This is one of the very best spotting scope appraisals I have seen on RU-vid. 99% of these reviews or appraisals leave out important info and are often technically incorrect. Optics is a difficult subject, at a fundamental level it is all math. This is the reason most reviewers get the important stuff wrong as they don't understand it. If you are not an optical designer, even those that work in the industry all their lives never really understand optics properly. Nearly all optical jingo is pure marketing, and it is refreshing to hear someone avoid the pitfalls and explain properly to their market consumers using "normal" language. One thing I am glad you didn't talk about is the dreaded "Twilight factor", a term often used in the hunting and birding market. It is mathematical nonsense even though it has been used by top manufacturers for many decades. Good to hear you suggesting that even in lower light, a good quality optic can show lots of detail at higher magnifications. For many decades this point has always been refuted, that's because (as you hinted) all it takes is a high quality optic, and the performance makes a mockery of the marketing used for cheaper poorer scopes. Well done. Many years ago, I used to supply and build instruments, including Optolyth. I would be interested to hear whether you have looked at their draw-tube scopes and how they compare to the fixed length more popular models. I haven't seen a modern Optolyth draw scope, not since the 90s. Well done, you are a very good presenter.
excellent information, I did experience many of the problems he mentioned. After watching the whole video I understood why I was having all these issues with my current scope. I returned my latest purchased scope and decided to purchase the little Celestron Hummingbird 9-27 x 56mm he recommended. I returned a 22 - 60x times scope, nowI am very happy with his recommendation. Thank you very much Sir!
Excellent video on spotting scopes. Just some wisdom, buy the best you can afford. Meaning, save for the best. I use vortex razor HD and they are excellent. Love them! Would I like Swarovski? Heck yes! But for me razor HDs are the perfect price for how much I hunt but one day I can decide to trade up. There is value in higher end optics. Diamondbacks are purpose-full but trade up value will be lost. Save your money and get the best. There is a line to where trade in value is lost. Leupold’s highest end, vortex razors, zeiss’s higher end line…etc. If you can’t afford Swarovski get zeiss, can’t afford zeiss get vortex or Leupold, and so on. Do some research. I recently bought a zeiss rifle scope and the quality is above vortex or Leupold; but the all out warranty isn’t the same. Zeiss will fix the scope and there is a value there. Not all brands are gonna come with a full guarantee advertised but I can guarantee if you damage your Swarovski; they are going to fix it in some form or fashion. Just the cost of doing business. See the value it that. 10x42 or something similar size is perfect for chest binos. Plus, they are even better glassing on a tripod. Much more stability equals more clear picture. Spotting scope vs larger binoculars: spotting scopes are tough to glass out of for a long time. I suggest using 15x56 binoculars or something similar size. Much more relaxing to long glassing sessions. Plus, spend the extra money on a great tripod. Vortex, Leupold, and other manufacturers make excellent tripods with excellent fluid heads to compliment your glass. The system makes for a great glassing experience which in turn finds you more game in the field. 👍🏻😃 just my opinion. That’s the way I wish I would have done it before spending all the monies.
That's a very informative briefing. Learned more on the subject in these few minutes than to sum total of what I knew about spotting scopes, or lenses in general, for that matter. Much obliged! Like Like Like!
This is the first video of yours I've ever watched and I'm subscribing based solely on this. Nice to hear someone that knows his stuff and avoids all the theatrics in his videos. Everyone's different, but yours has just enough humor in it to suit me. Nice job!
I second Herb's opinion! Thank you so very much for your straight, honest thoughts. You have at least 2 new subscribers now. Can't wait to binge watch the rest of ur videos. Keep up the great work!
You have a great way of presenting the information. My favorite tip (there were MANY), but my favorite was the beanbag on the open car window trick! Thanks for putting this out there Ron.
I purchased this a few years ago: Pentax 20-60x80mm PF-80ED Angle ED Spotting Scope, Waterproof, works as well as any other spotting scope with the large primary objective. The 100ED is better but much heaver.
For bright sunny days, you can friction fit circular polar lens filter (for cameras) into the rubber armor on a scope. When you squeeze a polarizer filter into the front of the scope it'll cut down on the amount of light passing through the glass. It's good for viewing into the sky, when you're tracking a bird in the sky.
Great video. I love spotting scopes. Anything that brings the stars and planets closer gives me a spiritual feeling I can't put into words, and keeps me in this crazy world.😁
Thank you! I love seeing well spoken outdoor enthusiasts, that isn't all "tacticool" "'merica" types. Those guys don't bother me, I lean that way some times. But that looks bad tot those nonhunter types. Great information, very through, without being overly technical.
