20×110 Ultra vs. 20-60×82 Spotting Scope

Hello Kevin-  I’m a returning customer and very pleased with your products.  I need your help with my next purchase.  For terrestrial viewing and long distance bird watching, which will provide better image and better resolution in high magnification? I mean which has better power without getting blurry.  The 20×110 binoculars OR 82mm spotting scope that has smaller aperture than the binos?  Thank you.

Your question is interesting, as these are two very different instruments- like comparing apples and oranges.   So to be sure, I just tested this for myself.  The 20-60×82 Sport ED spotting scope set to 20x is  sharper than the 20×110 Ultra binocular.  While the 20×110 Ultra is one of our finest fixed-power binoculars, I can resolve very small lettering on a sign about 1/2 mile away with the scope that I can’t read with the binocular.  This is not very surprising as the scope, with its single 82mm objective, is a little more expensive than the binocular with two 110mm objectives.   The scope is apochromatic, so chromatic aberration, which is always present to some degree in an achromatic instrument, is almost non-existent in the scope.  On the other hand, the binocular view is brighter and more pleasing because each eye has its own 20x110mm refractor, giving a feeling of depth perception and perspective.  But if the primary goal is best resolution, the spotting scope is the clear choice.  It also has the advantage of zooming all the way to 60x, with good quality.  It’s also much lighter and smaller, therefore much more portable.  Let me know if you have any more questions.
Regards,
Kevin Busarow