If you're looking to buy a high-quality Spotting Scope, then this article will give you the basics you need to know. When looking for a spotting scope, the three important things you need to consider are the types of spotting scopes, magnification, and lens coating. In this article, we will discuss these things as well as the uses and benefits of spotting scopes and briefly outline the history of this very helpful viewing device.
A spotting scope is basically a small telescope that you carry around with you. The difference between a spotting scope and what we think of as a telescope is that a spotting scope is designed to observe things on Earth as opposed to in the heavens. Usually spotting scopes are used for birdwatching, but you'll also see them mounted by hunters on lightweight tripods. Spotting scopes tend to have a rugged design; they are rubber armored. Whether or not you are hunting, you can also mount your spotting scope a tripod. Spotting scopes have an easy to use knob for focus control that is ergonomically designed. Also, your average spotting scope has a variety of different eyepieces offering a plethora of magnifications. In addition, some spotting scopes come with a single eyepiece that has variable zoom to give multiple options in magnification.
The general, magnification for your spotting scope is in the range of 20x to 60x. The kind of lens you choose for the eyepiece will dictate the magnification overall. It is unusual to find a magnification that is below 20x (though those are less expensive and easier to carry) because if you want magnification that low, you can easily buy a pair of binoculars or monoculars to do the job. On the other hand, when you get to magnification above 60x, you run into the problem of dimness, too limited a viewing field, and too much shaking -- even if you mount your over 60x spotting scope on a tripod. If you are bird watching, you'll probably want a 20x to 30x magnification. Long-range hunting is useful with a spotting scope of up to 60x with variable powers.
In addition to magnification, it is important to think about the coating on your lens. Coating reduces glare caused by refraction and also reduces loss of light. This reduces eye strain by giving you an image with higher contrast that is also brighter. Magnesium fluoride is often used to coat spotting scopes in a microscopic film. The more coating you have, the better transmission of light you will receive. You may want to consider Extra Low Dispersion Glass (ED) as it sharpens the images, pretty much knocks out chromatic aberration, and provides color correction of exceptional quality. Or, maybe a High Definition glass would work better for you, as it eliminates chromatic zonal aberrations thus giving you the most accurate color if you are digiscoping (using for digital photography).
When you're choosing a spotting scope, it is important to take into account what you're looking at, the best magnification for your goals (including lens diameter), and the coating of the lens. With these things in mind you're ready to go out there and purchase the best spotting scope for your needs.
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