Last month in a study we asked what the very best wildlife you’ve seen while on a trip and we had a great deal of incredible actions, from turkey vultures, to golden eagles, and Siberian elk and wild burros. One of the very best features of mountain bicycle is that they take you further into nature and with that comes the chance to see animals you usually don’t.
It’s constantly amazing to see wild animals, however regrettably nature isn’t a petting zoo. You can just get so close up until animals are startled and dart far from you. Over the previous couple of weeks however, I’ve included a tool to my toolbox that assists get a more powerful eye on animals without needing to get much better: the Nocs Provisions Zoom Tube, an enjoyable and quality monocular with a killer cost.
About the Nocs Provisions Zoom Tube
The Zoom Tube weighs about 245g according to our scale. It is IPX4 water resistance ranked, implying it’s good for some splashes, like rain, however that’s about it. The monocular has a 1/4″ threaded tripod adapter likewise, so you can toss it onto a monopod or to Nocs’ Capture Clip and install it onto a knapsack strap.
The Zoom Tube has an 8x zoom, has to do with 5″ long, 2.72″ high, and almost 2″ broad. It has a twisting eye piece to make it much easier to utilize with glasses.
Zooming in
I initially had the opportunity to have a look at the Zoom Tube at Sea Otter and peered out at some peers from rather a range. The brand name was kind sufficient to send out one out to me to try some more. I’ve been loading it on getaways this spring and I’ve been quite impressed with the little gizmo. Coincidentally, a friend began publishing his bird images from trips on Strava recently (not from a Zoom Tube) and I presume more are out there.
So far, I’ve found some roosting turkey vultures, a great deal of hawks, and a couple of other birds. Like I discussed above, it’s difficult to get near to a great deal of animals, particularly birds, so it’s been enjoyable to whip this out and take a minute to be more curious about nature.
Ergonomics on television are terrific and your hand discovers its position quite naturally. The rubberized and textured external makes it simple to hold up with one hand and discover a sharp focus with the dial on top. Time is the best foe in utilizing this considering that the minutes in between very first finding an animal, discovering a good area to see, and focusing in can slip by rapidly prior to they proceed–however the shape and ease of focus of the Zoom Tube exist to help.
Accessories for bring the Zoom Tube might be much better though. It comes with a soft pouch, similar to what you’d get for a pair of glasses and a fine first line of defense against dust and the elements. Nocs partnered with Peak Design on the Capture Clip too, making use of the quarter-inch adapter to mount on a backpack strap, though the mount costs just as much as the Zoom Tube and they are sold out. Ideally, I’d like a sturdy canvas pouch that might be buttoned to a hip pack or another strap, and these are available online, simply not specifically for the Zoom Tube. Surprisingly, Nocs doesn’t sell pouches for any of its optics, though a pouch would be a great compromise for protection and accessibility.
Nocs does sell a fun microscope attachment, so you can see your sealant creatures from inside your tires up close when you remove them. Using the Zoom Tube with your phone takes some patience and positioning without their $27 phone adapter, but it can be done. My wife also found you can take simply the attachment without the full monocular and put it up to your camera phone for some pretty stellar results.
A month or two before I got ahold of the Zoom Tube, I bought a cheaper monocular from Amazon for less than a third of the price of the Zoom Tube, and like most of the time, you get what you pay for. The caveat though is that the Zoom Tube’s glass and the overall quality is excellent for the $75 asking price and compared to pricier optics out there.
Closing thoughts
I realize this is a pretty niche product for mountain bikers and a smaller segment of riders are going to be interested in something like this, but if you’re into nature-snooping while you’re riding and want a decent monocular, the Zoom Tube and its glass, ergonomics, and colors lend to an enjoyable tool to handle your next trip.
