High End Spotter Shakedown

[CabinFever]

I haven't seen a good spotter shake down for a while here, and most threads only compare a couple. I'm shopping, and I want to open it up for discussion among any of the top end spotters, and your opinion on 60, 70, or 80 class objectives. If you have experience with all of them or only one vs another I'd love to hear about it. Nikon ED's or EDG's, Leica APO Televid, Swaro HD's, Vortex Razor HD's, Kowa Prominar, Zeiss W/E's and whatever else I'm missing. For the sake of this review, save your ideas of "best value" or "best in this price range". Not that I'm going to buy the best of the best regardless of price, but for the sake of this review I want to figure out the best of the best, and maybe an orderly rank, then I can make a decision based on price later. I know that much will depend on the users own eyes, as I'm seeing so many different opinions in reviews on the web. Your opinions desired...

 

[St52v]

I saw a review a month or to ago where a gentleman when to cabelas and bought a bunch of high end binos to test himself. He double and tripled check with cabelas about returning the ones he didn't like when he was done. He took them out in the field to test them as well. It was a cool review and could be done as long as your credit limiting at cabelas is large enough.

 

[schmalts]

Give me a shout when your ready to test, I have a few pointers that will help you pick them apart easier. One of the hardest thing to do is test clarity to the edges, I have a pretty good system, but too long to type

 

[Hof]

I have the Nikon ED-82 25-75. I compared it to the swaro non HD and the vortex viper hd and I thought it was the most clear edge to edge and brought in the most light. I also liked that it has the capability to go to 75x while the others stopped at 60x. Not a huge deal but it does make a difference when using the phone skope to take griz pics.

Where in MT are you? if I am anywhere near there this fall I can let you check it out for yourself.

Hof

 

[MTClacka]

I just bought the Nikon ED3 20-60x60. Last weekend was the first chance I really got to try it out glassing. I am really impressed. You don't lose any edge clarity at 60 power, and the light transmission was great. Here's a pic of a cow at the other end of the drainage, which was a long long ways away. It was on 60 power, and I used my phone without any sort of attachment. Also, I was looking straight west into the sun. I know it sounds like an uphill both ways in waist deep snow kind of story, but looking towards the sun is where I've had issues with lesser quality spotters.

 

[npaden]

My only input is that I have a really nice ZenRay 82mm objective spotting scope that sits in my gun safe most of the time because it is just too big to haul around. It has great optics, I have a 20 - 60x and a 25 - 50x wide angle eye piece and the clarity is outstanding. I just never take it with me because it is so big.

I think something in the 65mm objective range would be the way to go if you are ever going to justify hauling it around in your backpack.

 

[Hof]

I have been thinking of downsizing as well.... I think I would carry it a lot more often if I had the 60mm

Anybody looking for an ED-82?? haha

 

[CabinFever]

I have the Nikon ED-82 25-75. I compared it to the swaro non HD and the vortex viper hd and I thought it was the most clear edge to edge and brought in the most light. I also liked that it has the capability to go to 75x while the others stopped at 60x. Not a huge deal but it does make a difference when using the phone skope to take griz pics.

Where in MT are you? if I am anywhere near there this fall I can let you check it out for yourself.

Hof

I'm in Belgrade. Thanks for pointing that out, I hear plenty good about the Nikon ED's but hadn't even noticed yet they had a 25-75 eyepiece. How did it do above 60x? Any chance you've gotten to compare to a Razor HD?

 

[CabinFever]

I think something in the 65mm objective range would be the way to go if you are ever going to justify hauling it around in your backpack.

I've been having a real hard time deciding on size. Some people claim that no matter what they have they end up wanting the next size up, while others say the big ones never come out with them. Normally I would stick with a 65 but one of my closest friends and who I hunt most with is getting one, making me feel like it'd be dumb to get the same thing. I've also been seeing some talk of 77's which might be a good tweener, but it doesn't look like Nikon still makes their Fieldscope 77. I do see great reviews and relative compact size for a Kowa 77.

 

[Hof]

I have looked through the Razor HD but I did not have them side by side. I think that they are very comparable but the ED82 has been out for quite a while longer so I think you might be able to find a better deal on the nikon. I saw that they had one a shedhorn sports in Ennis a few weeks ago if you wanted to look through one. still at retail 1899 though....

