Kite APC Stabilized 60 ED Spotting Scope – Full Field Test & Review

Potentially offering a host of advantages and opening up a whole bunch of new opportunities for birders, wildlife watchers, and outdoor enthusiasts as well as digiscopers, in this review, I am looking at the Kite APC 60 ED, one of, if not the world’s very first, handheld image-stabilized spotting scope.

As I’ve already made an unboxing and first impressions post and video, in this post, I am going to dig deeper and reflect on how their main features (both good and not so good) influence how the Kite Scope performs in real-world conditions and how they affect the ways in which you can use the scope to get the best out of it.

So, in this Kite APC 60 ED Spotting Scope review, I am testing it for general outdoors and nature observation, birding, some astronomy and as you’ll see, I also attach it to the camera on my phone for some digiscoping, so we can really see how that stabilization works and also give you a rough idea as to the image quality to see if it is a good fit for your particular needs. Let’s get into it:

1. Design & Handling

So first, I want to talk a little about the general design of the scope and how practical it feels when using it out in the field.

• Straight-through optical design made for ease of sighting during handheld use
• Magnesium alloy housing and some rubberized armouring for additional protection
• IPX7 waterproof and “gas filled” (nitrogen?) for fogproofing

Size & Weight – In the Field

This spotting scope, including the eyepiece, built-in battery, etc, tips the scales at 1350g/47.6oz and is just over 30cm in length, which, depending on your expectations, perspective, or how you use it, can seem either fairly bulky or quite reasonable:

So, suppose we were to just simply compare it to a small (optical only) travel scope of a similar size lens – take the Celestron Hummingbird 9-27x56mm ED spotting scope (590 g / 20.8oz and 21cm long) or the Hawke Endurance ED 15-45x60 Spotting Scope (896g / 31.6ozs and 30.7cm long) as examples. In that case, this Kite APC scope may seem to be a little on the hefty and large side.

However, if you also keep in mind that to get the best out of an optical-only scope like the Celestron Himmingbird or the Hawke Endurance ED in the examples above, you will likely also need to carry about a tripod or at least a monopod as well, this brings the weight and overall size of the whole package more into line with the Kite APC scope.

But also remember here that the tripod or monopod that you are carrying with you as you walk about, completely reduces the weight of any scope (no matter the size) down to 0g / 0oz when you stop and start to use the scope, which gives you a complete break from carrying. On the other hand, if you choose to go out and use the Kite APC scope without a tripod or monopod, you have to carry about the full 960 grams/ 33.6oz all day long.

From my experience when testing and using the scope, this would certainly become an issue if it were not for two well-thought-out accessories that come included with the scope:

1. Included Mini Monopod
2. Included Carry Bag System

1. Mini Monopod
As is demonstrated in the picture on the right, with the carbon fiber monopod attached, you can carry the scope on the shoulder, which I found works well and does help take the weight off your arms. Indeed, this is the way that I normally carry about my scopes, but instead of the mini-monopod, it would be a full-sized tripod.

You can see more details on this monopod (or the “RelaxView Carbon Fiber Stick” that Kite calls it!) down below in the accessories section of this review.

2. Carry Bag System
Then there is the excellent and very well-thought-out carry case, which I would go even further and describe as a harness for this scope and for me is almost an essential piece of the kit if you plan on spending a long time out in the field without a tripod as not only does it take the weight of when glassing, but also frees up both your hands, which is not the case when you are shouldering the scope with the monopod.

In the accessories section of this review below, I go into much more detail about the bag, but for now, I just wanted to emphasise that, as a system, it works all incredibly well and really does add to the whole experience and sense of added freedom you get (similar to binoculars) from being able to take out a spotting scope without the need of a tripod.

Focus Ring & Focusing

Unlike many scopes currently on the market that now have small focus knobs located near the eyepiece, and following inline with Kite’s standard optical-only scopes (eg, KSP 80 HD or SP 85 HD), the Kite Stabilized 60 ED has a single large focusing ring that wraps around the whole barrel of the scope making it equally easy to use with either your left or right hand.

The ring is 3.7cm wide and has a rubberized track, making it very easy to locate without looking.

The ring on my sample turned very smoothly, and it only takes half a turn to go from one extreme to the other. This very aggressive gearing certainly makes large focal adjustments quicker and easier, but you do have to be a little more careful when fine-tuning the focus.

