Gosky 20-60x80 Dual Focusing ED Spotting Scope - Ultra High Definition Optics Scope with Carrying Case and Smartphone Adapter for Target Shooting Hunting Bird Watching Wildlife Astronomy Scenery

Summary (TL/DR): The optics of this scope were sufficient to see .22LR holes in a Splatterburst target at 200 yds very clearly. It is much better than $60 variants that are all over. The scope is well made. The carrying bag is just “ok” and doesn’t provide much protection. The phone adapter feels a little cheap but was functional and relatively easy setup. The tripod mount and rotation ring is excellent, but I wish the locking knob were more accessible when mounted. Lifetime warranty with what seems like responsive customer service and this scope is really good value for the money. Detailed Review – Unboxing: I purchased the GoSky 20-60x80 UHD Spotting scope as a replacement for a $60 Redfield scope which I cannot find anymore. That’s my reference point for this review. The packaging ensured the GoSky does not get damaged in transit, and it was well packed. The GoSky came equipped with: 1. The Scope itself, fully assembled, with lens covers for the eyepiece and for the 80mm side. There is a tripod mount built-in to the scope, which has a standard ¼-20 screw and a sizeable “plate” such that an Arca-Swiss Tripod adapter would fit nicely. 2. A carrying “bag” – a case isn’t quite the right word for it (see below). 3. A cleaning cloth. 4. An adapter to take photos through the scope using your smartphone. 5. Warranty card and quick start instructions for both the scope and the adapter. Compared to the Redfield, this scope is physically larger and heavier. The Redfield I had was a “Straight” through sight picture, whereas this Gosky is angled. The Redfield had a “protective/padded cover” encasing the entire scope, and it allowed you to “peel off” the protections to expose the mount, the controls, etc. That protective cover was further protected by the padded carrying bag. The GoSky scope is “naked” after you remove it from the carry bag. I feel the carrying bag is this scope’s biggest demerit (see below). Optics & controls: To test the optical quality of the GoSky, I setup an 8” Splatterburst target that I had previously shot with .22LR numerous times on my mailbox. I then used a measuring wheel and walked 600’ away (200 yds, about the farthest I normally shoot), and setup the scope on my Giottos professional camera tripod with ball head and Arca-Swiss plate. I then set the magnification to 20x and located and centered the target in my view. I focused the scope first with the coarse focus knob, and then with the fine focus knob. I locked the tripod down in this position, and I then adjusted the optics to 60x. After some slight adjustment of the tripod and refocusing, I had the tripod locked on the target. The optical quality of the scope was excellent. I could easily make out my shots at 200 yds, something I couldn’t really do with the lower quality Redfield I had before. My test was at dusk and light was actually fading, and I expect that with even more light it would be even better. I didn’t really appreciate how nice the dual-focus would be for really sharpening the image, especially at 600 yds and 60x magnification. Although I have never used other UHD spotting scopes before, I was very impressed with the quality of this one, and it more than does the job for me. You can see from the close-up view of my target, there were two shots in the bullseye, and they were resolved properly by the scope at 200 yds and 60x. During use, I found the controls to be smooth and provide good “tactile feedback” – they were not too hard to turn and they were not too loose either. The zoom ring is a little tight, but I think it will loosen with a little use. They are located where you expect them to be. My only gripe was that after mounting the scope to my tripod, the thumb screw to allow the scope to rotate was hard to access, as it was very close to the arca-swiss plate (see photo) Phone Mount I tested the phone mount with my iPhone 11. It definitely seems a little “cheap” – the plastic and screws seem rather fragile. But it seems to do the job. The phone mount has enough adjustment to accommodate phones with a camera on the left or right, as well as the center – I had to reverse it from the way it shipped to accommodate the camera on the side it exists on my phone, but that was simple. I didn’t know which lens of the two on the phone to use, so I lined one at a time up until I got a clear image on the phone screen. Then, with the scope “locked” onto the target at 60x, in focus for the eyepiece, I mounted the phone adapter to the spotting scope. In the process, I may have bumped the scope enough to lose target acquisition, which wasn’t a real surprise at 200 yds and 60x. After a little fiddling, I was able to reacquire the target (while looking at the phone). I may have been doing it wrong, but the photo was rather small on the screen, showed only a circle that took up maybe 15% of the screen in the center. The rest of the screen was black – see the photo I included. I think maybe “zooming” on the phone screen would have been a good idea, but I didn’t do it soas not to introduce any optical artifacts for the sake of this review. While the whole thing was a little awkward, it was functional. I worry slightly about the longevity of the phone mount due to its construction, and I am a bit worried about attaching a “heavy” object to the eyepiece of the scope. But I could see myself using it at the range to not have to continually put my eye up to the scope to spot my shots. Further, I could see myself using it to “sequence” the shots (for example during zeroing of a new optic - taking a photo after each, to be able to see how corrections to the shot zeroing process are being achieved). Tapping the phone at high magnification created blurry images, so using a timer or remote trigger would likely be needed for clearer shots. The photos I have included are actually a lot worse than what the scope looks like through the eyepiece, so *PLEASE* don’t judge the optical quality from that, it is CONSIDERABLY better through the eyepiece. See photos. Carry Bag I have included some photos of the carry bag. And it is just that, a carry bag. There is minimal protection for the scope other than cosmetically, since the bag is barely padded. I would be scared to drop the scope while in this bag (where my old Redfield would likely survive). I will probably buy a different case, wrap it in a towel or memory foam, or do something to otherwise pad the scope. The bag is “roomy” enough to accommodate that. The quality of the bag (I wish it were a “case”) was by far my biggest demerit on the overall product. See photos.

