CREATIVE XP Waterproof Spotting Scope for Hunting & Bird Watching - High Magnification Scope with Tripod & Phone Adapter for Target Shooting, Wildlife Observation & Outdoor Adventures

Edit: As you can see I wrote an absolutely glowing five star review for this product. A mere week later I’m looking through the scope and I am seeing fuzzy doubles of everything and I am unable to get any kind of sharp image even at the lowest magnification. My guess is that the prisms went out of collimation. This scope was not dropped nor did it suffer any impacts. In fact I babied this thing like one would an infant holding a Faberge egg filled with plutonium balanced over a lava pit. It rode in a cushioned in bag in the trunk of my car to and from the range, and that was it. And then less than 10 days the optics fall out of alignment and the scope becomes absolutely useless. At least it happened within the return period.So for now I’m giving it one star but here is the original review to show you how excited I was when I first received it:OK for all you TLDR people, Take a chance and get the scope and I will promise you you won’t find anything with equivalent optical clarity for under twice the price. I had my doubts and suspicions as well, but the proof is in the image.For people familiar with Amazon you already know the drill, you see a product with a name like S-PINY or GOZUN and then you proceed to see dozens of product listings with different names with apparently exactly the same item. Sometimes it’s identical and sometimes it has a different name silkscreen to the side or slightly different packaging. But you got to consider they come out of the same Chinese factories and they’re pretty much little difference between the products.That was my issue when I saw the scope which is it’s identical on the outside to scopes like Svbony and Gosky. These are some pretty inexpensive scopes with very unimpressive performance. Even trusted names in optics like Celestron and Leupold Have some lower and models that bear a suspicious resemblance to the cheap generics. It doesn’t help that it comes with identical accessories too down to a pretty flimsy tripod. Although the phone mount is a better version of the ones that typically come with the generics. It has a sturdy suction cup and a decent aiming mechanism versus the frustrating clip on the phone mount of the others.The other thing that doesn’t help is that there’s no international standard for ED glass. Even if it is Edie and I know because of the dozens and dozens of masks that have been sold as FDA and CDC approved, and they are not or the hundreds of supposedly “MFi certified” iPhone adapters that will burn out your phone . The sad fact is that many sellers on Amazon have zero scruples whatsoever about blatantly lying about the items for sale, including easily verifiable certifications such as MFi.And as a photographer of 30 years I know that ED glass is not cheap, but it doesn’t have to be excruciatingly expensive either. The proof is in the image however because the difference between normal glass and ED glass is generally readily apparent.When you take a look through the scope you know quickly that you didn’t get an ordinary cheap generic scope, but you actually got something quite a bit better.It’s a shame that it still has the outside generic appearance, and my guess is whatever factory is running their scopes is using the same generic molds for the housing, but they’re just putting in much better glass, and hopefully much better mechanisms: such as the fine focus knob which is not something you find on the generic scopes, and even some nicer namebrand ones. If it weren’t for the fine focus I don’t think I would’ve taken the risk and bought this thing because it looks just too much like all the others. I’m glad I did and that’s why I’m putting as much effort into this review as I am.In the pictures I’ll show you that the eyepiece has some differences in terms of a much larger exit lens giving you a significantly better exit pupil and eye relief than the cheaper scopes. I suspect that that the objective lens is also much better but it’s hard to really tell by looking down into it. You can however tell how clear it is in the photo, with effective anti-reflective coating‘s, and a very clear view into the scopes internals.The big test is when you crank one of the cheaper scopes up to maximum magnification you can barely see anything, it’s neigh impossible to focus and the image quality is terrible with fringing and chromatic aberration’s galore. Well the scope is more difficult to use at maximum magnification, as any scope is, it doesn’t have these common problems. You’re able to focus and get a fairly sharp and clear image with a little distortion. And the image is fairly bright too and that really surprises me. The colors are going to be a little less saturated but the detail is there for the most part, and that’s pretty amazing at this price point.Due do a thing called ‘focus breathing” , you might find that the 60 X magnification really looks a little more like maybe 45 or 50 X. Focus breathing is a common issue and lenses that are less expensive. So if you’re shooting in a mile out this might not be the scope for you but for a couple hundred yards this thing works well enough at a