Monocular Telescope - 12X42 High Power Monocular for Bird Watching, IPX7 Waterproof HD Monocular with Tripod Made by Hyper FMC BAK4 Prism & Eco-Friendly Materials

Pros:* Lightweight - it replaced the heavy binoculars that I used for years.* Easy Access - it comes with a soft case with a loop which I attached to my belt* Comfortable - I wore it at my hip all day long and didn't even notice it* One Hand Use - just detach velcro cover on soft case cover, remove the rear cover, take out monocular, flip the front cover down, hold it up to your dominant eye, and adjust the viewfinder with a finger until you get a crystal clear view* Price - I only paid $29.99 and got to use a 5% off coupon, and it comes with Prime shipping* Value - comes with soft case, phone holder, tripod, and cloth glass cleaner* Attachments - (1) camera attachment, removing my phone cover made it easier to use; (2) tripod, simple* Front Cover - flips down and flips up for storage. right on the monocularCould be Improved:* Rear Cover - unlike like the front, the rear cover isn't attached and doesn't just flip down and back up. I ended up putting that cover in my pocket so it wouldn't get lost. There is a loop on the rear cover so I will eventually string it to the monocular somehow.* Soft Case - too small to hold everything that comes with the monocular package but perfect for just the mono. `Not a big deal to me as I bought a hard case to hold everything for travel and storage.Delivery Time - even with Prime (usually 2 days shipping), it took 7 days to arrive. Again, it's not a big deal because I live in Hawai'i so slow delivery is expected.Overall:* I use the mono to spy along the shore for fish and other sea life like Hawaiian monk seals and green sea turtles and it worked perfectly. Now, I keep it in my truck so it's ready for all of my adventures!* This is my first monocular and it's worth 10x what I paid for it.* I love this thing and highly recommend it!

With the help of some light I can see things at night. I.E. skylines, planes flying overhead, license plates, some stars. True Night Vision comes with a much higher price tag. You're not getting it at a price point below $100.A few reviewers mentioned they didn't want to lose the cover for the eyepiece. I strung the included wrist strap through it and tied a knot so it wouldn't slip off.It's light. It's clear. It's super smooth to focus. If you can't get this to focus, you don't have fingers.The sticker on the street lamp which is approximately 2 stories overhead says "24 LED" The box on the utility pole has "Western Electric" etched in it. That rooftop just above the tree line is a school building 4 1/2 city blocks away looking through a screen window. There's a weathervane on it and can clearly see the eagle with it's wings spread, W, E, and the arrow pointing North by Northwest. At this distance there was a noticeable shake and I had to use two hands to stabilize.The minimum distance I've been able to focus is approximately 12-13 feet. How far can you see? I watched a plane take off, followed it and put the monocular down for a wink while looking at the sky and the darn creation wasn't a period on a cloud to even attempt to find again, so your guess is as good as mine on that subject.As a viewing device it does exactly what it says it's going to do. Crisp, clear, bright. A good choice if you don't plan on putting it in your pocket. It comes with a case but the loop isn't big enough for anything other than a thin belt or carbiner. I have what the call "piano" fingers (sharpie fine points for reference) and I can get two of them in the loop.Read the other reviews about the accessories. Those arrived over here Dead On Arrival. Never got to use them.Addendum: I've discovered another fascinating use for this gadget! STAR HOPPING. I live in a heavily light polluted area. If you can see ten stars on any given night.....you have good eyesight. Constellations such as Lyre, Bootes, Hercules, Scorpio, and Orion do not fit in the full view of this monoscope. The Pleiades on the other hand is an AWESOME sight to behold for a city dweller! As far as splitting stars, viewing galaxies, and seeing Saturn's rings go...... something far more powerful is required.

This replaces an almost identical one from a different brand that broke while being lent out. I don't know how the innards of the old one came out and couldn't be put back together but it served well for several years. At these prices they can be replaced without breaking the bank. This one has better included accessories especially the small tripod. It is metal and seems very sturdy compared to the plastic from the old one that could not hold the weight of the monocular. The old kit had too many pieces used to attach to a phone and together with the cheap tripod, was useless for that mission. This kit seems simple with higher quality that puts the phone use back in play. The optics look good and the size and waterproof seals make this a great tool to take on the boat or in the car to see whats going on beyond line of sight.

This appeared to be a pretty good scope, both to use just with your eyes and to attach to a cell phone for photos. Zooming in slightly on your phone screen after attaching it to a phone solves the problem of your photo being outlined by a black circle since the lens is...circular. However - there was a black spot on the lens that I couldn't remove, which rendered this useless to me as I didn't want my photos to have a spot on them. Returns were very easy, and if I hadn't needed to use the monocular immediately, I would have ordered a replacement.