Gosky Titan 12X50 Monocular Telescope with Smartphone Holder - Waterproof Fog-Proof Shockproof Scope BAK-4 Prism FMC for Bird Watching Hunting Camping Traveling Wildlife Scenery

Very cool gift idea for bird lovers. Works great, easy to use.

This is the real deal! I just got this today in preparation for our Canadian Rockies trip next week and it needed no “breaking in”. Easy peasy. Of course I also read the itsy bitsy manual first to ensure I do it right. Don’t believe the nay sayers on how this doesn’t work. It does! Don’t blame the product for human error, guys! Ok so here’s the lowdown.Great picture quality for such great distance! Of course you can’t expect super crisp photos when you’re “zoomed” from that far. Let’s be realistic and remember this is not even $80!Very easy to install/use - like I said - easy peasy. I have the iPhone X. Make sure you line it up with the top camera as the iPhone X has two cameras.Has some weight to it but not bad. Tip: Once you’ve focused the lens, hold the monocular from under with your left hand (if you’re a rightie) and the phone with your right hand, clip your arms to your sides (never stretch out your arms or take a photo with your arms away from your body), hold as still as you can, and snap gently.Good quality - I really think this will last a good while.And lastly, I find that I am still able to text even with the attachment on (without the monocular of course coz that will be heavy but I suppose I still can). This way I am able to more quickly set it up if I need to capture something in a rush. Just attach the attachment just right under the volume buttons on the left. Don’t go any higher than that as it will squeeze the buttons and you end up with a silent phone. Past it and you might also end up like me - accidentally sending out an SOS to the police! (When you hold the power button down for 5 seconds it makes an emergency call for help! - I hope the police don’t show up now! Oops! Haha)See my two photos and see for yourself just how much closer it will bring your subjects for a photo! It’s insane!

The media could not be loaded. This monocular works very well under the right conditions. A tripod is highly recommended if you want clear and stable shots. The monocular has a 1/4" screw hole for mounting it. So far I am very happy with what I've achieved with this device.The smartphone holder is a little finicky, but it works. The one I received does not match the one that is shown in the description/picture. The one in the picture has a screw for tightening the smartphone in place, mine does not. Instead it uses internal springs to grip the phone in place. Not sure what that's all about (probably an older model?). I already had an incident where I accidentally bumped into it making it get it out of alignment, and I had to mess around with it again. Plus the way the smartphone holder mounts to the monocular doesn't feel secure. It only uses a single screw to tighten and holds onto the monocular by gripping it, there is no screw hole. I'm worried someday it might just slip off. I may get the better upgraded one in the future.Once the smartphone is perfectly aligned, open your camera app, and you will see a black surrounding circle. Zoom in a little to get rid of it. With the tripod that I have, I was able to get a nice shot/video of a bird on my family's bird feeder. The first picture is from my phone without anything attached (you can see the bird feeder in the distance). The video is with the monocular and the smartphone holder. The monocular has a fixed zoom and can focus manually if need to. Although the video clip isn't perfect (forgot to turn off auto-focus in the camera app), it still looks great! Much better then what I was expecting!As the monocular is also designed for using while holding in the hand, I will probably never use it that way, unless you have a VERY steady hand, it will be very shaky. For me using a tripod is the better way to go.

2023 update: this scope has held up to a couple years worth of use and abuse. I've dropped it a couple times and it is holding up well. Still works the same as the day i bought it. Highly recommend this product.I am a "fine" connoisseur of Chinese made monoculars. For a variety of reasons, this the 5th one I've owned.The box is sturdy and doesn't have that cheap "Chinese knock off vibe". I was impressed. This scope does come with a lifetime warranty. LOL. I won't hold my breath on that one, but at least it's there.The case is sturdy canvas with belt loop. Surprisingly, it's lined with a microfiber of some sort. Bonus.The scope is a little heavier and larger girth than what I would call "ideal" for carrying it around in my pocket like i want, but it does fit. This might be too big around for folks with smaller hands unless you use it two-handed. I have to slide my hand back towards the smaller taper in order to adjust focus and hold with one hand. I also had to remove the lanyard screw to facilitate this. I don't want the lanyard attached so no biggy to me. The focus knob is perfect tightness. Easy enough to turn one fingered but not loose enough to turn when pulling in and out of my pocket.The camera mount is sturdier and holds more secure than other one's I've tried. Once adjusted and fitted, my phone held perfectly fine in position and i was able to take perfect clarity photos.The scope feels very well built and I have high hopes for this one. I will try and update after a year's worth of heavy use and see if it still holds up.