Being extremely inexpensive, while providing you with tons of magnification power and additional accessories, the Emarth Waterproof Angled Spotting Scope is perhaps the best budget scope on the birding market right now. It is a great addition to any birdwatcher’s gear and is ideal for beginners, intermediate, or expert birdwatchers.
Having a 20-60x magnification paired with a 60mm lens, the Emarth scope has the potential to help you see even the most distant bird. Its lenses are fully multi-coated and the durable construction allows for a worry-free experience. The scope is also waterproof and dustproof making it ideal for outdoor use and expeditions. To top all that, there are numerous additional accessories that you are getting with your purchase, making this product a great value for your money.
In this review we will go through some of the most important features of this model and will also cover the interesting quirks it has. If you want to learn more about these devices, we suggest checking out our Buyer’s Guide on some of the best budget spotting scopes on the market currently. Now, let’s jump straight into it!
Table of Contents
Product Overview And Features
Up until recently, cheap spotting scopes were often neglected by users mainly because of their low quality and mediocre optics. All that has changed in the past few years and this scope right here is the proof. Not only it has enough potential to rival more expensive scopes but is also far better equipped than some expensive options in terms of magnification power and lens quality.
- Great magnification range
- Extremely cheap
- A lot of additional accessories included
- Lifetime warranty & money back guarantee
- Great customer service
- Durable construction
- Fully multi-coated lenses
Magnification
The magnification is where this spotting scope truly shines. It features a 20-60x magnification range which is more than enough to cover upwards of a thousand yards in distance between you and your favorite bird. It has a variable field of view – 127ft to 62ft at 1000 yards which is great depending on what you are observing.
This kind of range also puts it in the realm of observing other objects of interest, such as the moon, big game hunting, etc. The lower parts of the zoom spectre have a wide field of view and the more you zoom in the narrower it gets. This is made so that you get a perfectly detailed of a small target when using the maximum magnification capacity.
The eye relief changes with the turn of a second knob which is great for people that wear glasses. As a whole, the versatility presented here is unmatched at the price point. Another scope that has similar traits but is slightly more expensive is the Landove Prism Spotting Scope.
Eyepiece
The eyepiece is a zoom one which isn’t removable. The helical zooming system is placed around it in the form of a belt. This helical system is also a dual focus one, making it quite unique. What this means is that apart from the main focus turning belt, there is another one which is used for fine-tuning your zoom. This is usually found in Leica models but the Emarth surprises us all by also having it.
It joins the body of the spotting scope at a 45 degrees angle which is great for people that want to share the scope. It also works excellent from a sitting position and you will easily be able to follow the flight of a bird without straining your neck. If it is raining, we suggest keeping the cap always on when you are not using it, as it tends to keep water and dirt there due to the angle.
It also comes with a cover cap but we will get to that in a moment.
Lenses
The lenses here are fully multi-coated meaning all the lenses in contact with air have multiple layers of reflective coating to them increasing light transmission and contrast. This is best observed in darker conditions such as during dusk or dawn, as some birdwatchers prefer going out in those times to see their favorite kind.
Apart from the lenses, there is a BAK-4 Prism inside which has a couple of advantages over standard prisms:
- It doesn’t darken the edges of your field of view
- It has a higher refraction index rate
That, combined with the design of the exit pupil create a richly lit environment inside the scope’s optics which translates into an evenly lit and vivid image at all magnifications. There is a version of this scope with upgraded lead-free glass and extra coatings which can bring the light transmission close to 99%. It also makes the image sharper.
Construction & Durability
Most people would expect this to be the place where the company has tried to save a bit of money of but that is far from the case here. The construction is solid with no squeaking or shaking parts to it. On top of the thermoplastic core, there is a rubberized armour defensive coating which makes the scope easy to handle in moist conditions and makes it shockproof if you accidentally drop it. The whole construction is also fairly lightweight, weighing at around 3.3 pounds when assembled which is about average for a spotting scope.
There is waterproofing on this scope which is one of its key selling points, as sub-100 spotting scopes are rarely that protected from the elements. It is always great to have a scope that will easily handle a wet and rainy day in the forest when you are out birdwatching.
Accessories
In terms of accessories, this scope is very generous. Here is the list of additional goodies you will be getting with your package:
- Eyepiece cover
- User guide
- Lens cover
- Carrying bag
- Adjustable tripod
- Cleaning cloth
This is something we usually see out of more expensive models, but this sub-100 scope right here has everything you need to use it straight from the box without the need of buying anything else. One thing that some people would also want is a shoulder strap just to carry the spotting scope around when walking but the carrying bag is easily good enough for that purpose.
The tripod is something rarely found in any package nowadays mainly because those are expensive. It isn’t the biggest tripod and it won’t serve any real purpose if you are standing up but for putting it on a table in front of you it is perfect. It has a handle that can smoothly move it left or right without any jerky movements. This is vital when you are following the flight of a bird or its movements. It can also alter the angle of your eyepiece making room for more maneuverability and adjustability when it comes to using the scope.
Warranty
This is perhaps the most shocking feature of all of the listed above. When you get an Emarth spotting scope you are not only getting a lifetime warranty but you are also getting a lifetime money back guarantee. This is just a great thing to have especially when the brand isn’t well-known and people aren’t sure whether they can trust it or not. With this addition, you can get the product, test it out and return it if you don’t like it, although we highly doubt you’d dislike what this scope is capable of especially considering the price tag. Speaking of that…
Price
The last thing we are going to cover is the price. We mentioned a couple of times that it is a sub-100 dollars product but we think that this fact doesn’t get the deserved attention. Nowhere on the market currently is there a product so cheap yet so good of a value to its buyer. There are scopes that have double or even triple the price that don’t put this many features on the table and that speaks for itself. The lifetime warranty and money back guarantees are just icing on the cake.
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- Great magnification range
- Extremely cheap
- A lot of additional accessories included
- Lifetime warranty & money back guarantee
- Great customer service
- Durable construction
- Fully multi-coated lenses
Cons
- Light transmission in the scope isn’t great at the higher magnifications (40-60x)
- The included tripod isn’t very tall
Conclusion and Rating
Birding Rocks Rating:
The Emarth Waterproof Angled Spotting Scope is one of the, if not the best values on the market right now. For its low price you are getting a spotting scope with enough magnification to even look at the moon at night and gives you a perfect amount of light transmission and image clarity thanks to its fully multi-coated lenses and prism features.
It is also easy to carry around and rigid enough to withstand anything nature throws at it. Coming with a carrying case and a tripod it just is a must-have for anyone looking for their first birdwatching spotting scope! We gave it a five out of five stars rating.
