If you know someone who’s really ready to raise their birding game in 2026 (even if that someone is you), a spotting scope might be just the thing. A caveat: Due to a somewhat hefty price tag — several hundred to several thousand dollars — spotting scopes are not for the beginning birder, and they shouldn’t be a last-minute decision, because you’ll want to put some thought into choosing the right one.
My wife and I decided to make such a scope a combined gift to each other a year ago, and we have been thrilled.
Not knowing where or how to begin our search for a quality spotting scope, I first contacted Jim McCormac, one of Ohio’s best birders and the author of the bird-identification guide Birds of Ohio, who recommended a visit to Time & Optics near Millersburg. “Robert Hershberger and his people probably know more about optics than anyone in the state,” he told me. So that’s what I did. And I learned a lot.
There is only so much you can determine by shopping for spotting scopes online, so go shopping where you can actually handle and look through various scopes.
“We began as a small gift shop and watch-repair business in 1976,” says Hershberger, who owns the shop. “So next year will be our 50th year in business. We always had a few pairs of binoculars for sale, and I began birding when I was a teenager, so the optics side of the business grew out of that hobby. Today, we carry 18 brands of optics, with 200 to 300 pairs of binoculars on display, and 20 to 30 spotting scopes, as well as telescopes for stargazing.”
If you’d like to gift a spotting scope to someone special this Christmas — including yourself — but can’t afford the price, here’s an idea: Consider giving them a gift card for even a small portion of the cost. It just may be the nudge they need to start that special “spotting scope fund.”
Things to keep in mind when purchasing a spotting scope
Robert Hershberger of Time & Optics near Millersburg offers these tips to those considering the purchase of a new spotting scope:
- Budget: “When a birder enters our store, I show them three options: a scope at their price range, then one above and one below. That lets a person compare the differences in quality and operation.”
- Use: “Will the scope stay indoors, used to view birds near home bird feeders, or will they be taking the scope outdoors into the field? Or will it be a combination? It makes a big difference.”
- Size, weight, and length: “For instance, 75mm to 100mm would be considered a large spotting scope, while 50mm to 65mm is usually considered a smaller scope. The bigger the lens, the longer the scope, and that adds weight. But a bigger lens is helpful for gathering light, so it’s brighter during times with low light, such as dawn, dusk, or on cloudy days. Also, some customers confuse field of view (the amount of area you see while looking through a spotting scope) with the diameter of the objective lens, but those two measurements have nothing to do with each other. Field of view is determined by the scope’s eyepiece, not the size of its objective lens.”
- Tripods and tripod heads: “If you mount a good-quality spotting scope on a poorly made tripod and tripod head you’ll be disappointed. So buy quality.”
- Try before you buy: “There is only so much you can determine by shopping for spotting scopes online — so go shopping where you can actually handle and look through various scopes. I’ve found that customers are usually happier with what they purchase in person rather than online.”
W.H. “Chip” Gross is Ohio Cooperative Living’s outdoors editor. Email him with your outdoors questions at whchipgross@gmail.com. Be sure to include “Ask Chip” in the subject of the email.
