Celestron – Ultima 80 Angled Spotting Scope – 20-60x Zoom Eyepiece – Multi-coated Optics for Bird Watching, Wildlife…

Product Description

The Celestron Ultima 80 series was designed to perform well in a range of viewing situations. Outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers will find it irresistible for observing nature and sharp long-distance spotting. The 80mm refractor features excellent multi-coated optics packed into a portable and durable housing and includes a powerful 20-60x zoom eyepiece. The Ultima spotting scope is completely waterproof and fogproof. It’s been filled with dry nitrogen gas and sealed to prevent internal fogging of the lenses. You’ll be able to enjoy your viewing activities to the fullest even all through extreme weather conditions! The Ultima 80 angled spotting scope also includes a T-mount adapter for digiscoping; this lets you capture bright, sharp images through your spotting scope. Simply attach your DSLR camera equipped with a T-ring, and you’re ready to go! Each Celestron optical product is engineered for the highest performance, durability, and quality in its class. Celestron optics provide you with a lifetime of viewing enjoyment at an unbeatable value! Buy with confidence from the world’s #1 telescope brand and a leading sport optics brand, based in California since 1960. You’ll also receive a Limited Lifetime warranty and unlimited access to technical support from our team of US-based experts.

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The Ultima 80 features a sleek, waterproof design and includes a padded soft case with zippers on both ends so the scope can be protected even whilst mounted on a tripod. Including the eyepiece the Ultima 80 measures just over 18 inches long and weighs about 3.6 pounds. The rubber eyecup can be removed to expose a standard “T-thread” for attaching a camera. I like the 45* angled eyepiece because I will use a shorter tripod to support the spotting scope whilst viewing or whilst taking pictures with a small camera attached to the eyepiece.

The focus ranges from 27 feet to the horizon with just a few turns of the focal point knob. When I fold down the rubber eye cup I will keep my glasses on and see the whole 2 degree field of view at 20X magnification. With my glasses on I need very little focus adjustment whilst I crank the zoom eyepiece from 20X up to 60X. Sometimes though I like to take my glasses off whilst observing because the view seems to have just a little more contrast and sharpness. I like the fact that the Ultima 80 gives me a sharp image either way.

The drawback of the tradition crown and flint achromatic lens used in the Ultima 80 Zoom Spotting Scope is a bit of false color, often referred to as blue fringing or chromatic aberration. Blue fringing seems well controlled at 20X magnification, but it becomes increasingly noticeable as I zoom up to 60X. Celestron also offers the Ultima 80ED and the Regal 80 F-ED spotting scopes which use exotic ED glass lenses to virtually eliminate blue fringing and produce the sharpest conceivable high power views.

Shot at 20X zoom at about 20 yards, cropped 50% (Click here to see uncropped)	Shot at 20X zoom at about 50 yards, cropped 30%
Shot at 20X zoom, uncropped but reduced in size (Click here to see at 60X zoom)	Shot at 20X zoom at about 50 yards, cropped 30%