Hi Sprout. With five hundred 'dabs', have you considered a decent second-hand scope? The birdy magazines have stacks of retailers doing second-hand. Try In Focus. I went down the second-hand route with my Kowa. It's battered looking now, but has been a loyal servant. Having spent as much as I did on my Swarovski binoculars, I felt a bit queasy paying something similar for a top-notch scope. Besides, the missus put her foot down.
If you do go down the Opticron route, I think they are great mid-price scopes.
Regards, Chris