Best Microscopes
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I was able to snake this thing up there and see everything that I was doing with my hand, and also lay under the car in a comfortable position while I watched what I was doing on my phone. Most of us are carrying around super high quality video monitors in our pockets, so I decided to give this device a try. Also those more expensive units have the cable connected to the screen which is usually mounted to some kind of handle. I have a magnet attached to the back of my phone and it just stuck right up to the pan on the bottom of the transmission. As to durability, I have only had it a week or so and it's holding up so far, although I can envision some problems over time with repeated flexing of the cable. The view you get with it is just like with your phone camera, meaning if you rotate the scope clockwise, the image will also turn which can be disorienting. I got the camera in the right orientation and then bent a "W" shape in the cable a few feet back from the end of the scope. The app allows you to show a mirror image of what you are scoping and you can get rid of the icons on the screen so they don't interfere with what you are trying to look at with the camera. Pros: Price, image quality for live video, stills and captured video, long cable length, WiFi connectivity. Cons: Cheap WiFi box, barebones app, resolution not really changeable."
"I bought this inspection camera for my Dillon XL650 bullet press to be able to inspect brass bullet cartridges while reloading them."
"Really impressed with the Depstech Wifi Endiscope."
"This is tough thing to rate as I have no experience with other competitors but I believe it was a good value and I have used it a few times with mixed results. The tip would work easier if one of the screw on pieces was conical so it would move around obstructions instead of jamming. I found it difficult to get proper depth of field for most exploring projects but it was fine if you knew what you were looking for and about where it should be."
"I'm not dinging it for that thought because of the low price, if I need more battery life than that's probably an endoscope in a different price range."
"When my husband was changing a filter on my car, he accidentally dropped a screw into the abyss and used this to find it (never would've found it otherwise)."
"The image produced by the camera is quite clear and sharp, and the colors are pretty accurate."
This is an OMAX compound biological microscope with eight level magnifications from 40X to 2000X.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"FYI I'm writing this review by comparing the OMAX to name brand microscopes such as Olympus and Nikon because these are the microscopes typically available at any JC, SU, or university. The microscope is a slightly smaller than name brand microscopes, yet it does not fail to produce the same results as name brand microscopes. The microscope comes with a 5x, 10x, 40x, and 100x objectives. Again the OMAX come with 4 main objectives (5x,10x, 40x, and 100x) and 2 sets of ocular objectives (10x and 20x). UPGRADES - The ocular objectives are removable, so these can be swapped out for better ocular objectives, Also the main objectives (5x, 10x, 40x, and 100x) are removable, so these can be swapped out for better objectives. THE PACKAGE - The OMAX came with the microscope along with the 4 main objectives and 2 ocular objectives. The OMAX also came with a two ocular covers, so if one would like to store the microscope the ocular objectives can be removed and covers can be placed in the eye piece slots. All I had to do was plug it in and pop in the ocular objects to begin viewing things under the microscope. This is a great high quality microscope that produces the same results as name brand microscopes. Some people might be tempted to purchase a microscope for more money because of the rationale that more money equates to better quality but the OMAX delivers the same results as the Olympus and Nikon microscopes for a fraction of the price. If your looking to buy to buy a microscope to do college or professional work or use just looking to buy a hobby microscope look no further. With the OMAX i can view probably about 95 percent of the slide because the X axis does not have the same range as high end microscope, but this is not an issue for me. I was hesitant to buy this microscope because of the low price, but was pleasantly surprised when it came operated like and better than the microscopes on campus."
