Roxant Blackbird Spotting Scope - 12-36x50 High Definition Telescope with Zoom - Includes Spotting Scope, Tripod & Carrying Case

Update 4/2/2022This scope has turned out to be perfect for 10 meter air rifle shooting. Over the years since I purchased fourteen of these scopes and they have stood up well. Only one has failed due to rough handling.The rubber coating has held up well and has NOT turned gummy like I feared.While the price has gone up due to inflation, they still represent a good value for the money.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ORIGINAL REVIEWI ordered the Roxant Blackbird 12-36 x 50 scope as a possible replacement for the spotting scopes that our junior air rifle shooting program currently uses. The scopes are more than ten years old and are showing the effects of heavy use (and abuse) by our kids in the program.The scopes are used for viewing paper targets at a distance of ten meters. As such, the scopes have to have a very short focusing range that is not accommodated by many scopes, especially high-powered scopes.This scope looked promising as it was compact and lightweight. As our spotting scopes are mounted on a tripod at a height of five feet, a heavy scope raises the center of gravity of the tripod scope system and increases the tendency to tip over if accidentally bumped. A light scope is less prone to fall over.I had the opportunity to use this scope this past weekend at an eight hour tournament and these are my thoughts.PROS:1. Light Weight:: The body of the scope seems to be made of a rigid polymer instead of metal. While metal is generally more durable, it is heavier. Polymers are lighter and can be made strong enough for the application if engineered correctly. Only time will tell if this scope is durable enough for our use.2. Quality: The scope seems to be well made. I did not notice any rattling and the fit and finish feels good in the hand. The focusing ring and the zoom eyepiece both moved smoothly and with mild friction. The friction is a positive as it prevents the scope from going accidentally out of focus by incidental contact.3. Range of focus: The range of focus is more than adequate for our use. In testing of this unit, I was able to focus this particular scope to a distance of 7 meters – better than advertised. It will easily suffice our needs for ten meters.4. Eye relief: At low and medium magnifications, eye relief is comfortable and more than adequate.5. Integrated covers: The covers for the objective and eyepiece lens are attached via an integrated lanyard. It is impossible to lose them! Only time will tell how long the plastic lanyards will last but I like the fact that the kids can’t over tighten screw-on covers or lose them.6. Free tabletop tripod and carry bag: While not the highest quality or the most adjustable, they work and was included free!7. Integrated sunshade and eye-relief: The front objective lens has an integrated slide-out sunshade that extends and retracts smoothly with a small amount of friction so that it stays in place. The eyepiece also has a twisting retractable/extendable ring so that you have the proper eye relief if you wear glasses.8. Field of view: The field of view of this scope is near perfect for 10 meter target shooting. At the lowest magnification, you can see the whole target sheet which is approximately 9” x 12”. At medium magnification, you can very clearly see the pellets holes and their relationship to the scoring rings.9. Quality of the optics: A challenge for scopes in this price range is the quality of lenses. Inexpensive scopes that I have owned in the past have had distracting chromatic aberration (noticeable as a blue fringe around the perimeter and sometimes as a halo around objects) as well as distortion from the center of the lens to the edges. While this scope does have some of both, I was surprised at how minimal it was. The field of view was relatively flat. Again, I was looking at a black and white target and this may not be a fair test of how color images will appear, but for my purpose, it performed admirably. All portions of the image seemed to be in focus at the same time. Overall, exceptional for the price.10. Ergonomics: Well balanced and smooth – there are no sharp edges that can be uncomfortable in the hand. Would be good for hand held viewing with something to brace against, like a tree or post.CONS:1. Focusing speed: The focusing, as noted earlier, was smooth. However, it is very fast. At ten meters, the difference between being in focus and not in focus was a very small arc change. This made precise focusing a little bit of a challenge. In my experience, having the more common small knob on the side allows for more precise focusing. My guess is that this was a design choice to cut down on parts, complexity and cost and put the money elsewhere in the scope. I would rate this as an acceptable decision.2. Plastic mount: The mount where the tripod screws into the scope appears to be plastic with plastic threads. The downside here is that if the kids screw it down hard enough, they could strip out the threads. A metal mount would be more durable. However, I have had scopes that have had a plastic mount with a brass threaded insert installed to address the durability issue, but this has its own shortcomings. I have had more than one insert pull out of the plastic mount due to overzealous tightening of the mounting screw. Time will tell how durable this will be.3. Rubber coating: For some reason, many modern optical devices come with a rubberized coating that feels good in the hand initially but turn gummy as they age. Even high-quality German made optics have done this. I would rather have just a textured painted on finish than a “rubberized” coating that will turn gummy eventually. Or a simple removable and replaceable cover that can be changed when it is no longer serviceable. I have had to throw away optics that were still usable because I couldn’t stand their stickiness.4. Brightness of image: A minor con. My eyes are not as good as they used to be. I was using this scope at an indoors event under artificial lighting. While the image was clear, it was not very bright. I had available an inexpensive scope that had a 60 mm objective lens that delivered a noticeably brighter image than this one. While this is an unfair comparison as the larger objective gathers 44% more light, more expensive lenses could compensate for this shortcoming without adding much more size or weight, but then the cost would be several times more than what it is currently.CONCLUSIONWith this Roxant Blackbird scope, the compromise is that you get 85% of the performance of a high-end optic of similar form factor at a 75% discount. This represents a tremendous value. For those looking for an inexpensive compact spotting scope that gets the job done for ten meter air rifle shooting, this is a very good option and should be on your short list.Time will tell if the scope will be durable and survive the less than gentle handling by the kids in our program. I will update this review periodically if there is any change in my opinion.

