Wildlife has been here with us since we can remember, with humans enjoying interactions where possible.
However, watching wildlife from a safe distance is often preferred because wildlife is sometimes dangerous or out of reach—the problem with this approach used to be the lack of optics to capture safely from such distances.
The problem with wildlife viewing has finally been resolved with spotting scopes providing the necessary range and clarity for wildlife lovers to view their favorite targets.
Spotting scopes are a combination of long-range capabilities and exceptional optical quality.
With each scope having a preferred use, selecting the best scope for your wildlife viewing needs becomes increasingly difficult.
This article considers the selection headache by creating a list of top spotting scopes for wildlife viewing. However, it doesn’t end there as it also contains several helpful information about wildlife viewing scopes.
Vortex Optics Razor HD 22-48×65 Spotting Scope – Angled
Our Top Recommendation for Spotting Scope!
If you enjoy wildlife, you’ll need a spotting scope with excellent image quality at a decent distance to fully explore your passion. Vortex’s Razor HD 22-48×65 spotting scope is the scope you need.
Best Spotting Scopes for Wildlife Viewing
Solve your wildlife viewing worries by choosing from this thoroughly researched list of the best spotting scopes.
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Vortex Optics Razor HD 22-48×65 Spotting Scope – Angled | • Eye Relief is from 0.67 to 0.66 inches • XR Plus anti-reflective • A multi-position eyecup twists | View Price |
 | Vortex Viper HD V502 20-60×85 Spotting Scope – Angled | • High-end optical performance. • XR anti-reflective • O-ring sealed | View Price |
 | Celestron Ultima 22-66×100 Spotting Scope – Angled | • 45° viewing angle • Integrated T-adapter • Every lens surface | View Price |
 | Celestron Ultima 20-60×80 Spotting Scope – Angled | • 80mm objective lens and a 45° viewing angle • Extended tripod mounting plate, • anti-reflective coatings | View Price |
 | Gosky Updated 20-60x80mm Spotting Scope – Angled | • Variable 20x to 60x magnification • View at 82.9-48ft/1000yards • Nitrogen filled waterproof and fog-proof | View Price |
 | Landove 20-60×80 Spotting Scope – Angled | • High definition 80mm • Magnification 20X-60X • High quality material | View Price |
 | Emarth 20-60x60AE Spotting Scope – Angled | • Adjustable 20x to 60x magnification • Fully Multi-coated Lens • Waterproof Fogproof | View Price |
1. Vortex Optics Razor HD 22-48×65 Spotting Scope – Angled
This Vortex HD scope comes with a magnification of 22-48x and tops our list of best wildlife spotting scopes.
Such power levels are great for targeting 100-150 yards. However, wildlife lovers do not need extreme magnification ranges, since they can stay at a safe distance to view all their targets.
The objective lens size of the scope is set at 65mm. At this size, enough light enters the lens and ensures bright images.
At 91.2 ounces, this scope is hefty but compact at 7 inches long. The angled eyepiece makes it easier to view and share with others.
Its green body is made from composite materials and covered with extra rubber armor. As a result, vortex Razor HD is highly durable and wouldn’t break easily.
Since it is O-ring sealed and purged with argon, you’ll also enjoy its fog-proof and waterproof qualities.
This scope delivers fantastic quality because of the high-definition triplet apochromatic lens. The resolution and color identification is further boosted with the anti-reflective coating on the lens. However, reflection and glare are big issues regarding wildlife viewing, which is why an extendable sunshade is included in the scope.
It has fully multi-coated lenses with XR and armortek coatings, which improve features like lens durability. In addition, the mounting collar is adjustable to allow you to view it from multiple angles.
Pros & Cons Vortex Optics Razor HD 22-48×65 Spotting Scope
Pros
- Magnification of 22-48x
- Objective lens diameter of 65mm
- A fully multi-coated lens with XR and Armortek coatings
- HD triplet apochromatic lens
- Durable composite body with rubber armor
- Impressive resolution and color identification
Cons
- Not affordable
- Extremely heavy
Also Read: 4 Best Gosky Spotting Scope to Buy {Buyer’s Guide}
2. Vortex Viper HD V502 20-60×85 Spotting Scope – Angled
This vortex viper scope has a magnification range of 20-60x, quickly covering over 300 yards. It has a spiral focus collar ring with a close focus distance of 36 feet. The objective lens size is fixed at 85mm for improved brightness.
The scope weighs 76.6 ounces and is 17.5 inches long, making it bulky and heavy. However, this is not surprising considering the scope’s large objective lens.
It sports good eye relief of 19.6 to17.8mm and a field of view of 101-50ft at 1000 yards. You’ll find that the scope can function in wet conditions as it is both waterproof and fog-proof due to the O-ring sealing system and argon-purged tube.