"And, as we will see below, most microscope kits don't offer any intermediate magnifications between 1000X and the maximum magnification they offer (2000X or 2500X), so that maximum magnification doesn't really give you any extra resolution over a 1000X microscope. Compound microscopes obtain their magnifications by combining the eyepiece magnification with the objective magnification. The objective magnifications usually are: 4X, 10X, 40X, and 100X. The 100X objective cannot be used as is, it requires a special immersion oil (see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_immersion for explanation); so in inexpensive microscopes, this objective is usually missing, Regarding eyepieces, you usually get 10X or pairs of 10x+20X or 10X+25X. I still don't have an exact formula, as it depends on several factors including the wavelength of the illumination light, but a comment to this review pointed me to a rule of thumb that I also found mentioned in a Zeiss article on microscopy - that rule says that the maximum magnification that can be expected to be achieved with an objective would be 1000 times the numerical aperture value of the objective - see zeiss-campus.magnet.fsu.edu/articles/basics/resolution.html). The numerical apertures and maximum magnifications for the OMAX objectives are the following: 4X (0.10/100X), 10X (0.25/250X), 40X (0.65/650X), 100X (1.25/1250X). So, if we exclude the false magnifications, these are the magnifications that we can expect from each combination of objective and eyepiece (note that even this is optimistic, because we evaluated the maximum magnification, which we will probably not reach in practice): 10X: 40X (with 4X objective), 100X (with 10X), 400X (with 40X), 1000X (with 100X). A few more things you should know about this OMAX microscope: The objectives come pre-installed, but not everything is configured for optimal operation. There is a focusing rack stop screw that is supposed to help prevent the slides from being pushed into the larger magnification objectives (40X and 100X) - that screw will need to be adjusted as it does not come pre-set and on my sample it allowed the slides to be pushed into the high magnification objectives (40X and 100X - those objectives are spring loaded to prevent damage, but it is better to avoid it by also limiting the movement of the stage using this screw). A few accessories suggested: OMAX A Pair of Rubber Eyecups for Microscopes with 23.2mm Eyepieces. OMAX 60X Achromatic Objective Lens (spring) for Compound Microscopes. Some quick comments on these items: - The rubber cups are very nice and I wish they were included even if they had to bump the price of the package - they really make it more comfortable to use the eyepieces."
"Within one minute of opening the box, I used my Galaxy 5 phone camera and snapped this pic of the microbes on some old cheese."
"I am a veterinarian that purchased this microscope for use in my clinic (for examination of blood, tissue, urine, fecal samples, etc)."
"Very good microscope for the price!"
"Bought for my daughter whos 5."
"Clear image of the individual cells with oil immersion."
It comes with full optical glass elements, metal framework, 360 degree rotatable monocular head, and LED illumination. Widefield all optical glass elements includes single lens condenser with disc diaphragm.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Got mine very well packaged and fast shipping. I would highly recommend this product to ANYONE, especially a high school student because this one is the same quality as the ones we use in school AND it's only 80 freekin dollars!"
"Picture 1 is a fruit fly taken with the 40x objective lens. Picture 2 is a fruit fly taken with the 4x objective lens. Picture 3 is cheek cells stained with an IKI indicator with the 40x objective lens. Picture 4 is an onion root tip with the 10x objective lens."
"I also purchased a gram stain and bacterial growth kit and I am having waaaaay too much fun."
"I bought this to check fecal samples for worm eggs in my animals, to assess wool fiber quality, and to identify bacteria and fungus in cultures."
"I give prepared slides, Greg's Microscope, The World in a Drop of Water, and AmScope The World of the Microscope A Practical Introduction with Projects and Activities along with it."
"Very high quality and solid metal frame."
"My biggest disappointment is the optics are not very clean but good enough for looking at bugs, and goo with my five year old grandson."
"We homeschool and I needed something to get the job done well for biology without spending a fortune."
