Athlon OpticsSpotting

To be honest, I wasn't expecting much from this scope, especially for the price but..... At 100 yards 223 bullet holes are easily seen, at 300 yards with golf tees in the target, excellent clarity and at last 600 yards, golf tees with a star type top I can see the golf tee stars perfectly. I'm pretty sure there is't a spotting scope made that to can see 223 bullet holes in a bullseye target at 300+ yards made, maybe in the white part of the target you might see them. Again at 600 yards I was able to clearly see blades of tall grass and the star top of the golf tee at top magnification and surprisingly clear. I suppose like all optical products made there may be a wide spectrum of clarity and quality. I am extremely picky about spotting scopes and rifle scopes in general, this Athlon scope was a pleasant surprise and very low cost for the such good quality.

I currently own a Vortex Viper HD 20-60x85 which is a great spotting scope, but it's heavy, long, and not ideal for backcountry treks. My goal was to find a mid-range spotter (30x realm) with great clarity, light weight, and less than $1,000. Of all the manufacturers and models out there, I was limited to the Athlon Ares and Maven CS.1. Both met my price requirement (both about $800 list price) and specs are near identical (e.g. 2.5 - 3.0 lbs, 15-45 magnification). Both performed very close, so you can't go wrong with either. I will say the Athlon had a smoother mag adjust and it came with a neoprene skin to protect it.I would recommend this scope.

De optica excelente, claridad de imagen tanto de cerca como de lejos y a un fenomenal costo

I suppose it depends a lot on what you want to get out of a scope. This was my first dip into spotting scopes and I didn't want to overspend before I learned how to use one. There was a learning curve for me. I'm using it mainly for birdwatching, but secondarily for a little stargazing, which I hadn't planned on when I bought it, but it works. First thing was getting the tripod and head combo figured out. My dolica was clearly too lightweight for this scope, and the ballhead was definitely difficult to use for this application. First, I bought a budget fluid head, which significantly changed the game, and secondly, I bought a very sturdy slik pro 700dx. These have revolutionized my viewing experience. Now the scope itself. I don't have much to compare it with other than good binoculars but this definitely brings birds in far closer than my binos. At it's low setting the scope is clear and bright and I am able to put very definite ID's on birds that are far out there. As I use the zoom function, as others have said, the clarity falls off a bit in exchange for more extreme magnification. Not enough so I feel that I've lost the ability to see good detail. And sometimes it's difficult to tell if it's the scope, or the air quality so I'm not writing it off. It is very good for what it is and I have no complaints on that line. Couple things. Into the sun, or extremely bright conditions, I can see purple or green fringe. Not enough to be a deal-breaker. Secondly, the built in lens shade is pretty loose and it's kind of annoying that it seems to extend or retract by a mere touch. Again, not a dealbreaker but worth mentioning. For the price, for me, it was a pretty clear decision and I'm glad I got it. If at some point in the future I want to upgrade, I'm all set for it but for now, I love this one.

Comes in an good bag.The tripod is okay, not the greatest but it works reliable.The tube is just great, i'm spotting from 80 isch meters to upp 400 meters and I have no problem to adjust and hold image on target.