BEBANG 20-60×60 Spotting Scope for Bird Watching Review

A good budget spotting scope can give you the type of impressive image clarity you need when you’re birding in an area with thick brush and plenty of other obstacles. If you’re planning your next birding adventure, then this piece of gear will be an essential tool that can help you to easily track active birds on the ground and in the air. The newest model by Bebang is well-built, beginner-friendly, and offers a fast and simple set up.

Our Verdict: This spotting scope by Bebang comes loaded with all the right features and some great extras including a tabletop tripod, smartphone and camera adapters, and a soft carrying case. Its top of the line optics allows you to enjoy a clear view, even in low light conditions. Using the scope is very intuitive, thanks to the smooth-rolling focus wheel, top of the line optics, and the durable chassis. Overall, this is a great model for birders of all skill levels and an important piece of gear you won’t want to go birding without. I would recommend this model to any new or seasoned birder who is in search of a reliable scope that can provide a solid performance.

Overview and Features

Bebang isn’t a company that’s as widely known as other leading manufacturers of spotting scopes, however, they’re quickly making a name for themselves, thanks to their scopes that come equipped with impressive optics, durable designs, and packages that include some nice extras. The fact that their scopes are affordable is another reason why they’re quickly becoming a household name in the birding community. Their latest model to hit the shelves is very versatile and comes with a nice starter package that even the seasoned birder will appreciate.

If you’re looking for an affordable model that offers top of the line optics, then you’ll fall in love with this scope. This model comes loaded with all the right features that you’ll need to spot those elusive species that are normally difficult to track in flight when you’re using a pair of standard binoculars. Set up and adjustment is fast and simple, even for the beginner.

This model comes equipped with multi-coated lenses, a lightweight chassis that’s rugged and well-built, and impressive magnification that will allow you to capture every small detail.

Optics

This model features a fully multi-coated lens that offers high resolution, for the ultimate viewing experience. It comes with a BAK7 roof prism lens that provides impressive resolution and outstanding color, for a crisper, cleaner image. The objective lens comes in at sixty-millimeters, with a variable of 20x to 60x magnification. If you’re exploring new birding experiences and want to try your hand at night birding, then you need a scope with this type of optic power to clearly sight and identify nocturnal birds. To learn more, read my article on do birds feed at night, where you’ll find information regarding which species you can expect to find foraging, feeding, and hunting once the sun sets.

Multifunction Use

While it’s clear that the scope is specifically designed with birding in mind, it can also be used for stargazing, hiking, scouting, camping, photography, hunting, and more.

Tripod

A tripod is another important piece of birdwatching equipment that you can use to improve image clarity and stabilization. Tripods are commonly used by photographers, to prevent shaky images. Of course, if you’re spending a day in the backcountry, or hiding in dense brush, then a tripod can give you the type of solid base you need to track birds, by improving image clarity. Setting up the tripod is fast and easy, thanks to the fast-folding design and extendable legs.

The quick-release plate is located on the tripod’s head, and it’s what you’ll use to quickly attach or detach the spotting scope if you need to move around to keep track of a highly active bird.

Of course, the fast detach feature will also allow you to quickly pack up your gear, which is always a plus. Keep in mind, this is a tabletop tripod and not a full-sized model. However, despite its smaller size, it’s a great option if you’re birding in thick brush, or you have a long hike to your birding destination.

Extras

This model also comes with an adapter for a Canon camera and a smartphone adapter. Obviously, both of these attachments are more directed toward the photographer, not a birder, however, if you want to try your hand at capturing still images of your favorite species, then these two adapters will definitely come in handy. It also comes with a soft cloth to use to polish the lens and keep it free of dust, dirt, and debris.

Waterproof

The scope is one hundred percent dustproof and waterproof. This is due to the nitrogen purged barrel, which will prevent water from entering the chamber and causing the lens to fog up. The fact that dust cannot penetrate the barrel also ensures that you’ll enjoy a crystal clear viewing experience.

Carrying Case

The included soft carrying case is another nice extra and one that will allow you to pack up and store your tripod during transport. The carrying case strap is heavily padded for user comfort. While a hard case would be a better option in terms of preventing serious damage, the soft case will keep the scope free of dirt, debris, dings, and scratches. It’s a great extra accessory and one that will add to the scope’s portability.

Warranty

This product is covered by a lifetime warranty, which is a huge selling point if you normally bird in challenging environments where dropping the scope could cause serious damage, such as backcountry settings or steep mountain trails. This model is also covered by a thirty-day unconditional return policy. This policy allows you to return the scope within one month, no questions asked, for a full refund.

Focus

The focus adjustment knob offers smooth rolling action and allows you to easily and quickly adjust the scope’s lens setting for a clearer, crisper image.

Eyepiece

The forty-five-degree incline eyepiece works to shield the objective lens, helps minimize glare, and makes it more comfortable to hunch over the spotting scope for longer periods of time.

Weight

A heavy spotting scope isn’t exactly a good thing. While in many cases, heavier optical gear can also equal quality, for spotting scopes, it can make it difficult to use for longer outings. Of course, when used in conjunction with the best tripod for spotting scopes, it’s a more comfortable birding experience, but if you don’t want to use a tripod all the time, then a lightweight scope is a must. This model weighs in at just under one and a half pounds. Which is excellent for a scope of this size.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Pros

Cons

Bebang Versus Emarth Waterproof Angled Spotting Scope

The competing model by Emarth is versatile, affordable, and designed for birders of all skill levels. Just like this scope by Bebang, the model by Emarth is waterproof and features an angled design that helps minimize glare, providing a clearer, and cleaner viewing experience. It comes equipped with a 20x to 60x magnification and a sixty-millimeter lens.

It’s not feature-packed and doesn’t come with any free accessories, but if you’re looking for a reliable spotting scope, then this model  delivers. However, in terms of lens quality, the competition just doesn’t measure up.

It comes with a BAK4 lens, instead of a BAK7, which can have an impact on image quality, however, for a lower-priced spotting scope, it’s still decent. But if you’re searching for the best model on the market and one that can handle a wider range of lighting conditions, then I recommend sticking with this best-selling model by Bebang.

Conclusion and Rating

Our Rating: (4.5/5)

The Bebang spotting scope comes with some nice extras, including a camera and smartphone adapter, tripod, and a soft carrying case. The scope itself offers top of the line optics, which allows it to easily handle a variety of lighting conditions, even at night. The versatile scope can be used for a wide range of applications, however, it was primarily designed with birding in mind. The scope is easy to focus and allows you to capture every single detail, even if you’re tracking a bird in flight.

The lightweight design will promote longer use, however, should you begin to feel strain in your shoulders, neck, and arm, you can quickly attach the scope to the included tripod, for a more comfortable viewing experience. Versatile, easy to use, and offered at an affordable price, I gave this model a rating of four and a half stars out of five.