Good -- 100 yds - could make out screw heads on metal siding. Image is clear, not blurry. Very slight "fuzziness" on shiny things or light against very dark edges. Probably 150 yd max for a good clear picture with this scope. Light weight for its size, dual speed adjustment if good / smooth. Sale or open box price about $200 is good for this scope. Bad - 250 yards, quite fuzzy edges on light against dark background. Could make out 6" license plate letters OK, but took focusing up and down and it wasn't "easy" to see them. Hard to focus with image shake from the slight amount of play in the rotating mount. Definitely not "ED" glass. It is a pretty big scope to pack and carry around. By comparison a Nikon 60mm fieldscope 2 (with their Non-ED glass), was about the same as full price for the Gosky. It was much "easier" to get focused and clearly see the smaller 1" numbers and the screw heads on the license plate at 250yds. No fuzz or sparkle on bright / shiny things against dark edges. Much better in every way- image clarity, ease to focus, size, and weight.

This review is for: "Gosky 2019 Updated Newest Spotting Scope with Tripod, Carrying Bag - BAK4 Angled Scope for Target Shooting Hunting Bird Watching Wildlife Scenery...)" I used it recently to see the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction and was extreely impressed by the power and clarity. Of course to see images at that distance at any magnification you do need to use a sturdy tripod. Otherwise there is too much image-shake. Having said that, in order to temper expectations, I have to add that although I could see Jupiter and four of it's moons, and Saturn and it's rings, the images were extremely small, even at 60x magnification. (Please do not expect to see the planetary features (such as Jupiter's hot spots) with a scope such as this, or go in expecting images that look like pictures you've seen of any of these planets that have been taken by much more powerful telescopes.) The one thing that is difficult to get used to is the angled eyepiece. While the angled design is supposed to be useful for many reasons, including making it easier to look at objects in the sky, the line of sight is not intuitive. However, this can be said for all angled scopes so it does not apply to this particular one alone but it is a challenge, so I am mentioning it in case it helps. Overall, this is a terrfiic scope. It's extremely well-designed, easy to carry, and comes with a very useful carrying case. Focussing is extremely smooth which is important so as not to shake the scope and lose the image from the field of view, especially at high magnifications. If you're looking for a scope that is easy to carry by hand, to set up quickly wherever you go, and that will provide nicely magnified images of the moon, some planets, birds, wildlife, etc then this could be the scope for you. Hope you enjoy it if you decide to get it.

So I purchased the Gosky 20-60x80 and the Vortex Diamondback 20-60x85 with the intent of doing a comparison and keeping the best performing. Assuming you wait for the price drop which happens occasionally here on Amazon, you can get the Gosky for $200 less than the Diamondback. Briefly: the Gosky has significantly better image than the more expensive Vortex, however the Vortex is better built/ergonomics. I kept the Gosky. Longer version is that the Gosky has ED glass and the different in chromatic aberration (CA) is significant. The Vortex has significant CA or "purple fringe" and it's very noticeable on thin objects like tree branches while the Gosky has nearly zero CA. In terms of sharpness, these are both very sharp optically and are basically indistinguishable from each other in my testing of them side-by-side on tripods looking ~200yds away at car license plates, trees with birds in them, etc. I will say that I don't find the dual-speed focusing of the Gosky as good as the single speed of the Vortex. The Vortex was easier to focus while even the "slow speed" of the Gosky was more fussy/sensitive. Both scopes have extremely narrow depth-of-focus- so this is a definite "plus" for the Vortex. For my use- where I'll be focusing on stationary targets where I have plenty of time to tweak the focuser this isn't that big of a deal. Both scopes have a ring which allows you to rotate where the eyepiece of the scope is pointing which is really nice, but only the Vortex has an Arca-Swiss dovetail QR plate for connecting to a camera tripod. The Gosky has a standard 1/4" thread so you'll need to provide your own QR plate. In terms of quality, the Vortex is a notch better built- the grey plastic body of the Gosky in particular feels cheaper and will crack if not taken care of. Of course, has glass optics so hopefully you're not using either as a baseball bat/etc. That said, the Vortex seems a little higher quality- but neither would be confused with a $1000+ scope. The Vortex did come with a nice neoprene wrap to help protect it as well while the Gosky came with a cheap soft case which I guess will protect it from getting scratched, but not much else. Both come with dust caps, but only the Vortex caps are captured so it's easier to loose the dust caps which come with the Gosky.

