Outstanding little scope - Opticron Spotting Scope Kit MM3 60mm GA ED HDF T 15-45x

I purchased the Opticron MM3 60mm Spotting Scope Kit to use in the field for birding. It is surprising light and compact. in fact, when the box arrived at my door, I wondered if they had forgotten to pack the scope. The spotting scope with eyepiece is just over two pounds and a lightweight tripod with ball head is between three and four pounds. This rig is packable as well as portable.

The optics are outstanding and I have compared it side by side with a 76mm triplet apochromatic refractor. The Opticron snaps to focus and is sharp across the field. I have not done careful measurements of the flatness of the field, but I see essentially no noticeable distortion as I scan. The zoom eyepiece maintains a high quality view all the way up to the 45x limit of magnification. Of course, the view dims somewhat at high magnification, but in no way is the magnification empty as is often the case with mediocre optics at higher magnification. I use the scope mostly between 15x and 30x, and I prefer the low power wide field view.

The fit and finish is good, and all the controls (focus, fine focus, and eyecup) operate smoothly and precisely.