,

Celestron Hummingbird 9-27x 56mm Ed Micro Spotting Scope

(15 customer reviews)
Celestron
Compare

 

  • Easily carried in vest or coat pocket, in belt pack, or shoulder bag
  • ED lens optical system provides sharp, clear images with vivid, well-managed color
  • 9-27x magnification range spans binoculars and spotting scopes
  • “Birder-friendly” close focus distance: 10 ft. / 3m close focus satisfies birding field optic requirements
  • Waterproof / Nitrogen filled — Protected against wet weather, humid conditions, and other environmental challenges

 

$307.37

The name Hummingbird reflects many of the qualities of hummingbirds: very small size, highly mobile (they can fly in most any direction at will), and capable of long-distance travel (many migrate between South and North America).

The Celestron Hummingbird is a “micro” ED spotting scope, and like its namesake, the Hummingbird Micro Spotting Scope is as well suited to long-distance travel as it is to the backyard. Ideally suited for travel – the Hummingbird will easily fit into a pocket, shoulder bag, or carry-on luggage. This spotting scope is perfect for traveling birders as a more travel-friendly alternative to a full-size spotting scope.

The lowest magnification level can also serve as a substitute for a binocular. ED Objective Lenses Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass virtually eliminates chromatic aberration, also known as color fringing, a visual defect common in binoculars. Hummingbird ED delivers edge-to-edge sharpness with excellent color correction and razor-sharp images.

Not all ED glass is created equal. Celestron’s high quality ED glass delivers visibly brighter, sharper images compared to non-ED binoculars. The difference is especially apparent in low light conditions, such as at dawn or dusk. The Waterproof / Nitrogen filled construction of the Hummingbird keep it protected against wet weather, humid conditions, and other environmental challenges.

The durable armor works to keep the Hummingbird protected against bumps and jolts both during transport and in the field. The Hummingbird is tripod / monopod / window mount adaptable providing a variety of options for viewing. This spotting scope can easily be secured to a stable platform for comfortable long-duration or long-distance viewing.

SKU: 52308 Categories: ,

Based on 15 reviews

4.6 overall
12
0
3
0
0

Add a review

  1. Jay –

    The scope is very tiny. When I got it, I can see the scope is well made. According to other user report, it should be a very fast scope (F~3.8-4). It is very challenging to make a good fast refracting scope. When it is at 9x-15x, the image is fine and clear. When it is higher than 15x, there is obvious chromatic aberration.Compared with the Nikon ED50 with 13-40x zoom, hummingbird can barely compare with ED50 at 9-15x. However, above 15x image can not match Nikon due to hummingbird severe CA.

    Jay –

  2. Jac Cottrell –

    I really wanted this tiny scope to work out. I am a casual birder in the Northeast that was looking for a little more reach in seeing details. I like to walk and not carry too much gear. For reference, my binoculars are Zeiss Conquest HD 8×32 (mid-range from Zeiss) . I love their image quality and small size (see the theme here?). To me, they are a great balance of quality and value. I was looking for the same out of the Hummingbird scope.While the Hummingbird 9-27x56mm did give me more reach, I didn’t find the image quality even close to the Zeiss binoculars (fully aware of the price difference). Even though the bird was larger/closer in the scope, it was not very helpful in identifying new species. When looking into bushes/shady cover, the image was not very bright. In good light, I was able to get some closer looks at birds I was already familiar with. While that was nice, if I am going to haul a scope I want it to give me more than what my binoculars can offer.As I am reading about many scopes, the image quality of the Hummingbird would drop off at the very top of the magnification scale. If I zoomed out just a little the picture was much better, but in my opinion not worth it to carry along. If I am not going to bring it with me, the value just isn’t there.Overall, the build quality was on par with the price. It was mostly plastic, including the tripod mount. This is not a knock, it seemed to be decently constructed and very lightweight. However, It would not be something that will last generations.I knew I was tempting the fates a little with this scope, and it ended up to be about what I expected. I was not expecting Swaro/Leica/Kowa image quality at this price. With the larger front optic and ED glass, I was hoping for image quality close to my binoculars. I REALLY loved the compact size, I would happily paid more for much higher image quality in this tiny scope.I returned the scope and am now looking at compact options in the next price bracket up ($500-$1000). I hope to find a similar cost/quality/value balance that I have found in my binoculars.