Very well presented and explained. I’m no expert but I’ve always said regarding all optical equipment as a rule of thumb ‘Buy cheap,buy low magnification with large objective lens diameter - Buy expensive and the worlds your oyster’ Remember though like all things it’s [arguably] a case of diminishing returns ie. a scope costing double may be twice as good but one ten times the price probably isn’t ten times as good. Lastly to quote Scotty from Star Trek “You canae change the laws of physics”
Ron, This is probably the most informative tutorial on spotting scopes I have seen. Your explanation on going over 40 power is spot on(no pun intended). And your advice on how much to spend. I have a Leupold 20-40 that is crystal clear$$$. I have a Vanguard that is sup par$. P.S. - Love the comment on anti hunting !!!
Ron Spomer name has always been synonymous with the outdoors. Recently discovered Ron Spomer's excellent RU-vid videos. Very informative. Well spoken. Better than Netflix !
i shoot a lot of surf photos and video using a scope(digiscoping). Because it involves moving targets/action ,it is critical to use a straight scope , mounted to a good tripod, so that you can track the surfer on the smart phone screen as he moves along the wave . They make a variety of good adaptors that securely attach the smart phone to the end of the scope. You will be amazed at the quality of the photos using this system . The cameras that are being incorporated into the current crop of smart phones are really high quality. I use a 12x 55mm monoscope when shooting distances of 80 yards or less and a 20-60 60mm spotting scope to shoot from greater distances.
Ron, This is an excellent treatment on spotting scopes. And, this is from a scientist who knows his optics. You are right. The killer to sharp images is color fringing. That is why low dispersion glass is vital. Next, the larger the objective lens, the sharper the image should be, if the optics is high quality. A higher magnification on a small diameter objective will just magnify a fuzzy image. A larger objective helps with the exit pupil as well. You should think about a video on just the tripod itself. And a treatment of steadying a scope without a tripod (more than you did here). Here, a sturdy sock with polypropylene pellets (find at a fabric store) as a bean bag is useful. That can also be used to steady the rifle too. Most good tripods can change out the head. Consider a ball joint head; very fast to set up. Also, people may consider buying more than one spotting scope, to fit their needs. Say, one for the range, and one for the backpack. Again, excellent work. I like your dog.
If anybody is looking at that Celestron Hummingbird be careful, there are 2 versions of it Micro and ED. ED is more expensive but remember first point from this video about ED glass.
I hear you Ron! The last time I made a mistake was when I thought I’d made one! But that darned cape keeps giving me away as it flaps in the breezes in the field.
What I found useful is to buy a cell phone camera adapter mount that clamp on to the eye piece. There are plenty of them on amazon. I use a dedicated cellphone attached to the mount ant the scope. The pros are: - The phone will focus automatically, so there is some tolerance on non-accurate focus. - Adapt to environment, esp for dawn and low light situation. - You can zoom further on your phone to get 100x+ power. - Good for me since I have frame glass. No need to hunt for the pupil. - Wide viewing angle. Can share the view with others. - If you want, you can take pictures or videos. I use it for my target spotting. Cons: - Tricky to setup. Lots of moving parts if you get a universal mount. That is why I used a dedicated phone. Set and not taking off. - Need a battery pack if you want to spot for extended amount of time. - light from the phone screen might not be good for hunting or night situation.
The Viper HD 10x42 bins at £475 are at the fringe of the mid way before you jump into the £1000 range. The glassware is great, and the super sharp image is like viewing your object in 3D. It cuts it out!
Despite the lame jokes--this was the best, most useful video I've found to date. Thank you for the information that other videos, particularly those put out by optic manufacturers, never bothered to include.
Very well thought out and presented. Did not know abt changing the eye piece. Like your straight forward, lots of detail, style. Very easy and enjoyable to watch. Thanks.
Great video! I sell high end optics for a living, so I’m very invested in this world. I know you touched on it at the end, but it can’t be stressed enough how important quality is. A Swaro ATX 65 will mop the floor with most 80-100mm scopes out there. I use car analogies a lot. Just because two engines have the same displacement, doesn’t mean they perform the same. On that same note, a high displacement engine from forty years ago doesn’t have the efficiency of an engine with a quarter of its displacement made today. You get a lot more “Horsepower/cubic inch”. As much as I love old American Muscle Cars...the fact remains that an AWD Subaru made today will outperform almost any vintage car in almost every way...save for aesthetic (which itself is subjective). What’s not subjective is the fact that higher quality and enhanced technology will get more of it’s available horsepower to the ground, i.e. light to the eye. Thanks for the excellent video on a subject near and dear!
Sir..that was some great must know very useful info on SS when buying one..especially if someone like me who will buy this once in lifetime and can't invest again or upgrade..by the way u have great way of explaining things..and those u have recommended are really desirable !
