allow him to view ships traveling out along the water. He lives on the 9th floor right on the beach so his view is largely unobstructed, but I have no idea what sort of specs I should be looking at when considering a scope for him.My main concern is not having enough magnification or a small field of view that limits what he can see, but I'm not sure how the specs of the scopes relate to such things. I'm looking for some insight regarding what the specs actually relate to as well as any suggestions on brands or models that are highly regarded. Also since this is his first scope we're looking for something simple and economical before dropping a whole ton of money on something he hasn't used yet. Looking to stay under $300 if possible (perhaps that's a pipedream given when I'm asking?). On another note, his wife does have a nice Nikon DSLR, so I wonder if there are any spotting scopes that allow for camera attachments or if I might just be better off buying a really nice high zoom camera lens and tripod instead. I'm a bit hesitant to do that though, since I want the gift to be for him and not her. If there are suggestions for binoculars as well, I'd gladly take those. Thanks so much!
>>> What sort of Spotting Scope would you suggest for watching ships at sea?