2. Optics & Optical Performance

• ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass to reduce chromatic aberration (minimize color fringing in the view) and improve color fidelity
• Over 90% light transmission, making it effective even in low-light conditions
• 17–35x wide-angle zoom eyepiece for versatile magnification
  • Also compatible with the Kite KSP 80 HD spotting scope
• 58mm objective lens balances portability with light-gathering
• Fully multi-coated optics deliver bright, contrast-rich images
• Twist-up eyecup with decent eye relief (18-17mm) – usable for glasses wearers

Lens Size
The clue is usually in the name, and so you’d be forgiven for assuming that the Kite APC 60 ED Image Stabilized Spotting Scope had a 60mm objective lens, but it is 58mm, which is interesting.

For a scope anything at or indeed under 60mm, I would consider to be small, but for a binocular this would be considered large, and as there is only one barrel, I feel it strikes a good balance for its intended use: compact enough for handheld use, but still big enough to pull in a good amount of light.

With the included zoom eyepiece, you get a magnification range of 17 to 35x. Note that this eyepiece is interchangeable, and thus, there is the potential to swap it out should you want. It’s a wide-angle eyepiece, and it works on Kite’s bigger KSP 80 HD spotting scope as well.

ED Glass
As their name suggests, the lens on this Kite APC Stabilized 60 ED Spotting Scope has at least one element that is made from ED (extra-low dispersion ) glass.

This glass offers the optical designer more freedom and control to better direct the wavelengths of light as they split up when passing through the lens. This means that a well-designed optical system with ED glass in the lenses can deliver an improved image quality by reducing chromatic aberrations even more than those that use “standard” low-dispersion optical glass. The result is an image that has less observable color fringing around the edges of objects in the view.

Image Quality

After a lot of field testing in various conditions, I also carefully made side-by-side comparisons of the Kite APC Stabilized scope against a number of different optics (scopes and binoculars, including the Celestron Hummingbird 9-27x56mm ED spotting scope, the Bresser Pirsch Gen II 9-27x56 Spotting Scope and the Bresser Pirsch Gen II 20-60x80 Spotting Scop) at different times of day and in various lighting. Here are my observations:

After extensive field testing in various conditions, I also meticulously conducted side-by-side comparisons of the Kite APC Stabilized scope against my relevant benchmark optics at different times of day and in various lighting conditions. Here are my observations:

Image Brightness
In good light, like a clear morning, and as you would expect, I found the Kite APC Stabilized scope to be exceptionally bright, on par with any of my alpha-level benchmark instruments (set to compatible magnification settings / and or similar exit pupil sizes). This held true even on overcast, dull days.

However, in very low light, just after sunset, the true advantage of the scopes with larger 80 and 100mm lenses became apparent, but even so, I thought the Kite still more than held its own.

While the difference was subtle, to me it seemed like the Kite APC Stabilized scope edged my other smaller scopes in brightness when comparing them in very low light. It’s harder to make a direct comparison due to slightly differing magnifications, but I’d conclude that the Kite APC has an excellent low-light performance for a mid to smaller-sized scope.

What is more, the image stabilization definitely helps with this.

So, if you are after a smaller scope and often observe wildlife or birds in challenging light conditions, like early mornings, sunsets, or even in forests, this 60mm (actually 58mm) Kite APC Stabilized scope would be an excellent choice in terms of image brightness.

Colors & Contrast
In my opinion, the Kite APC Stabilized scope delivers a bright image without appearing washed out. It manages to produce vibrant, true-to-life colors with excellent contrast between light and dark areas, giving the image a lovely sense of depth. Importantly, the colors never seemed oversaturated or unrealistic, which can sometimes be an issue with very bright optics.

Color Fringing
The Kite APC ED scope truly excels here and for me is one of its real highlights. I found the level of color fringing along the edges of contrasting objects to be extremely minimal (pretty much zero), indicating a superior optical design combined with the use of ED glass. This is about as good as it gets for any scope or high-magnification binocular that I’ve tested. For an idea as to just how good it is, I urge you to take a look at my video on Digiscoping with the Kite APC IS Spotting Scope.

Image Definition, Distortions & Blurring
The view through the Kite APC 60 ED Stabilized scope exhibited almost no vignetting or fuzziness at the edges, which is as minimal as I’ve experienced. I also didn’t notice any unwanted image distortions, such as curvature, at any time.

17–35x Wide-Angle Zoom Eyepiece

Whilst you can purchase it without an included eyepiece, my sample Kite APC Stabilized 60 ED scope came with Kite’s WA eyepiece, giving you a magnification zoom range of 17–35x.

