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Image stabilized (May 2026)
Swarovski scopes has done it again! This was a logical continuation of image stabilized binoculars, now very well implemented in a spottingscope. Anyone who have been scoping birds in strong winds, and with less than a perfect tripod head, will love this little scope. I can see it as a great travel scope as you don't need a hefty tripod+head to lug around. This scope costs 4000 USD.
Travel scopes
Also new for 2026, the ZEISS Conquest Apia 65 (20-50x65) is maybe the best allrounder. It is small sized and light weight at 1,350 g. It has an arca-swiss foot and high magnification up to 50x. In addition, it has a smart throw lever that allows for quick zoom with your thumb, while still having your fingers on the focusing wheel. It has a reasonable price at around 1500 USD.
Swarovski ATC/STC (17-40x56) is a high end travel scope from Swarovski. It has a 56 mm diameter lens and a zoom eyepiece that can magnify up to x40, weighing in at 970 g. But be prepared to pay 3000 USD for these gems!
You can get very good travel scopes for under 1000 USD. I really like the Opticron MM4 series. The tiny Opticron MM4 50 ED (12-36x50) is the perfect travelscope at 879 g. The larger 60 mm version has a zoom eyepiece that can magnify up to x45.
Budget scopes
Olivon T650 16-48×65 Spotting Scope is true budget scope at under 300 USD. So you can find decent scopes for less.
High end
If you use a scope extensilvely then save up for a high quality scope with a diameter of about 80-100mm to get lots of light to a 20-60x Zoom eyepiece. The costly high end versions (indicated by APO, ED, FL, or HD) are first appreciated when using the scopes in difficult, or low light situations, coupled with zoom oculars, or when digiscoping. But they are worth the extra money since the most common setup today is with a highpowered zoom ocular, and they will last for decades.
The ZEISS Victory Harpia 95 is as good as it gets and has a workable zoom up to 70x! This scope will cost 5000 USD.
Digiscoping
If you want a documentation picture or get a nice picture for sharing on the web then it cannot get more affordable and easier than with your mobile phone camera and an adapter to your spottingscope. Swarovski and other large brands now manufacture their own phone adapters, but there are third party adapters and many innovative do-it-yourself versions to fit all sorts of mobile phones.
Angled vs. Straight
There is really not much difference between the two versions. I prefer the angled version and find it just as easy to find the birds as with a straight scope. It is also great if you are sharing a scope and don't want to adjust the tripod height all the time.
In raptor migration a straight scope could be to your disadvantage as the birds can travel quite high, and you need to bend your neck awkwardly to keep them in view. Another drawback with straight scopes is the fact that you need a taller tripod which induce a less stable image if that is accomplished by raising the center column. With little practise there will be no difference in how fast you find a bird and though the straight scope can be more popular in some countries I find the angled scope to be the most advantageous. RSPB: Straight or angled 'scope?