Sightmark Solitude 11-33x50SE Review

The Sightmark Solitude series offers affordable spotting scopes at a high quality. We’ve reviewed the Solitude 11-33x50SE here to help you decide whether this is the day optics equipment you need. 

This is a great compact scope for carrying on walks to get a closer look at wildlife from a distance. Weighing just 638g, this is lightweight enough to hold up for long periods if you don’t want to use the tripod (included). It can also fit in your rucksack easily without creating too much strain, and yet it’s just as good as some of the larger scopes on the market. 

33x Magnification + 50mm Objective Lens

A large lens for a scope of this price, 50mm brings in a lot of light so you can see clear details even at full magnification. The maximum magnification of this scope is 33x, which is plenty for beginner birdwatchers and nature observers. 

Being filled with nitrogen gas, the scope is completely fog-proof and won’t develop mould or mildew on the inside. This is standard for most optics today, as well as the anti-reflection coatings on each lens. The twist-up eyecup is comfortable to use and a 13-16mm eye relief makes it easy to wear glasses as well.

Close Focus Distance 2.3m

With larger spotting scopes, anything closer than 10m will appear blurry as the lenses are designed for distance. However, the Solitude 11-33x50 will give you clear images of objects as close as 2.3m from your position, with a magnification of 11x. So even though you can see something quite well at that distance with your own eyes, you can get an extremely detailed look, whether it’s wildlife or something that won’t run away, like lichen or moss.

Durable Construction, Retractable Sunshade

The rubber-armoured body provides a stable grip and protects the housing of the internal lenses, without adding too much weight.

This scope also has a built-in sunshade to reduce lens flare, which can be retracted if you need more lights. It also keeps the rain off the objective lens, which is perfect for UK weather.

The lens cap is tethered, so you don’t need to worry about dropping it in the woods. The nylon carry case opens at both ends so you can even keep it in its case during use to protect the housing and make moving between viewing spots quick and easy.

Finally, the focus ring is right by the eyecup and has a raised grip surface, so you can easily twist it to focus and magnify your view even when wearing gloves or in wet weather.

Sightmark Solitude 11-33x50SE Technical Specs

Lightweight, Simple to Use, Affordable

Like the other models in the Solitude Series, the 11-33x50SE is a great budget birdwatching scope that performs well in all temperatures (-17 to 49^oC) and will last a long time. It has a 10-year warranty, so you can be sure to get good value for money out of this compact spotting scope.

View the Sightmark Solitude 11-33x50SE