20 Best Low Light Hunting Scope (2023 Updated)

Went birding today and was able to do a back to back comparison between the Celestron and an 80mm Swarovski. Now that’s not a fair comparison coz the Celestron in a bigger heavier scope but on the other hand the Swarovski does cost more than twice as much.

So visually which was better? Smaller high end or bigger mid range quality? Well it was not even close! Celestron for the win. Day and night brighter and just as crisp. (both scopes were focused on two bald eagles in a tree at 400 yds) The build quality on the Celestron is nice but not as nice as the Swarovski and the Celestron IS bigger and heavier but in my opinion, carrying a scope and a tripod is a pain so what’s an extra pound? And if you are going to park it in one place, it’s a no brainer unless you want to drop $3k on a 115mm Swarovski which I suspect is even better.

A well built spotting scope with clear optics, a sturdy tripod mounting plate and a sensible carry case. The focussing system works well and the scope can be rotated on its tripod mounting so the angled eyepiece can be used from above, below, left or right.

For me, despite the 100mm objective lens, the magnification (stated as 22-67x) doesn’t get beyond about 34x before the light (and thus clarity) drops off. As you might expect, this is a bulky & heavy item.

I bought an adapter ring to attach my Nikon D750 SLR. All together this set-up gets very heavy and a sturdy tripod is essential. I’ve been slightly disappointed by the image quality I get “digiscoping” with the SLR.

The vignetting is significant but the major problem is blurring/distortion across all but the very centre of the image. It has been interesting to see how important the DSLR lenses are in minimising distortion and surprising to see that my mobile phone takes a better picture through the spotting scope eyepiece.

That’s not to dismiss the scope which is a very capable, if rather pricey, gadget.

I bought four scopes: one low price of the medium price range, one in the high in the medium price range and two low in the high price range. Yes, to be fair, I put this guy against the Nikon Monarch 82mm, the Kowa TSN-773 77mm and the Kowa TSN-883 88mm.

Two stars for the ability to see distant objects and the included case (I did not unpackage). Difficult to focus, stiff focusing. Not much light coming in to the eye. H E A V Y. I’m going to spend at least $500 more for better optics (ED vs, HD), less weight and easier focusing.

Tomorrow, with hope, it will be a typical PNW low light day and I can get out to compare the other scopes.

Having this Great Tripod is very easy to use I have both the Celestron Travel Scope 70 Telescope and the Orion GoScope III Telescope I attach the quick release plate that came with the Tripod to my Celestron Travel Scope 70 Telescope and I bought from Celestron an extra quick release plate to attach on the Orion GoScope III Telescope both work great on the Tripod.

In my opinion the Celestron Hummingbird Fast Action Pan / Tilt Head Tripod is excellent and fantastic. It’s one of the Best and Excellent Tripod to use with my Telescopes.

Glass is clear. Adjustment is easy. Can find focus quickly. Scope is heavy and appears to be well built. The case is very nice and should protect the optic well. Not particularly thrilled with the tripod, but it is typical of spotters at this price point.

The option to swivel the eyepiece to allow viewing from various angles is a plus. At this time, I am pleased with this purchase.

I was skeptical when I purchased this product because I am used to purchasing Nikon, Burris, and Vortex optics and wasn’t familiar with Athlon Optics. Skepticism squashed when I mounted it on the tripod and looked through it.

Excellent quality spotting scope at a great price! For use sighting in my rifles at 400 yards, I won’t have to walk down to the targets anymore to see if I hit them. It’s that clear! Two thumbs up from this guy!.

Great for the price. I have not gotten it wet yet or too dusty but there is a fairly good field of view at 1000yd, with good detail and low chromatic aberration. Yes, there are better scopes, but for the money you get a bright, clear scope that is also lightweight because it’s not heavy-duty.

The mounting thread is exactly under the center of weight, and that is an important issue, that was not touched in other reviews. Do not take this for granted because it is not in any product out there.

Before I bought a Barska 30-90×100 WP Gladiator Spotting Scope (Straight Viewing). Other people complained about the visual quality of that Barska. I was lucky: My optics were good. The problem was that the center of weight was at some distance from the mounting thread.

I do not have expensive tripods. My basic tripod has ultralight weight, and to lock the position, I had to fasten for that Barska as tight as possible. This may wear the plastic pieces quite fast. I liked the 100mm objective lens of the Barska, and maximum zoom of 90, for only $219 (after savings), but the product’s weight of 6.

3 pounds was too much for my fragile light weight tripod, and the middle age overweight man that I am. I am carrying these things for miles, alongside with tent, sleeping bag, food, bridge camera Nikon P900 etc.