Best Lab Compound Microscopes
This is an OMAX compound biological microscope with eight level magnifications from 40X to 2000X.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"FYI I'm writing this review by comparing the OMAX to name brand microscopes such as Olympus and Nikon because these are the microscopes typically available at any JC, SU, or university. The microscope is a slightly smaller than name brand microscopes, yet it does not fail to produce the same results as name brand microscopes. The microscope comes with a 5x, 10x, 40x, and 100x objectives. Again the OMAX come with 4 main objectives (5x,10x, 40x, and 100x) and 2 sets of ocular objectives (10x and 20x). UPGRADES - The ocular objectives are removable, so these can be swapped out for better ocular objectives, Also the main objectives (5x, 10x, 40x, and 100x) are removable, so these can be swapped out for better objectives. THE PACKAGE - The OMAX came with the microscope along with the 4 main objectives and 2 ocular objectives. The OMAX also came with a two ocular covers, so if one would like to store the microscope the ocular objectives can be removed and covers can be placed in the eye piece slots. All I had to do was plug it in and pop in the ocular objects to begin viewing things under the microscope. This is a great high quality microscope that produces the same results as name brand microscopes. Some people might be tempted to purchase a microscope for more money because of the rationale that more money equates to better quality but the OMAX delivers the same results as the Olympus and Nikon microscopes for a fraction of the price. If your looking to buy to buy a microscope to do college or professional work or use just looking to buy a hobby microscope look no further. With the OMAX i can view probably about 95 percent of the slide because the X axis does not have the same range as high end microscope, but this is not an issue for me. I was hesitant to buy this microscope because of the low price, but was pleasantly surprised when it came operated like and better than the microscopes on campus."
"Within one minute of opening the box, I used my Galaxy 5 phone camera and snapped this pic of the microbes on some old cheese."
"And, as we will see below, most microscope kits don't offer any intermediate magnifications between 1000X and the maximum magnification they offer (2000X or 2500X), so that maximum magnification doesn't really give you any extra resolution over a 1000X microscope. Compound microscopes obtain their magnifications by combining the eyepiece magnification with the objective magnification. The objective magnifications usually are: 4X, 10X, 40X, and 100X. The 100X objective cannot be used as is, it requires a special immersion oil (see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_immersion for explanation); so in inexpensive microscopes, this objective is usually missing, Regarding eyepieces, you usually get 10X or pairs of 10x+20X or 10X+25X. I still don't have an exact formula, as it depends on several factors including the wavelength of the illumination light, but a comment to this review pointed me to a rule of thumb that I also found mentioned in a Zeiss article on microscopy - that rule says that the maximum magnification that can be expected to be achieved with an objective would be 1000 times the numerical aperture value of the objective - see zeiss-campus.magnet.fsu.edu/articles/basics/resolution.html). The numerical apertures and maximum magnifications for the OMAX objectives are the following: 4X (0.10/100X), 10X (0.25/250X), 40X (0.65/650X), 100X (1.25/1250X). So, if we exclude the false magnifications, these are the magnifications that we can expect from each combination of objective and eyepiece (note that even this is optimistic, because we evaluated the maximum magnification, which we will probably not reach in practice): 10X: 40X (with 4X objective), 100X (with 10X), 400X (with 40X), 1000X (with 100X). A few more things you should know about this OMAX microscope: The objectives come pre-installed, but not everything is configured for optimal operation. There is a focusing rack stop screw that is supposed to help prevent the slides from being pushed into the larger magnification objectives (40X and 100X) - that screw will need to be adjusted as it does not come pre-set and on my sample it allowed the slides to be pushed into the high magnification objectives (40X and 100X - those objectives are spring loaded to prevent damage, but it is better to avoid it by also limiting the movement of the stage using this screw). A few accessories suggested: OMAX A Pair of Rubber Eyecups for Microscopes with 23.2mm Eyepieces. OMAX 60X Achromatic Objective Lens (spring) for Compound Microscopes. Some quick comments on these items: - The rubber cups are very nice and I wish they were included even if they had to bump the price of the package - they really make it more comfortable to use the eyepieces."
"I am a veterinarian that purchased this microscope for use in my clinic (for examination of blood, tissue, urine, fecal samples, etc)."
