Barska20-60X60 Straight Spotting Scope

I'm not sure why no one has made a review on this product yet. Here's the quick report.I wanted to buy a good spotting scope for when I go on nature hikes or whatever (I'm a bio undergrad at UCLA), so of course i'm interested in observing natural phenomenon. Anyways, looked online, found this one (but no one reviewed it yet), took a chance and ordered it. My logic was, it didn't have all the accessories that come with other spotting scopes, plus a cheap looking bag, cheap looking tripod, and had a high original listing price. So I figured, most of the quality was invested into the scope itself.Ordered it, and got it within two days via amazon prime here at UCLA dorm.Tried it out, at night, by viewing from within my dorm out the window to another window of a dorm about 100-150 meters away. It's extremely clear, at least in my opinion. Now take note that I have never had one of these devices before, and am brand new at the hobby or interest, so I have nothing to compare with. But to me, it seems extremely clear, at 20 magnification all the way up to 60 magnification (fine focus knob helps a lot). I mean, from 100-150 meters away, at night, I can read the evacuation plan in the other dormitory room. And I can recognize facial expressions very clearly (yeah, creeper status, I know). So, in my opinion, it's an awesome spotting scope, for a good price too. It's got an included lens cover, eyepiece cover, and is simple yet slick looking. Rubber coated, feels nice and light weight, yet feels like it's made of great quality. I'm really happy with this product. I can't wait to use it out on the field. Impressive device, overall. 5 stars based solely on the quality of the scope to price ratio, not anything else (tripod, bag, etc.)

Overall, this is not a 'great' spotting scope. But for the price, and if you only plan to use it at shorter ranges, it's well worth it.Pros:- Optics (short range): Decent optics at near distances (less than 400 yards). Clear enough to easily read road signs and make out rust and medium to fine detail at those distances.- Overall Build: The waterproofing seems to work well. I haven't left this in a strong storm, but I have had it in drizzle and damp conditions without any fogging. And overall the housing seems well made and reasonably sturdy.- Price: Getting this level of quality at the price I paid is extraordinary.Cons- Optics (long range): At longer distances (350+ yards), the optics become difficult. There's a hazy or fuzzy quality once you hit 500 yards that makes you lose any fine detail no matter how carefully you focus it. You can still make out what objects are down to items maybe six or eight inches in size, but the clarity is not there. For target shooting or serious bird watching, I wouldn't recommend using this scope much past 300 yards.- Focus and Zoom: The controls for focus and zoom are a bit sticky and the grip ring on the zoom will continue to turn past the stop points with very little effort.- Tripod: This is not a quality tripod and you should not depend on it if you want to enjoy your scope. Spend thirty bucks on a decent camera tripod and you will be much happier.

First time purchase of a spotting scope and definitely very impressed with the quality of the scope for the price.Scope is well built in a rubber housing, looks slick and simple from the outside. It is claimed to be waterproof though i do not want to attempt to fully immerse the scope in a tub of water to verify that claim. However i believe there is no need to worry if it rains while you are outdoors as the tight seals do not seem to let water seep through the housing. The optics quality is very great at 20X. Brightness is slightly reduced when magnification is increased to 60x, but this is normal of scopes with zoom functions. In daytime conditions, details such as building signs near the horizon can be read easily. I believe there should be no problems using this spotting scope in a shooting range.The scope comes with a fixed leg tripod with a rubber mounting adapter so it does not scratch the bottom of your scope, build quality is sufficient if all you need is something to place your scope on. You would definitely need a tripod to have a shake-free and clear view on a good solid base. Rubber feet on the leg tips provide some grip but it still slides on smooth surfaces. Sticking the tripod into grass would be most ideal and dirt washes off easily.Carrying case is adequate to carry the scope around easily, tripod and scope fits in snugly. Does not offer as much protection as a hard case would but it gets the job done.Only thing to be aware is that you should not over tighten the eyepiece cover as you may accidentally move the a plastic part out of alignment where it shows you what magnification range you are at. The rubber lens cover in the front is non detachable unless you cut off the rubber attachment. It may get distracting with it hanging around while you are using, but it prevents the cover from being misplaced.Overall, a lightweight and portable scope, with the features and good optics quality it you are definitely getting your monies worth.

I’ve only had this for a week so I can’t comment on how well it holds up but so far everything looks good. Focus dial is very handy to use in the field. At the low power of 20 it is sharp and clear and seems to be good up the zoom range.

This spotting scope is more powerful than I thought. Even with the magnification turned down to the lowest reading , the view was better than I had hoped. I could see all hits on the target easily.

This is an excellent product for bird watching. You can even watch moon, mountains and craters are visible. Now I am trying to getting photographs through it. It is easy to carry and handy.

Great for its price

Perfect for my needs at the range and on nature walks.