The flight of a bird, a scarlet sunset, a full moon or distant stars can captivate the eye for a long time, cause delight and awe. The world around us is immediately filled with wonders and secrets, if you pay attention to them. Unfortunately, the life of a modern person often turns into a monotonous race for material goods and distant goals; there is no time in it to stop, look around, notice and appreciate the beauty of life. Adults, immersed in numerous worries, unlearn how to look at the sky, although in childhood, dreaming, they did this for hours.
But there is an easy way to get out of the clutches of routine at least for a while. Buy a spyglass/spotting scope that equips a person's eyes with the ability to see the world better, to focus on its countless and varied details. You can even make a spyglass with your own hands, but still, in order to enjoy all the possibilities of this optical device, it is better to purchase it in a store.
A bit of history
Astronomers and dreamers have always wanted to take a closer look at the vault of heaven, but for the first time this became possible only in the 13th century. In 1268Englishman Roger Bacon, after a series of experiments with mirrors and lenses, created the prototype of all modern spotting scopes. His invention was not developed, as the technology for manufacturing optics was still too low.
Almost two and a half centuries later, in 1509, the brilliant Da Vinci developed and drew in detail a spyglass equipped with two lenses, described the principle of its operation, designed an advanced for its time machine for high-quality lens grinding, but mankind has not yet was ready to accept this invention.
It took a century for a real breakthrough. In 1608, the great Galileo designed and created with his own hands a telescope with a thirty-fold increase, although before that, optical instruments were magnified by a maximum of three times. Such a leap in possibilities allowed the scientist to make a number of dizzying discoveries: spots on the Sun and its rotation, the satellites of Jupiter, the phases of Venus, the craters of the Moon, individual stars of the Milky Way. Galileo was the first to mass-produce spyglasses, they were short-lived because of the paper case, but they still began to spread rapidly across Europe, and sailors were especially eager to buy them.
In 1611, in the book "Dioptrics" written by the astronomer Kepler, a telescope was shown, which was called the "Keplerian system" and noticeably surpassed Galileo's invention in terms of optical capabilities. But the Kepler tube had one obvious drawback: it flipped the image 180 degrees. For astronomers, this flaw did not play muchvalues, but for travelers and sailors it became critical.
In order to flip the picture back, another lens was required, which made the spyglass too big and unwieldy. This problem was completely solved in 1850 by the Italian Ignazio Porro. He came up with a special system of mirror prisms that flipped the image without the use of an additional lens.
Types of spotting scopes
During the time of the Union, the range of optical instruments was very scarce. Perhaps the most popular were telescopes "Tourist" 1, 2, 3 and so on, which were produced by the Lyktarsky plant, located in the Moscow region. Today, the Russian consumer can choose among hundreds of spotting scope models from dozens of foreign and domestic manufacturers.
However, a large selection sometimes causes difficulties. The buyer is confused in the abundance of models, characteristics, incomprehensible terms. In order to at least a little navigate in an extensive assortment, you need to understand what type of spotting scopes are. They can be classified according to several criteria.
According to the optical system:
- Mirror-lens system. In it, a combined system of mirrors and lenses is responsible for the image. Pros: better image quality, lighter, less distortion. Cons: high price, fragile mirrors.
- Lens system. It only has lenses. Pros: cheap, durable. Cons: worse picture.
By availability of zoom:
- Increase constantly.
- The multiplicity can be adjusted.
According to the location of the eyepiece:
- Eyepiece and objective lie on the same axis.
- Ocular axis at an angle to the lens axis.
According to case material:
- Metal. Sturdy but heavy.
- Plastic. Lighter but more fragile.
- Rubberized materials. Convenient to use.
According to eyepiece diameter and magnification. These two most important characteristics are primarily indicated when marking a telescope. The diameter of the lens at the entrance of the tube determines its ability to collect light, and therefore the clarity, brightness, color reproduction and detail of the image.
