[Problem] To provide a manual surveying instrument that allows easily performing a collimating operation and allows performing a high precision measurement in a short time.[Solution Means] The manual surveying instrument includes a collimation assist device (70) having a collimation light transmitting system that emits a collimation light (R) along a collimation axis (O) toward a target installed at a measurement point, an area sensor (80) that obtains an image of a scene captured within a field of view of a collimating telescope (3), a display unit (48) that displays the image, a collimation light detecting unit (82) that detects the target as a result of receiving the collimation light reflected on the target by the area sensor, and an arithmetic control unit (46) that displays an area (94) being within a predetermined deviation from the collimation axis and where distance measurement is possible and a symbol indicating the target on the display unit as an animation image, judges that collimation has been completed when the target has been captured, by a manual operation of the collimating telescope, within the area where distance measurement is possible to perform a distance and angle measurement, and corrects an angle measurement value according to a deviation from the collimation axis of the target.