Best Lab Stereo Microscopes
The AmScope SE400Z professional stereo microscope has interchangeable pairs of 10x and 20x widefield eyepieces, a 1x objective, LED lighting, and a boom-arm stand. The interchangeable pairs of WF10x18mm and WF20x10mm eyepieces combine with the 1x objective to provide 10x and 20x magnification, and a longer working distance for inspecting large-scale specimens that require handling or repair. A stereo microscope, sometimes called an inspection or dissection microscope, has low magnification and a long working distance that enables users to manipulate the object being inspected. Specifications Head. Binocular. Magnification. 10x, 20x. Objective power. 1x. Eyepieces (DIN, 30.5mm). WF10x18mm, WF20x10mm. Focus. Bilateral coarse. Microscope stand. Boom-arm stand. Vertical working distance. 9" (13.5" overall pillar length). Boom arm. 12" working distance (17" overall length). Head rotation. X- and Y-axes. Illumination type. Upper, reflected. Light source. 1W LED on adjustable gooseneck. Power. 110V-120V, UL listed. Microscopes are instruments used to enhance the resolution of an object or image. AmScope SE400Z stereo microscope with boom-arm stand WF10x18mm eyepieces, 30.5mm, one pair WF20x10mm eyepieces, 30.5mm, one pair 1x objective (2) Eye guards LED light Dust cover Power cord Instructions. 9" vertical working distance and adjustable 12" boom arm enables users to adjust the microscope on the X- and Y-axes.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is about 1" too short for me to place my PCB pre-heater under the head (an Aoyue model 853A) and still have adequate height to focus the image. The focus is literally less than 1" from the end of the microscope, making it pretty much useless for assembly / inspection work. Prior to purchasing the this AmScope, I used a stationary magnifier and reading glasses for my assembly work (at home). As with any wearable magnifiers, when the distance between your head and the work shifts the image will loose focus. I know this because I have a pair of surgeon's glasses I use at work for PCB inspection and (limited) assembly. The problem is going with a higher magnification will amplify any head movements and make it much more difficult to maintain focus on an object. Even guys who do assembly for a living have told me 2 hrs with surgeon's glasses is about the best you can do before taking a break."
"I use the 10X to solder and repair surface mount devices and it does a good job for that kind of work. A day later I received a new microscope that worked fine out of the box....but someone added a sticker to the outside of the box that covered the download code for the manual (the microscope doesn't ship with a hard copy manual, you have to enter a code from the outside of the box to download it from AmScope's website). Argh.... On the other hand, if you need a manual, the device probably is too complicated."
"So far, I've been impressed that this is a quality product."
"The biggest practical setup problem was finding the right focal distance - about 10 inches.The Celestron camera I bought at the same time worked straight away with my Mac, which was nice, though the magnification is a bit more than ideal for my mission - surface mount electronic assembly."
"I don't think I'll ever use the 20x, but the 10x are perfect for what I need this for (hand-soldering / repairing tiny SMD components, e.g. with 0.5mm pin pitch)."
Best Lab Handheld Digital Microscopes
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I was able to snake this thing up there and see everything that I was doing with my hand, and also lay under the car in a comfortable position while I watched what I was doing on my phone. Most of us are carrying around super high quality video monitors in our pockets, so I decided to give this device a try. Also those more expensive units have the cable connected to the screen which is usually mounted to some kind of handle. I have a magnet attached to the back of my phone and it just stuck right up to the pan on the bottom of the transmission. As to durability, I have only had it a week or so and it's holding up so far, although I can envision some problems over time with repeated flexing of the cable. The view you get with it is just like with your phone camera, meaning if you rotate the scope clockwise, the image will also turn which can be disorienting. I got the camera in the right orientation and then bent a "W" shape in the cable a few feet back from the end of the scope. The app allows you to show a mirror image of what you are scoping and you can get rid of the icons on the screen so they don't interfere with what you are trying to look at with the camera. Pros: Price, image quality for live video, stills and captured video, long cable length, WiFi connectivity. Cons: Cheap WiFi box, barebones app, resolution not really changeable."
"I bought this inspection camera for my Dillon XL650 bullet press to be able to inspect brass bullet cartridges while reloading them."
"Really impressed with the Depstech Wifi Endiscope."
"I used it to see if i had oil on the top of my pistons and even in the completely dark cylinder the light worked perfect to get a good shot."
"The image produced by the camera is quite clear and sharp, and the colors are pretty accurate."
"Great little camera for the price."
"Worked great with the app and still cant beat the price for something like this."
"I also used it ri retrieve an earring that was not reachable using the magnet."
