Yukon Scout 30x50 WA Spotting Scope

I was very sceptical at first about this spotting scope even after doing lots of research. For the price you really can't go wrong and it's cylindrical compact design(compared to binoculars) is, for me, perfect. This tucks away in my (20L) day sack permanently and it goes everywhere with me. I use it for aircraft spotting, and to be honest, it is better for distance work, rather than close work. http://www.imagebam.com/image/799c00338476013 is an image taken with my android phone through the view finder... Taken from the Hogs Back (A31) south of Guildford looking at a Boeing 777(correlated with FlightRadar24) over Hatton Cross on a short final into LHR. As the crow flies that is a distance of 22miles (35km) and the aircraft is visible (centre right), albeit a bit hazy. That is partially down to the optics themselves but also the warm weather conditions creating heat haze.There are a couple of, for want of a better word, negative things I would like to point out if being totally honest. The first is that it takes a while to get used to locking on to what you want to view. There is a sight atop of the scope that you use and once you get used to this you can lock on your target quiet quickly, but be warned, moving targets, ie, birds, aircraft/helicopters can be quite difficult at times. The other point is when locked on to your target, due to the magnification, there is quite a bit of movement within the field of view. To get over this I would recommend propping your scope against a fixed object like a window/door frame or in my case a partially open car window. This helps no end. A week after this arrived I took the plunge and bought a (car) window clamp which mounts directly into the standard 1/4 thread on base of the scope to give a good solid platform to view from. This makes all the difference when spotting.In general, a good lightweight scope that has a rubber surround which make is easy to hold/grip with good magnification...(",)

Very good monocular,can see for miles ,needs to be supported as it can be a bit difficult to hold steady.other than that im a happy shore watcher

The Yukon Scout has X30 magnification and 50mm diameter front lens. It contains image correction so that the image is the correct way up in the eyepiece, otherwise it is like a short telescope. I found that the image quality is good and with plenty of brightness owing to the 50mm diameter front lens. The configuration allows easy focus and a reasonable field of view at 30X, but you should be aware that the shortest sharp focussing distance is about 40 metres. That means if you are watching birds you will probably get a clear 30X image of one in a tree across your next door neighbour's garden, but not in your own garden. However it is great for looking at flocks of birds some distance away in estuaries, etc. Also it is good for watching the action at race meetings, in off-shore sailing regattas, spotting a friend on the beach and reading the names of cruise liners on the horizon. The instrument is a reasonable price via Amazon.co.uk, and, in my view, good value for money. It fits easily into the long side pocket of most small rucksacks. The relatively high 30 X magnification means that you are wise to steady it on a rail, a tripod, or against a tree if you want to get a really steady image, particularly if looking at the moon!

I bought this to replace an old Russian draw tube scope which has had a hard life and is full of dust but still works. I read the glowing reviews and took a punt at this Yukon 30x50. It is very light and handy. It also has a wide field of view. I may have been unlucky, or more likely I got what you would expect for the price and spec. Eye relief is minimal, my eyelashes were curling back into my eyes. In bright light the C.A. fringing is very bad and the image shimmers awfully. In dimmer conditions the image is very dark and full of floaters ( To be expected at 30 x 50) I did these observations at a distance of about two miles of a farm across the valley. Using a rock solid tripod. At this range the image is never crisp eg. Two shipping containers in the farmyard appeared to be just red oblongs and sheep are legless blobs. At short distances the image is somewhat better, but why use a 30x scope to look at your back garden?. The view through the old Russian 20x50 scope & a 12x binocular is vastly better. It may be that the 20 x50 model of this scope would work better, 30x is really too much for a 50mm objective. If all you want is to make things big, this might be for you. If you would like to know WHAT the big things are!!, Buy something else. The seller Picsio were first class and promptly refunded me.

After years of using binoculars, a retinal detachment has meant that I can only effectively use one eye now so a telescope seemed like the perfect solution. I dismissed the really cheap options and decided on this Yukon Scout. The high magnification means you do need to steady it on something, but for me that is not an issue. I live on the side of a hill and use it to spot birds of prey perched in trees, sitting on posts etc. For that, it works great and I welcome the extra magnification provided over my old 10x50 binoculars. Of course, it is still a cheap option, but it is perfect for my budget and requirements.

Yukon Scout 30x50WA (FIXED MAGNIFICATION)Very solid piece of kit, the rubberised coating makes it easy to hold and very light to travel with.The scope has very good, clear optics for the <£50 price range, you will not be disappointed. It came with rubber end-caps and a fits very snug into its carry case, which has a belt loop.If you are buying this item, I would strongly suggest investing in a tripod; due to the 30x magnification, keeping your target steady and centered is quite impossible, as you can imagine.---------------------------------------------Seller:The item ordered was delivered on time and well packaged.Sender missed out on selling me a tripod through not replying to my e-mails....glad I didn't need help with my purchase.