Straight vs. Angled Spotting Scopes | Optics Trade Debates

By Polona Kraner Aug 2, 2018

Welcome to Optics Trade debates. In each episode, we talk about a different topic and try to answer the most common questions we receive about it. Today, we are going to talk about different types of spotting scopes.

The main difference between straight and angled spotting scopes is that one is straight and that the other one has the eyepiece at about 45°. The optical performance is the same on both types, so the only difference is in the shape and in the way that they are used.

The angled spotting scopes are generally used on tripods. The angled eyepiece is a lot easier to access than the straight spotting scope on a tripod because the user doesn’t have to lean as much to use the scope.

The straight spotting scopes are usually used in terrain. They get a lot of use for hunting in the Alps in Slovenia and on other mountains in other countries. When used, they are usually placed on a backpack which is usually on a rock.

It’s easier to find a target with a straight spotting scope than with an angled scope.

Prices depend on the optical properties and are not affected by the type of the spotting scope.

Both types can be mounted on any tripod but we wouldn’t recommend it for straight spotting scopes.

Spotting scopes are big and heavy, so they get dropped quite often. The effect a drop will have on a spotting scope depends mostly on the build quality of the scope. If a premium European spotting scope gets damaged, it can always be sent back to the manufacturers to get serviced. But that is not the case with cheap Asian made spotting scopes.

All premium spotting scopes come without a tripod.

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