GoskyTitan 12X50 Monocular Telescope with Smartphone Holder - Waterproof Fog-Proof Shockproof Scope BAK-4 Prism FMC for Bird Watching Hunting Camping Traveling Wildlife Scenery

This is the real deal! I just got this today in preparation for our Canadian Rockies trip next week and it needed no “breaking in”. Easy peasy. Of course I also read the itsy bitsy manual first to ensure I do it right. Don’t believe the nay sayers on how this doesn’t work. It does! Don’t blame the product for human error, guys! Ok so here’s the lowdown.Great picture quality for such great distance! Of course you can’t expect super crisp photos when you’re “zoomed” from that far. Let’s be realistic and remember this is not even $80!Very easy to install/use - like I said - easy peasy. I have the iPhone X. Make sure you line it up with the top camera as the iPhone X has two cameras.Has some weight to it but not bad. Tip: Once you’ve focused the lens, hold the monocular from under with your left hand (if you’re a rightie) and the phone with your right hand, clip your arms to your sides (never stretch out your arms or take a photo with your arms away from your body), hold as still as you can, and snap gently.Good quality - I really think this will last a good while.And lastly, I find that I am still able to text even with the attachment on (without the monocular of course coz that will be heavy but I suppose I still can). This way I am able to more quickly set it up if I need to capture something in a rush. Just attach the attachment just right under the volume buttons on the left. Don’t go any higher than that as it will squeeze the buttons and you end up with a silent phone. Past it and you might also end up like me - accidentally sending out an SOS to the police! (When you hold the power button down for 5 seconds it makes an emergency call for help! - I hope the police don’t show up now! Oops! Haha)See my two photos and see for yourself just how much closer it will bring your subjects for a photo! It’s insane!

Very cool item. Clarity is amazing. Very strong, well balanced and comfortable to hold. I love that the eye peace can be adjusted if you wear glasses so you can leave them on. Very powerful scope and with your phone camera attached you can zoom in even more. The clarity is amazing. No fogging. I've used it in the rain and all types of weather. No issues at all. I've had many scopes in the past, this one by far is the best I've ever had. I researched many monocular before I purchased this one. I definitely made the right choice. I have been using this all summer. Love it, lots of fun. I had a small imperfection on the larger lens. I contacted the seller less than 2 days later I was sent a replacement. No questions asked They told to keep the original 0ne, no need to send back. Amazing seller. When I first contacted the seller I had a response in a very short time. I have had several conversations via email. Alan, from the service team, great guy by the way, was incredibly helpful. Look no further. This is the monocular you want. Again unbeatable, amazing customer service (literally the best I have ever dealt with) and of course the monocular is amazing.

The media could not be loaded. This monocular works very well under the right conditions. A tripod is highly recommended if you want clear and stable shots. The monocular has a 1/4" screw hole for mounting it. So far I am very happy with what I've achieved with this device.The smartphone holder is a little finicky, but it works. The one I received does not match the one that is shown in the description/picture. The one in the picture has a screw for tightening the smartphone in place, mine does not. Instead it uses internal springs to grip the phone in place. Not sure what that's all about (probably an older model?). I already had an incident where I accidentally bumped into it making it get it out of alignment, and I had to mess around with it again. Plus the way the smartphone holder mounts to the monocular doesn't feel secure. It only uses a single screw to tighten and holds onto the monocular by gripping it, there is no screw hole. I'm worried someday it might just slip off. I may get the better upgraded one in the future.Once the smartphone is perfectly aligned, open your camera app, and you will see a black surrounding circle. Zoom in a little to get rid of it. With the tripod that I have, I was able to get a nice shot/video of a bird on my family's bird feeder. The first picture is from my phone without anything attached (you can see the bird feeder in the distance). The video is with the monocular and the smartphone holder. The monocular has a fixed zoom and can focus manually if need to. Although the video clip isn't perfect (forgot to turn off auto-focus in the camera app), it still looks great! Much better then what I was expecting!As the monocular is also designed for using while holding in the hand, I will probably never use it that way, unless you have a VERY steady hand, it will be very shaky. For me using a tripod is the better way to go.

As many other reviewers have noted, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this monocular. Most importantly, the image is sharp, clear, and bright - better than I expected at this price point. It compares well with binoculars we have that are much more expensive. For it's price I'd give it 5 stars; even not considering its price, I'd give it 4 stars. (Monoculars three times more expensive have SLIGHTLY better images and wider field of view).The magnification is just right for backyard bird-viewing. It comes with a carrying case and while it's not the lightest monocular on the market, it's light enough to take on a day hike and has better images than lighter, comparatively priced models. .The instrument feels solid and well-made. Friendly customer support.I played around with the iPhone holder that is included. It's useable, but finicky. Not a major concern of mine. If that's your main reason for purchasing, you might be better off buying a telescopic lens specifically fitted for your phone.One other note: I got this because I have Lasik correction with one eye for distance and one for reading. It makes binoculars unpleasant - monocular works much better.