Wingspan Optics Explorer 12X50 High Powered Monocular - Bright and Clear Range of View - Single Hand Focus - Waterproof - Fogproof - for Bird Watching, and Watching Wildlife

I have a pair of decent 8x45 but was looking for something a bit more powerful for looking at birdlife at longer distances and thought this would ideal. I tried the Explorer out and found it very light and easy to focus and it gave a good clear image but, maybe because I am just coming up 70 and my eyes aren't quite as good as they were 50 years ago, or maybe because I was expecting a lot more of it, I couldn't see much difference from looking through my 8x45 binoculars, which do have course, have the much wider field of view simply because they are binoculars. My mobility is also very restricted so I tend to use the binoculars from the car or very close and I didn't feel I could get the full benefit from the light and compact Explorer, so I asked Amazon if I could return it for these personal reasons, and they agreed a full refund with a free reply label as well. I think the compact size and light weight make it ideal for walkers, and it will easily fit in a rucksack pocket for quick access if you don't want to be carrying it all the time. And the easy focussing plus 50mm object lens and decent optics means you are more likely to see wildlife before it moves out of view. There have been adverse comments about the little tripod, but I paid £49.99 for this Monocular and almost as much for a tripod for my binoculars, so I think you have got to look at this as a 'freebie' and take no notice of the moaners - but maybe I am a bit biased because although I only used the Monocular on the one occasion, I would have been able to make use of the 'freebie' by resting it on the car door with the window down. I think you will have to go a long way to find something as good at this price, and it has got to be worth every penny of 5 stars.

This monocular: . Clear optics, some minor edge distortion but overall a nice bright clear picture . Very good in low light: It is night time now and I can see two distant street lights about 1/4 of a mile away, but cannot see any detail nor the road with my naked eyes. But with this monocular, light-wise, I can see the street as If I was standing under the street light. . The adjuster is excellent both in terms of position and tension. It Is really easy to adjust one handed with this monocular. It is a superb design for observing moving objects like birds and planes. . Acceptable when using free handed, but I really need to rest my elbows on something to give a completely steady image . Acceptable field of view, but not great It is good to have lens caps. There are quite a few monoculars that do not come with them even reasonably high end ones. The carrying case is great, attractive and well made. The tripod is poor. I don't expect a tripod at this price, but since one is included it could be made fit for purpose. The size is great for me as a backpacker. The balance is not perfect, but I don't care about that either. The real problem is that you cannot adjust the vertical angle on it. The locking mechanism for the ball joint is poor. You're not going to get a good ball joint in an inexpensive tripod, so I'd recommend a simpler mechanism that allows for reliable vertical adjustments. Note For bird watchers: I would really recommend the 8x42 monocular by Polaris. I've heard it said that if you're carrying an 8x and a 10x and you see a bird, 9 times out of 10 you would reach for the 8X and the 10th time you would think about the 10X and then pull out the 8X. I think that advice is spot on. 8X monoculars typically give you a much wider field of view with a stabler image. It is really difficult to make out additional detail with a 10x or 12X because you simply cannot hold the image steady enough to make it matter. For me the overall bird watching experience is far more enjoyable with the 8x. Lastly, there was a small problem with my order as fulfilled by Amazon. But Wingspan/Polaris resolved it quickly and to my satisfaction. The customer service is good.

As a basic monocular it does a reasonable job. the monopod/tripod fitting thread is useful and the image it gives is pretty clear. Not too bad if you’re wearing glasses either, even varifocals, thanks to a two-stage setting on the eyepiece extension which is a plus point - many monoculars and binoculars are intended to be only used very close to the eye’s pupil which can cause problems for glasses wearers. It weighs a bit, but the construction is solid and rigid. lack of flexing of the tube is important with optics. Overall I’m happy with it for general purpose use.

I had no great expectations here. Many items are advertised as vastly reduced in price (perhaps offered for the high price for all of a week!) but this really does seem to be £100+ value for £40. It is solidly made and the eye relief has a nice rotating 'click' action. The focus wheel is large with the right amount of resistance to prevent it from being easily moved by accident. Most particularly, though, the image is light, bright and sharp with no edge distortion- very good for a 12 x 50. Being a monocular the field (246ft at 1000yds) is inevitably rather limited, but is still quite acceptable. The biggest problem is holding it steady- of course with binoculars you use two arms, which makes a big difference and all optics beyond 10 x are sensitive to movement. Being a 50mm product there is a lot of glass here and at 500grms it is quite heavy for a monocular. I often use a monopod with my more powerful binoculars and that is certainly more practcal than the small 'Hama' tripod supplied- but, hey, they did not have to supply a tripod at all! All the features are here- fully multi - coasted optics (that means coating of all glass surfaces), Bak 4 prisms, waterproof/ nitrogen purged, etc. It is convenient to carry when I'm using my backpack since it takes up little space and is lighter than binoculars. A smart padded carry case is provided. At just £40 what's not to like? OK- how about the matt black colour. Why does the rubber armour of so many of these things have to be black- how about red, blue, etc? (Just a thought!). All considered, if you fancy a powerful monocular you won't beat this one for sheer value.

Excellent relation price-quality At this price range it does not get any better - I'm glad I gave up on cheaper deals and made a bet on more quality roughness and warranties It works perfectly and allows either long distances and very close ones (2,5m) so it is very versatile, stuff looks crystal clear and it feels light enough but sturdy enough It is easy to use on single hand but be aware this has huge magnification so some practice is needed to keep motifs steady and in frame, but the tripod adaptor is all the help you need and all the stillness you need comes back I feel like buying 6 or 10 more because Im organising wildlife trips in Lisbon, because some folks have difficulty with binoculars (buttons, adjustments and weight) Go for it, you pay the extra quality and sturdiness at a very fair amount, forget the 20 or 30 bucks crap that will brake before you know it

Bought a model half the price equally as good so feel very overpriced

A good strong well made bit of kit, very clear when on full zoom, but it's a very good idea to have it on the tripod which is small and compact and fits nicely in the side pocket of the carry case ! Having it on the tripod will stop any movement you have in your hand, but it works perfect with out. 2 lens covers one of which is totally removable and the other which is the front one hangs down and doesn't get in the way, just don't loose the eye lens cap, just one thing I would add and that is a wrist strap, only for the added security that if you drop it, it won't fall to the floor. Overall a great bit of kit, not heavy for the size and fits great in hand and once you have done back in it's well made bag

Very pleased with this, the construction has a really good feel to it. Its easy to use. The pouch it comes with has a belt loop so it is easy to carry about with you, the lenses were good and the focal range was suitable for my needs. I did tend to carry it out of the pouch as I was walking around and felt that it would have been nice to have a wrist strap/tether attached just in case it fell from your hand so I may look to fit one by attaching it to the tripod mount. It also comes with a small tripod, I have not used this but it looks quite good