price that won’t break your bank.And while I’m giving the scope a rating of five stars a lot of that is based on its price. As Zeiss or Swarovski optic will also get five stars but this thing is not comparable. I am taking the value in the consideration for my final star rating.The scope also comes with a tiny Bluetooth shutter which will make it easy to take pictures without bumping the scope. I haven’t tried this one as I already have several but I suspect it works fine. I’m pretty flimsy tripod that I instantly replaced with sturdy carbon fiber tabletop model. And a thin but well thought out neoprene sleeve case that allows full access to the controls and optics while leaving it on for some protection.I purchased this spotting scope before doing proper research which is very unlike me. After the fact, I checked fakespot and was shocked that it said there was a high level of deception in the reviews. Then I searched the web for this scope. I could find it nowhere other than on Amazon and on the sellers own website. Uh oh...Then I received the scope and found that it lives up to pretty much everything stated in the listing. Even at maximum zoom there is no distortion, no blur and no discoloration. Images over 300 yards away are crystal clear. The controls are all intuitive and easy to operate. I can't say enough good things about this scope. It is solid.The table top tripod is not the greatest quality, but it is functional. Is there is a spotting scope that DOES come with a decent tripod? I might try the cell phone adapter, but I'm leery of hanging my phone five feet above the ground by a suction cup. And that little remote for snapping pictures while your phone is attached to the scope? I'll never use it. So, I won't be using the tripod, (I have a tall tripod I use), I doubt I get much use out of the phone adapter and won't be using the remote to snap pictures. Well, the remote might not be a bad idea for taking selfies. I mean, your phone doesn't have to be hanging from the scope in order for the remote to work - and it does work. Anyway, none of this stuff matters to me as they are not why I purchased this scope. I purchased it because of it's specs and it lives up to them.Now I do disagree with the 'glasses' claim that wearing glasses while looking into the eyepiece is no problem. It's a problem for me. However, it's the same for any scope I've ever used so I don't blame this scope. And, I did have a minor issue with the rubber cover on the front lens shade being loose and came off as I took the scope out of the case. A little gorilla glue took care of that.Other than these tiny quibbles, I'm super satisfied with this scope. It puts the scopes each of my sons have to shame. At 300 yards we could see each hit on the target with no issues. One of my sons freely admitted that his scope gets blurry and darker at that distance and was very impressed with this scope. I feel this scope is under valued at it's current price point and I really don't understand why this scope isn't more widely available. I guess those of us that find it here on Amazon are the lucky ones. This scope is as good as they say it is.One minor update but it's not about the scope itself. I don't take a lot of pictures, but I've found I like using this remote when I do take pictures. It just seems easier to me than trying to find the right spot on the screen to press to snap a picture. Granted, I'm old and don't have the best eyes so finding that sweet spot to snap a picture can be a pain for me. Using the remote just seems easier. I just consider the remote a bonus. I still love this scope though and have no regrets on this purchase.Don’t really care for the shoulder strap that’s kind of cheesy? especially for how the spotting scopes are very well made The lens covers work just fine I put a little Velcro on the back of the plastic one in for a piece on the front of the zipper of the sleeve spotting scope so would stay there but these pictures and a video at least a few miles away unreal how it comes in absolutely beautiful I’m gonna be using it for all types of stuff hunting birdwatching watching the moon ??After reviewing three scopes,this was the best for ones money. It had ALL the features I needed for 100 meter paper targets.Finally used it 4months after purchased. Was totally impressed!Plus,it’s made in the USA!Very good scope for the money! Will be awesome for whale watching. Do not recommend for stargazing, etc.I have not attempted to use phone attachment. My phone is water resistant, etc and is not smooth on back (for suction mount). I have used scope on (a real) tripod mount with lake and mountain view from deck. It's impressive if you can track objects at distance. We are far above lake, but I can not only see water-skiers face, but the expression on their face. With binocs these are effictively stick figures! 60x vs. 7x. No comparison!For the price its definitley not worth it, the cheap Chinese made product where everything feels low quality from the adjustment knobs to the general construction materials feel like something youd expect from a hundred dollar unit. Far better scopes on the market for over half this hefty price tagWouldn't recommend.Works ok for target practice but not good for long distanceGoing to use this for bird watching.