12x55 HD Monocular Telescope with BAK4 Prism & FMC Lens, Lightweight with Smartphone Adapter - For Bird Watching, Hunting, Hiking, Traveling

I’ve been an avid amateur photographer most of my life, owning expensive well-known equipment as well as taking a flier on not so well known equipment, including a fair number of monoculars and binoculars. I was intrigued by the specs on this 12x55 Gosky monocular and for the price thought it well worth ordering. I was surprised and quite pleased when it arrived. It’s essentially the right weight, size, brightness, ease of focus and accuracy of focus. It’s well-made and easy to hold while using the same hand to operate the top focus wheel, which is continuous, very smooth and does not rush through the places you may wish to stop the focus for the picture you want. I use Amazon’s return policy and send things back that I don’t like, and in my opinion, this is a keeper. The holder that comes with it for taking a picture with your smartphone through the monocular looked a little daunting, but when I got to the point of actually setting up my smartphone in it -- when you’ve done it once it’s quite simple, and after you’ve tightened the unit at the right place so its center hole is properly over your phone’s camera lens (easy to do because you’re looking at your phone screen while positioning it), then the next time you want to take pictures, you put the phone in the holder, slip the entire unit over the rear lens and it’s in the right position for pictures. Then while it’s on the monocular, you’re always looking at your phone screen to see where the monocular is pointing and the way the monocular focus wheel is adjusting, as well as being able to manipulate your phone’s zoom, or any other photo/video feature on your phone to your liking in connection with the picture you’re about to take. You can of course do that either hand-held or with the monocular on your tripod. In my view, the monocular alone is definitely worth the price and the five stars. In addition to Gosky’s smartphone attachment, I’ve added two things to their package which I think enhance its use. They’re both purchasable on Amazon. The first addition is to remedy what may be an issue for some (including me). The rear lens cap is completely removed from the monocular when it’s in use. (The front lens cap stays attached and drops down out of the way.) The issue is of course is what to do with the removed rear lens cap when using the monocular. For me, sooner or later, I’ll be distracted trying to get a picture, and when I’m done, I won’t have the slightest idea what I did with the cap. So I bought on Amazon a small package of Altura Lens Cap Holder Keepers which consist of an elastic circular strap that can be slipped around the front of the monocular and a nylon tether that reaches to the back lens cap and sticks to it with a small circular adhesive tab. Thus, you can just pull the cap off and let it hang from the monocular, or pull off the elastic strap with tethered cap and, for instance, put the elastic around your wrist. Altura Lens Cap Holder Keeper . The second addition is a three-item package from CamKix, consisting of: (1) a small hand-held button (Bluetooth paired to your smartphone, iPhone or android) attached to a wrist strap, that will activate the shutter for photo/video so you don’t have to press anything on your smart phone when it’s attached to the monocular (reducing any person-made vibration); (2) a 7 ½ inch hand-held monopole that screws into the monocular for convenience, plus it can also be opened into a (surprisingly sturdy) table-tripod which can be used for a smartphone by (3) using the included screw-on holder for your smart phone (group pictures of friends, etc.), further, the smartphone can also be used that way on the monopole just by shutting the tripod. CamKix Camera Shutter & Tripod .

I’ve used binoculars for decades, from small opera glasses for the theater to large, expensive binoculars for sailing. For the most part I found them cumbersome and hard to focus through both lenses. Often I’d find myself closing one eye and viewing through one lens to simplify the situation. In other words, using them as monoculars. Recently I began watching an eagle nest about 600’ away and 150’ high and figured I’d try a monocular. After reading many reviews I decided to purchase the 12x55 Gosky HD and finally fell in love with a scope. I can watch birds and squirrels 5’ outside my window as well as get a detailed closeup of the distant eagle chicks, and the images are bright and clear. I find the monocular easy to hold, and I’m able to focus on the viewpoint very quickly and maintain the position easily. In fact, I was so happy with the 12x55 I decided to purchase the 15x55 for an even closer view. Both monoculars look identical, come with the same accessories and are identical weights - 13.8 oz with the hand strap. The focus wheels are easy to adjust, the front eye cover is attached to the scope, and the hand strap connects the back eye cover so neither cover can go missing. Each size is great for most uses, though the 15x55 might give a slight edge for long distances and the 12x55 for really close viewing. I can keep the 12x at home and the 15x in the car. Right now I’m using the monoculars for hand viewing and can’t say how well the phone attachment or tripod work. I also can’t add anything about the waterproofing. But so far I’m very happy with both purchases.

Quality products but for me, it just didn’t fit into what

It works great! lot of fun! even the little tripod and the phone adapter are pretty good. It's obviously much easier to use as a monocular, it's quite powerful and the image quality is not bad at all, especially in the center. It distorts a bit on the edges, and there's some chromatic aberration but overall it's great! It takes a minute to use it on a phone, but once you get the gist of it it's very rewarding. I compared my iPhone 13 pro camera (15x max zoom, 400~mm) and the monocular on the main camera (12x + 4,5x zoom in with the phone camera, so roughly 16,5x). The difference in details is stunning! I love this thing :D