Vortex viper HD 20-60×85 uses a Bak-4 glass with fully multi-coated lenses. The glass is high definition with extra-low dispersion qualities that reduces light reflection and improves image quality.
Some helpful coatings on the scope lens are XR, dielectric, and Armortek, among others.
Pros & Cons Vortex Viper HD V502 20-60×85 Spotting Scope
Pros
- Magnification of 20-60x
- Objective lens diameter of 85mm
- Fully multi-coated lenses with XR, dielectric, and Armortek coatings
- Bak-4 prism glass
- Good eye relief
- Helical focus collar ring for smooth adjustments
- HD and extra-low dispersion glass
Cons
- Heavy
3. Celestron Ultima 22-66×100 Spotting Scope – Angled
Here’s another angled eyepiece that is easy to use without the need to strain when viewing through the lens. Celestron Ultima with 22-66x Magnification will cover a slightly higher viewing distance than the previously listed scope.
This Celestron Ultima’s huge objective lens of 100mm is the most prominent feature of this wildlife-viewing spotting scope. The large objective lens makes viewing even in low light conditions possible, with surplus light entering at all times.
This Celestron Ultima scope is affordable and comes with several essentials like a zoom eyepiece fitted with an integrated T-adapter for digiscoping, an eyepiece lens cap, an extended tripod mounting plate, and an eyepiece cap, among other things.
It weighs 72 ounces, which is a shock considering its large objective lens. However, Celestron can reduce its overall weight by using lightweight materials for the body. Filling the tube with dry nitrogen gas and sealing it makes it waterproof and fog-proof.
The large focus dial on the scope makes focusing precise, allowing you to quickly zero in on your target. In addition, it features multi-coated lenses for improved viewing. Your purchase is also covered by Celestron’s two years “no-fault” warranty and a lifetime of technical support.
Pros & Cons Celestron Ultima 22-66×100 Spotting Scope
Pros
- Magnification of 22-66x
- Objective lens diameter of 100m
- Multi-coated lenses
- It comes with several additional materials
- Good warranty
- Fogproof and waterproof design
Cons
- Heavy and bulky
4. Celestron Ultima 20-60×80 Spotting Scope – Angled
Similar to the scope above but with a smaller objective lens, Celestron Ultima has another entry with 20-60x Magnification. Distances of 150 to over 300 yards are covered conveniently with this power level.
The objective lens of 80mm is enough to get the desired light into the tube. The eye relief for this scope is good at 18 mm and a wide field of view of 105-53 feet at 1000 yards depending on the Magnification.
It sports a manual focus that may take longer to dial precisely. The reflex finder scope improves the aiming speed.
The scope uses a Bak-4 prism with its multi-coated lens to enhance the quality of the image. The foldable rubber eyecup allows wildlife viewers to keep their glasses on without losing clarity.
It weighs 57 ounces, which is lightweight considering its features, especially the objective lens. Color fringes occur at higher magnification, so it might be best to stick to lower power levels if you want clear color identification.
It is covered by Celestron’s two years warranty, ensuring you get support if damages occur.
Pros & Cons Celestron Ultima 20-60×80 Spotting Scope
Pros
- Magnification of 20-60x
- Objective lens diameter of 80mm
- Multi-coated lenses
- Bak-4 prism glass
- Lightweight
- Affordable
- Good eye relief
Cons
- Color fringes at higher Magnification
Read More: 4 Best Celestron Spotting Scope Review
5. Gosky Updated 20-60x80mm Spotting Scope – Angled
Clean, simple, and straight to the point are some qualities of this Gosky updated scope.
Its Magnification is 20-60x, while its objective lens size is 80mm. Light is essential to a scope’s clarity, and a large objective lens provides the required light. The scope comes with the quality bak-4 prism and fully multi-coated lenses.
Digiscoping is available with this scope as it comes with a disciple adapter so you can view and record beautiful wildlife moments on your smartphone.
The body is modified to ensure waterproof and fog-proof quality. Fog, especially, tends to clog the lenses and obstruct vision. A tube that can resist this effect is highly beneficial.
The extra rubber armor that improves the scope’s durability also features a non-slip grip, so the scope does not accidentally slip out from your hands.
The field of view for this Gosky scope is 83 to 48 feet at 1000 yards, which may not be the best, but it is decent, especially for lower power levels.
You can slide the extendable sunshade to protect the lens from rain or reduce glare. It weighs 69.3 ounces which is on the heavy side of things.
