Vortex Optics Solo Monocular 8x25 - Adjustable Eyecup, Fully Multi-Coated Lenses, Rubber Armor, Non-Slip Grip, Fogproof, Waterproof - Unlimited, Unconditional Warranty

I'm very pleased with the Vortex Solo 8x25. It's lightweight but very ruggedly built, feels like you could drop it and no problem at all. Nice textured, easy to grip surface, but not sticky or tacky. They eye cup and focus are very easy to use and feel very sturdy as well. Nice clear optics. It's the perfect monocular for spotting when you don't want to carry anything heavy, or just need something around your neck for quick spotting. The only shortcoming is the stratp, which is what you would expect. I just made my own out of paracord to the length I want.I don't think you'll find a better monocular in this price range. Highly recommended.

The awful pouch that others have mentioned should probably lower this rating to four stars, but this monocular is the one I have sought for years and finally found, so I am five stars worth of happy. In ten seasons as a volunteer federal ski ranger, I learned the value of equipment that can be brought to hand without removing and sorting through a pack, particularly in deep powder in the back country. Snow eats things. They disappear and cannot be retrieved, Many inexpensive, competent monoculars are little more than thumb-sized, and can fit in a knife or magazine case, attached to a pack shoulder strap. This is an ideal, often unused, location for something about that size. However, eyeglasses, snow goggles, etc., must be removed to use these tiny monoculars, thus involving finger fumble, which does not always work with ice-encrusted mittens. Excellent, glasses-friendly, monoculars by Brunton and (surprisingly) Barska are just too big to ride comfortably on a pack strap. The only one small enough for my purposes was, I thought, a Zeiss at around $350. I was nearly ready to buy one when I saw this. A day's trial on a summer hike to 12K feet brought nothing but joy. If it fogs up or freezes in the cold next season, I'll revise the review. However, I have never had that sort of trouble with any modern optic and hope the best for this Vortex. On trust, i ordered another one. EDIT: The second one arrived with a much better case -not entirely worthless like the first case. Dare one hope that the importer actually listens to feedback and reviews?

Ivwas skeptical about buying a lower cost vortex optic, but i was totally surprised and astounded by the optical clarity and fog proofness of this monocular! Even after sitting in 20 degree weather, they never fogged up! Obviously the field of view is small, but its great for quick target acquisition, and portability. Only gripe is the focus wheel is a bit light, but too fast. It has a huge range of focus, more than any other binoculars I own, about 10 feet to a quarter mile at least! So this product is really a great buy! I hunt, shoot, and as a contractor its great for inspecting roofs and chimneys, trees and the occasional bird.

Sturdy and clear. It's exactly what it says it is and works as it should. Comfortable against the eye socket and stable to hold with sweaty or wet hands. Helps me get a better look at texture and light. Perfect for drawing or painting things in the distance.

What a perfect hand held optic. Especially for hiking or whale watching. It’s really small and comes with a nice pouch to place on a belt. The lens is clear, for the price you can’t beat it, plus the vortex warranty! Fits easily in a pocket or shorts and doesn’t seem too large. Eye relief is short, but I think they designed it this way so you use your eye bridge to stabilize for better picture. It also extends if you have glasses. Great design! Everything has a function and purpose. This is perfect for basic viewing and maybe even hunting.

The media could not be loaded. Vortex is known for great optics that don't break the bank. I was looking for a decent monocular and a lot of the cheaper non name brand ones had fairly terrible reviews, so I took a chance on this one based on Vortex's reputation alone (a friend swears by their rifle scopes). The scope itself is really well made and feels great in my hand. The eye cup extends and collapses for storage and to provide a bit of shade/protection from your lashes getting the lens dirty. The exterior is a really grippy rubber material and unless my hand was wet, I'd probably never accidentally drop it.It comes with a neck leash which is decent, and a belt holster which is pretty terrible to be honest. A small camera holster would work better to give full coverage and protection. Right now, I just have it in an Oakley sunglass soft sleeve which suits me just fine. Sits in a backpack and is easy to get out. Since it's well rubberized, I'm not really afraid of damaging it. Plus it's only $50, so if I break it by my own hand, it's not terribly expensive to replace.The question now is when do I plan to pony up for their 6-24 FFP scope...