Best Telescopes
PowerSeeker 127 EQ Telescope (item #21049) PowerSeeker 127 EQ - General Features Quick and easy no-tool setup Slow motion controls for smooth tracking Erect image optics - Ideal for terrestrial and astronomical use Fully coated glass optical components with high transmission coatings for enhanced image brightness and clarity 3x Barlow lens triples the magnifying power of each eyepiece Accessory tray for convenient storage of accessories "The Sky" Level 1 planetarium software with 10,000 object database and enhanced images. No tools are required for assembly! PowerSeekers are designed and manufactured using all fully coated glass optical components with high transmission coatings for enhanced image brightness and clarity. Optical Design: Newtonian Reflector Aperture: 127 mm (5 in) Focal Length: 1000 mm (39.37 in) Focal Ratio: 7.87 Eyepiece 1: 20 mm (0.79 in) Magnification 1: 50 x Eyepiece 2: 4 mm (0.16 in) Magnification 2: 250 x Barlow Lens: 3 x Finderscope: 5x24 Mount: German Equatorial Tripod: Aluminum Accessory Tray: No-Tool Tray with Eyepiece holder CD ROM: "The Sky" Level 1 Weight: 17 lb (7.71 kg) Limiting Stellar Magnitude: 13 Resolution (Rayleigh): 1.1 arcsec Resolution (Dawes): 0.91 arcsec Photographic Resolution: 254 line/mm Light Gathering Power: 329 x Angular Field of View: 0.8 ° Linear Field of View (@1000 yds): 43 ft (13.11 m) Optical Coatings: Aluminum Secondary Mirror Obstruction: 1.6 in (40.64 mm) Secondary Mirror Obstruction by Area: 10.2 % Secondary Mirror Obstruction by Diameter: 32 % Optical Tube Length: 20 in (508 mm). B. All returns must be accompanied by a written statement setting forth the name, address, and daytime telephone number of the owner, together with a brief description of any claimed defects. (310) 328-9560. Fax. Monday-Friday 8AM-4PM PST. Comes with aluminum tripod and accessory tray.Focal Length of Eyepiece 1 (mm) 20 mm (0.79 in).Focal Length of Eyepiece 2 (mm) 4 mm (0.16 in).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"1) Collimation. This telescope can be collimated easily by eye, if you want to collimate with a laser, you'll have to remove the corrective lens in the focuser tube. 2) The finder scope is unusable. While I agree, it's not the best finder scope out there and lining it up with the telescope can take a long time but, it is possible with time and patients. (note: it is a scope and not a finder, the image is reversed in the finder). 3) I can't see anything out of this thing. You need to collimate the scope and line up the finder scope, the instructions are in the manual for eye collimation (tip: back the focuser tube all the way out when you collimate, doing this will let you see both the secondary mirror and the primary, also note, this went through shipping and if it arrived with all the mirrors aligned and ready to go, get a power ball ticket because you'd be the luckiest person on the planet. 4) The Barlow is useless. Please google and youtube what a barlow is and how to use them, it's not a true lens and once you find out its true purpose, it'll make more sense. 5) The 4mm lens is useless. See my comment on the barlow, using the barlow with the 4mm will tame things a bit, also, get a lens and filter kit with a 15mm and a 9mm lens. One last comment on this issue is, do not try to push the telescope into position with the clutches locked, use the controls on the tripod to position the scope, if you need to make big adjustments, loosen the clutches (should be OK because your telescope is balanced) position the scope to the general area of viewing, lock the clutches and use the controls to fine tune."