RE: protect the objective with a polarizing filter I would also recommend, if your scope comes with a filter thread on the objective, to buy a 'polarizing filter'. This filter protects the way more expensive objective lens and improves the viewing. On my Leica Televid 82 it means that the sun cap can't be extended anymore ... but I don't miss it at all and am way more confident viewing in all weather conditions and in vegetation ... nothing will be able to damage the primary lens. Also great for viewing stuff under water since it removes glare. The image is like watching through a polaroid sunglasses but less severe. It has no disadvantages in my experience.
Thanks for the tip, Tim. The disadvantage with a polarizing filter is 1 to 2 stops of light lost. Another option for protecting the scope's objective lens that does not reduce light "throughput" is a simple UV Haze filter. As suggested, it reduces Ultraviolet haze in the atmosphere to increase color saturation.
Thank you for your video. Love ur corny humor.....buying a used spotting scope to go look at the cranes in Nebraska.....you've brought up several really good points that I didn't think of......
HD is High Dispersion glass, and ED is Extra Dispersion glass. Fluorite optics are even more expensive than HD or ED. Another issue is purging and gas charging -- typically Argon -- which prevents any fogging of the internal surfaces. For rugged use like banging around on the rocks, the seals can be compromised and the gas charge lost. Be sure to get padded protection to protect the scopes!
Actors look like the know what they're doing, though most don't. Maybe don't judge a book by it's cover.... In this instance, Ron provided an excellent tutorial.
A problem I've encountered with spotting scopes is the (generally) very short eye relief. To use most scopes, I have to remove my headphones and eyeglasses, then get close enough to the eyepiece that I often touch it and move the scope.....effectively eliminating any convenience or functionality. Why can't the eye relief be inches, as in rifle scopes, rather than just a few millimeters?
Good video. Thanks Ron. Biggest issues with prismatic telescopes, going back to 1854 when Ignazio Porro started making and selling his telescopes in Paris, are: Short eye relief and a small eye box. Ilya Koshkin, aka Dark Lord of Optics, recently advised that spotting telescopes with mirrors instead of prisms have longer eye relief and larger eye boxes. The potential problem for most of us is that he was looking through a Hensoldt optic and I have yet to find any useful reviews of the cheaper products offered by Bushnell, etc. NB If you are going to buy one of those modular spotting telescopes, check that the manufacturer coats the internal sidewalls with a special charged coating to attract any dust that gets inside the optic (in order to keep it off the optical elements). Companies like Schmidt and Bender introduced such coatings on their sighting telescopes because dust specks can easily get caught on glass reticles (which is one reason why wire reticles are still popular on second focal plane scopes).
I was looking for a spotter; I already owned Vortex Razor 22-28x65mm. It did okay the first 1.5 years of ownership but with aging eyes (69). I needed something with better glass, so was TRACT Optics spotter 27-55x80mm. I already own a TRACT Toric rifle scope 4-20x50mm30mmtube. I knew about the quality of Tract optics having the company's rifle scope.
Did a great deal of research before I purchased my spotting scope. Something I wish to share with the spotting scope community. I was getting clear images at 20x magnification, but when I began to zoom in to 30x, 40x, 50x, the image was unclear. I found many who blamed this on the glass quality in the type of scope that I purchased (Leopold, 85mm, $1,000). It was yesterday that I figured out what the problem was. I tried focusing the 60x magnification with my 2.5x reading glasses (they make my smart phone screen sharp and clear for me). This was the problem. I was correcting the focus for my eyes (not 20-20) and this threw out the focus on my spotting scope. I wonder how many spotting scope users have blamed this issue on poor quality glass. I wish the spotting scope reviews would have mentioned this.
This was great! You discussed exit pupil size, but not eye relief. At least not that I remember. Generally the longer the eye relief the better, right? What determines the eye relief distance? EDIT: still not sure what determines the eye relief length, but I did learn that its the length from the eyepiece that your eye will get the most complete view, and that if you wear glasses you need a longer eye relief than if you don't.
First, Ron did an excellent job explaining the key components and what to look for. I do think Ron needs 10 Things to Consider, though. The most important consideration isn't the scope itself, it's the intended use. Spending $3500 on a Swarovski 20-60 x 80 is likely not your best choice if you're thru hiking or backpack hunting for days/miles, for most people. A small, lightweight scope may not be the best choice for someone who only cares about long range target shooting. IMHO, your primary application is the 1st Consideration. Everything else....follows. Seems obvious, but unfortunately, I've seen way too many buy the wrong scope because they skip this step. Once you've thought about your intended use, then research with the knowledge Ron has clearly provided.