    Jac Cottrell –

  3. C Bear –

    Nice size; small and light weight. Tried it out outside and the viewing is clear. Also tried it through the window and still had a clear image to see detail. Later at the end of the day, I tried it in the failing light. It surprised me how bright the view was, even better than with the naked eye. The light gathering ability did surprise me. This glass will be very useful in low-light conditions. Also like the ability to change out eye-pieces. I have a Celestron spotting scope with the same size eye-piece so will try a switch to see how it works. The barrel grips to focus and zoom are large and make changes easy.Would have liked a strap connection. Since I carry a camera also, having a strap would have made it quicker to change from one to the other. Still will be handier than a pair of binoculars with the extra viewing range and no added weight over the binos.

    C Bear –

  4. D. Peterson –

    I have a number of spotting scopes. Some are pretty expensive. This little Hummingbird 9-27x 56mm scope has been a pleasant surprise. The first thing that I discovered was that It has an eyepiece collette that allows the fitting of regular 1.25″ telescope eyepieces. I don’t think that this was covered anywhere in the documentation. I have only tried a few eyepieces, so am not ready to render an opinion as to how effective these are. Only impression I have so far is that, because of the short focal length, some eyepieces introduce a fair amount of field curvature. As far as the scope with the included zoom eyepiece, I am very happy. The images are clear and it handles all the powers well. This scope is the most compact of any that I own, weighing maybe a pound. But the images are bright and and it is easy to focus. This fills the next step up from a pair of binoculars and it can even be handheld, tho resting it against something or using a tripod are best. All in all, highly reccommended.

    D. Peterson –

  5. Elizabeth –

    Great view in lower magnifications, a bit large to put in a pocket. I wish they had provided a way to put it on a harness or neck strap. I find it a bit unstable to handhold. I did buy a Manfroto desk top tripod and can handhold it now. I have several full sized spotting scopes and find the Hummingbird to almost equal but a lot smaller and easier to take along when birding. Good job Celestron.

    Elizabeth –

  6. Catherine –

    It is among the smallest spotting scopes available. The ED glass gives excellent optical quality – bright, sharp, and very good color accuracy. It is better than my Nikon 10×30 Monarch 7 binocular. I also like the focus ring that is smooth and easy to control precisely. The only potential issue for some users is the angled eyepiece – great for bird watching, but very unnatural for finding and tracking moving targets. I hope Celestron will introduce a version with a straight eyepiece soon. I would buy one despite I already own an angled model. The following Minox mini spotting scope with a straight eyepiece can be an alternative: Minox 16-30X50mm Spotting Scope

    Catherine –

  7. Kenneth –

    Celestron tech support was very available and accommodating, but the product itself average. The lenses just did not have the clarity I needed at upper magnification. I believe now that their price for this product (low) is probably appropriate for the quality.

    Kenneth –

  8. naturenerd –

    Better than I expected. Love that it’s lightweight and waterproof and close-focusing. Field of view is bright and sharp and the view through the eyepiece does not shrink when the scope is zoomed. Zooming does require re-focusing however, but not an issue for me. You can hand-hold it, but it’s better mounted on a tripod or monopod. Love it.

    naturenerd –

  9. Amazon Customer –

    Fantastic little monocular a bit overpriced though imho although i am pleased with it.A straight version would be cool.Very clear and good colour views,brilliant for wildlife in the garden and lets you view very up close,my bird feeder seemed as if i could reach out and touch it.Giving it only four stars not because i am unhappy with the scope as the scope itself is very nice but the case it comes with is woefully inadequate and way to small for the scope and at £300 i would have expected a lot better than a shoddy made carry case.Shame on you Celestron for sending them out.

    Amazon Customer –

  10. John –

    This is an amazingly compact spotting scope. The image definition is sharp and clear. It needs a lot of light to work well at full zoom, it only has a 50 mm objective lens after all. In bright conditions, however, images are well defined at maximum zoom. It is less good at full zoom when scanning the shadows, but I suppose that is inevitable given the small objective size. In fact it might have been better with a fixed magnification of say 20x as my ancient Kowa TS-501 seems to have better low light performance. Especially, as I cannot really see anyone using it at 7x magnification, most users will also have binoculars to cover that.

