Top positive review
9 people found this helpful
Can do astronomy, too!
By Ozzoid on Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2021
Had a few amateur telescopes off and on in my life, and was curious how a spotting scope would go with my ancient Galaxy S7 and moon shots etc. Since I had a mid-sized (ball head) tripod already, I didn't use he supplied one - many reviews told me don't bother. Then I modified the supplied adapter - removed the suction pad and replaced it with a clamp-type holder. (This suction pad imho might drop your phone after a few minutes - not good). But as for the scope itself, I was very impressed. Distortion is hardly noticeable, even close to the edges, and chromatic aberration minimal. In short: fantastic value for money. After getting back pain from constantly bending down using the small tripod, I bought a Manfrotto 290 Light which was a game changer. Moon and Jupiter pictures taken with a Galaxy S7 on Pro mode - this means you need to fiddle with exposure and set distance to infinity, and I also use a low ISO (50-80). The (inferior) bird shot was taken with a Note S5 and the smaller tripod on automatic. Being in Australia also means the moon is upside down! The distance shot is the Frankston (Victoria, Australia) foreshore about 3.5kms (2 miles) away. Pros: - excellent glass and build - easy to focus (2 knobs) - minimal aberrations - quality of images far above average, almost hard to believe (but from 50x onwards things will get dimmer) Cons: - tripod only really useful for quick setup and basic playing around - avoid using the suction pad unless your phone is fully insured Considering the tripod cost me almost as much as the scope, I would do it again! Because with a stable tripod this scope will be such a lot of fun and will deliver rewarding results, no matter what you are 'shooting'... PS I would avoid a ball head tripod - a pan/tilt (fluid) head is much easier to adjust (especially if you are into star gazing).
Top critical review
7 people found this helpful
Good scope and accessories for its price point, but I found some issues
By K. Smith on Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2023
In terms of picture quality, this is one of the best scopes that I have seen in this price range. Once the focus is correct, the view is clear and displays accurate color. The magnification starts at 20x and goes to 60x, and the magnification ring is graduated in 20x increments. The objective lens is 80 mm in diameter, which captures a significant amount of light. I was really impressed with the quality of the accessories, which includes a scope cover, phone adapter, metal desktop tripod, and a Bluetooth photo clicker. At the higher magnifications, I noticed some chromatic aberration (purple fringing) for objects that are slightly out of focus. It's hard to completely eliminate it because there will almost always be some object that is in your field of view that is just a bit closer or further away than your target object. This scope works very well for long-distance target shooting where you are focusing on a fixed target of some type. The glass is clear, and you shouldn't have any problem viewing your shot placements unless you're shooting at really long distances. If you are planning to get a scope for nature photography, you may want to save up and get a scope with ED glass. I had to revise my rating because I found a defect on my scope. There is an approximate 1-inch razor-thin cut on the external plastic molding around the ocular eyepiece. It probably came that way, and I just now noticed it. This defect does not affect the functionality at all, but it shouldn't be there. I could send it back under warranty; however, I would be responsible for paying the shipping fee to send it back to the manufacturer. It's just not worth the hassle and cost for such a minor issue. The shipping fee for warranty work is another reason I lowered my rating to what it is.
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