SOLOMARK 12X50 High Definition Monocular Handheld Waterproof Monocular-Bak4 Prism Fmc for Wildlife Bird Watching Hunting Camping Travelling Outdoor Sports, Black

This monocular is designed to be lightweight and compact. it is easy to carry and is a nice tool for travel. Although it can not be used for seeing the panorama, it is very suitable for most scenes, such as watching the natural scenery and sport events. Additionally, the lenses at two ends are protected from scratches and dust by rubber armor.

Took me a while to get used to a monocular vs a binocular. Thought about returning and contacted the seller, seller was very accommodating and offered to take it back. I decided to give it a try for a few more days and decided to keep it given its superb customer service. The more I use it the more I like it for its clarity, light weight and ease of use. I am glad I kept it.

The 12x50 High Definition Handheld Waterproof Monocular by Solomark is a wonderful substitute for a pair of binoculars. I like to go for walks using local trails and monocular will greatly enhance the experience.I've been keeping my eye open for something decent and this baby more than fits the bill: it's a great value and it's light-weight and durable: "Waterproof, dust-proof, and shockproof design - 100% nitrogen-filled waterproof and O-ring sealed optics prevent moisture, dust and debris and ensures the living waterproof function."Of course, I had to test it right away and the weather was crappy. I had a couple of papers lying at the top of the stairs to the family room that I set there so I wouldn't forget to bring them down with me, and I focused the monocular on those. In a couple of seconds, I surprised my wife with a gasp. I was reading them!I could actually see the words on a piece of paper 20 feet away and read them as clearly as if I had been kneeling over them. The angle was awkward but the printing was clear as can be. Needless to say, they work pretty great on the trail, and you won't miss any detail of flora and fauna.They are usable with or without glasses, which is great, because I do wear glasses, and I have no problem seeing with them. You can mount them on a tripod (I keep one with my camera gear so I have one with me on any walk).They come with a nylon soft-sided velcro case (no great shakes but you can wear it on a narrow belt) and a cleaning cloth. You'll need to provide a strap (since it doesn't come with one) or a side-strap if you don't want to deal with the case (a bit awkward on your belt). Given how difficult it has proven to find such a strap I'm tempted to mark the monocular down one star, but I won't, because it's a great monocular. It's just a sadly missed opportunity by Solomark. Five stars.

As a monocular in general, this one is nicely sized and easy to hold. It is light weight and it is easy to hold it steady, too. Considering just those two features alone, I could give this monocular five stars. But there is much more involved than holding it easily and steadily. Trying to describe this monocular to you, and how well it works, is difficult because different people have different needs.So, I will try to do so by describing a situation: If you have a bird feeder that you can see out your kitchen window, and if you sit at your kitchen table and focus on that bird feeder with this monocular, it will give you a very sharp, clear and bright picture. You will have been able to focus in on that bird feeder quickly and easily because this has a really nice focusing knob that is super easy to use.If a bird comes and sits at that feeder, you will be able to see all its colors perfectly. You will see its beak and its feet and you can probably be able to identify it by what you see through the lens.You will probably not be able to focus in on the squirrel sitting in the limb above the feeder at the same time. You would have to move the monocular and maybe re-focus it.Here is the problem with this monocular: If the bird flies away, you will not be able to follow it with this monocular. You will move it in the direction that the bird flew, but it will be so out-of-focus, so immediately, that you won't be able to find the bird again unless you move the lens away and find the bird with your regular vision. Depth of field is not any good on this monocular.There is absolutely no way that you could ever zone in on a bird like a warbler. Warblers constantly flit around, they are almost always in action. This monocular will never allow you to focus in on a bird in action.If you are watching deer, you will not get the whole deer in focus unless it is further away.

This is a very reasonable handheld monocular perfect for birdwatching. It works well for me either with or without eyeglasses, with the front element surround being adjustable accordingly. The 12x magnification combined with the low-light capabilities of a 50mm lens and BAK-4 prism assembly makes for perfect early morning or twilight viewing. Note that this unit is fairly small and lightweight and therefore not difficult to hold in place comfortably. That said, 12x mag is right at the limit where you might want to start thinking about image stabilization, but of course that system adds weight, expense, and a need for battery power, so maybe just bring along a lightweight monopod and you'll be all set. My family is impressed by the overall resolution, clarity, and color accuracy. No, it's not even in the same ballpark as Canon's 18x50 IS binoculars, and the five stars aren't meant to indicate that it's THAT good, but simply to say that for the price, what you're getting is quite reasonable and certainly useful in the field, and in truth this monocular is much more portable and less likely to cause angst if it slips from your grasp and bangs against a nearby tree.