Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2022 Issue.
The Nocs Provisions Zoom Tube is a fun little gadget to keep in your vehicle’s center console or mount to your backpack strap when you are heading out the door for an adventure. Primarily designed to help you get a closer glimpse of that far-off summit or unidentified bird, with the addition of the Inspector Microscope, it can also be used to view tiny objects like insects or plants.
Upon initially receiving the Zoom Tube, I attached it to my backpack with the included Peak Design Capture Clip. This clever system provides a secure mounting point for the monocular, allowing it to be quickly and easily removed when you want to observe something in the distance. This mounting solution is secure enough that I could scramble up rocks and jog down the trail without fear of it falling off. Additionally, the 1/4-inch threaded attachment point on the Zoom Tube allows it to be mounted to a tripod as well.
In use, the Zoom Tube is a comfortable size to hold in the palm of the hand, and its rubberized exterior coating makes for a secure grip. Focusing while simultaneously looking through the eyepiece is easy and only requires the use of your index finger. There is an adjustable eyecup that allows for viewing with the naked eye as well as for folks who wear glasses. The lenses are fully multi-coated, with a 7.3-degree field of view and a minimum focusing distance of 3 meters.
The optical performance was good, although if you are after razor-sharp clarity, this is not the monocular for you. I would consider it entirely acceptable for recreational use, and I was even able to get halfway-decent photos through the eyepiece of the monocular using my iPhone.
While the Zoom Tube does carry an IPX4 water-resistant rating, this does not mean that it can be submerged. I learned this the hard way when it took a quick swim in a stream, allowing water to enter the body of the monocular where it clouded up the inner optics. It was unusable for almost two weeks; however, it did eventually dry out.
My favorite part of the Zoom Tube system was using the optional Inspector Microscope to view the tiniest details of plants, rocks, and insects. While I found it difficult to get the entirety of my subject in focus, it was extremely fun to see things that are essentially invisible to the naked eye.
$75/Zoom Tube, $35/Inspector Microscope | nocsprovisions.com
Watch our video tour of the Zoom Tube on the Expedition Portal YouTube channel.
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