brunton eterna 50mm ed review

Don't let the msrp scare you. I got mine brand new in box for less than $350.

We were shooting 30-06, .243 & .22lr out to 100 yards. The views are very clear, very bright (well, it was a sunny day) and very crisp resolution. There were targets posted at 175 yards as well. I was able to see the .223 holes quite clearly. The ED lense is a big plus. And the built in sunshade was great. We were facing east and the sun was southeast about 70 degrees up (from the ground). Absolutely no glare. The focus adjustment seemed a little weird to me at first. I had always used an eyepice focus before. Similar to the Nikon XL or the Bushnell 60mm elite. But one handed focus was no problem. Very smooth and precise. Before I went to the range I doubted it was worth the money. But after three hours at the range and minimal eye strain I realize this was a worth while investment.

The only problem I have is not with the scope for the specs stated. It is 8.1 inches long. But fails to mnetion that is without the eyepiece. Add the eyepiece and rotate it for viewing without glasses and it's almost 13" long. A little longer than what I would consider for a compact scope.

But overall, I'm very impressed and would highly recommend this scope to anyone who appreciates fine optics and wants a compact scope. and now that there is an angled version I may get one.

 

It is nice glass however.

On the other hand, for a scope through which you intend to take pictures, ED glass is really important - and I have an ED scope for that purpose.

 

That's not to say I wouldn't like a compact scope with ED glass. I actually liked the Nikon ED50 best because, in addition to the ED glass elements, it also is both slightly smaller and lighter than the Leupold.  It also ofers the convenience of a variety of eyepieces to help get the most out of the scope.  But I just couldn't justify the added expense (almost 2x the retail price) for the very minimal gains.