Nikon ED50 Grey Fieldscope

Packed it for a weekend hike and barely noticed it in my bag, which was the whole point. The ED glass keeps colors crisp even at the edge of the field, and I didn't miss the extra inches of a bigger objective. It's become my go-to for quick birding stops.

Even with the 50mm objective, this scope is tiny enough to toss in a daypack without thinking about it. The ED glass delivers a noticeably crisp image even in low evening light, which was a pleasant surprise for such a compact unit.

This thing is so light I barely notice it in my pack, but the 50mm ED glass gives a shockingly crisp image with almost no color fringing. The scope itself is tiny, which is great because I'm always hiking to my spots, just remember you'll need to grab an eyepiece separately.