Spotting Scope

A portable telescope specifically designed and optimized for observing terrestrial objects during the day is called a spotting scope. The magnification power usually ranges between the orders of 20X to 60X. The objective lens varies in width between 55 mm and 80mm. This determines the light gathering power of a spotting scope. The larger the objective lens, the heavier and more expensive the scope. A scope is usually used in situations that need to be magnified beyond the range of a typical binocular.

The scope is manufactured in three different types. The 'Straight-through' spotting scope has the eyepiece situated along the same axis as the body of the scope. The 'Angled' type has the eyepiece at an angle of 45 degrees to the body of the scope. The third is rare and most complex shoulder mounted design of spotting scopes. The body of the scope is made out of shock-absorbing materials such as rubber for better durability in the wilderness.

A spotting scope is usually used for bird-watching at a magnification of 20X to 30X. This provides a better field of vision with better image quality. Spotting scopes are available from many renowned companies such as Questar, Swarovski, Leica and Zeiss. These form the expensive range of scopes without compromising on quality. Much cheaper scopes from Kowa, Nikon, Leupold and Pentax provide almost similar performance and quality.