Note that this is the same eyepiece that is used on their high-end Kite KSP 80 HD non-image stabilised spotting scope, but which gives you a 25 – 50x range on that larger scope. So if you already have that scope, or intend to get that scope, you can buy the body only.

The eyepiece is mounted onto the scope with an all-metal bayonet ring, and you turn it clockwise to lock into place. There is also a separate lock ring positioned just in front of where the eyepiece is mounted for extra security.

Whilst I could not find any details of the lenses and coatings used, the eyepiece looks to be of very high quality and has a really large 25mm exterior ocular lens.

This eyepiece, combined with this 60mm scope, gives you a zoom range of between 17x and 35x. To adjust the magnification to any setting between these extremes, you simply turn the rubberised ring on the eyepiece. This felt nice and smooth, with just the right level of resistance, and so I have no issues here.

Image Stabilization

As with all the image-stabilized binoculars I have tested in the past, I think the best way for me to convey just how effective the IS works is to show you:

So, as you can see in the video above, the difference the Image stabilization makes to the stability of the view, even when digiscoping from the hands, is really very impressive.

Also, please do keep in mind that holding the scope still whilst digiscoping is more difficult than when simply holding it up to your eye. This is because when looking through the scope, you push the eyepiece against your face, which adds another anchor point, helping to steady the view, whereas when digiscoping, you obviously can’t do this.

Effective Hand-Held Spotting Scope?
Absolutely – the Image Stabilization on this scope is so effective that I found it delivers a very stable view, even at the maximum 35x magnification, allowing you to view as much detail as you would expect when using a tripod.

How the Image Stabilization Works
For full technical details on the image stabilization on this scope and Kite’s APC binoculars, take a look at my guide: KITE APC: Next-Level Image Stabilization

• Features Kite’s proprietary KDGS-TTK stabilization system
• Mechanical gimbal provides up to 2° of angular correction
• Stabilization works throughout the entire zoom range: from 17x to 35x
• Allows for steady, tripod-free viewing even at high magnifications

Power & Electronics

• Built-in rechargeable lithium battery
• Up to 36 hours of continuous stabilization use
• USB-C charging for fast, modern, convenient power

The IS on this scope is powered via an integrated rechargeable Li-Ion battery, and at the front of the main body, just under the barrel, is the location of the charging port. It has a rubber cover for weather protection and uses a standard USB-C cable for charging.

No Angle Power Control (APC)?
A really useful and smart feature that I very much like on the Kite Image Stabilised binoculars I’ve tested is the Angle Power Control (APC) – so when you point any of Kite’s APC binoculars down (like when you let them hang from the neck strap), they power down automatically to save battery, and then when you bring them up to your eyes again, the IS automatically turns on again.

As this scope has the APC letters in the name, I automatically assumed that this feature would also be present in the scope.

However, trying it out when I first tested the scope, discovered that it didn’t seem to work, and I wondered if I was doing something wrong or if perhaps there was a fault with my sample unit. However, looking at Kite’s specification sheet (see image right), they explicitly list it as not being available on this scope.

This is a shame, but as it is in the name, did they plan to have it, or perhaps they plan to implement it sometime in the future?

Accessories

The Kite scope comes with a bunch of accessories, most of which I think are very well made and thought out:

• Objective and eyepiece lens caps
• Carry Bag
• Wrist Strap
• Mini Monopod (RelaxView Carbon Fiber Stick)
• USB-C charging cable
• User manual and documentation

Carry Bag

In my opinion, to just call it a “carry bag,” which is what Kite Optics does, is a little self-deprecating, as I found it to be much more than that. Indeed, to me it is more like a harness or carry system, and if you are going to go out for long periods without a tripod, it is almost an essential piece of kit as it not only takes the weight off, but frees up both your hands in between the times that you are glassing.

As you can see from the illustration above, it is possible to attach it to yourself in 3 “official” ways. I found the second way (top right) to work best for me, as it was very easy to slip the case on and off, and access to the scope was really very easy. Also, note that I did not attach the second strap as I never felt the need to make the case more secure, and so for me, it only made the system unnecessarily more complicated.

I am not sure if the elasticated strap on the rear of the case was designed with this in mind, but it serves as a great place to store and carry the monopod when not attached to the scope.

Mini Monopod

Whilst Kite Optics markets it as their “RelaxView Carbon Fiber Stick“, whatever you want to call it, the included monopod is an excellent addition:

Made from carbon fiber, it has two extension points, allowing its length to double from 20cm to just over 40cm. The aluminum foot is threaded for easy attachment to a tripod. Similarly, the metal mounting platform at the top has a metal screw and a textured rubber inlay to prevent the scope from turning or unwinding without excessive tightening. As with the wrist strap and the carry case, this accessory appears to be extremely well-made from premium materials.

