CelestronTrailSeeker 65mm Angled Spotting Scope – Fully Multi-Coated XLT Optics – 16-48x Zoom Eyepiece – Waterproof & Fogproof – Rubber Armored

This is my first scope and I primarily use it for birding.The scope has fantastic optics for the price (especially on the lower magnification). It also feels well built, the images are sharp. I do not see any chromatic aberration while using it. The eye relief is generous (and much appreciated since I am an eyeglass user) and the field of view is pretty large considering its a scope. It's not terribly heavy to carry around.While the focussing knobs are on paper easy to use (with fine and coarse focus knobs), in the field, it is just absolutely terrible. No matter what I do, at a distance of 200 yards or more, its nigh impossible to focus on a bird properly, even on 20x zoom. While a more expensive scope, I compared it against my birding mentor's Swarovski ATS, and the focusing mechanism of that (and other more expensive scope just blows this one out of the water).The scope is also pretty unusable at 30x zoom and above, and the image brightness drops precipitously and the focusing problems just absolutely compounds. I would say for birding anything above 30x on this scope is a non starter.The scope also suffers from bad design in places. There is a metal cap on the eyepiece that needs to be screwed in, instead of a more sensible rubber cap, making it a bit challenging to use in rain. There are no sights on it. The body is constructed of two parts with a threaded section in between and that loosens up from time to time (not a huge problem since I can thread it back in, but it never feels solidly fit together despite what I do).I would say for the low price its a very nice scope for beginners but if you can spend more money, definitely go for a higher end scope, field test it with lots of drills of the focussing mechanism.

This scope is without a dough the best dollar value on the market. I have compared it to scopes costing up to $3000 and it get beat only by a slight margin in the 400 and 500 meter range. I own two of these and would not trade them for anything. I had a problem with my other scope and their customer service sent me a new one. They did not have to do that as the fix was minor. A super company to deal with.

SUPERB PRODUCT.AMAZING OPTICS far beyond my expactions .THE eyepiece seems to be a 8-24 mm that yields a focal lenth of 384 mmDIVIDING FOCAL LENGTH BY OCULAR DIAMETER GIVES US :aroun 5.9 F number .Those are fantastic numbers ,in reality this scope is even better than expected i got it as a length for my pentax k 50 DSLRi'll coment about it in the future .i had low expectations and was quiet worried about narrow depth of field and too nerow field of viewbut i was wrong about it awsome depth of field and more then acceptable field of view /i'v asked a lot before purchasing it and read a lot .Thanks to this wonderfull comunity for precious advice .great product very haopy with it .Thanks celestron and amazon .

I purchased this scope and a solar filter to watch the 2017 solar eclipse. The scope is outstanding and came with a reasonable tripod mount. Optics are clear and the scope is easy to use. The scope is large and it doesn't come with a long term storage option. You'll wan to consider storage options if you plan to move it. This is also a great scope for viewing the moon - lots of light gathering and crystal clear views.

Overall, I'm very pleased with this scope and would recommend it to others. I bought the 100 straight and the large objective lens lets in plenty of light and the image is sharp. The body is made of a hard, rubberized plastic that has a quality feel to it. The focusing controls operate smoothly and also have a feel of quality. You will need a really solid tripod at high zoom levels, which is to be expected of any scope with this level of magnification. The unit comes with a nylon case that has an opening for your tripod mount so the case can remain on the unit in use. My only complaint about the case is that it has a cheaper feel to it and does not have a pocket for the lens caps or accessories. Otherwise, this is a great scope.

I use this scope at the shooting range and look at the night sky with the kids. For the range, I'm able to see quite clearly out to 200 yards. It may go further but that's the furthest I've tried to track my shots on target. For night use, I think you may need different filters to look at the stars at night. Moon is easy to see but is too bright with the lens it comes with. We were not able to focus on Venus very well. Will need a good tripod to avoid a lot of vibrations. Good scope for modest expectations.

In it's price class, this is the best scope in my opinion. These features are very handy: dual macro/micro focus knobs, rotating eyepiece, replaceable eyepiece. This is a big scope! I use it for range work with rifles. I think it is too big to carry in the field and you need a sturdy camera stand to be able to use the larger magnification available on the scope. It is very well made. The downside? Made In China.

The Celestron Trailseeker 80 gets relatively positive reviews on Amazon and on specialized sites dedicated, for example, to birdwatching. The occasional reviewer is much less positive, noting variously that the focussing mechanism is sloppy, the optical quality is poor, chromatic aberration is substantial and utility of the zoom objective is limited really only to the lowest range. I echo all of these criticisms after a week's use under a range of conditions. I have used many excellent spotting scopes, astronomical telescopes and birder-quality binoculars, and this instrument just doesn't compare. Disappointing.

Always wanted a spotting scope, this one is for Christmas 2016. I was allowed to check it out on arrival, fits on my Feisol carbon tripod perfectly. It is now back in its box until December 25th!!!!Image quality is very good, bright and sharp, slightly darker at maximum magnification, though this is to be expected.Well protected body and the focusing is a breeze to use, the fine focus in particular is very good. I really do like the rotating tripod mount, a simple idea that is really handy as you can rotate the scope to allow the viewer to be at 45 degrees (in fact you can rotate the scope to any angle you require), making this really useful for a slightly shorter person, beats shortening the tripod legs (for the wife). Built in lens hood is also very welcome.Overall very pleased, in my opinion very good value for money, I wished I had purchased one of these sooner.

I bought this as a replacement for an Acuter scope. The Celestron has the advantage of having a dual-speed focuser and the ability to take 1.25inch telescope eyepieces. The scope gives clear, crisp views and is easy to focus, so no complaint on that score. For the price, the optical performance is good.However, the case is cheap and flimsy. Not only that, but the case must be taken off when using the scope. The case supplied with my scope had a broken zip. Only a small thing, but perhaps it says something about quality control.However, the case wasn't the deal breaker. I tried several eyepieces in the scope and couldn't get any of them to focus properly. I think it may have been something to do with the length of the barrels on the eyepieces but I sent the scope back and didn't investigate further.Four stars for the overall quality - minus one for the case.

This was a gift for my husband 's birthday. He has been delighted with the quality and clarity of the lenses.

Great scope

Goods exactly as described. Highly recommended