7 Best Spotting Scopes For Bird Watching (Apr 2020 Review)

Spotting Scope Buyer’s Guide

A spotting scope is a telescope designed for viewing objects on earth rather than space. They are more powerful than binoculars, and if you’re an avid birder that wants to spend some time focusing on wader birds across the lake, or high-flying cliff top birds, they bridge the range gap.

What’s the point of a spotting scope you ask? Well, perhaps you’ve used binoculars and found you need more magnification? That’s where a scope comes in.

Scopes are for distant bird watching and really help you to identify birds and observe their natural movements. Say you’ve located a nest and want to take a good look – a scope can give you all the view you need without disturbing your feathery friend.

Lots of people ask if you need a tripod with a scope. I say, yes you do. To get all the benefits a scope offers it needs to sit on a tripod.

When you discover arm-free spotting you’ll be hooked. The steady, clear image achieved without arm-ache makes the hobby all the more enjoyable. Not to mention you can pour your thermos without taking your eye off the prize.

Price Vs Performance

Generally speaking, the more you spend on a scope the better the view.

That’s because the technology that creates a clear picture is expensive – HD glass for instance and fluid focusing ability all mount up, however, there are definite bargains to be had and just because something is expensive it doesn’t mean it can outperform a cheaper scope.

I wouldn’t recommend spending below $100 if you can help it. Keep your cash and save up for the fully multi-coated lens and high-quality glass.

When you’re setting a budget don’t forget to incorporate the cost of a tripod. These aren’t expensive items but it all adds up.

How To Set Up A Scope And Use It Properly

Once you’ve chosen your scope it’s time to set it up. Exciting times!

First, extend the tripod legs and place them on a flat, sturdy surface. Uneven surfaces are asking for trouble as the scope is in danger of smashing, and you’ll develop eye strain or motion sickness from the almost imperceptible wobbles.

Next, attach the tripod plate to the spotting scope. This is the gizmo that joins the two pieces of equipment together.

Clip the scope into place. Listen for the click and give it a gentle wobble to make sure its firmly in place.

Remove the lens cap and eyepiece covers – sounds simple but it’s easy to forget.

Even after years of birdwatching, I forget on a regular basis. In the early days I’d have a good rant and utter a few choice words, but now I just shake my head at my advancing years.

Put your eye to the viewer.

Start at the lowest magnification and scan the horizon or a distant tree near to where you suspect the birds are. Roll the magnification knob until the image is clear.

That’s your practice set up. When you spot a bird increase magnification and focus. Once your target is firmly focused tighten the tripod head so it doesn’t swing around.

Where switches and locks are will vary depending on your scope and tripod, so it’s best to find these areas at home in the warm and dry before you venture outside.

Fair warning – it can be annoying and frustrating to begin with especially focusing.

There is nothing wrong with you or the scope! Practice patience and little movements. You will get there.

What The Numbers Mean

Numbers on a scope refer to two measurements. These are the magnification range and the objective lens size.

• Magnification

Scopes vary between 15x and 250x magnification. This number shows you how many times closer your bird will appear.

For example 15 x 60 is a 15 power magnification scope, meaning birds will appear 15 times their size.

If you’re looking at a zoom scope the numbers may say something like 15-25 x 60. This means the zoom ranges between 15 and 25 magnification.

• Objective lens

Let’s take the above example again. 15-25 x 60. The 60 refers to the size of the objective lens, which is the front lens, in millimeters.

The bigger it is the more light gets through and the brighter an image becomes, but larger scopes are heavier and more cumbersome.

If you’re regularly birding in low light levels, you’ll need a big objective lens to gather as much light as possible – maybe even 100x. Daylight birders will do well with 50-80x.

It’s a trade-off between what you’re willing to carry and how badly you want close up views.

Lens Diameter

Lens diameter refers to the objective lens which we’ve looked at above. It’s often referred to as the aperture as well.

Types Of Earpieces

Fixed versus zoom That is the question!

Some scopes have one eyepiece that’s attached and doesn’t swap out. They are simple to use and cause you very little hassle.

Other scopes have interchangeable eyepieces of fixed magnification. Instead of zooming in and out you change the eyepieces. They are annoying in cold weather when your hands are frozen stiff, but they do give a steady view.

Zoom eyepieces are more expensive but they are better for birding, I’m not going to lie.

Most birders have the zoom function now. You start on the lowest number to locate your target and then zoom in slowly to the highest magnification

Bullseye!

In the past, zoom lenses had a bad reputation because they didn’t let in much light and images appeared dark. Cheap zoom lenses still have this issue, but good quality zooms have overcome the problem. Buy good quality and you’re safe.

Not to confuse you, but there are wide-angled eyepieces too. These give you a broader range of view, and if your bird is a fast-mover, it means you stand a better chance of spotting them.