"I later bought the Celestron 24mm to 8mm zoom eyepiece, which allows me to zoom in without changing eyepiece, and it works very well on the smaller 76mm telescope, but again blurry images on this one. I decided to order a Celestron 1.25" collimation eyepiece ($30), which can be useful in aligning the optics (the two mirrors) in reflectors like this one. The reason is that Polaris is faint, and every time you move a mirror by a tiny bit (as explained in the Celestron instruction) the star just darts out of view in the eyepiece. Lastly, I ditched all the Celestron recommendations on day and night collimation (using either the celestron collimation eyepiece or the "ring pattern" for out of focus point sources) and did instead the "EYE-DOCTOR TEST" : I wanted to see how sharp I can get this one, when there is no wind, no shake, no atmospherics, no moving planet, no mist etc. With this method (which I seemingly invented, as it is not described anywhere in the instructions nor on the Celestron site) I was finally able to adjust (by very small increments) the three screws on the secondary mirror till I FINALLY got a nice sharp picture of the writing on the letter. To avoid any further issues due to my previous messing around, I first screwed in the secondary mirror (by loosening up the three alignment screws, and pulling in the secondary mirror all the way in until it barely touches the mount), and later pulled out the primary mirror as well(by pulling out all six screws until the whole unit comes out, then reinserting the mirror after making sure the secondary was pointing the right way, straight to the back). Then, using the Celestron collimation eyepiece with its crosshair, I carefully adjusted the secondary and primary orientations (three screws for each mirror) until all the crosshairs overlapped perfectly. In other words, the crosshair in the eyepiece has to overlap perfectly with its reflection through mirrors 1 and 2, and back to the eyepiece. I found (April 2014) that the best way to collimate this (Bird-Jones or catadioptric design)telescope and get nice sharp images is to remove the focusing lens at the bottom of the focusing tube (takes 10 mins), align the secondary and primary mirrors with an inexpensive LASER collimator (mine is an LK1 $30 from seben dot com, takes another 10 mins to do this part), put the corrector lens back in and reinsert the focusing tube (don't touch the lens with your hands, takes around 5 mins). The secondary (smaller, flat) mirror is oval-shape and mounted right under the focusing tube, held in place by three (outside)-plus-one (center) screws. Now put a focusing cap (just an eyepiece cap with a small 1mm hole in the center) at the (top) end of the focusing tube. Then make absolutely sure (after you take again very carefully the correcting lens out of the focusing tube) that the inside of the focusing tube and the secondary mirror, as viewed through the focuser, are perfectly concentric when you view them through the hole in the cap. That is, the secondary mirror has to be perfectly centered when viewed from the top of the focusing tube. After this is done, make also sure that the tilt on the secondary mirror is such that you can see the center of the primary mirror (on mine I put a black pen mark at the dead center). Now re-align the secondary and primary mirrors with a laser (in my case), with the cap with a hole, or a cheshire eyepiece."
"The instruction manual is weak in this regard and Celestron really should update it to help getting this telescope aligned. If you visit various astronomy forums and ask about this scope, most people will tell you to avoid it because of the time you will be spending collimating it. After you spent time collimating it, then the views are pretty good for the price you pay. I could see the 2 main bands on Jupiter and the moons, the rings of Saturn, but struggled to see the Cassini division. This is the benefits with using an EQ mount where you will only need to turn one knob to keep your object in view."
Best Gun Scopes
Boasting Nikon's fully multi coated optical system and a versatile 4 to 12X magnification range, the prostaff 4-12x40 riflescope helps put virtually any shot in your comfort zone. Fully multicoated optical system transmits up to 98 percent of available light.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I looked through a few other guys at the Range scopes (Big Dollar) and none of them were better than this Nikon. I use it on my Remington 700 ADL in 223 and shoot 600 yards with it No Problem. Well, I am now selling all 3 and just purchased another Nikon Buckmaster II 4-12X. Had I realized this a couple years ago, I would have saved a LOT of Time & Money."
"Put this on a 17HMR rifle."
"Clear optics, holds center, easy to use, light weight (which concerned me at first as it seemed a bit cheaply made) and "Zeroing" setup makes this a great buy."
"I love this scope, easy to access the target and even though I would not call my self a good shot, I'm hitting my target within a couple of inches."
"I'm sure that there are better scopes out there but I think that if you are looking for a good cheap scope that will get the job done, this one will work."
"This is a great scope for the money."
"wow i’m really impressed with this Nikon scope..super clear and strong.work perfect on Marlin XL7."
"Looks and feels great."