Pros & Cons Gosky Updated 20-60x80mm Spotting Scope
Pros
- Magnification of 20-60x
- Objective lens diameter of 80mm
- Fully multi-coated lenses
- Bak-4 prism glass
- Extendable sunshade
- Affordable
Cons
- Reduced image quality at higher power levels
- A small field of view
6. Landove 20-60×80 Spotting Scope – Angled
Landove may not be a famous spotting scope brand, but this Landove scope with a magnification of 20-60x makes our list.
The magnification range is ideal for spotting wildlife as this is the typical distance to view most wildlife safely.
Its objective lens size is 80mm, with its clean build standing out. A green film covers the objective lens to protect it from dirt.
Digiscoping adapter is available to attach your phone to the eyepiece and record moments.
You’ll find the additional eyepiece in the scope’s package quite helpful if the original eyepiece gets damaged.
Other materials like hand straps, cleaning cloths, and more are available. The hand strap makes it easy to carry the scope around.
You don’t have to stop using the scope because the weather is wet, as the scope is both waterproof and fog-proof.
The optical clarity is one of the best features in this scope, with clear images, quick focusing, and good color representation – the bak-4 prism glass helps in this regard.
However, the eye relief and field of view are not great at 14.5-11.5mm and 82.9-48 feet at 1000 yards, respectively.
Pros & Cons Landove 20-60×80 Spotting Scope
Pros
- Magnification of 20-60x
- Objective lens diameter of 80mm
- Multi-coated lenses
- Good optical clarity
- Affordable
- Durable
Cons
- Poor eye relief
- Heavy at 72.16 ounces
7. Emarth 20-60x60AE Spotting Scope – Angled
Emarth with 20-60x Magnification keeps in line with most of the other scopes on this list. The objective lens here l, however, is smaller when compared to the others at 60mm. This will naturally mean less light entering the scope. As a result, this Emarth scope is best suited for use in bright light during the day.
It weighs slightly above 55 ounces and features fully multi-coated lenses. It sports an excellent eye relief of 19.5-18mm, ensuring you can easily view through this scope without straining – further helped by the angled eyepiece of the scope.
Also, the prism used is efficient bak-4 Porro prism glass which can have a noticeable difference in the image quality. A dual focus wheel fitted to this scope helps to focus the scope and attain precision quickly.
Durability is a vital quality of the Emarth 20-60x60AE Spotting scope, with the body enjoying extra rubber armor protection and a retractable sunshade to protect the lens.
In addition, it is an O-ring sealed and purged with nitrogen, so dirt, water, fog, and impurities do not find their way into the scope.
To crown it all, this product, even though affordable, is still covered by the Emarth lifetime VIP customer support.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Magnification of 20-60x
- Objective lens size of 60mm
- Shockproof, fog proof, and waterproof features
- Lifetime VIP customer support
- Extremely affordable
- Lightweight
- Fully multi-coated lenses
Cons
- Poor focus wheel quality
Also Read: 4 Best Simmons Spotting Scope {Expert Choice}
Buyers Guide
While the scopes above cover a wide range of features, prices, and brands, you may decide to research and come up with a more proper spotting scope for your needs. Here’s how you can purchase the proper spotting scope for wildlife:
Magnification
Wildlife viewing involves spitting targets at a safe distance where you are far from harm. Therefore, the scope’s magnification should be far enough to cover this distance.
The typical magnification of wildlife viewing scopes is between 20-60x. However, this is not the ultimate, and you can select the most fitting range.
Lens
When it comes to the lens, lens type, size, coatings, and more are some of the smaller factors affecting its efficiency. You must consider the type of glass and if it can produce clear images.
Apochromatic lenses are great since they have unique color identification. For Porro prism glasses, Bak-4 is the go-to choice.
When it comes to objective lens size, you want a large extent if you’ll be viewing in low light conditions and utilizing high magnification levels.
Size
The size of your spotting scope is essential, including the weight. Heavy scopes will be challenging to move, even more so when your wildlife viewing requires you to move frequently.
More compact scopes make it possible to move them around in your gear bag.
Digiscoping
The ability to record your views using your smartphone has become quite popular. However, not all spotting scopes have these features.
For your wildlife viewing, it becomes even more important to record as some sittings are rare and fascinating. Therefore, getting a scope with digiscoping abilities is essential.
FAQ’s For Wildlife Viewing
People always have questions about wildlife viewing scopes. However, some questions are more frequent than others. Here are some of the frequently asked questions:
When it comes to wildlife viewing on land, straight eyepieces provide the best view.
60x is usually the maximum you’ll need for normal wildlife viewing. It can cover distances of 600 yards. The lower threshold can be anything above 15x.
Summary
The type of spotting scope you choose for wildlife viewing depends on your needs. Some may require a more comprehensive view; others may find color identification more critical.
Knowing what to look for is a great way to choose the proper spotting scope for wildlife viewing.
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