Glass Quality

I can’t overemphasise the importance of good quality glass. It makes a massive difference to what you’re able to spot.

This is because even though it’s see-through, glass blocks light, and cheap, blurry glass blocks lots of light.

It’s a problem because clear images rely on lots of good light. Without it your image is dark, and frankly, bird-spotting is pointless when the images are dull.

Lens coatings make the difference.

Coatings transmit more light through glass prisms and lens which means your bird appear brighter and clearer.

Always look for a scope with coated lens, preferably multi-coated lenses which are more expensive, but are the best for light transmission.

Cheap poor-quality lens can also create what’s known as chromatic aberrations. This means light passes through at different wavelengths and creates an unfocused, dark image. You may see a ring of color around your bird if this is happening.

ED glass, that’s ‘extra low dispersion’ forces all the colors to focus and create a uniform clear image. Just to confuse matters again, ED glass is also known as HD for high density, FL for fluorite, and APO for apochromatic

But all this lens technology adds to the bill.

If you’re looking to spend a set amount, go for better quality glass over higher magnification.

A slightly smaller crisp image is so much more satisfying than a close-up blurry image with a rainbow fringe.

Straight Vs Angles Scopes

Straight Versus Angled Scopes

We’ve talked about straight versus angled barrels in the binoculars review, and it’s much the same with scopes.

You can choose between a straight viewing scope where the barrel and eyepiece are aligned, or an angled scope that offsets the light path with a prism by up to 90 degrees.

It makes very little difference to the quality of your image.

Straight scopes are easier to use, but angled ones are more comfortable on your neck as you look down.

Focusing

The all-important focusing question!

You can’t go birding unless you can focus that scope, so practice and practice some more.

Before you buy, check focusing distances on the manufacturer’s blurb. Ideally, you should be able to focus down to 20 feet minimum.

Now for the specifics: There are three different types of focusing mechanism.

• Single-knob mechanism is the most common. It’s simple and slow but precise.

Purists prefer the single knob and say the other types are just gimmicks. You can make up your own mind and argue it out on an internet forum! Single knob focusing is one small barrel that turns to focus your image. Simple stuff.

• Double-knob mechanisms have two drive ratios. One is for quick focusing if you spot something that looks ready to fly, the other is a slow and precise focus knob that gives a better than real life view.
• A helical mechanism is a focusing ring generally used on top-quality $1000 scopes. Instead of a knob, you have a collar, a type of ring that you spin to focus.

There’s no best way to focus, it’s all down to preference.

Cases And Lens Caps

Important stuff that can get forgotten.

Lens caps are essential otherwise that fine expensive glass you’ve just purchased will get scratched, covered in crumbs, and filled with dust. Horror!

These things are not easily reparable.

Look for firmly attached lens caps that don’t fall off, and when you aren’t looking, cover them up. Spots of rain obscure the view, you rub it with a gritty glove, and that’s your lens destroyed.

Cases protect against damage as well as lens caps. Padded cases absorb bumps should the scope fall over in the boot of your car or slip from your hand.

Waterproof cases are a really great buy, especially if you’re spotting outside a shelter.

Top tip!

There’s no end of birders on eBay trying to buy replacement lens caps. They are far too easy to lose.

When you take one off put it in the same place each time –a trouser pocket is my go-to.

Weatherproofing

Rain, fog, and humidity all wreck scopes.

Look for a scope that’s nitrogen filled as this keeps the internal mechanisms dry and rust-free.

The outer casing of the scope must be weatherproofed or it won’t last long.

If you can get a scope with rubber coating, don’t hesitate. Rubber coatings not only keep out wetness they offer some protection against slippery cold hands letting go of the precious scope. Or worse, someone else dropping it.

Deep breathing techniques are another essential if you’re birding with others.

Tripods

We’ve spoken a little about tripods already, but tripods are an integral part of scoping out birds.

Scopes get heavy after an hour because they need to be held one hand in front of the other rather than side-by-side like binoculars.

Here’s why you need one.

1. Takes the weight off your arms
2. You often need both hands to focus
3. Larger lenses mean even more weight
4. You can have a drink from your thermos without missing a feather

They are essential pieces of birding equipment. Don’t cheap out.

The tripod should be raised high enough for your viewing comfort, so if you’re tall, look for an extra high tripod.

Feet should splay out wide enough to provide steady support and it needs non-slip feet.

A tripod doesn’t need to be heavy because scopes aren’t lead weights, it’s the extended viewing sessions that make them feel heavy, so choose something you can comfortably carry around.

Conclusion

So that’s scopes in a nutshell for you. I hope I’ve been of some help.

My golden rule is to choose the best quality coated glass you can afford. If this means dropping down on magnification, so be it.

Learning to use your scope will pay off. A $1000 scope is useless if you can’t focus it. Spending around $150 will get something decent, but spending the time to understand its capabilities is where the money’s at.

Happy spotting!