Best Spotting Scopes
Our premium construction features High Definition Optical Glass With Premium Fully Multi Coated All Glass Lens which guarantees superior light transmission and brightness for optimal bright, crisp, clear viewing. Accessories include a carry pouch with belt loop + cleaning cloth and neck strap. Ideal For: Travel, Concerts, Outdoor Activites, Nature, Bird Watching, Hunting, Archery, Target Shooting, Hiking, Camping etc. Our Top Of The Line WIDE VIEW Monocular True 6 x 30 Viewing - Compact, Durable, High Quality Precision Design Featuring All Glass High End Optics, (FMC Superior BAK4 Green Film Prism).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I was looking for a monocular that stows easily for day trips and canoeing. If you don't want to lug a full size set of binoculars, but still want to view wildlife, concerts, or mountain vistas, I think you will be happy with the Grip Scope. While on a cruise just for fun I help the Grip Scope up to my cell phone and took some shots. You are not going to get a perfect picture every time, balancing the cell phone and Roxant together, but what you can get with the Grip Scope is soooo cool."
"The optics seem to be high quality and the wide field of view makes the image less jumpy and brighter than the smaller 1/2 priced Roxant mini-scope. It's still useful for the indoor pistol range at 25 feet or checking on archery scores, but if you want it for shooting longer distances, just spring for the more expensive 30-60x scopes made for this purpose."
"From the reviews I read by other users, it holds its own in the field and I'm not worried about just tossing it in my pack and having it remain intact. I am trained to work with crews in an effort to control and fight wild fires as they occur across the country. Although I have not had the chance to use this scope in the field yet, I have high hopes for its helpfulness."
"I have used this while hiking and at my house as I live next to a field that has foxes, owls, rabbits and birds for my viewing pleasure. I find it easier to use than several of my binoculars and I have discovered that I like using one eye to view through a scope."
"After reading and watching several positive reviews on spotting scope websites and YouTube, I purchased this economical Roxant High Definition Grip Scope."
Best Monoculars
12X50 MAGNIFICATION - See things 12X closer and Get Clearer and Brighter range of view with 50mm lens - The most powerful hand held monocular available in the market today, that also provides the most pleasant and clear view.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The 50mm front lense lets in loads of light, so even in low light conditions, the image is clear and crisp with no haze around the outside of the lense. This is easily compensated for by bracing against a solid object or using the tripod (provided). All of my friends, a pretty loathsome lot to begin with, have to be frisked before they leave the after being within arm's reach of the Polaris. It would be easy to say I need new friends, but this product would tempt anybody to lust after it."
"I bought this to replace a cheap unit I had been using, and am I ever impressed."
"Crisp clear images, great viewing distance, feels like a quality piece."
"Small size, good quality optics."
"Got these Polaris optics for my husband."
"this monocular is fantastic and so is the company my monocular clouded a little (maybe my fault,wet pants) i asked them what i could do no problem they shipped a new one right away i highly recommend wingspan optics."
"BTW, the plastic bags also say, "WARNING..........." in English, so maybe the item was made in England?"
"Excellent optics, especially for the price."
Best Binoculars
Falcon, 10 x 50 Promotional Binocular, Insta-focus Focusing System, Carrying Case & Neck Strap, Clam Pack. 10X magnification, 50-Millimeter lens diameter, and auto focusing Porro prism. 10X magnification, 50-Millimeter lens diameter, and auto focusing Porro prism.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"i'm 64 years old and have hunted and fished all my life, and have bought at least 25 binoculars throughout my life, none have compared to this one."
"I wanted to give these Bino's 4 and a half stars."
"Very happy with these binoculars and case that was included."
"We love these new binoculars."
"Great binoculars for beginners."
"LOVE this for birding."
"Great for birding or just general outdoor use."
"These binoculars work awesome."
Best Opera Glasses
+BK7 Prism(Optical glass). +Easy to focus, ideal for opera, concerts, theater, shows, traveling, safari, birding, wildlife, walking, climbing. Angle of field: 6 degree. Exit pupil diameter: 5.2mm. This mini binocular is quite suitable for kids, adults, opera, concerts, theater, shows, traveling, safari, birding, wildlife, walking, climbing. Application:Perfect for adults,kids,concerts, theater,opera,plays,shows,travel,hiking,camping,sport events ,bird watching ,etc.--any short distance viewing.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The binocular is great."