Because the center of weight did not overlap the mounting thread, that Barska lowered face down as soon the thread was not tight locked. If you have a sturdy heavy tripod and you install it near your car, you may want to consider the Barska 30-90×100 WP Gladiator.

Back to ZEISS Dialyt 18-45×65 Field Spotter Spotting Scope, it weighs only 42 ounces and the mounting thread is exactly under the center of weight. It is so well positioned in perfect equilibrium, that I can keep loose the fastener of my ultralight, little plastic tripod.

The Zeiss Dialyt Spotter is an all-purpose optic, at only 16″ in length it fits easily into my daypack or 22″ roller. Well armored and simple to operate; focus and power selection. Heavy rubber end-caps cover the eyepiece and objective tethered by a strap.

Done This is my new travel piece supplanting my Zeiss 65T which of course needs a tripod to be effective. The image is terrific, especially for something that removes all doubt of what you are looking at.

8X42 binoculars are great, but oft leave a bit of mystery as to what exactly one is viewing. This nails it and requires a simple lean against something stable to steady it. The tripod mount expands its usefulness placing it on equal footing with the 65T or others in that category.

I had the scope for about a week. The optics is pretty good. There is some CA which is noticeable. When in focus CA is not that objectionable. When the focus is a bit off or for foreground and background objects CA is clearly visible as green and cyan fringing.

For me the deal breaker ended up being usability. Yes, it is intended to be thrown in a backpack which is why I bought it, and yes putting it on some padded rest does work. But the focusing ring is pretty stiff probably to keep the scope sealed and by design it is up front so reaching over the 15 inch length of the scope to grab the objective ring while keeping the scope pointed at what you want to see makes getting a sharp focus at high mags eventually pretty tiresome.

So this is really a special purpose scope for backpacking, hunting, etc. applications where the ruggedness of the design may make the compromises described above acceptable. It did not for me.

This scope had a lot of good reviews even in my area of interest which was firing range. I pre-tested it at the job the other day to see if I will be able to see the bullet holes in my targets from my Colt M4 rifle.

Excellent views at 50 and 100 yds with clear views of all the holes during light sprinkling rain and overcast darker late afternoon light. Harder to make out the holes at 200 yds but it was already fairly dark by then and I’m pretty sure if I use something like the Champion brand targets with fluorescent colored paint (?) that shows up when your rounds hit it I’ll be able to see the hit points with no problem.

I was thinking if the zoom/clarity wasn’t good enough I would return it for the next higher priced model, but I don’t need to bother. This is gonna serve me just fine for 200yds or closer. Note: at 100yds I could see the keyhole on a doorknob pretty darn well.

That should help give you an idea if you don’t know what 5. 56 bullet holes look like on paper targets. Also, can see pretty much the whole target in the view so you don’t have to move the scope around to look for hit points on about a 3’x3′ target at all three distances.

This is a great first scope for me–and maybe the last one, too. :).

I needed a spotting scope that I could keep in my shooting bag rather than using my spotting scope that I use for hunting. I was skeptical at first as I’d never heard of the brand before. What caught my interest was the fact that this had Multi coated lens.

There was a larger objective model for a bit less, but it only had Fully coated lens. The multi coating helps make this a very clear scope. It worked well and I didn’t need to run down range with binos to check my groups.

The tripod is a bit cheesy but, for the price, I wasn’t buying it for the tripod or case. I think I’d even use it for hunting, as long as I didn’t carry it in my pack like I do my old Bushnell from the 70’s.

That scope is as tough as nails. This one seems to be patterned very similar but with the Multi Coated lens. In the video provided, You can see I placed it on top of a much taller tripod.

I purchased this product for use in sighting in rifles and observing targets up to 300 meters. The scope comes with a small tripod and a protective case. The scope focuses well and is useful for range work up to 300 meters.

I noticed, however, that one of the lenses has numerous small bubble like imperfections. This flaw does not interfere with focusing, however it is something I was surprised to see from a product manufactured by Barska.

Since the scope works well I decided not to go through the hassle of exchanging the scope for another one (it had to be shipped). In any event, I still recommend this scope.

I just picked this up. I suggest a photographers tripod. A good one with vertical movement swivel and tilt. Included pod was really a toy. Case and bag awesome. Careful not to screw out the zoom optics.

The less expensive one was not waterproof or fog proof. A must for cold trail work. I ware glasses and when off the scope was fine. Happy spotting. In store price was 20 less expensive.

Using for the shooting range. Able to clearly see. 30 holes at 100 yds at 20&40x. Scoped steel targets out to 300 yds. Not sure how well I would be able to see bullet holes at that distance but I think I would be able to see them at 200 or so.

