Customer Reviews

Brunton Echo 7x18 Pocket Scope

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Certainly satisfactory optics for viewing. Not real bright view, the edges of the field of view are a bit soft, but for the price this is markedly better than the cheapy binoculars often sold for ten or twenty bucks. This monocular is very small and light-weight. Handy carry case that fits on your belt. A nice little piece of field equipment to carry in the outdoors, to concerts, and for travel. Comes with a lint/cleaning cloth and a handy wrist strap. 3 stars primarily to be honest, objective and let you know this doesn't compare to something with much more expensive optics. It's really a 5 star rating when compared to anything in its price class.

This product met my expectations for a monocular priced under $30, except the close focus wasn't quite as close as advertised. Instead of 13 inches, it is more like 15-16 inches, but it focuses very smoothly and is free of major defects or optical aberrations.

I purchased this Brunton Pocket Scope for the purpose of looking into my micro reef aquarium to see with more detail the tiny creatures inside. It works reasonably well for this purpose, and certainly better than probably all other pocket scopes on the market since it has a near focus of 13 inches. Of course, to maintain focus at such close range, you need to be quite still. There is an aquarium specific product that I suspect works much better, but it costs around $400 (if I remember correctly). Considering it costs less than $25 here at Amazon, the Brunton earns 3.5 to 4 stars.

I looked this up after I saw it being used by Kiefer Sutherland on 24. I'm very pleased with it. For a pocket scope it's very powerful and best of all, it has a very sharp image. I have two or three other pocket scopes, but this is the best.

For a pocket microscope my favorite is the one from the Discovery Store. For a pocket scale, try the 600gm digital sleek portable scale from Half Baked Goods.

On the whole, this is a pretty incredible little instrument.

Having such a long focal range (16 inches to infinity) in such a small package, for such a low price, is quite miraculous. This makes for a brilliant throwaway, super-small scope, for when portability is more important than quality. But it's not for serious viewing.

The 18mm objective doesn't capture much light at all, so the image, especially for distant viewing is quite poor. I compared this with the 7x32 Carson monocular, looking at a pigeon nest on my neighbor's house; with the Brunton I couldn't make out any detail at all, while the Carson (which has its own weaknesses) picked up a very clear image.

For close-focus viewing (i.e., less than 20 feet), it performs much better, but still not better than close-focus monoculars with a larger objective.

I can only recommend this monocular to someone who needs a micro-size spotting scope (either close- and/or distant-focus) that is vanishingly small in size, and wouldn't break the bank if it got lost/damaged. If you are looking for a super-small scope that doesn't suck, then this is for you. If you are looking for a reasonable scope that would benefit from being small, then I'd advise you to continue looking.

I admit I really picked this model and brand because it is the same model as the one Jack Bauer uses on 24. Well I didn't use it to stop any terrorists, nor save the US in an epic way, but for my uses this thing is great. It's small enough to always slip into a pocket or a back pack, and the focus is crisp and clear. At night, the monocular is a little dim, it's simply too small to allow much light in. For simplicity, ease of use and quality of optics, I give this 4 stars out of 5. Great price too!

Generally impressed by the reviews, I bought this in Oct 2007 for $19.50. I've brought it along hiking trips and it has lived up to expectations -- durable construction, easy to carry, and clear optics. My only complaint is that the strap does not thread through the scope easily. Overall, a very well-priced, useful scope.

Got this for multiple reasons but I wanted my 3 year old to use it as well. The optics were surprisingly good for the price range, it's very light and the case/strap are nice extras.

1 star reduction for the materials. I understand it's a cheap selling unit but it the case cracked very easily, no noticeable affect on the use of it but it definitely does not hold up well to minor pressure, so careful where you store it if packing.

All in all, I was not expecting the quality to be as high as it is compared to other items of similar nature and price.

I used the Brunton Monocular on a recent trip with my nieces and nephews. It is simple to use, and they enjoyed the clear view from it.

This is not a serious monocular in any sense, but it's good for days out when you just want to see something a bit more clearly without having to walk all the way there.

Its lightweight and compact size means you can keep it anywhere without really feeling it.

This pocket scope has a very clear view. The eye relief isn't much. I wear glasses and have to hold it tight against my lens. Good focus adjustment. Close up view is ok. For it's convenient size and weight, it does a good job.