Can you get a device that 'really' does bring images 20-30 times closer that's handheld ?

Question

Because as I said before, I just feel that Magnifications stated on Binoculars and Monoculars are abit of a con/deception.

I bought a celestron hummingbird spotting scope that is supposed to be 27×, but seems about 12 x,  I compared it to my Vortex Monocular 10 x 25 , seems barely more powerful.

It's a shame, too late to send it back now, what abit of a waste of £279 lol.

D g · Answer

Called binoculars 20 to 30 might be a larger size 
Set up a stick ith small marks on it you can tell the actual magnification from the difference from unaided size to what you see

Jesus · Answer

The atn binox claims 25x thermal but it 5600$!

cosmo · Answer

Technically speaking, there should be no doubt about the magnification of an optical device --- it's simply a design specification that is easily calculated and therefore not a thing you can really lie about.

And it's easy to produce a high magnification.  What's not easy is to make magnifications greater than about 10x be usable in a hand-held device.  Expensive devices with active jitter control can get you up to maybe 20x as a practical magnification.

Dixon · Answer

Have you actually zoomed in?

KennyB · Answer

You might contact the manufacturer and ask how they determine magnification.  Methinks that what we have here is a misinterpretation (rather than a misrepresentation) of magnification.

Can you get a device that 'really' does bring images 20-30 times closer that's handheld ?

5 Answers