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Pros - Outstanding image quality - Rotating tripod ring - Integrated lens cap Cons - Included tripod is poor quality - Housing is not shock-absorbent - Limited usefulness in poor lighting - Focus knob is awkwardly placed for left-handed users

Howdy, and welcome to my review of the Bushnell NatureView 15–45×50 Spotting Scope. I’m a fan of Bushnell’s products, although I’ll admit they have a few lemons out there. Their spotting scopes, though, have a pretty good track record. Let’s see if the NatureView 15–45×50 maintains that standard.

This is a smaller spotting scope than I’m used to, with just a 50mm objective lens. The glass is 12.8 inches long, and weighs in at a mere 1.66 pounds.

This model’s eye relief is a bit short, at 18mm, but it’s still quite useable even when wearing eyeglasses.

What Comes in the Box?

After the overall quality of the optics, one of the most important factors to think about when investing in a spotting scope is what you get for your money. Bushnell packages the following items in the box:

• The Bushnell NatureView 15–45×50 Spotting Scope itself
• A soft-sided carrying case
• A water-resistant hard case
• A compact tripod

Both cases are very well made and provide ample protection for your spotting scope. Like most included tripods, though, the one that comes along with the Bushnell NatureView 15–45×50 Spotting Scope is next to useless. I’d recommend purchasing a professional-grade tripod, either tabletop or freestanding, depending on your needs.

What’s the Magnification of the Bushnell NatureView

Through the 50mm objective lens, the twist-up eyepiece on this model provides you with 15X to 45X magnification. Images are bright, clear, and sharp at all levels of magnification, and there is barely any chromatic aberration worth mentioning. Color reproduction, actually, is quite superb on this model.

The field of view is halfway decent, but not the best in the industry. You’ll be able to see 60 feet of terrain from 1,000 yards at 45X magnification, and 120 feet with the power set to 15X. Close focus range is 30 feet, which has become about the standard nowadays, even if it’s a bit long.

How Easy is the Scope to Use?

The magnification wheel is right where you’d expect it to be, and has plenty of ridging to make it easy to turn even if your hands are gloved or slippery. The focus knob is also well-ridged, but its location right of center could make it awkward for left-handed owners.

If you’re a fan of the straight eyepiece design, you’ll enjoy this spotting scope’s layout. Personally, I prefer angled eyepieces, because I tend to do a lot of spotting of objects high in the sky. With that said, the straight eyepiece design is ideal if you’re viewing nature from a car mount.

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

Since it only has a 50mm objective lens, this glass doesn’t offer the best transmittance you can find in a spotting scope. However, the use of fully multicoated optics means the glass makes the best possible use of what light it does allow in.

This spotting scope is great during daylight hours, but it might not be the ideal choice for those early morning nature-viewing expeditions, and the glass is almost worthless for backyard astronomy.

How Are the Optics and Focus on This Model?

This model, like most spotting scopes, utilizes a porro prism design. Bushnell has incorporated BaK–4 prism glass, and the judicious application of phase correction coating means there is little to no phase shift.

The glass is lead-free, and the optics, as previously noted, are fully multicoated. You’ll enjoy smooth focus and magnification adjustments, with just enough resistance to ensure hassle-free viewing.

What’s the Housing Like on the Spotting Scope?

The housing is plastic, without any rubber armor, unfortunately. It also doesn’t have much texturing to it, making it a bit of a challenge to keep a firm grip on the spotting scope if your hands are wet, slippery, or gloved. The objective lens cap is integrated into the glass with dual tethers, and the tripod mount will accommodate any standard tripod. Strangely, the tripod mount rotates for adjusting your viewing angle. I’m always perplexed when I see this on a straight eyepiece model, although it does sometimes come in handy with car window mounts.

How Durable is the Glass?

Since the housing isn’t rubberized, I wouldn’t recommend dropping this glass. On the other hand, the spotting scope is fully fogproof and waterproof, since the lenses are O-ring sealed and the optical chamber is nitrogen-purged.