A spotting scope is similar to a telescope, but instead of being designed specifically for star-gazing, a spotting scope is designed mostly for use on land. While telescopes generally display inverted images, a spotting scope gives users a true image. Spotting scopes are small and much more portable than telescopes, making them easy to use for viewing anywhere. Even though they may be designed for land use, these scopes are also good for basic moon and star observation. more »

Spotting scopes can find birds that are two to three hundred yards away. Learn how to use a spotting scope as a bird watcher in this free bird watching video about how to begin to bird watch. more »

When buying a spotting scope for bird watching, look closely at the zoom factors on the eyepiece. Learn how to pick a spotting scope in this free bird watching video about how to begin to bird watch. more »

A good hunting spotting scope is the one which is used in conjunction with a pair of binoculars and it has very good zoom eyepiece along with the fully multicoated lenses. more »

The Sky-Watcher SKMAK102SP Maksutov-Cassegrain Spotting Scope is a portable and powerful telescope. Know that it has a focal length of 1300mm for getting a sharper image of the object you view. Assembling this spotting scope can be broadly divided into three steps: attaching the tube to the mount, attaching the red dot finder and inserting the eyepiece. Here is how you can do it: more »

The Sky-Watcher SKMAK90SP Maksutov-Cassegrain Spotting Scope is a powerful device with a focal length of 1250mm. Assembling this spotting scope is considered easy. The entire assembling procedure can be broadly divided into three steps: attaching the tube to the mount, attaching the red dot finder and inserting the eyepiece. Here is how you can do it: more »

Spotting scopes are most often used by target shooters in tournaments. They set up the scope next to their rifle and aim it at the target area. Most marksmen shoot several shots at a target and then check to see how they did. The spotting scope's greater optical powers allows the shooter to view the target easier than with the rifle scope. Since the scope is stationary, it is better than using binoculars. Hunters will sometimes use spotting scopes as well to view larger areas when scouting an animal. more »

A spotting scope offers higher magnification than binoculars and a wider range of vision. Spotting scopes can also provide better vision when the light conditions are dim. That's because the spotting scope offers larger objective lenses, allowing more light to enter than the objective lenses of binoculars. While telescopes might offer increased magnification, they are used mostly for astronomy, and the images seen through telescopes are inverted, or upside down. more »

Spotting scopes are essentially compact amateur astronomy telescopes that have been optimized for use during the day, portability, and looking at ground objects. Because of these considerations, they are usually refracting telescopes. Refractors use lenses to concentrate light and achieve magnification, and spotting scopes are based on the venerable Galilean model. This uses a convex objective lens, and the bigger the objective lens, the greater the basic magnification power. The Keplerian model is not used for spotting scopes because it turns the image upside down. more »