I did find it a little difficult to get clear focus at 60x but it wasn’t bad. I saw on a shooting or hunting forum that when you get close to the good focus point you should turn the fine focus knob slightly back and forth and it helps to let your eye adjust.

That seemed to work. I was shooting on a bright day w the sun to the north west so there was quite a bit of glare. Got this mostly so I didn’t have to walk a hundred yds every three shots to clearly see where I’m hitting.

So it worked well for that. Overall I’m happy. I probably could have gotten away with the model that was $19 cheaper. Wasn’t really positive about the difference between the two. For the price I would recommend this scope or the other cheaper Barska model.

Sorry for the long review. I’ll be basing the star review on what I’m using it for.

It’s obviously not a high end spotting scope, however, for the price it’s a good piece of glass. It came, as advertised, with both a soft and hard case, which is great because it can be packed and thrown in the back of the truck without worry of it bouncing around and getting damaged.

The images are clear and light pass through is really good. Definitely a good deal if you need a lower priced spotter.

We are using this for deer hunting. It works great! Compact, easy to carry, great visuals. Excellent price. Very happy with this purchase.

This scope is affordable, very well designed, and it has very sharp images, even at higher magnification. It’s versatile with a range of tripod heads, which is hard to find on most other scopes. I don’t notice any vignetting while looking through the glass, and, as an eyeglass wearer, the eye relief is very comfortable.

I haven’t experienced any eyestrain! I’m new to spotting scopes, but I did a lot of research/reading. I had debated other brands that have scored superb ratings, but I wanted something more affordable but also of excellent quality.

To me, this scope meets my needs.

I really liked how the scope looked and felt in the hand. Very pleasing and smooth focus wheel. The sunshade needed two hands (?) in order to pull out, so if I ever needed to use that, I would be quite frustrated because it is so tight, the entire scope would move off the target.

That complaint may be unique to the model I got, not sure. I did find substantial loss of light upon magnification above 50x. and even in very good lighting conditions, it got darker than I would like.

Overall, I liked it a lot. And if the eyepiece (which I rated at 3 stars mainly because of the poor eye relief at magnification – 16. 5-17mm) had consistent eye-relief at 18mm. this may have been the scope for the remainder of my birding life.

But I’m moving on: Zeiss and Swaro are next up.

Haven’t been able to really put it to the test. But from what I can tell so far seems to be a very nice spotting scope. Nice field of view. Seem to be clear. Easy to adjust. Bright. Looking forward to getting them out to do some real testing.

After about 22x the image really starts to degrade severely in sharpness. Skip this and get some alpha glass 15x binos. Needs a little more eye-relief for Eyeglass wearers. At 33x your glasses will have to be touching its glass.

The rubber lip around the eyepiece (which I must fold down for my glasses) became weather-checked VERY rapidly. And cracked off. And with as little as I’ve actually used it in field conditions while hunting, that’s just sad.

I’m more impressed with the image sharpness off my newly purchased used alpha-tier-glass binos than that of this spotting scope. It’s great for firing or archery range though. But I’m already researching replacing it with like a 14-45x 65mm or possibly one similar to this one that goes up to 45x thats made with the flourite glass.

But. that having been said as long as you’re not trying to perceive whether or not a spike buck happens to have just enough of a nub on his antler to hang a ring off of it at 250yds+. and you’re specifically looking for something for backpack hunting.

it’s possible you might like this one. I’d use high quality 15’s before I’d bother with this though, honestly.

It ranges well and it’s nice to have the red display, but I found unless you turn the brightness down quite a bit, it washes the image out since it is backlit and not red oled. I had a sig kilo1800bdx that I should have never gotten rid of.

This is not a kilo! It feels much cheaper and the washing out issue is not apparent in the kilos. Great cheap rangefinder but I ended up buying a kilo again and selling this one.

Super easy to use, very accurate. Has really made a difference in my 200 plus yard shooting accuracy. Easy to setup and takes up very little space. I highly recommend for the price.

A decent lens of any sort is never really cheap. This is a well made product at a good price. Most people will prefer binoculars but this is half the size and does not have some of the issues binoculars can have coming out of alignment.

Simpler to use than binoculars this is a good choice if you don’t mind using 1 eye with the reduced field of view and want less weight and size. Construction is good enough to survive a few knocks and cheap enough that you can replace it if it gets damaged, lost etc.

In comparison with much more expensive glass you don’t notice much of a difference unless you can compare them side by side. Functional rather than an object of desire. Remove 1 star if you are the sort of person who must have the best and can afford it.

