Leupold gets it right - Leupold Kenai 30x / 25-60x80mm HD Spotting Scope, Straight, Gray/Black

I've said that if Leupold brings out an HD spotting scope, I'd buy it. Well, they did and I did and here are a few observations. I hope they're helpful. The barrel mounted focusing ring was somewhat tight and does cause a bit of jiggling when focusing but not enough to become frustrating. The threaded lenses lock-up tightly on the body. The 25-60x lens clarity is adequate but the excellent 30x wide angle lens makes this scope shine. If we could get Leupold to offer a 25-50 wide angle accessory lens, this spotter would be a barn burner. With the 30x lens focusing on a city water tower at 973yds the Kenai rendered the image and it's detail crystal clear. At 303yds, 1 inch sign lettering was easily read. At the range at 500yds, I could not see the 6.5mm bullet holes with 30x but I could with 60x. This was at 7:30am and,in all fairness,low light conditions. Also, with the 30x lens looking at the early morning shadows at the range tree line, I could readily see into the darkest of them. This is usually a good indicator of quality glass. Yes,the box is stamped Made in China. If you can't live with that then your next stop is likely an HD from Swarovski, whose optics are near breath-taking, or Kowa or Zeiss at up to four times the price of the Kenai. All in all: High Definition is the way to go, Leupold is still a reputable, consumer oriented American company and the quality Kenai gives you your money's worth....and maybe a little more.
Pros: A quality spotting scope
Cons: 25-60x lens could be improved

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.