I have some pics of Griz and elk with it turned up to 75, I will try to post them later. definitely not show quality but it looks pretty good for a cell phone through a scope at a couple miles.

Hit me up if you decide you want an 82....

 

[Selkirk]

Bought my first spotter 4 years ago and decided on a Kowa 66. I don't spend a lot of time behind the glass, never have, but wanted to get something versatile, which led me to this one. I did plenty of research, but didn't do much hands-on testing and Kowa's are actually hard to come by up here. I'm pleased with the purchase and wholeheartedly admit I need to use it more in the field. Old and sometimes bad habits are hard to break though.

Good luck and please let us know what you settle with and why.

 

[sagebrush]

Swarovski 65. Right size, great glass, no failures yet, but if it does fail, great warranty.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

for a small spotter i really like my nikon ed-50 at only 1 lb.,awesome for backpacking with for its size and clarity.

 

[CabinFever]

Swarovski 65. Right size, great glass, no failures yet, but if it does fail, great warranty.

The way I read Swarovski's warranty it seems like they leave themselves a lot of loopholes in comparison to Vortex and Nikon, but maybe I'm reading it wrong.

 

[CabinFever]

The Nikon ED50 has been on my radar for quite awhile, but I decided for my first spotter I'd like something that makes a bigger difference from bino's, plus scouting from roads and longer distances.

 

[havgunwilltravel]

Swarovski 65. Right size, great glass, no failures yet, but if it does fail, great warranty.

Got to agree here. Simply can't beat Swaro optics, and the 65 is packable, gathers more then enough light and would be my number 1 choice.

 

[JGRaider]

Best of the best......Kowa 883/884 with the new wide angle TE11Z zoom.

 

[CabinFever]

Best of the best......Kowa 883/884 with the new wide angle TE11Z zoom.

I keep hearing that, but don't know where to go to find one, seems they are hard to get your hands on.

 

[dexnrex]

For what it's worth I have had a Zeiss Diascope 65 since 2004 and I love it. Small enough to pack, and I've never wished I'd gotten a bigger one. I based my choice partly on advice from on optics dealer on the east coast that sells all over the world. He told me that his bird watching clients choose the Zeiss for the clarity and color correctness. I don't watch birds a whole lot, but those characteristics are in play when I'm looking at deer, elk and antelope as well. BTW I didn't buy the scope from the dealer, but on Ebay from a guy in Billings, MT. I'm in Glasgow and we had some mutual friends so I trusted him and got a great scope that didn't have a mark or a speck of dust on it for a great price.

 

[JohnDeereGreen]

This is a great thread, as I'm also interested in upgrading to a higher-end spotter. I had a chance to do a little bit of comparison yesterday. I currently have a Brunton Eterna 62mm scope which has served me well for a few years, but now I'm looking for new scope. Anyway, went in to a sporting goods store here in MT and put my Brunton side by side with a Swarovski ATX 65 mm and a Vortex Viper HD 65 mm. The store had an eye chart hanging up on a far wall ( a great idea) and I got to do a side by side comparison.

The Brunton was much clear, brighter, and had less CA than the Vortex, by far. I'd say it had 15-20% more light. I was able to read one more line down the chart with the Brunton than the Vortex. I could not make out all the letters in the lowest line on the chart.

Of course, the Swarovski beat both the other scopes. No surprises there. It was 20% brighter and much sharper than the Brunton. No CA. I could not only read the last line on the eye chart much easier, but was able to read the full text of the legal disclaimer on the bottom of the chart.

The rep at the store had told me that the glass in the Viper HDs and the Razor HDs was the same glass, and that the only difference was the Razor has a magnesium housing and the Viper has a polycarbonate housing. I called Vortex about this, and their rep told me this was incorrect, and that the Razor line is different glass with different coatings.

I'm in the process of trying to track down the Razor HD 65mm scope to put next to my own. I'd also really like to compare to the Nikon Fieldscope iii ED 60mm, as these scopes are about as high in price as I am willing to go for the moment. I will, however, probably look thru some Leica and Zeiss just for fun and for the purposes of comparison. I'll post my "findings" when I can.