The Talos 20-60×80 spotting scope is made by Athlon, a rifle-scope brand that offers a better value than Vortex (and considering Vortex’s recent QC issues, you may even say better). With a street price of only $130-$140 the Talos is Athlon’s cheapest spotter. In this video review, I present whether this spotter is a value or a did Athlon sell out and simply slap their logo on a generic Chinesium scope?
The package comes in a soft-lined black nylon fabric case with a split compartment. Above the scope compartment I found a generic straight leg tripod common with other budget spotting scopes I’ve reviewed such as the SVbony SV28. Despite the simple and inexpensive design, these tripods tend to be quite rugged and stable.
The scope appeared to be well made with no faults or gaps in the seams. The outer surface wage largely covered in a rubber-like coating for weather protection and for improved grip. The front and rear lens caps were rubber and non-captured.
The integrated sunshade had a nicely textured coating and what appeared to be a sight notches, presumably to help you eyeball aiming the scope. The eyepiece has a built-in, twist-up eye cup. The tripod mounting ring allowed the body of the scope to be rotated to allow flexibility in viewing the scope from different mounting positions (eg. bench, hung, etc.).
The eye relief was fair and focusing knob buttery smooth. The magnification was a bit stiff but the ring was also smooth. The power ring rotated independently of the eyepiece to allow for easy mounting of a camera, though the rotating eye-cup does limit the positions of a camera mount.
The optics were bright, offering high contrast, resolution and saturation. In my 100yrd range tests with the USAF resolution chart, at 60X I was able to resolve element #5 in Group “0” which is highest resolution optic I have yet tested. This is remarkable for a scope which retails for less than $150. While it is largish scope at 16.5” long, for those needing to do extreme long range precision spotting (100yrds) this is a great value option.
Available on Optics Planet: https://shrsl.com/3c5wh
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RESULUTION TEST
Group 0 : Element 5