Mini-Monopod – Useful in the Field?
I have already mentioned at the beginning of the review how well this monopod works as a handle and anchor point when carrying the scope on your shoulder, which is an initiative and comfortable way to carry the scope around between observation points.

It also makes for a nice handle to hold onto when looking through the scope, and because of this, I personally would not want to use the scope without it.

Other than that, I can see that it would be great to use when sitting at a table in something like a bird or wildlife hide.

Wrist Strap

The wrist strap, which is not something that I have ever seen included with a spotting scope, but then again, because this scope is designed so that it can be used from the hands, this makes sense, as it wont always be attached to a tripod and you definitely wouldn’t want to drop it accidentally.

As with the case and the monopod, the strap is very well made, it has a nice thick, very slightly elasticated rope that loops back on itself and goes around your wrist.

To tighten the loop, it has a noose-type system with a slider that looks to me to be made from leather, or, if it is not, then a very good fake leather, which you just pull down to reduce the size of the loop to ensure that it fits securely around your wrist.

The strap connects to the scope by threading the thin cord through one of the two recessed eyelets located on the sides of the body of the scope.

The fact that it has a quick release clip that separates the thin cord section from the main wrist strap is great, because it makes this somewhat fiddly task a little easier, and then once it is attached, you can just leave it there and remove the rest of the wrist strap when it is not needed.

Once again, and as with the other accessories, the strap is well thought out in that it does not really get in the way when using the scope, and is definitely useful in that it will prevent you from dropping the scope onto the ground.

Warranty Details

• 30-year warranty on optical components
• 5-year warranty on electronic components

Digiscoping

Whilst a larger, tripod-mounted scope is the ideal setup for long-distance or low-light digiscoping, the Kite APC 60 ED’s stabilization, portability, and excellent image quality make it a compelling option, as it has a number of advantages, and I found during testing, you can get some really excellent shots with it:

• Excellent Image Quality:
  • For a small scope, it offered great brightness and vibrant, true-to-life colors.
  • Images were sharp from center to edge with minimal fringing or vignetting.
• Ease of Use:
  • Digiscoping was relatively easy, especially at lower magnifications.
  • Good eye relief and eyecup design helped with camera alignment for a full field of view.
  • 17x magnification was easiest due to the large exit pupil and ample light.
  • At 35x zoom, it was challenging due to reduced brightness and a smaller exit pupil.
• Handheld Stability:
  • The effective image stabilization allowed for surprisingly decent handheld digiscoped footage, which could be further refined in post-production.
  • This spontaneity meant I did more digiscoping and even captured some of my best footage handheld.
  • It’s also great for capturing moving subjects like airplanes.
  • The included mini-monopod was very useful for added stability and easier handling.

For more details, check out my full article on Digiscoping with the Kite APC IS Spotting Scope

Conclusions

Hand-Holdable Spotting Scope?
Absolutely – the Image Stabilization on this scope is so effective that I found it delivers a very stable view, even at the maximum 35x magnification, allowing you to view as much detail as you would expect when using a tripod.

Other Major Highlights

• Very high-quality image – brightness, vivid, but true to life colors, extremely low color fringing
• Excellent build quality
• Superb carry system bag is extremely useful and well thought out
• Useful & good quality mini-monopod and wrist strap
• A good, easy-to-use scope for digiscoping is ideal at closer ranges

Ideas or Room for Improvement

A pistol grip instead of, or as well as, the mini-mono pod makes hand-holding the scope even better, and because it just looks very cool!

Overall, in terms of performance and quality, I have no hesitation in recommending the Kite APC Stabilized 60 ED scope as it is truly superb. Its performance across all aspects places it among the very best mid / small-sized spotters that I’ve ever used or tested.

Value For Money?
Like most very high-end optics, the Kite APC Stabilized 60 ED scope is not cheap, and so, like them, it is a tough one to call any of them great value for money. However, with this scope, you are also getting a leading-edge IS technology included as well (I sound like a salesman here!). The slight downside to that is like any other electronic device, this will probably not have the longevity of an optics-only scope. A good illustration of this can clearly be seen with the warranty offered by Kite:

• 30-year warranty on optical components
• 5-year warranty on electronic components

So what I am trying to say is if you are going to use your scope a lot and if you want to be able to do so without a tripod, and you can afford it, then yes, if you consider the overall quality and performance, then I do think this scope is worth the money.