What Are Spotting Scopes Used For? | Optics Trade Debates

By Maruša Justinek Aug 3, 2021

Hello and welcome to Optics Trade debates. In this episode, we are going to talk about what are spotting scopes used for.

Let us begin with the fields of use regarding spotting scopes. The first one is target shooting; smaller spotting scopes are used to observe targets at longer distances, targets that you cannot see with your naked eye. For this field of use, angled scopes mounted on a tripod are usually used.

The next area is hunting. Here, we have to point out that binoculars are a more common option when it comes to hunting, either an 8x or 10x magnification. In situations, where higher magnification is needed, a spotting scope does come in handy.

However, it is all up to the user’s preference. For mountain hunting, the angled scope is quite popular, for flatland a straight scope is better. It also depends on whether the hunt is more stationery (angled) or mobile (straight).

Another field of use is birdwatching or observing wildlife, which are more stationary types of observing. We usually use angled spotting scopes which we mount on a tripod. Spotting scopes are used for birdwatching because of the larger magnification, which is important if you wish to observe objects at longer distances.

Spotting scopes are also used for astronomy, even though telescopes are a more common choice. Spotting scopes are great for beginners who want to get introduced to the world of astronomy, and to have a more portable device.

Even though the maximum magnification is 100x, you can use them to observe the Moon, for example. Spotting scopes are still more suitable for daytime use, while telescopes are for night-time use. Another type of use is also digiscoping, which means you can attach a camera and get quality images of birds or wildlife.