    John –

  11. Chuther –

    quality product bought as a gift and was well received – love it

    Chuther –

  12. Dieter –

    ich bin wirklich überraschtDass Celestron mittlerweile Optik kann, konnte ich schon an den Ferngläsern der Granit Serie feststellen. Ich habe ja einige Spektive von Optolyth 2 Made und ein paar andere Nicht-Markenteile hier und jetzt neuerdings ein Hummingbird 7-22. Irgendwie war ich gleich begeistert. Das Ding ist einfach klein. Weniger geht wohl nicht mehr. Endlich mal eins, wo man problemlos mitnehmen kann. Mit dem mitgelieferten 7-22 Okular ist es scharf, jedenfalls mal so bis etwa 18 fach, dann lässt es etwas nach. Es hat genug Augenabstand und auch ein Brillenträger sollte damit klar kommen. Robust, einfach scharfzustellen und das Okular ist leicht austauschbar. Mit Festbrennweiten 1,25 Inch aus dem Astro Bereich geht dann sogar richtig was. Das Sehfeld wird deutlich größer und überhaupt hat man Auswahl wie sonst nirgends. Es macht einen robusten Eindruck. Dass man von einem 50 mm Spektiv nicht zu viel Lichtleistung erwarten darf, ist klar. In der Dämmerung wird man wohl eher unter 10-fach bleiben, aber das ist mit allen Spektiven in dem Durchmesserbereich so. Das Hummingbird braucht sich vor keinen größeren Spektiv mit 50 mm Durchmesser zu verstecken!

    Dieter –

  13. Michel Trahan –

    Surprisingly nice pocket spotting scope. I find it more versatile than a pair of binocular. At 7x you have the large field of view, and if the need be you can zoom in.At low power, it can be used hand-held ok. For higher mag, it shares a Pedco UltraPod 2 with the camera I often carryThe +It can (literally) fit in your pocket.it takes (readily available) 1.25” astro. eyepiecesimage quality is goodThe -eye relief is pretty tight when you get to max magnification, I seldom use it past +/- 18xyou’ll need to re-focus as you change magnification (kind of common for zoom in that price range, and that big of a deal)the case that comes with it is of little useIf you “need” a sub-compact scope and you “need” to always use the scope at max power, you might be better served by buying a Nikon ED50 (but be prepared to spend 2x the $$) , or you might just as well go all out and buy a TSN-553

    Michel Trahan –

  14. Marco –

    Il cannocchiale è ben costruito e rifinito, ma non raggiunge la qualità ottica che mi sarei aspettato, ovvero anche mettendo oculari di maggior pregio a lunghezza focale fissa non sono riuscito a raggiungere la nitidezza che mi sarei aspettato da un prodotto così bladinato…lo zoom a corredo è buono ed è a campo piano ma mette in evidenza la non planarità del campo apparente visivo…a focali corte …9 …14 ingrandimenti distorce ma è a fuoco di tutto il campo …l’aberrazione cromatica ben corretta fino lì…poi aumentando fino al max ingrandimento il campo apparente si amplia a 58 gradi circa e diminuendo la distorsione…ma aumenta il cromatismo che si fa più evidente .

    Marco –

  15. AndZ_net –

    Mein altes Spektiv war ein sehr preiswertes Chinaprodukt, welches nach einigen Jahren anfing, das Kunststoffgehäuse zu verflüssigen. Nun sollte ein neues her. Meine Frau legte Wert auf gute Transportabilität und ich auf hohe Qualität. Leider lässt sich beides nicht wirklich miteinander vereinbaren, also hat sich auch ob des Preises meine Frau durchgesetzt und wir haben diese kleine Gerät gekauft. Viel lässt sich nicht dazu sagen. Für gehobene Ansprüche ist es nicht geeignet. Es ist klein, passt super in jeden Rucksack und lässt sich leicht jedes handelübliche Fotostaiv montieren. Zoomen und die Schärferegelung gehen nicht super leicht aber auch nicht zu schwer. Die Objektöffnung entspricht der eines guten Fernglasses. Die Gummiabdeckungen halten nicht gut fest und gehen leicht verloren. Je weiter man ranzoomt, desto deutlicher treten Farbsäume auf. Bei maximaler Vergrößerung lässt sich mehr sauber scharf stellen. Die mitglieferte Tasche ist ein wenig zu klein – man muss das Spektiv hineinzwengen. Für einen Urlaub an der See reicht das sicherlich. Für Astronomie oder Vogelbeobachtung kann ich es nicht empfehlen.

    AndZ_net –

Related products