Never really considered that a "commander's periscope" tbh. more like a guy spotting with binoculars outside the hatch. but you can think of it that way if you want.

Well there's no guy outside the hatch.
In reality, 10:1 magnification of the scissors periscope provided better observation of the target area than the binoculars. Moreover, the aiming sights of the StuG were superior to those of the tanks (2.5:1) or AT-guns (3:1). This is one of the reasons that attributed to the combat effectiveness and the higher armour kill rates of the Sturmartillerie.

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Recovery of a Sherman that fell into a bomb crater, breaking a tread. Saint-Gilles, Manche, late July 1944.

Switzerland 1967.

Seth, that's a good reference how the commanders view on the StuG III (or the scissors periscope) should look like - from Ausf. A to G.

The 25th Infantry Division. Korea 1951.