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Pros - High magnification capabilities - Waterproof and fogproof - Comes with tripod and pistol griip Cons - Optics are not multi-coated - Focusing is difficult due to poor design - Included accessories are poorly made

Welcome to our review of the BARSKA Benchmark 25-125×88 Straight Spotting Scope. BARSKA is known for producing quality, economical products, but how well does the BARSKA Benchmark 25-125×88 Straight Spotting Scope live up to the BARSKA name? Let’s find out.

What Comes in the Box?

When you unpackage the BARSKA Benchmark 25-125×88 Straight Spotting Scope, you should find everything you need to get the most out of your spotting scope, and more. Included in the box you should find:

• The BARSKA Benchmark 25-125×88 Straight Spotting Scope
• Hard carrying case
• Soft carrying case
• Handheld tripod
• Tabletop tripod

Both of the included tripods are mediocre quality at best. They are unstable and difficult to keep steady, and the included hard case began to fall apart at the seams from day one. The soft carrying case is somewhat better, but is still poorly constructed and probably would not last more than a year.

What’s the Magnification of the BARSKA Benchmark 25-125×88 Straight Spotting Scope

The BARSKA Benchmark 25-125×88 Straight Spotting Scope has a variable zoom from 25X to 125X. Resolution is decent at all magnification levels, but the image quality is not outstanding, nor is there a good deal of detail in the image at maximum magnification. When testing the spotting scope at the range, I was able to easily see shots in the white of my target paper from 100 yards, but could not make out most of the shots that went into the black of the target paper.

How Easy is the BARSKA Benchmark 25-125×88 Straight Spotting Scope to Use?

This spotting scope is somewhat difficult to use because of its long design and the placement of the focus ring on the far end of the objective lens. The scope is 13.2 inches long, and reaching out to turn the focus ring in order to bring your target into crisp, clear view is often more strenuous than it really needs to be. The spotting scope would be much easier to use if the focus ring was closer to the eyepiece.

What’s the Light Gathering Capability Like on the Spotting Scope?

Light gathering on the BARSKA Benchmark 25-125×88 Straight Spotting Scope is average, but nothing to write home about. On a heavily overcast day, you won’t be able to make out any details of distant objects obscured by shade or shadows. On a bright, sunny day, the scope is perfectly usable out to 500 yards, but lower lighting conditions render this spotting scope almost useless.

How Are the Optics and Focus on This Spotting Scope?

The optics on the BARSKA Benchmark 25-125×88 Straight Spotting Scope are fully coated, but they are not fully multi-coated. This results in less light transmission than other comparably priced spotting scopes.

The view through the spotting scope is average to good, but small details are difficult or impossible to make out. Contrast is not the best, either, which is why it is so difficult to make out the holes from shots into the black on my target paper.

Focus is good, but very difficult. The focus ring has a bit too much play, and its placement makes it a real challenge to focus the spotting scope if you are using the handheld pistol grip. Focusing is much easier when you have the scope mounted on a tripod, but reaching that far out to focus is still a challenge.

This spotting scope features an 88mm objective lens. Normally, I would think that such a large objective lens would capture and transmit a fair bit of light, but you can tell from my discussion above that is simply not the case with this spotting scope.

This spotting scope features a porro prism design with a straight eyepiece system. The field of view at 1,000 yards is 54 feet with 25X magnification and 24 feet at 1,000 yards with 125X magnification. This is an adequate field of view for a spotting scope, and provides plenty of room to find your target paper and then zoom in to check it. The spotting scope will focus on objects as close as 18 feet.

Eye relief is a short 13.3mm at 25X magnification, and 7.6mm at 125X magnification. You almost have to put your eye directly against the eyepiece when you have the magnification cranked out to maximum, and it can be slightly uncomfortable.

What’s the Housing Like on the Spotting Scope?

The housing of the BARSKA Benchmark 25-125×88 Straight Spotting Scope is made of aluminum, with rubber coating to protect the spotting scope against bumps and scuffles. The lenses are O-ring sealed to make it waterproof, and the barrel is nitrogen-filled to prevent fogging.

How Durable is the BARSKA Benchmark 25-125×88 Straight Spotting Scope?

Because the BARSKA Benchmark 25-125×88 Straight Spotting Scope uses a porro prism design, I would recommend being careful about dropping the spotting scope. It’s fairly durable, but bumps and jostles can knock a porro prism design out of alignment. This results in a very poor, blurry image that is almost impossible to make out any details in.