Celestron52250 Ultima 20-60x80mm Angled Refractor Spotting Scope Telescope with Multi-Coated Optics, Waterproof Rubber Tubing and Soft Carry Case, Green

Since I'm reading several reviews for this product from unrealistic people who seem to expect $2500 performance from a sub $200 scope, please keep in mind I am reviewing a $160 scope, and not a $2500 dollar scope, and FOR THE MONEY (and over YEARS of use) I've found this to be an awesome little scope. As a tour guide, I don't want to spend a huge amount on a spotting scope to use on tours that is going to get kicked, knocked over, thrown on a dusty van floor and generally abused in situations involving crowds of people. My first Celestron scope was irreparably damaged by an unfortunate incident where it got knocked over and struck a boulder in Yellowstone and lost its focus, but by that time I'd had years of good service out of it, so for the price of a new one, I wasn't upset over replacing it. This scope does the trick for wildlife viewing and birdwatching with very good resolution and durability. People are always impressed by the wonders of high magnification even when comparing an inexpensive scope with an expensive pair of binoculars. This scope certainly is subject to some chromatic fringing towards the edges (mostly noticeable in snowy terrain) but it doesn't detract too much and is still an excellent view, quite sharp and overall very nice. People are totally wowed the first time they see that moving dot in a meadow over a half mile away suddenly transformed into a bear! My only criticism would be that the zoom function is frankly rather worthless, especially at the higher end and I seldom use it. I also have had clients unscrew the eyepiece inadvertently while trying to focus, even though I demonstrate where the actual focus is, so I make sure I check that the eyepiece is on tight. You can bet that when my current scope has another accident, I'll be replacing it with this scope once again.

This is an excellent spotting scope for the money. I am using it mostly for birding. The photo above was just taken with my cell phone held up to the eyepiece. I recommend using this scope with a sturdy tripod. My tripod is a SLIK 330DX-B that came with an SH-705E head. When viewing at home I use a gallon jug of water below the tripod for additional stability although this tripod performs well enough without it using this weight of scope.I like the feel of the Celestron Ultima 80. The focusing is easy and very smooth. They are easy to reach in a natural feel. I bought the straight scope because most of what I look at is on the level or nearly so. Most of the birds I am seeing are rather close to the house, within 25 yards. I see much more detail and light gathering than I did with me binoculars.The accessories included with the scope could be better quality. The soft case that came with mine is very light weight plastic so I am not expecting that to hold up on hiking trips. It is handy that it opens at both ends to use in a snow storm I guess since the scope itself is waterproof anyway.I took about 2 weeks to thoroughly research scopes before deciding on this one. I have used a few other scopes borrowed from friends and this one certainly tops anything I have used before. At $185 +- it is a good value. I'm just getting into birding and I can view anywhere on my back two acres to be very efficient for that. You do get what you pay for but unless you have some specific need for very high optics, save your money and buy this one.

This is a pretty impressive scope for the money. It is well made by a respectable company. The 80mm objective makes it brighter than the typical 65mm scope, and the optics are very clear at 20X. By the time you zoom it to 60X, the view is much dimmer and the effect of chromatic aberration more noticeable. The easiest way to see this is to take it outside on a clear night and look at stars. At 20X they are nice and sharp, but at 60X they are miniature rainbows. During daylight viewing, this shows up as a less crisp image. Even so, it is still better than the other low-priced scopes I have checked out. The scope has excellent eye relief, allowing me to see the full field of view while wearing glasses (I just need to roll down the rubber eye guard). I've heard some complaints from others that the scope doesn't stay in focus as you zoom, but that hasn't been a problem for me. It is designed to stay in focus as long as you have 20:20 vision. It won't do so if you are nearsighted and take off your glasses to look through it.All things considered, I was tempted to give this 5 stars until I looked through an $800 ProMaster. The Celestron optics just aren't in the same class. But for an under $200 scope, they are as good as you will find.

Easy to line up, zoom and focus. Clear, sharp image even in low light. Cell Phone camera attachment is a little difficult to set up but, gets great pictures. Also wish it had an extending sunshade. Bought on Amazon for $216 + tax. Very Good Scope, Great Price

No argument, you get a decent scope for the money. I bought mine off Amazon 10 years ago and it's still going strong. At low magnification, you get a decent image. Crank up to 60x and there's significant CA. Most of which, if you're using an adapter to get pictures, can be removed in your post processing software. For casual viewing, it's definitely a fine scope, just don't expect to get crystal clear images at anything past mid point on the power. These pics were taken with my phone through the viewfinder. They are straight out of the phone without any processing. Obviously, I could have done a better job aligning the phone with the eye piece.