Athlon Ares 15-45x65mm ED Spotting Scope Review

Athlon Ares 15-45x60mm ED Spotting Scope Review - Exceptional Performance at an even better price! We're all searching for the perfect glass combination, especially in spotting scopes that are lightweight, gather light, and deliver a crisp and bright image, and are affordable. The old adage goes "You get what you pay for!" While that rings particularly true with optics, I've been particularly impressed with the Athlon Ares ED spotting scopes. The Ares line sweeps in to provide incredible value at a price point that is affordable, without compromising on quality. This article will primarily look at the Athlon  Ares ED 15-45 x 65mm spotting scope because it fits the bill as a packable and lightweight option for hunters, even if you need to carry it far into the backcountry. The Ares 65mm spotter comes in a lightweight/packable package at  43 ounces and a mere 9.5 inches long. It is only available with an angled eyepiece, with on body focus, a large twist up eyepiece and a short sunshade. It's aluminum chassis is armor coated for a durable exterior that has a great feel. The Ares ED line features BaK4 prisms with Athlon's proprietary ESP Dielectric Coating and AFMC (Advanced Fully Multi-Coatings) that deliver good contrast, brightness, and color quality. It is very impressive considering its $599 retail purchase price. Features:

• Objective Lens Diameter: 65mm
• Magnification Range: 15x-45x
• Weight: 43 oz (on our scale)
• Length: 9.5 inches
• FOV @ 1000 yards: 171 - 81 ft.
• Prism Glass: Bak4
• Eye Relief: 0.75-0.63"

Comparing the Ares ED 65mm spotting scope against competitors in a similar price range shows the Ares ED to be considerably better in clarity, light gathering, and low light performance. I would consider this little spotter to be a fantastic value and say that optically it compares closer to scopes that are nearly twice the price like the Vortex Razor 65mm. The eyepiece diameter on this spotter is very big (2.25" diameter) and does take a minute to get used to, but after a few minutes of glassing is actually very comfortable and nice to use. If you're looking to purchase a new scope for backpack hunting and are considering anything in the $400-$1500 price range, you should put the Athlon Ares ED 15-45x65mm spotting scope in your list of scopes to try. The Ares ED spotting scopes are also available in a 7.5-22.5x50mm Compact (mini) spotter, and a 20-60x85mm larger option that both also deliver surprising performance for their price. All Athlon spotting scopes come with Athlon's Manufacturer Lifetime Guarantee. Because I've been so impressed with the Athlon Ares line, we are now also carrying them in our backcountry gear shop and are available in the links below: [products ids=11791,5100,5105]