Reviews of Spotting Scopes

The range of spotting scopes that are available for purchase nowadays is huge, and so is the range of prices. It can be quite difficult to navigate all the possible options and decide on the best possible one to buy.

If you just read the manufacturer specs and product descriptions, you might think that a $50 scope is just as good as a $3000 one. They all have “high quality optics” with all the coatings, phase corrections etc to produce “stunning quality images” and so on. A manufacturer will gladly tell you that you can zoom in all the way to 60x, but they won’t tell you that at that power, the tool becomes almost unusable due to blurring or so dim it’s almost like viewing at night.

So inevitably, you’ll have to rely on spotting scope reviews in order to be able to make a good buying decision. A great source of information are user reviews on sites such as Amazon. People who have bought the item (which you can see when they’re marked as a “verified buyer”) share all sorts of information about their spotter scopes in their reviews that you might not even consider. If a product tends to arrive with lens defects, somebody will mention it. And if the optics really are stunning and let you see tiny details at immense distances, that is also likely to come through.

Here, in this part of the website, we review a wide range of scopes from different manufacturers. We do in-depth research into all the models, and extract the most important information from the user feedback and compile it into simple and easy to understand buying advice. See below for the latest articles in this section to find the ones that interest you most.

• A Review of the Amazing Kowa TSN-880 Series Spotting Scopes
  Before spending a huge amount of money on new optics, read our review of the TSN-883 and TSN-884 spotting scopes from Kowa. How good are they? Are they worth the money? Are there alternatives?
• A Review of the Ventana Spotting Scope Series from Leupold [2018]
  How well does the Ventana series of spotting scopes from Leupold perform? Is it worth the money? In this review we have a good look at this mid-tier spotter from the world-renowned optics brand.
• Overview of the Leupold Gold Ring Spotting Scope Series
  We review one of the most spectacular series of spotting scopes out there - the Gold Ring by Leupold - in detail, including the numerous models available under the series. Read to find out more.
• In-depth Vortex Diamondback Spotting Scope Review as of 2018
  In this review we take a good look at the Vortex Diamondback series of spotting scopes - a true workhorse with its set of advantages and deficiencies. Read to gain more insight before buying.
• A Review of Kowa TSN-770 Series Spotting Scopes for 2018
  The Kowa TSN-770 series is one of the most versatile spotting scope series for birders, hunters and range shooters. We look at what makes these scopes so good and what the buyer should be aware of.
• Review of Kowa TSN-553 and TSN-554 Spotting Scopes
  If you're looking for a really mighty spotter scope that is also really small, then these are some serious contenders for your attentions. Read this review article to find out more.
• Leupold Mark 4 Spotting Scope Review for People Who Know What They're Doing, 2020
  A detailed review of the Mark 4 spotting scope line-up from Leupold. We look at the whole series, plus at the different variations they come in.
• Kowa TSN-501 and TSN-502 Review: Lots of Power in a Small Package
  If you're looking for a very portable yet high quality spotting scope, you may have stumbled upon the TSN-500 series from Kowa. In this article, we review the models in this series and figure out what you can and what you shouldn't expect from them.
• Kowa Spotting Scope Review: A Good Look at the Line-up
  Let's take a good look at the amazing range of spotting scopes that Kowa has to offer, to see which ones are great for shooting ranges, birding, hunting etc.
• Vortex Optics Viper HD Reviewed - How Good is This Spotting Scope?
  Vortex makes many great optics products. How good is the Viper HD spotter and what should you be aware of? Read this in-depth review to find out more.
• Review of Vortex Optics Razor HD Spotting Scope [2020]
  We look at the strengths and weaknesses of one of the Vortex Optics' best known spotting scope line-ups: the Razor HD.
• Vortex Spotting Scope Line-up Reviewed [2018]
  Are the different Vortex spotting scopes any good? They're certainly popular though. Read this article for a break-down of the different models Vortex Optics has on offer.
• Leupold Spotting Scope Reviews for the Smart Buyer, Updated 2018
  Detailed reviews of the Leupold spotting scope outline. Read before making a buying decision.
• Nikon Spotting Scope Review
  Our reviews of the Nikon spotting scope range will give all the information you need to decide which model is the best for you, or whether you should be looking for something else.
• Barska Spotting Scopes Reviewed in Detail for 2018
  Read our reviews of Barska's most popular spotting scopes - based on feedback from verified buyers. See what things to look for and what to watch out for.
• Swarovski ATX / STX / BTX Spotting Scope Review
  We review the unique ATX / STX / BTX spotting scope system by Swarovski Optik in detail, look at its pros and cons, and note things to be aware of. Read this article before buying.