Wonderful Monocular Kit! I just received this, & have only played with it a very short time, but so far I am very impressed with the quality of this monocular. I’m no expert, but the optics are very good! The monocular has some heft to it, but I like that. It looks and feels of excellent quality, and workmanship. I am expecting it to hold up for many years of use! Oh, and you will need a steady hand at the 12x power! A monopod, or tripod, or another way of helping to steady it may be necessary. It has very good clarity and smooth operation of the focus knob. The hand strap is a wonderful accessory for handling and using the monocular. I love that it’s included as part of the package deal. All included accessories are of nice quality. The carry case has a belt loop and holds just the monocular itself. It is nice, very durable material. I haven’t attached the hand strap yet, so not sure if it will fit in the case together, it might, but the smartphone adapter probably won’t fit very well. Actually, I purchased a separate larger carry case for the monocular and all accessories, with room for a small desktop tripod. So while the carry case that is included is good quality, I would only use it if I do not want to carry along the different included accessories, or anything else I may purchase to use with it. It is still nice though, and will probably work well for wearing via the belt loop, or hooking it on other gear using a separate carabiner. I think this kit is a great value for the price. I did quite a bit of shopping around and reading before I made this purchase, and I think I made a good decision!! Fast shipping, I received it in 2 days via Prime. Very well packaged. I would buy this again in a heartbeat.

Really liked the way it fit into one hand. The eye relief made it usable wearing glasses. Wanted to like it, but at this price the maker has to make too many compromises for my needs. I had some focus issues that I thought were me being shaky. I set this up on a tripod (plus marks for a usable tripod mount!) I was able to verify that it COULD get a sharp image right in the middle of the glass. I was also able to verify that in many cases I could NOT focus outside that center area. It would be close, but not "oh, yeah.. that's sharp!" Looking at fences made me double check to be sure I had my astigmatism prescription on. Fences really give a good idea of sharpness edge to edge on optics. I did NOT expect FULL edge-to-edge, but something more than just the very center of the piece. While I had it on the tripod I tried focusing at slightly different distances. The focus knob was very fast, so tiny motions would put it in and out of focus very quickly. Backlash in the focus screw made it more challenging to find the focus spot. The depth of field was shallow enough that, at 100 feet, something 6 inches in front of or behind the subject would be out of focus. This was too bad, because the color was pretty much OK. By looking at birds in treetops against a clear sky I got the impression that the prisms are not phase coated. I was not expecting phase coating at this price, though. At this price I was expecting more color distortion than I got. I was ready to accept less than edge-to-edge sharpness at this price point. The out-of-focus or distorted edges would still have served me for catching motion and following birds on the wing. I just could not get fast, comfortable focus for following birds with this. If the reviewers who report nice clear, sharp images ARE getting those, then there is a quality control problem. Again, at THIS price, something has to give. Amazon accepted the return no questions asked. Elsewhere the vendor has demonstrated willingness to work with buyers. It could well be that working with the vendor a buyer could test a few times and wind up with a MUCH nicer monocular than the price would lead one to expect. It will be interesting to see if some of the negative reviews change after working with the vendor. I think it IS good for the price, but not something I want to deal with.

I recently purchased the Gosky 12x55 HD Monocular Telescope, and it has exceeded my expectations in every way. This monocular has become an indispensable companion for my outdoor adventures. What I Love: High-Power Magnification: The 12x magnification brings distant objects up close with stunning clarity, making it perfect for bird watching, hiking, and sightseeing.​ Superior Optics: Equipped with an 18mm BAK-4 prism and fully multi-coated (FMC) lens, the light transmission is excellent, resulting in bright and clear images even in low-light conditions.​ Amazon +4 Stargazing +4 YouTube +4 Robust Construction: The monocular is built to withstand the elements. Its waterproof, fog-proof, dust-proof, and shockproof design ensures durability during various outdoor activities.​ Takealot Smartphone Compatibility: The included smartphone adapter is a fantastic addition, allowing me to capture high-definition images effortlessly.​ Stargazing Comfortable Viewing: The long eye-relief and twist-up eyecup provide a comfortable viewing experience, even during extended periods of use.​ Stargazing Final Thoughts: The Gosky 12x55 HD Monocular Telescope offers exceptional performance and durability, making it a valuable tool for anyone passionate about exploring the outdoors.​ Highly recommend for nature enthusiasts, travelers, and anyone seeking a high-quality monocular!

This is a nice little scope. For the price I would say this is a heck of a buy. I would put the glass and capabilities in the same group as the Vortex Viper line. I like to look at the stars and the moon to determine light gathering capability and with cell phone attached I was very impressed by the quality of the photos. Some finer details about this scope which could be improved on are: adding a fine focus as this would definitely help objects at a distance. If you don't have a tri-pod you are going to need to get one to take pics, there is no way you're going to hold anything near 12x zoom still enough. This is not really a 55mm or even a 50 mm objective. Its smaller than both of those numbers and shouldn't be called 55mm. There were some negative reviews I read about the glass quality. You need to bear in mind you are not paying for Burris, Nightforce or Swaros at this price point. You are however getting a quality scope at a very low price which I was able to use and see a lot of great detail on trees, animals out to 400 yards, and even the moon, which is around 240,000 miles away. I would recommend this scope for hunting, camping, and general use. Get a tripod and use Gosky's picture taker that connects to your phone and you should be set. I didn't use the picture taker for my pics, I just used a 5 sec delay.

It is a nice product value for money. thanks

Gran nitidez de la imagen. Alcance fantástico. Cosas que a simple vista pasan inadvertidas, se ven con claridad. Lo recomiendo. Merece la pena. Estas son las primeras fotos y vídeo que he hecho. Ampliando un poco se elimina el efecto agujero que aparece al principio.

Clear and bright Focus

super qualité comme décrit dans les nombreuses vidéo que j'ai pu regarder avant de faire mon choix

you can barely see as far as 200 meters that's it?! very disappointing , money wasted.