Binoculars are splendid when birds or wildlife are nearby, but when you’re after a glimpse of shorebirds pecking along a distant mudflat or a kettle of hawks circling hundreds of feet in the air, a spotting scope, with its far greater magnification, is a much better option. As with binoculars we're spoiled for choice. Here are a few key considerations when picking a spotting scope.
Straight vs Angled
Spotting scopes come in straight and angled formats. we usually recommend angled scopes because they're much more comfortable for observing targets higher in the air. Some people prefer straight spotting scopes, but we find it's less than 10% of observers. We stock a great selection of angled spotting scopes. If you're after a straight spotting scope we'd be happy to bring one in for you.
Main Objective Sizes
We typically think of spotting scopes as coming in four size categories. Ultra portable options are <60mm objectives. These are fantastic for travel, but don't perform as well in low light conditions. Compact spotting scopes use ~65mm objectives. These are also great options for travel and hiking. If you have a long walk to your favorite spot, then this is a good option. Full size spotting scopes are ~80mm in diameter. These are great in low light conditions, typically about 50% brighter than their compact counterparts. The fourth size is extra large, typically ~100mm in diameter. These are great instruments, but they start getting pretty heavy. They deliver beautiful low-light views but they are not travel friendly.
Magnification
As a rule of thumb spotting scopes use zoom eyepieces to offer 20-60x magnification. These are extremely convenient because you get nice wide views for finding targets, plus the ability to drill in and get a closer look under high magnification. The smaller the finder scope the harder it is to get good views at high magnification in low light conditions.
Why get your Spotting Scope from All Star Telescope
We love spotting scopes and cary a great selection from fantastic brands like Kowa, Zeiss, Pentax, Celestron, and Leica. We only bring in products that we like and would use personally we're always happy to talk about the finder points of the stock we carry. Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions. We'd love to chat.