It does have some level of aberrations if you look for them and it is sharper in the centre than at the edge.

This is an excellent high quality monocular which is easy to use and focus to produce a clear sharp image. It’s definitely sturdy but I wouldn’t say it’s particularly lightweight although that’s not really an issue for me.

I’m very pleased with the monocular (I’ve just bought a second one as a present for my dad’s birthday) and I’m happy to recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a good quality monocular which doesn’t break the bank.

Great quality and great price. The monocular is easy to focus and give a clear and sharp image. 8 x 42 is ideal as I’ve found greater magnification harder to view at the greater distance without carrying a cumbersome tri pod for stability.

Hawk is a great and established make producing rifle scopes also (which I have).

I received this sight as a gift. Good choice. I found it easy to sight in. First on a shotgun for spring turkey, then a crossbow for fall archery (deer). I tested it throughout the seasons and it remained true.

Verified the range finder in the scope with a standalone rangefinder and found it to be very accurate. Video recording worked without any issues. Ultimately I judge equipment like this based on performance.

I ranged and recording multiple turkeys and deer but I pulled the trigger just three times. Kill shots each time. Is there a learning curve? Yes. My best analogy for this sight: it’s like transitioning from a regular film camera to a digital camera.

If you understand the basics of any scope, range finder and video recorder, you will adjust to the Omega quickly. I also had a question about the sight and customer service responded quickly.

I received this sight as a gift. Good choice. I found it easy to sight in. First on a shotgun for spring turkey, then a crossbow for fall archery (deer). I tested it throughout the seasons and it remained true.

Verified the range finder in the scope with a standalone rangefinder and found it to be very accurate. Video recording worked without any issues. Ultimately I judge equipment like this based on performance.

I ranged and recorded multiple turkeys and deer but I pulled the trigger just three times. Kill shots each time. Is there a learning curve? Yes. My best analogy for this sight: it’s like transitioning from a regular film camera to a digital camera.

If you understand the basics of any scope, range finder and video recorder, you will adjust to the Omega quickly. I also had a question about the sight and customer service responded quickly.

I used the Omega II on my crossbow in 2021 and absolutely loved it so much, that I moved it to my 410 shotgun this year for spring turkey. I purchased the Omega III for my crossbow in 2023. It is a great sight and does exactly what I need it to do.

As a hunter with a significant disability (quadriplegic) I am able to operate the sight independently by using the two button remote. Now I can sight, range and video independently with no worries about eye relief.

I’m very new to spotting scopes and will be using it for birds n nature viewing only. I was a bit hesitant and confused due to overwhelming options of budget spotting scopes and their optical performance.

After reading numerous review I finally decided to go for Barska, and it was a great decision. Optically it is excellent at 20mm and acceptable at 60mm. However the build quality is not very great. Finish around the objective lens is poor as u can see the threads and perhaps glue on it.

Eyepiece is clear and zoom ring is quite hard but may become smoother over time. Focus ring is smooth and have a feeling of precision. Overall if u r not going to use it for extraordinary works, it is surprisingly good for casual viewing.

Light weight. Portable and great optical quality Real life magnification: I’m not much into numbers. I measure 200 mtr by foot step to my car from my room window and easily can read the number plates in night street light.

Bright light source in the dark background does show some purple fringes and degradation in the edges of light source which is more noticeable at 60mm and barely noticeable at 20mm. Tripod included is not very good, very short and limited usable, but overall it is ok since the prime concern in this package is the scope itself.

Barska should make tripod optional as I’m sure a lot of people never gona use the one came with it.

I have only used this scope once since I received it. However I had a good experience with it. I am very satisfied with the construction and the quality of the material it is made with. Setting it up for 100 yards was easy and stable after being adjusted.

I did not use the try pod that came with the scope. But the quality appears to have the same quality manufacturing as the scope. It was a great buy for me. I am very satisfied with the spotting scope.

It works great. I was hoping it would improve my aim. But it didn’t LOL Great scope.

I have used this quite a few times as a target spotting scope and for general viewing. I don’t have any experience with high end scopes but am very impressed with this one. I can spot small animals such as groundhogs at over 500 yards clearly.

On the range there is no problem using it to spot. I have only used it at 200 yards for target shooting but I am sure you could, at the very least, use it out to 300 yards easily.

I tried this spotting scope on my carbon fiber tripod. The built in mount works fine with my ball head. The scope was pretty good up to about 45x. After that, it gets a bit shaky even on a solid tripod.

Also at 60x my eye had to be almost against the rear lens (eye cups retracted) to be able to see the full view. Both the clarity and the light transmission are similar to a low end binocular when zoomed to 60x.