First, I intentionally waited a while before submitting this review so I would have a chance to use it enough to form a trustworthy opinion. And honestly, I am very happy with the Blackbird Spotting Scope. Here's why:I bought the Blackbird Scope to use when I am hunting. I am in Utah and hunt mule deer and elk, mostly in wide open country at high elevation. I've always carried binoculars, but I have been wanting to do more long distance glassing. So this review will cater more to hunters than to birders.I absolutely love the smaller size of the Blackbird scope. Many years ago I bought a big, clunky spotting scope of a well known brand. I took it on a few hunting trips, but I only used it two or three times. It was long, heavy, blurry, and worthless at higher magnification powers. Because of that, I stopped taking it at all. It just wasn't worth the effort. In contrast, the Blackbird is wonderfully smaller, lighter, CLEARER, and has a great image through all magnification ranges. I also love how it easily fits into my pack without straining the pockets and doesn't weigh me down. Despite the light weight, it feels strong, sturdy, and well made.I like how the the rubber casing provides better gripping ability. It also adds to the sturdy feel. I really like the large focus ring, and how it is not part of the eye piece. Both the magnification adjuster ring and the focus ring are smooth, and not too loose or too tight. It is easy to adjust to a fine focus. I also appreciate the well fitting lens covers that came with it.The Blackbird definitely feels like a quality piece of equipment, especially for the price. My first impression was, "Wow! I didn't expect anything nearly this nice." The carrying case is a nice touch and improves the whole package.I don't understand the reviews I read that complained about the tripod. For what it is, a table-top tripod, it works fantastic. I like that it is made of metal, not plastic. Some reviews said the tripod was made of flimsy aluminum. Well, not the tripod I got. The legs on mine are made of steel, and when it is folded out it is very stable, with a little heft that adds to the steadiness. I used the tripod at the shooting range while sighting in my rifles, and it worked fantastic. I don't see myself using it out on the mountain while hunting (I bought a separate tripod for that), but I didn't buy a tripod, I bought a spotting scope. So as far as I'm concerned, the tripod that came with the scope is just a very nice bonus.There is no doubt that this scope would be great in any situation where you want to get 'up close', without actually getting close. When I used it at the shooting range, I could easily see .243 bullet holes in plain paper targets at 100 yards. The image was much, much better than my old spotting scope. I have no doubt that it would also work out to longer distances.The Blackbird scope would delight any hunter/shooter as a gift. No doubt. And it won't break the bank.It was super easy to figure out. I didn't even look at the instructions. Of course this wasn't my first exposure to optics, but the Blackbird is very simple to use. Its simplicity is one of the best things about it.When I first got it in my hands (I bought online), and was able to really see what I had purchased, I was extremely pleased. The more I fiddled with it, the happier I got. For you hunters out there, you need to know that the Blackbird is not a Ziess or a Swarovski. But, for what you pay for it, it is an extremely good value. Will you be able to see mosquitoes on a bull elk's antlers at 1500 yards? No. But, you'll easily see how big the guy is and how many points he has on his head gear. In my experience and in all my research, the other scopes that cost three or four times as much are only half as good. I think the Blackbird is an excellent value.One of the best things about the Blackbird spotting scope is that the image stays good through the whole magnification range of 15x to 36x. Go read the reviews of more expensive scopes, with their higher magnification ranges, and you will notice the consistent trend that, unless you are spending big money, the image quality deteriorates so quickly at higher magnification that they become useless halfway up the power range. That was certainly true of my old spotting scope. So instead of pretending to have 60x, the Blackbird's realistic top magnification of 36x is actually useful. The image does dim a little bit at higher powers, but for only having a 50mm objective lens it does really good. Another big win for the Blackbird is that by limiting the max power to only 36x, it has a reduced size, less weight, a lower cost, and just feels less bulky. I have been seriously impressed with all aspects of this scope. There is a mountain top about a mile and a half from my front porch. On top of that mountain, someone put up a normal size American flag. You can barely even see the flag with the naked eye. If you didn't already know it was there, you would miss it completely. I put my Blackbird on the taller tripod I bought, and zeroed in on that flag. On 15x magnification, I could easily see that there was a flag up there. On 36x, I could see the individual red and white stripes waving in the breeze. A mile and a half! I knew right then that I made a great choice. I couldn't be happier and am looking forward to using my scope in the high country.

I bought this for a trip to Yellowstone. While it works, it’s not quite what I was hoping for. Nothing against the product. It’s okay quality and comparable to others in this price range which I have tested. For a family trip to Yellowstone to spot and watch wildlife, it’s probable okay but not great.