The 10 Best Spotting Scopes

A spotting scope is, simply put, a small and very portable telescope. It’s primarily used for land observation, unlike regular telescopes, which are commonly used for astronomical observation. However, in a pinch, you could theoretically use a spotting scope for limited astronomical observation. Spotting scopes are commonly used for outdoor activities such as hunting, bird watching, scenic observation, or nature study and telephotography.

Spotting scopes are somewhat of a middle ground between telescopes and binoculars, offering some of the versatility of a good pair of binoculars with the magnification closer to that of a telescope. This is a fairly big advantage when you’re out in the field. You get a lot of practicality with a spotting scope – something you can’t achieve with binoculars and telescopes. You will also find that a telescope commonly has a shorter focal length, and wider field of view. This, combined with the erecting prism which is there to ensure correct orientation, are all features that aren’t really necessary with a spotting scope.

When you’re looking at buying a spotting scope, there are quite a few options. For someone who’s well versed in what they need, this isn’t that much of an issue. However, for someone who is buying their first scope, or who wants to gift it to someone, maybe, picking out the best spotting scope can be a difficult ordeal. There are various types, magnification levels, and lens diameters, and all of this, combined with the various price ranges at which they come, can be confusing.

Therefore, we have assembled a list of ten spotting scopes that excel when compared to their closest competitors. And that’s not all. In case you go through our list, but find you still can’t decide which one to get, we’ve also created an in-depth buyer’s guide. That explains all the things that you need to be careful about, and what aspects of spotting scopes are worth investing in.

Bak4 vs Bk7

When it comes to the way spotting scopes work and the design, many may follow similar construction to binoculars and use either Porro or roof prism technology. Spotting scopes however also sometimes use a catadioptric system or relay lenses. Most of the consumer models feature prism technology, with roof prism being a very popular choice. You may notice terminologies like Bak4 or Bk7, these are two different qualities of the prism that are regularly used in spotting scopes. The Bak4 offers superior clarity and contrast to the Bk7, though the latter is still viable for entry-level users.

The large objective lens size found in spotting scopes is beneficial in that it allows for more light to enter into the device when compared with smaller objective lens sizes found in binoculars.

If the scope has a variable magnification range, you will note a dial located typically near the eyepiece which will allow you to make adjustments to the magnification level to best suit your required use of the scope.

Weatherproofing is highly recommended for spotting scopes, as unlike binoculars which can quickly be stored inside of your waterproof backpack, if you’re caught out in the field and the weather changes it’s going to be very difficult to store your scope in a way that prevents it from getting wet. Thankfully, waterproofing is something that is almost mandatory for most middle-of-the-market scopes and even some of the more entry-level choices.

Finally, while it may not sound like much of a big deal, a lens coating can really make a scope’s optical clarity pop. Many manufacturers have their own patented coatings which they use on their optics.

The buyer’s guide

As we mentioned at the beginning, choosing a spotting scope can be a confusing task. There is a huge amount of options, all of which offer some kind of an edge over the competition. There are also a lot of spotting scopes brands, all of which have various qualities. But, as with most products you’d buy nowadays, there are things that you should know, that would make the buying decision a bit easier. Let’s check out some of the differentiating things that make the best spotting scope better than the worst, and see which ones you should be careful about.

What kind of spotting scope do you get, in terms of design or type?

Even though there are also Newtonian and catadioptric designs, the most common spotting scope design you’ll find is the prismatic refractor. If you’ve ever looked at binoculars, this might sound familiar. That’s because it is – it is basically the same design. You get one image the right side up, and one that is correct left to right. There is basically no reason not to use this kind of design – it works really well, and it is rugged enough to withstand field use. This is why catadioptric designs aren’t used that often – they’re fairly expensive to make, and aren’t nearly as rugged as a refractive scope. Therefore, we’ll only be discussing refractive spotting scopes, and those are the ones that you should get.

Furthermore, there are two designs as far as refractive scopes go. You have the straight, and angled (at 45 degrees) design. Both of them have their respective advantages and disadvantages, so let’s take a look. Kicking things off with the straight design, using one lets you easily locate a subject, just by aligning the eye along the scope’s body. This also makes it much easier to look at something from a concealed position, such as behind a fence, or out of a car.

A straight spotting scope will also cause less strain on your neck, and the eyepiece has a smaller chance of collecting rain and dust. It is also much easier for aiming, especially for novice users which don’t have a lot of experience with spotting scopes. However, there are downsides as well. If you’re a group and you’re all using the same scope, you will need to set the eye-level to the one of the group’s shortest person. This is where an angled scope has an advantage, for example.

An angled scope will let you share the scope within a group, without having to readjust it all the time if you mount it on a tripod. Sure, this does take a little getting used to, and might be a bit awkward if you have a shoulder stock or camera attached. However, this design makes bird watching much easier if the birds are in the air, as you can see things from a much more relaxed, sitting position. If you think you will commonly use your spotting scope in a group, it’s recommended that you get an angled one. If, however, you’re getting one just for yourself, you should be good with a straight scope.

What about the magnification and eyepieces?

When discussing spotting scopes, the magnification can usually go from 15x to 250x. This number tells you how many times larger, or closer, will the image be, compared to looking at it with the naked eye. Unlike binoculars, which have their optics and lenses dictate the magnification factor, the power of magnification with spotting scopes is determined by the eyepiece. This is a good design choice, especially when you consider that some eyepieces can be removed, and you can even find zoom eyepieces. A removable eyepiece gives you a lot of versatility, as you can easily interchange it, for maximum efficiency. Some common eyepieces with fixed magnification are 20x, 25x or 30x. If, however, you opt for a zoom eyepiece, you get variable magnification, such as 18-36x. All you need to do is choose how much magnification you want, and voila, you’re set.

