Bushnell Spacemaster 15-45x60 Spotting Scopes are wonderful and useful tool in the field. These spotting scope is as rugged as in on the market, completely waterproof and fog-proof and is guarantees to stand up to the forces of nature. Mother Nature's rain, sleet or snow, or even dramatically changing temperatures will not stop one from bird or wildlife observations. Though the premium scopes from Leica Televid, Swarovski, Zeiss or Kowa give noticeably better images at high magnifications of 35X or above (though it's not earth shaking), the Bushnell Spacemaster provides extremely sharp, high quality crisp images from edge to edge that is nothing short of amazing up to 30X. And very expectable images from 35X up to it's maximum of 45X. With over 35 years of experience in the field, I've learned that no spotting scope, regardless of how much it costs, will not give you a premium quality image through vibrations, atmospheric haze or radiate heat waves coming off of the earth's surface. And the higher the magnification, the more pronounced these adverse conditions become. Because of the phenomenon, the practical magnifications that are truly useful, are 15X to 30X. And in this magnification range, the Bushnell Spacemaster is a premium quality optical tool. The other spotting scope I mentioned, will indeed give better high magnification images of 35X and above, but if you are expecting a dramatic difference, your in for a big disappointment. And the fact is, they will give better images of atmospheric haze, radiate heat waves and vibrations at these high magnifications. If you find yourself viewing birds and wildlife at these very high magnifications most of the time, then you may want to consider one of these spotting scope, and pay between $1,200.00 and $3,000.00. But if your like most birders or researchers, the vast majority of your viewing will be between 15X and 30X and you'd be better off buying a Bushnell Spacemaster. Then you could put the $1,500.00 to $2,500.00 saved into a nice vacations or birding trip to use your new spotting scope. Or put the savings into a great pair of binoculars, or use it as a down payment on a new car to get out and find birds and wildlife to view. GCBStokes, Ornithology Field Research Avian Wildlife and Nesting Box Research Programs