"Great for bird watching in my back yard."
"Quality is very great for the price and its many features."
"Purchased as a gift for my husband fr bird watching."
"These binoculars are really nice!"
"They are a good balance of magnification,wide field of view, and brightness (exit pupil). The higher magnification 10x42 would also be good for these things, but you give up some field of view with the higher magnification. The larger exit pupil makes viewing easier, even in bright daylight, because you can see the full image circle, even if your eyes aren't perfectly lined up behind the eye peices."
"Perfect stocking stuffer for my little boy who loves to go bird watching."
"I could spot the birds just as quickly as the others with these binoculars and I can use the money saved to buy a quality zoom lens for my camera!"
Best Laser Rangefinders
The primary HCD mode displays an angle compensated distance that is ideal for the majority of hunters and shooters. An advanced LOS mode provides you the option to calculate long distance, high angle shots with increased precision.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I was a little skeptical purchasing it, but reviews for the ranger 1000 were good, the product warranty was superb and the price was much lower than comparable products so I took a chance and I am glad I did. The unit returned a reading 3 or 4 times out of 5 when ranging the cow. I was far from steady and didn't expect to get a return so I was happily surprised. For this reading I used a very steady rest. As I use the Ranger 1500 under different conditions such as snow and cloudy skies, I will update this review. Normally I would have waited to write this review until I had used the range finder more, but since there are no other reviews, I am giving my initial impressions to help others as they consider purchasing this product. With the limited use I have given it, I am giving the Ranger 1500 two thumbs way up. UPDATE 2/6/16. I have had the opportunity to use the Ranger 1500 some more and here is what I have found: With the sun almost directly overhead with a very thin overcast layer, I was able to range a deer at 561 yards in a snow covered field. At that point he came back to the house so I don't know how much further I could have obtained a reading on him. While hunting in mid twenty degree weather I continually got a low battery reading and the unit wouldn't give a distance reading."
"Vortex has a sealed waterproof design and comes with lifetime warranty, Leopold has neither. Both use their own flavor of range compensation (Vortex has HCD and Leopold calls theirs DNA) based on angle but the Leopold adds an additional function of being able to load BDC based on your ammo using an on board table. Both the Leopold 1000i and the Ranger 1000 are made there and from the looks of the packaging and documentation of both, i would not be shocked if they both came from the same factory. If people who are harping about finding one made in USA or Europe then look elsewhere and subsequently look forward to a much higher price point. I find the Leopold easier to use overall, ranges faster, feels slightly more compact, and the fit and finish seems nicer even tho it does not claim to be water proof. The vortex is a sealed coin slot screw but the Leopold uses a flimsy lever twist latch which feels like it might break one day."
"Excellent and easy to use."
"Also, I love the Vortex has a great warrantly."
"this is a product from a serious company that is always behind their products!!!"
"Amazing Product and works better than anything I have ever used."
"Fantastic quality, glass is crystal clear, reading very precise."
"The red display makes the yardage easy to read in lower light conditions."
Best Hunting Night Vision
Aurosports 10*25 Folding High Powered Binocular is lightweight, pocket size binoculars you can take anywhere.Easy focusing Suitable for Fishing, Golf,Bird watching, Camping, Scope,Hiking, Concerts. Suitable for both adults and kids,fit for hunting, hiking, exploring,viewing,sailing,bird watching, concert, outdoor sports etc.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have five other pairs of binoculars of differing powers and the illumination of the Aurosports is the best of the bunch even though some are much more expensive."
"This is a great set of binoculars. When I first looked thru the binoculars, I was amazed at how clear and precise they were!"
"These binoculars are great!"
"I bought these as a Father's Day gift for my husband, and before wrapping them I had to try them out."
"wonderful clarity."
"Exactly what I was looking for, love it."
"Great binos for the money."
"I can see details from far far away with this product, very nice."