When it comes to bird watching and hunting, a pair of nothing quite compares to using a spotting scope. The top options can give you an unbeatable experience with better image quality and powerful zoom. There are many reasons why bird watchers and hunters love to use spotting scopes and they are certainly worth giving a try if you are looking to take your hunting and birding to the next level. Here are the top 5 benefits of using a spotting scope.
Superior Magnification
One of the main benefits of using a spotting scope is that you can see things much further away than with regular binoculars. A spotting scope can offer up to 100 times magnification compared to binoculars that generally offer 8-10 times magnification. This means that a spotting scope really is 10x better than binoculars when it comes to long distances.
With hunting and bird watching especially, you’ll certainly need the extra magnification to spot the rarest sights. Having a spotting scope also allows you to see more from your own home in case you don’t want to trek to a new spot to enjoy your favorite hobby. This is ideal for any bird watching or hunting enthusiasts who aren’t able to get out of the house at the moment as it allows you to continue with your hobby from home.
Stability
Of course, with higher magnification, you also need improved stability. With hefty lenses, most spotting scopes require a tripod. This might not seem like a benefit when it comes to moving around with your equipment but it definitely makes image quality much better. In addition, if you are using a spotting scope for hunting, you will probably need your hands free which is why using a tripod is super handy.
Stability is vital for bird watching and hunting as you can easily lose your target if the image is blurred by shaking. It also makes it much easier to follow a flying bird as it moves through the sky, even at high magnification. What’s more, a tripod makes using a spotting scope a lot more child-friendly as they don’t have to lift a heavy device to see. Using a spotting scope is a great way to get kids into bird watching and enjoy a fun family activity.
Having a tripod also means that you can have much larger lenses as you won’t have to take on the weight yourself. Larger lenses mean greater light gathering capacity and a sharper image even in low lighting conditions which makes a spotting scope a much better option for dusk and dawn or even night time bird watching and hunting.
Larger Objective Lenses
As well as being great for low lighting, having a larger objective lens means room for higher quality ED or HD glass which in turn improves image quality. The size of objective lenses in spotting scopes is usually between 50 and 100mm and the greater the lens the more expensive your spotting scope will be.
Not only are you able to zoom in on animals and birds with the impressive magnification of spotting scopes, but you also have a greater field of view thanks to the larger objective lenses. This means that you can easily observe your entire space and spot things that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to with the narrow field of view provided by binoculars.
With improved image quality, you will also be able to easily identify bird and animal species even using the smallest details. Of course, if you are an avid bird watcher, this is ideal because you’ll want to be able to spot and identify rarer species.
Telephotography
Spotting a rare species of bird or animal is great but sometimes you might wish you were using a camera so that you could capture an image of them. Well, another benefit of using a spotting scope is that you can attach a camera or camera phone to it allowing you to capture those special moments.
Spotting scopes are perfect for telephotography because they have quick and easy focus mechanisms that keep your image clear and crisp so that you can capture the perfect photo. If you are also an avid photographer, telephotography allows you to combine your love for photography and bird watching without having to switch between different devices.
Weatherproof
These hefty pieces of equipment can be a big investment and the last thing you want is rain and dust destroying your new spotting scope. Luckily, a lot of them are built to withstand the elements. Many have protective outer coatings and lens caps that prevent any damage. What’s more, seeing as you will often be using a tripod, you are much less likely to drop and break a spotting scope than a pair of binoculars.
If you are looking for some serious equipment, it is definitely worth putting in the extra investment to get something that is durable and weatherproof. High-quality spotting scopes also have more durable glass so even if you do drop them, you aren’t likely to do any detrimental damage to the lenses.
Conclusion
If you are still on the fence about getting a spotting scope, there are plenty of beginner options you can try to get you going. Personally, I think that a decent spotting scope is well worth the investment for birding and hunting just because of the superior image quality and they are also super easy to use.
Whether you are a professional bird watcher or hunter or just love to get out in the great outdoors in your spare time, a spotting scope is a great piece of equipment for all kinds of outdoorsmen.
