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Pros - Crisp, clear image - Includes camera ring adapter - Antishock, rainproof, and fogproof Cons - Very heavy - Optics are not fully multi-coated

Welcome to our review of the Konus Konuspot 20–60x100mm Spotting Scope. An Italian optics manufacturer, Konus is known for high quality telescopes and spotting scopes rivalling the quality of Celestron. Just how well the Konuspot stacks up to the competition, though, is what we’re going to find out.

What Comes in the Box?

In packaging the Konus Konuspot 20–60x100mm Spotting Scope, Konus has included some of the most popular accessories you need to get started. There is no tripod included, but to be perfectly honest…most of the tripods that are bundled with spotting scopes are of dubious quality at best. Here is what comes in the box with your spotting scope:

• The Konus Konuspot 20–60x100mm Spotting Scope
• Soft carrying case
• Camera adapter

The case is well made, and the camera adapter is a nice bonus. Unfortunately, if you want to use the adapter, you’ll also need to purchase the appropriate T-ring to fit your camera, but I wouldn’t expect Konus to include every T-ring they make for the price point this spotting scope is set at.

What’s the Magnification of the Konus Konuspot 20–60x100mm Spotting Scope

With its massive 100mm objective lens, the Konus Konuspot 20–60x100mm Spotting Scope zooms from 20X to 60X magnification. Image quality and resolution is outstanding at all zoom levels, and your subject will have lenty of color and contrast. The field of view is 88 feet at 1,000 yards with 20X magnification, or 44 feet at 60X magnification.

How Easy is the Konus 20–60x100mm Konuspot Spotting Scope to Use?

The first thing you need to be aware of is that this is a very heavy piece of glass. It does, after all, have a 100mm objective lens; that’s going to make it pretty beefy, and you’ll need a solid tripod to hold it. Since the spotting scope does not include a tripod, you should invest in a heavy-duty camera tripod.

The focus wheel and zoom wheel perform flawlessly, with smooth operation and excellent focus. The spotting scope is very easy to use, and this is made even more so by the rotating collar ring for the tripod mount. If you want to adjust the eyepiece to be to the side of the spotting scope, this is easy to do.

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

100mm optics almost always promise excellent light gathering capabilities, and the Konus Konuspot 20–60x100mm Spotting Scope is no exception to that. The optics are multi-coated for increased brightness, but not fully multi-coated (so just one surface is coated). Even so, I’ve used this spotting scope for early morning birdspotting as well as late-night observations of the surface of the moon and the planets, and it has yet to let me down. During bright sunlight, the retractable sunshade is an excellent addition to an already fantastic spotting scope.

How Are the Optics and Focus on This Spotting Scope?

Konus has used fantastic optics in the Konus Konuspot 20–60x100mm Spotting Scope, packing the device with a porro prism design using BaK–4 prism glass. The optics are just multi-coated, though, so Konus is not getting the most brightness and image clarity out of the glass. Shame on them; fully multi-coating optics adds very little to the overall manufacturing process these days.

The focus knob turns easily and smoothly, but has enough resistance to prevent you from accidentally shifting your image out of focus. Likewise, the zoom wheel on the eyepiece rotates smoothly and consistently.

What’s the Housing Like on the Spotting Scope?

The body of the Konus Konuspot 20–60x100mm Spotting Scope is metal, encased in rubber armor. This glass is heavy at 5.3 pounds, and measures 18.8 inches long. This is not the kind of spotting scope you would just pack in your backpack without a second thought for a hunting trip. It’s too large and heavy to easily carry along with everything else you need on a hunting trip, but it is carryable on a hike if you have minimal other gear in your pack.

How Durable is the Konus 20–60x100mm Konuspot Spotting Scope?

The rubber armor provides a good antishock barrier for long term use, and it can withstand a drop from a short distance. It is also rainproof and fogproof, so I would feel very comfortable taking this on a camping trip for spotting birds and other wildlife.