The magnification of spotting scopes usually varies from 15 to 100 times. But 15x is a rather weak magnification, which is suitable only for small children for entertainment. And optical devices with a hundredfold magnification are very expensive and massive, in everyday life or when traveling they are inappropriate, it is advisable to use them in serious scientific research. Values in the range of 30-60 times are considered the optimal multiplicity.
Some spotting scopes are connected to modern digital cameras, this allows not only to observe, but also to photograph everything that gets into the lens. Such optical devices are expensive, but for photography lovers, the cost is fully paid off by the pleasure that makes it possible to capture the enlarged world.
Accessories
When buying a spyglass, one should not forget about the choice of necessary and simply useful accessories, towhich include:
- Handy case and bag. Spotting scopes are rather fragile devices, so they need to be protected from shock, dust, and water. A reliable case and a special sturdy travel case will extend the life of the pipe. The shoulder bag is convenient when walking around the city or the forest, the device is relatively safe, you can quickly get it.
- Tripod. It allows you to comfortably observe without hand fatigue and picture shaking.
- Adapters for connecting to external digital devices.
- Lens cleaners.
- Light filters for observing objects that are too bright.
Purchasing Tips
There are a number of tricks to help you choose a good spyglass in the store and avoid substandard products.
- Some manufacturers, especially hard-to-pronounce Chinese labels, write very large magnification values on their optical devices with a rather modest eyepiece diameter. This is either a direct deception, or such a tube will have an eyepiece exit pupil diameter that is too small for normal observation.
- When buying, be sure to examine the body of the device. There should be no cracks or gaps. Spotting scopes are completely sealed, air or moisture getting into them leads to condensation on the lenses and distortion of the picture.
- The quality of optics can be judged by the appearance of the lenses. Serious manufacturers always apply an anti-reflective layer to the lenses, which removes glare fromfrom bright objects. If this layer is present, then the lenses will be multi-colored, and at the same time the reflection in them becomes fuzzy, blurry.
Selection criteria
To choose a good spotting scope and then not regret the choice, it is not enough just to understand the technical characteristics well or have enough money. In choosing, you need to observe the relevance and reasonableness. Three questions will help with this:
- Who is the Spotting Scope for?
- What is it for?
- In what conditions will it be used?
Hunting, travel, entertainment
- Designed for hunters, travelers and lovers of exploring the world.
- Watch animals and birds, distant ground facilities, players or singers in stadiums and concerts.
- The pipe will most likely have to be worn. Conditions are harsh: dust, water, dirt, shock.
Conclusion. For this purpose, a spyglass with a magnification of 30 to 60 times in a durable case is quite suitable, but light enough so that it does not greatly burden when hiking or hunting.
Baby
- For toddlers and teens who are avid explorers or want to learn how to make a spyglass.
- Look around.
- Kids don't usually take care of things, so you need to be prepared for your child to drop the pipe, throw it in a pile with other toys, forget it in the rain, or use it as a hammer.
Conclusion. It is better to buy an inexpensive spotting scope in a durable case with a low magnification. You can purchase a construction kit and assemble the pipe with your child. This will help him understand the design and principle of operation of the magnifying device. Otherwise, many children get their first knowledge of optical laws by reading Dragunsky's story "The Spyglass", in which the pipe is assembled from a fragment of a mirror, a magnet, buttons and nails.
Original gift
- For a person who appreciates rare, beautiful things.
- Perhaps the device will be rarely used, it will become a decoration.
- Gentle operating conditions.
Conclusion. The magnification, body strength, lens diameter are secondary characteristics. In such a pipe, the main thing is its appearance and the beauty of the case. There are quite a few spotting scopes with original design. As an option, try to find Soviet products that are becoming rare. For example, the telescopic telescope "Tourist 3" will be a great gift for a connoisseur of vintage things.
Photographer
- For professional photographer.
- For high-quality shooting of all kinds of subjects.
- Usually, experts are kind to their tools, so it is unlikely that a telescope will fall or get caught in the rain.
Conclusion. You need a spotting scope with excellent optics that does not allow distortion, on a reliable tripod, with the obligatory ability to connect to the camera. The magnification of the device and the diameter of the eyepiece dependfrom the specialization of the photographer.
