Leupold SX-1 Ventana 15-45x60mm Review (Great Spotting Scope)

Leupold SX-1 Ventana 2 15-45x60mm Angled — Image Credit - Leupold

Viewing Configuration: Angled
Magnification: 15-45X
Power Variability: Variable
Adjustable Eyepieces: Yes
Eyepiece included: Yes
Objective Diameter: 60 mm
Close Focus Distance: 13.8 feet
Length: 13.5 inches
Weight: 30.6 ounces
Field of View: 121-63 feet/1000 yards
Eye Relief/Exit Pupil: 21.5-20 mm/4-1.3 mm
Optics Coatings: Fully Multi-Coated
Glass: Not Listed
Focus System: Focus Knob/Single Focus
Waterproof/Fog-proof: Yes/Yes
Digiscope adaptable: No

Best Uses: Hunting, For the Range, Birdwatching, Wildlife Observation

Update: The SX-1 Ventana has been discontinued by Leupold but its successor the, SX-2 Alpine HD, is following the positive rating trends of the Ventana. Check it out on Amazon and Optics Planet.

Leupold SX-1 Ventana

The SX-1 Ventana spotting scope is Synergy Built, has fully multi-coated optics, and it's also covered by Leupold's Gold Ring Full Lifetime Guarantee.

Online, it has one of the highest reviewer bases for a Leupold spotting scope with over several dozen votes. And, it managed to draw in an excellent rating!

Again, I was tied between featuring this original SX-1 Ventana and the newer SX-1 Ventana 2. So, I figured I'll compare them here, but the older Ventana gets the feature because it has the rating and the reviewer base behind it.

With so many options that Leupold has to offer, you need to know everything about each one before you can make a truly informed buying decision. So, here's our fully-detailed Q&A to aid you in your spotting scope quest.

Pros:

Price
Interchangeable eyepiece
Very close focus distance
Gold Ring Guarantee
Includes tripod and hard case

Cons:

Not a complete kit

SX-1 Ventana 15-45X60 Q&A:

Is the Ventana SX1 a low budget spotting scope?

If you're asking this question on basis of features and price, yes. For Leupold, it's their entry-level spotter with entry-level features and a price to match.

Online the Ventana costs about $200. Retail price with Leupold is $400. Yeah - that's a whistler for a low budget Leupold!

Online the original Ventana's newer counterpart, the SX-1 Ventana 2 15-45X60 costs around $300 with a retail price of close to $500.

Where is the Leupold Ventana SX1 spotting scope made?

This should be a straight forward answer, but unfortunately, not even Leupold can correctly say! Again, this wouldn't be the first time in this spotting scope review that you're thinking "what?"!

The Ventana is either made in China or Korea. I've been told both answers. But, if you happen to get a Ventana that has the serial number printed on it, you might have the country of origin on there too.

Pull out the retractable sunshade and look carefully on the bottom of the barrel. There should be black-inked numbers and "CHINA" printed there if it was made in China. If you have a newer Ventana that doesn't have the serial number printed on it, then I guess, you could politically-incorrectly say it was made in Asia somewhere.

But, the Leupold GR spotting scopes are actually made and assembled in Beaverton, Oregon. American-made - that must be why the compact GR is double the price of the low budget Ventana.

It makes sense, especially when they are similar in the fact that they lack Leupold's trademarked, fancy features and optical technologies.

What warranty does the SX-1 Ventana carry?

Interestingly enough, the Ventana actually has the Leupold Gold Ring Full Lifetime Guarantee. Don't ask me why though.

The SX-2 mid-level Kenai doesn't even have this kind of guarantee behind it. It only has the Limited Lifetime Warranty.

But, for the low budget spotting scope, the extremely cost-friendly price is pretty much worth the Gold Ring warranty by itself. It's a deal.

How many Ventana spotting scopes are there?

If you were to try shopping around on Leupold's website, it would look like a very long mess of a list of numbers being spat at you. Not Leupold's fault, but it does take some optical understanding to be able to tell what you're looking at.

So, I'll break it down for you. There's actually only two magnification and aperture combos and they are all available in either the straight or angled design. SX-1 Ventana 15-45X60, SX-1 Ventana 2 15-45X60, SX-1 Ventana 20-60X80, and the SX-1 Ventana 2 20-60X80.

Only the original Ventana's are available as a kit per design (straight or angled) whereas the newer Ventana 2's are not.

So, how many total scopes and scope kits does this make? 12.

The original Ventana's are no longer available and the SX-1 Ventana 2's are now available as a kit.

What does SX-1 mean?

This is Leupold's symbol designation for their entry-level optics. The S is representative for the spotting scope line and the X-1 is the entry level representation.

So, if you take a look at the Kenai, you can clearly interpret that they are the mid-level line, indicated by the SX-2.

The SX-3, for high-end spotting scopes would be the American-made Golden Ring spotters.

You can also apply the X-1, X-2, and X-3 to Leupold's binoculars "B" and rifle scopes "V" for the same indication of quality.

What are the differences between the Ventana and the Ventana 2?

The only difference is just the Guard-Ion lens coatings the Ventana 2 has.

The objective lens has been coated with the rain-shedding or storm-shedding coating for ultimate viewing, even during the harshest weather.

When were the SX-1 Ventana 2 spotting scopes released to the market?

The newer Ventana's were released in 2016. They're hot off the conveyor belt! The old Ventana's have been around since 2011.

Noteworthy Features:

15-45X power for low magnifications and handheld capability to high power for close and fine detail viewing
Compact and lightweight
Synergy Built; Retractable Sunshade; Armor Coated
Backed by Leupold's Gold Ring Full Lifetime Guarantee

Our Verdict On The Leupold SX 1 Ventana 15-45X60

The scoop on the scope is, the Leupold SX-1 Ventana 15-45X60 Spotting Scope Kit is a decent buy. The only premium features on the Ventana that makes it worth the price is that it has the interchangeable eyepiece technology, and it also comes with the Gold Ring Guarantee. However, as a kit, it really should throw in a soft case or at least a stay-on cover - it's not so much a complete kit after all.

But, the newer SX-1 Ventana 2 15-45X60 does away with the "complete kit" and instead upgrades the quality of the coatings on the lenses. You can also expect the same prices for the affordable spotter.

If you can stretch your budget a little further, the Leupold SX-2 Alpine HD is well worth a look!

Leupold has had the hunting crowd behind its back for decades. If you're not willing to stray and you want to stick with what you know best, the Ventana keeps it simple, even with its premium features to boot!