TOMO Luwint 10-90x25 Mini Pocket Monocular - Dual Focus Scalable to Stretch Zoom Metal Optical for Bird Watching Golf, Black

Not too user friendly and not quite what it was described as

This TOMO monocular is the sweetest piece of optics I have yet used. I have been a professional photographer since 1968 and have handled all kinds of optics so I think I know my stuff. This monocular takes a little figuring out to begin with but you'll soon get the hang of it. At first it's operation seems somewhat strange from a regular monocular. First you set the magnification you want (10-90 power) at the viewing end (the end with the rubber eye cup) then just slide the tube at the front to focus on the image you want to view. I recommend slightly twisting this focusing tube a bit as you obtain proper focus. After all this monocular is new and takes a bit of TLC. When the focusing tube is extended all the way out this will be your closest focus. When the focusing tube is all the way back that will be your farthest focus. What could be simpler? The packaging is superb. The shipping was fast. I received mine just as I was going to a Doctors appointment and had it working like a champ by the first traffic light. Didn't even read the instruction sheet. I could read license plates at an unbelievable distance. While sitting in traffic not driving. For this price I was totally wowed.

It is clear that the positive reviews for this monocular were written by people who weren't specifically buying it for the claimed maximum power of 90x. This product is listed as a "10-90x25 Mini Dual Focus High Powered Scalable to Stretch Zoom Metal Optical Telescope Monocular," which should have tipped me off to the possibility of misrepresentation from the beginning. That and the fact that the accurate photographs of this item show that it's packaged in a really ridiculous purple box covered in blazing bolts of lightning, a magestic bald eagle, and a large warning telling people to "not observe the sun directly." However, I was really excited to think that it might really be as high powered as it was claimed to be, and I couldn't wait to try it out.For those of you who might not know what the numbers in a monocular's description mean, the first number is how many times (x) closer a distant object can be made to appear, and the second number, after the "x," is the diameter in millimeters of the lens furthest from your eye when looking through it. The larger that lens is, the brighter and clearer the image will be. 25 millimeters is a an extremely small lens for such a huge magnification power as 90x, and I should have known it was too good to be true. For example, it is common to see binoculars with a fixed magnification power of 10x having 50 millimeter lenses. According to the description of this TOMO monocular, when it's collapsed you should have 10x magnification, and when it's fully extended you should have 90x magnification.The actual maximum magnification power of this monocular is closer to somewhere around 18x, which would still be pretty good for a compact monocular if the image didn't suffer so greatly from the low quality of the lenses. Colors and contrast were blurred and faded, and the edges of things never seemed crisp when fully focused. I compared it to my Bushnell 20x50 binoculaus, and their power of 20x offered higher magnification than the claimed 90x of the TOMOs. I've never in my life experienced such egregious false advertising.The return was easy, as it always is with Amazon, and I received my refund as soon as Amazon received tracking information on my return shipment. The only thing that made this product worth the hassle was the hilariously badly-translated manual. There are some real gems in there. And though I strongly suspect magnification numbers should be easy to translate accurately, I have to wonder if the people who named this product the "TOMO 10-90x25 Mini Dual Focus High Powered Scalable to Stretch Zoom Metal Optical Telescope Monocular" just didn't understand what they were doing when they called it that.EDIT, 3-23-2015: In response to doubts that I purchased this item, I added a screenshot of my order confirmation to this review. I don't know why I'm not listed as a verified purchaser. Also, I should add that I'm not trying to imply that DreamsEden is a bad store or Amazon seller because of this product. I think it's safe to assume that they were unaware of how poorly this product lives up to its claims. I'm glad my review has been helpful to some people.

It works, slightly, but not very well.

Perfect!

You get what you pay for

At first I wasn't sure about it. I had read a review where it was explained how to use it. I had problems at first. Now I understand how to use the different rings and pushing the tube in or out. I can see close and far with it. It is very sturdy and I like the end caps and the wrist strap.You really just have to play with it and once you figure it out , you will really like it. The lenses are good as is the feel of it. I first thought I would give it to one of my grandchildren, but now that I have figured it out, I decided I wanted it for myself. I will get them their own.Excellent price.

Avoid disappointment and regret.This thing is a ripoff! Absolute junk! Can not get a clear image(yes, I used a tripod)near or distant.And I have to mention the directions, they are absolutely unintelligible! It's inexcusable that the manufacturers cannot bother to produce a manual that can be understood.I would return it but it's a pain and I think a better course of action is to NOT BUY ANY CHINESE CRAP AND NOT BUY ANY MORE CRAP FROM AMAZON!Every china one in laughing must be asses off be cause get they AWAY WITH THIS CRAP!!