I think this scope will be fine for my intended purpose of checking targets at a distance. Basically it is a somewhat inexpensive scope and you get what you pay for. It is made in China. I used both this and my high end Swarovski 15×56 SLC binocs (which cost almost 4x this scope) to look at a mountain range in the distance.

Obviously the binocs were not as powerful, but they offered a much more detailed and illuminated view than the scope. The scope does come with a neoprene cover that can be left on while using it, but needs to be pulled back in order to extend the sun shade, which is built into the front of the scope.

I chose the straight version of this scope and am glad I did as aiming it is more intuitive. The only reason I could see for buying the angled version is for looking at stars or maybe birds in high trees (angled scopes help when looking up at things, and straight is better for everything else.

I’m guessing that any 60x scope really needs a larger lens than 85mm in order to allow in enough light. Would I buy again – Probably. Because it serves my purpose of checking targets, plus it is kinda fun to be able to zoom in on mountains, birds, cactus etc.

Absolutely amazed at the clarity and low light performance even at max 60X !!! I bought this to replace an aging spotting scope I had for 20 years. My focus was Elk Hunting (definite low light) and range use.

I received the Diamondback HD scope today. The quality, construction, and workmanship is superb. The design is well thought out and engineered. Now for the initial test, glass , and performance. This was a low light afternoon, thunderstorms and rain (crummy conditions to test any scope).

I used a mountain saddle 4 miles away for a testing gauge. I started low and worked from 20 to 60X stopping to check clarity, operation, and light gathering. All the way from 20-60 crystal clear, no chromic or other abortions, and no fringe distortion!! Amazing.

!! I could pick out and clearly see individual pinion pine branches and greenery. Tested at 3 and 1 mile as well. Even better results. I would definitely see deer or elk. I have not had the Diamondback at the range yet (another write up to follow), but based on the initial performance I’m sure scope will work well at 100 or 1000 yds plus.

I shoot PRS out past 1000 yds (wanted optics to support). Features: Besides great engineering, the design, removable eye piece, rubber scope caps, extendable eye piece and sun shade, and neoprene cover (all included), make this the “Bange for your Buck” and top performer!!! I have diamond back binoculars as well (awesome).

Vortex is “spot on” w/ price, value, construction, and performance. Great job Vortex!!!.

My review is based on expectations, I am an avid animal watcher and have high end optics. I wanted a light scope that would fit in my daypack and accompany me on hikes. I wanted an angled scope that I could rotate allowing my wife to easily view any object of interest (I have a height advantage).

I wanted an easily packed scope that I could take with me to the gun range. This scope does all I expected and wanted. If you want to use a scope in low light (evenings and mornings), this is not the scope for you.

You will need to significantly increase the amount of money you spend.

I’m very pleased with the scope. I don’t use it on a tripod, I prefer to rest it on a towel, on a ledge. I honestly can’t see the point of the sturdy metal box, too solid to carry around, perhaps this could have been omitted and more money spent on the lens.

It’s very light and is a great help in spotting birds at up to 200 metres. You can see their eyes and very small distinguishing marks. The fabric case it comes in is a tight fit. It takes some time to get used to the focus when going from X 20 to X 60, but you do get used to it.

All in all a very good buy. Excellent next day delivery.

I have become a member at a local WWT site and my small binoculars weren’t really up to the job. I was considering a telescope but couldn’t afford the prices being asked by the top end brands but this one caught my eye.

The price of the Celestron 60mm zoom refractor spotter was affordable at £75. It arrived in just 2 days by standard post. The spotter comes in a solid aluminium carry case but inside this is a lighter padded case to carry it about along with the small tripod supplied with it.

This tripod, although basic is very sturdy and once set up keeps the spotter fixed on what you want to look at. I’ve only had chance to use this in the garden but have been very impressed by the sharpness of the image.

At 20 x zoom the image is nice and bright. As you increase the zoom the image does darken but I was expecting this from other reviews. Have used it to look at the moon and was very pleased with the detail I could see.

Very impressed with the spotter.

I have had this C 90 spotting scope for about two weeks and I have put it through multiple tests. For terrestrial viewing is truly fantastic. For astronomy it performs just as good as two other six-inch and 10 inch telescopes I own.

I could see the rings of Saturn extremely clear. I could see Jupiter and its cloud belts and surrounding moons. I have other expensive eyepieces, but the 32mm that it comes with is very good. I use an equatorial tripod mount for astronomic viewing, it is a little easier than just a tripod.

That being said you can use a photo tripod for terrestrial and some astronomic viewing as long as it is not straight overhead. The C-90 is extremely well-built and the perfect size, I am very impressed.