Background: I am an intermediate birder and this is my first spotting scope. My goal was primarily use this scope for digiscoping with both my iPhone 8 and Nikon D7000. Overall, I think that this is a good entry-level scope. It seems to be a good value for its cost. Weight. I am a petite woman and this scope is quite manageable with respect to size and weight. It is well balanced in the hand and the surfaces have a nice non-slip textured feel. Optics. I have limited experience with scopes thus far, but I think that the 20-60x80mm optics are quite good. Images are much more detailed than with my Nikon Monarch M711 8x30 (of course) Carrycase. The carrycase is simple, compact and functional. I can extend the strap and wear it over one shoulder like a cross-body. Smartphone adapter. The smartphone digiscoping adapter is pretty easy to use once you get it set to your phone. I have my iPhone 8 in a soft rubber Otterbox cover and it still slips in pretty easily. The adapter secures onto the eyepiece with a dial fastener and it holds it quite securely. Nikon adapter. The camera adapter also seems to work fine with the eyepiece. Mounted together on a tripod, the entire contraption is a bit unwieldly for me due to shape and weight… I will need more practice with that. Covers. There are nice fitted covers for both eyepiece and lens. However, I have already expressed to the manufacturer that it would be nice to have them on leashes to the scope so that they don’t get lost. Tripod Mount. The mounting holes on the bottom of the scope fit easily onto my tripod.

A couple of years ago I was in the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone observing a wolf den. Everyone knew where it was about a mile or more away. My camera with a 200-600 zoom and Sony full frame (but) cropped image was insufficient. There was a local guide with a Swarovski scope and cell phone attached. His image was significantly better and the use of the cellphone for image gathering (digiscoping) provided easy to view and larger images. One of his promos was a local Gardiner outlet for renting similar scopes. Short term rentals give users an opportunity to use expensive scopes without the multi-thousand investment, along with being able to catch images otherwise unavailable. Fast forward to bird watching in a local Washington State flatland area - known for winter activity of owls, eagles, ducks, terns, and multiple other avians. Scanning with binoculars, I saw some wing spans indicating owls. My fellow birdwatchers went to work. And, in a couple of minutes announced “there it is… a short tail owl..see it?” Yeah, just barely with my binoculars rattling around in my hand. The camera was useless. Fortunately, the owl hung around long enough to let them find it with their own moderately priced Nikon scope. It was nice to at least catch a quick glimpse of this owl, unavailable to me with any of the optics I had in my possession. Optics matter. And as a point of trying to find something significantly less expensive than a $2500 Swarovski scope, I started looking around. As a photographer I knew I wanted fidelity. Some limited color fringing, but not as much as I had seen during some reviews on other offerings in this price range. As good as possible center focal points. A properly dampened focus knob. As much light as I could get with as much magnification as I could afford. There are plenty of reviews to parse online. I ended up choosing this GoSky model because of a video I viewed of the actual imagery. So far, I am just using it in my backyard that has a view of some native space behind my house. Color fidelity is good with no fringing. For any of these lower end less heavy scopes, brightness can always be better. Max magnification is not the best, but I was ready for the lack of detail at that extreme. The use of a cell phone using the standard (provided) accessory was not great and I ended up buying a better adjustable one (here on Amazon, Tridaptor Universal Digiscoping Adapter) that allows much more exact positioning of the lens on your multi-lens cellphone. My overall opinion is that this is a good beginner scope that will let me decide if I want to jump up in the hobby to a better scope, maybe one that will take an adapter for my camera. I will have to look around at my fellow wildlife observers and ask more questions!

This is my second 20x-60x 80mm ED spotting scope. I bought an Emarth 20-60x60mm BAK4 Prism Spotting Scope with Camera Tripod for $99 at the first. It is cheap and light wight. The picture is not sharp at 100 yard range target using high magnifications. So I bought a CREATIVE XP Spotting Scopes 20-60x80mm ED spotting scope for $170 and hope it would be much better than the first one. The picture is good but has color dispersion and has image distortion. So, I bought this one during Thanksgiving holiday. The pictures are stunning and you can not expect more for less than $300. I tested it on a afternoon arround 3pm. The weater is good, 86F, little wind, partly cloudy. I took the pictures at 2100ft using my iphone XS Max, an ordinary tripod with a fluid head ( I purchased and mounted on my tripod) and a 3-axis cellphone adaptor. I attached 20x, 30x, 40x 50x, 60x pictures without cellphone picture magnification and another 60x with 1.7x magnification of phone. I am very satisfied with the picture quality. I need to tell you that these pictures are not as clear as I observed through the eye-piece. I highly recommend this scope to everyone. You won't regret!

The unit appeared to be made of solid materials at an affordable price range. I decided to purchase because of the quality and value as well as the mfg. warranty support. This unit has ED glass which is supposed to help with the image quality. I also liked the high quality lens cap was click on rather than a rubber boot. However, in the unit I had, the focus knobs would not correctly dial in the focus, whether I used the fast or fine focus knobs, the scope couldn't quite focus on objects past around 20 meter. I would still consider GoSky products again maybe as I know defects can happen sometimes. Will update review if I try a good unit in the future.