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Best Spotting Scope

Published Apr 27th, 2020 4:33PM EDT

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Setting up and getting ready to view can take a lot of time and precision. You have to find the right area, the correct distance, and the proper height. But once you do find it, you’ll be able to look at some beautiful birds. Rather than bringing binoculars with you, which can be difficult to focus quickly, you can reach for a spotting scope. A spotting scope is a mixture between binoculars and a telescope, as it is smaller than a telescope but bigger than binoculars. It has just one single lens, so you can use it for target practice, hunting, shooting, watching wildlife, stargazing, and many other duties outdoors. Plus, it’s a lot less bulky than carrying around a telescope. You can set up shots for photography and use it during a camping trip. Spotting scopes are easy to transport and provide plenty of uses. We’ve hand selected five of our favorites for you below to give you more ideas of great ways to use spotting scopes. Here are our picks for ones on the market.

Best Spotting Scope for Light Transmission

Compact and precise, the Roxant Authentic Blackbird High Definition Spotting Scope fits the bill. This features a zoom aspect that coincides with the high definition, military grade optics. This can be used with glasses or without glasses and there’s extendable sunshade built onto the main barrel to reduce glare. This comes with a foldable, handled tripod as well as a carrying case and a lens cap to protect your investment. Made from a weatherproof rubber armor construction, it has a large smooth glide with a texture focus ring on the main barrel. It has a 45° angled eyepiece that allows you to view comfortably. The fully multi-coated all glass lens guarantees superior light transmission and brightness for optimized crystal clear viewing. This is perfect to be used in nature and comes with a lifetime replacement guarantee.

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Best Fogproof Spotting Scope

The last thing you want to have happen is not being able to see if you’re setting up for a hunt. Using the Emarth Waterproof Angled Spotting Scope will help you avoid that scenario. The waterproof scope provides exceptional performance and they are sealed with O-rings to prevent moisture, dust, and debris. The fogproof barrel is filled with nitrogen gas to inhibit internal fogging to protect from all weather conditions. It’s adjustable between 20x and 60x magnification and the ergonomic design allows for more comfortable viewing. For long range viewing, a dual focus wheel system enables fast fine tuning. There is a built-in, retractable sunshade that reduces glare and it comes with a tripod that allows you to rotate it into a sideways position.

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Best Spotting Scope for Digiscoping

Ideal for photography, the Gosky 20-60x 80 Porro Prism Spotting Scope works wherever you need it. This has fully multi-coated 80mm green film objective lens that is designed for bird watching and scenery. It makes your view clearer, brighter and crisper. This has a variable zoom between 20x and 60x and it has durable magnalium framework and rubber armor. This comes with a digiscoping adapter for digiscoping. It also includes a carrying case, eyepiece and lens protective covers, cleaning cloth and handy straps.

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Best Phone Mounting Kit

Featuring a movable eyepiece, the Huicocy Spotting Scope is an easy device to use. This has a 60mm objective lens to ensure the light-gathering power and resolution. This has a fogproof design that can be used in rainy and foggy weather. This comes with a free tabletop tripod and a phone mounting kit with a standard tripod screw base. The field of view is 39-19m/1000m and there is an extendable sunshade built onto the main barrel. Made from rubber armor construction, this can be used with glasses or without glasses.

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Best Zoom Capabilities

Easy to carry with you wherever you need to, the Celestron 52238 C70 Mini Mak Spotting Scope is a great choice. This includes a tabletop tripod with built-in slow motion controls and the built-in zoom eyepiece is capable of 25x to 75x magnification. It has a soft carrying case that brings portability and versatility to a new level. This has multi-coated optics and can be used for terrestrial and astronomical use. This is recognized for its compact size.

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Chris Hachey Commerce Editor

Chris Hachey is Senior Commerce Editor for BGR. With over a decade of editing and journalism experience, plus thousands of hours of product testing and research, he has helped millions of consumers find the best products and deals to fit their lifestyles.

When he's not searching for top deals, he's likely watching his favorite sports teams or walking around his hometown with his wife and his dog.