Nowadays, as lens technology progresses, zoom spotting scopes are what’s commonly preferred for general use. You can use low magnification to locate an object, and then zoom in to the desired magnification. This is why you will find that some models have a peep hole that lets you easily find the intended image before even looking through the scope. The other way to do this is use an interchangeable eyepiece, as many people tend to prefer the optical clarity and simplicity of a fixed magnification eyepiece. There’s also the issue with some budget-oriented zoom lenses where the image becomes too dark when you reach magnification levels of 60x and higher.

This has been somewhat solved with higher end, and some budget models, but it still exists on some spotting scopes. The simple solution would be to get a fixed zoom spotting scope if you’re going to be looking at the same spot for longer periods. And, a wide angle fixed eyepiece is also a great choice due to the wide field of view. If you’re going to be looking at objects that move quickly and can’t be tracked, you’re going to appreciate this.

And last but not least, you should always consider eye relief. Eye relief is the distance between the lens, and the point at which the pupil is in order to get the full field of view. This commonly varies between eyepieces, but if you wear glasses it’s a consideration that you must make. The eye relief should be within the right distance if you want to see the full, uncropped image.

Lens diameter and glass options

That large lens at the front is what’s known as the objective lens. The diameter of this objective lens is known as the “aperture” of the scope. This is commonly found written in millimeters when you’re looking at a spotting scope and its specs. The general rule of thumb is that a large lens will let more light inside, and in turn provide a brighter image. However, the consequence is that the larger the aperture, the heavier and larger the lens is as well. The number is commonly somewhere between 50 and 80mm. When you’re deciding which size to go for, there’s one thing to keep in mind.

A bigger aperture is always better, but don’t get a spotting scope that’s heavier and bigger than what you’re willing to carry. Sure, a large lens will give you a superior image compared to a smaller one, if everything else is identical, but that won’t do you much good if you can’t take it with you.

The glass used in the objective lens is what will usually define the colors, contrast and sharpness when you’re looking through it. There are three common types of glass, ED, which stands for extra-low dispersion, HD, or high density, and FL, or fluorite. These are all types of glass that will let the scope focus all the light at the same point, or very near it. The glasses will reduce the strain on your eye, which is always helpful, and can increase the amount of detail you can see through the spotting scope.

Now, the downside is that lenses that are made of these types of glass tend to be quite a bit more expensive than regular ones. The general opinion, however, is that if you’re using a scope that has 30x magnification, or less, you won’t notice that much of a benefit from getting FL, HD or ED glass. However, if you’re getting a high magnification scope, or if you’ll be using your spotting scope for photography, it’s highly recommended to get a scope with an improved glass.

Lens coating and focusing options

When discussing coating, we’re talking about the chemicals that are applied on a lens’ surface. These chemicals are used to reduce glare and maximize light. There are a couple of options available, and which one you have on your scope generally depends on how much you paid for it. A coated lens means that you have a single layer on at least one surface. A fully-coated lens, on the other hand, has a single layer, but on all air-glass surfaces. Multi-coated has multiple layers on at least one surface, and fully multi-coated lenses have multiple layers on all air-glass surfaces. As we mentioned, the more layers that are applied to the scope, the more expensive it is, but it also warrants a better image. For example, a high-end scope will almost always be multi-coated.

Last but not least, we have focusing. On refractive scopes, there are generally thee types of focusing methods. There’s a single knob mechanism, a double knob mechanism, or a helical system. The most common one you’ll find on spotting scopes is the single knob, where you have a knob on either the top, or the side of the scope, near the eyepiece. Now, focusing is usually slow, but a tad more precise than the other mechanisms.

A double knob mechanism has two knobs connected on the same mechanism, and they both have different drive ratios. This is what you’ll find on Leica scopes. The fast knob lets you get close to optimum focus, quickly, and the slow one is used for fine tuning once you’re almost there. And last but not least, you have helical focus, commonly found on Canon and Swarovski models. Here, you have a collar around the scope’s body, which lets you quickly change the focus. What should be said is that there’s no “best” focusing method – it all comes down to personal preference, and the brand you’re getting.

Will you be using your spotting scope for photography?

You will commonly find spotting scopes being used instead of a telephoto lens. Most of them can be either attached to an SLR camera, or connected to a digital camera. When you’re using a camera, the common way to go is to remove the eyepiece, and replace it with an adapter. That adapter is specific to the spotting scope manufacturer, and contains a lens that is designed for photography. Then, you’ll need a T-Ring adapter, which is specific to the manufacturer of the camera, and lets you attach the camera to the spotting scope adapter.

Commonly, this way you’d be effectively getting an 800mm lens with an aperture of f/11. For best results, you will need a heavy duty, sturdy tripod, and it’s also recommended that you have a high quality scope. Keep in mind, though, that you won’t be able to use auto focus, because the scope doesn’t have an auto-focus lens. However, with most digital cameras nowadays, manually focusing while looking through the display is fairly easy. Using a spotting scope for photography is actually the budget way of getting the equivalent of an 800mm camera lens. These lenses tend to be very expensive.

Wrapping things up

When you take everything into consideration, a spotting scope is a great thing to have if you’re an outdoor person, or if you’re looking for a cheaper way to get a telephoto lens for photography. Or both. There are a lot of options, though, and some of them can be better than others, but the general way to go is to check out a few options and see which one suits your needs and requirements best. For example, you don’t have to get a high magnification scope with a zoom eyepiece if you’re going to need a wider field of view, do you? We hope to have answered any questions you might have about spotting scopes, and we hope to have provided you with options that suit a variety of requirements. All you have to do now is choose one and order!